SPOTLIGHT ON FRANCE
The importance of the French market for the company is also confirmed by Thomas Zeck, commercial director at Kreussler Textile Care, according to whom Kreussler continues to increase its market presence and awareness as a full-service provider for textile care.
THOMAS ZECK: PHOTO CREDIT: Uwe Schoen
solid order book for 2025 and will continue to grow in the French laundry market. He explains that the French market is divided into two sectors, hospital laundries linked to public service and linen rental groups such as Elis, Kalhyge, Anett, Sdez, followed by a few independent units such as Cercle du Propre and private laundries. He adds that Jensen France has strong relationships with representatives of all segments.
Miklanek believes tourism will be one of the major drivers for growth for French laundry and drycleaning sector in years to come, commenting: “France is still the world’s leading destination for tourism with 100 million international visitors in 2024 [according to figures from the French Government], the hotel sector is booming and many hotel construction projects are underway, laundries are benefiting from this growth and profitability is increasing every year with an average growth of 13.7% in 2024, the health sector is stable and still mainly handled by French hospitals, which have 350 units in France. The main challenges for our customers and indirectly for us concern the costs of gas, electricity and the new regulations on water use. “The preservation of resources is a major issue and the reduction in consumption initiated several years ago in the laundry sector continues, so we must offer ever more economical machines, the automation already present in the washing sector is also a challenge in the sector of sorting dirty laundry both for the hotel industry and especially in the healthcare sector where the risks of handling contaminated linen must be avoided by operators. These solutions are already offered by the Jensen Group and we now have several fully automated sorting facilities in France for soiled linen.”
16
Zeck comments: “The first half of 2025 saw solid partnerships like for example with the large French industrial laundry Christalex, who reopened with double their former size in April 2025 after a devastating fire, new partnerships with e.g. one of the largest French leasing companies, as well as our continuous engagement in the sector of public/healthcare laundries, working with associations like the URBH which brings together nearly 300 hospital linen professionals in more than 250 public, health, and accommodation establishments throughout France.”
He adds: “As the company is supplying its customers both via sales partners and directly, it continues to strengthen its market expansion in relation to small and medium-sized as well as larger laundries by providing their favorite way of buying and delivery. We also cater to the trend of market expansion in traditional textile cleaning, for example a drycleaner adding a washing machine to provide classic washing for care homes, the PSA market, or small restaurants and hotels.” Zeck expects the demand for professional laundry and drycleaning services in France will continue to grow in the coming years, especially regarding the first. “Several key trends and developments are contributing to this positive outlook. Firstly, industrial laundries are becoming increasingly important – not only due to economic efficiency, but also because of clear ecological advantages. As sustainability and environmental responsibility gain momentum across all sectors, the textile care industry is in a strong position to contribute meaningfully. Industrial laundries use significantly less water and energy per kilogram of textiles compared to domestic washing. Furthermore, professional textile care products and processes help extend the life of textiles significantly, therefore reducing the carbon footprint, e.g. through gentler treatment and innovative alternatives to fiber-destroying chlorine bleach.” Zeck beleives there is also a continued growth in the healthcare and care sectors, where hygiene standards are absolutely critical. Zeck also added that, in the field of textile cleaning, regulatory changes are also
shaping the future. An example is the ban on perchloroethylene in France, which has been fully enforced since 2022, which made some adjustments in day-to-day operations for Kreussler and other local operators. “We are also observing strong momentum in the self-service sector, which is evolving beyond its traditional customer base. Intelligent marketing concepts and multifunctional product solutions are attracting new user groups who previously would not have considered using a self- service laundry. This is opening up exciting opportunities for growth and innovation. Finally, trade shows like Texcare France in Paris (see page 26 for LCNi’s preview) are playing an essential role in strengthening the textile care sector. The successful takeover of the French JET Expo by the Messe Frankfurt Group via its French subsidiary, rebranding it as Texcare France in 2023, has already increased the visibility and stimulative impact of the event. Finally, Marco Niccolini, general sales and marketing director) of Renzacci also speaks about the large potential of the French laundry and drycleaning market despite the challenges which may slow down the existing growth rates of the market. He says that in recent years the market has faced a serious decrease of laundry and drycleaning outlets, especially in the biggest cities where they have almost completely disappeared. He expects the situation will change, beginning in 2026. He adds the demand for natural solvents in the industry is steadily growing and that trend he expects to extend in to the foreseeable future.
SUPER SUSTAINABLE: Christeyns innovates with HydRO
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45
