Plant
“ We don’ t invest in technology for technology’ s sake,” he says.“ It has to make sense.”
That philosophy led Ace ImageWear to avoid some fully automated transfer systems in favor of simpler sling-based material handling. Partial automation improves efficiency without introducing single points of failure.
Clean Side, Finishing and Accountability
On the clean side of the plant, garments are loaded onto hangers and run through a Colmac garment finishing tunnel. Triple Buck presses handle detailed garment work, while smaller washers support specialty needs.
Any garment requiring attention— a missing button, damaged name tag or repair— is diverted to the mending area before re-entering production. All finished garments are scanned again in the bundle-verification area, ensuring that everything scanned in is scanned out. This reporting, showing customers exactly what was processed and returned, has become a valued differentiator and aids in retention and customer satisfaction.“ That reporting tool is something customers really like,” Heilman says.
Once verified, garments move to route lines numbered by truck assignment before being staged on the clean-side loading dock for next-day delivery. Trucks are loaded the night before, allowing drivers to leave before rush hour in the morning.
Above( from top): A view of the wash aisle at Ace ImageWear’ s Houston facility. The Houston plant is powered by chemistry from Gurtler Industries Inc. Garments in slings waiting to be loaded into dryers.
The Houston operation runs 14 routes, while five routes operate out of Beaumont, now served by a smaller 5,000-square-foot( 464-square-meter) depot in a different building than the company previously operated out of when it was in that area. At the start of its move to the Houston facility, Ace
32 Textile Services • May 2026