ETSA News

As part of our ongoing series highlighting ETSA members, we spoke with Guiral and Quiterie De Montclos of HDM Groupe, a long-established textile supplier serving the professional laundry sector across hospitality, healthcare, and industrial markets. 

 What motivated HDM Groupe to join ETSA, and what do you hope to achieve through this partnership as a group representing multiple textile service companies?

As a textile supplier deeply rooted in the professional laundry sector, joining ETSA was a logical step after joining long-time ago GEIST French national association. We wanted to be part of the leading European platform where the entire textile service value chain converges, and with the conviction that the challenges shaping the future of textile services in Europe - the green transition, regulatory changes, and standardization of practices—can only be effectively addressed through collective action.

HDM Groupe brings together several textile service providers. What are the key strengths and synergies within your group, and how do they contribute to delivering high-quality and reliable services across different markets?

HDM Groupe covers a large broad product range - bed, bath and table linen, garments, scrubs, workwear and protective wear — all engineered for industrial laundering easing the 3-party business relationship "textile provider - textile service - textile final user". This breadth combined with our ability to serve the hospitality, healthcare and industrial sectors is a real differentiator. As a family business now in its 12th generation, with origins dating back to 1723, long-term thinking and trusted relationships are deeply part of how we operate.

How does HDM Groupe approach sustainability across its operations, particularly in areas such as resource efficiency, circularity, and extending the lifetime of textiles?

Our starting point is product durability. Textiles designed to withstand hundreds of industrial wash cycles without losing their function or integrity are, by definition, more sustainable. That has always been our core commitment. Beyond that, we are actively working on responsible sourcing, reducing our production footprint, and exploring end-of-life and circularity solutions such as our early-stage investment in Renaissance Textile. The regulatory direction set by the EU aligns with where we have always been heading - and we see ETSA as the right space to accelerate that progress collectively.

How do you plan to leverage your membership in ETSA to exchange best practices and collaborate with other stakeholders in the textile service value chain?

We intend to be active members by participating into working groups and industry exchanges, and to engage directly with laundries, suppliers and associations across Europe. We have strong expertise in designing textiles that genuinely perform in industrial laundry conditions and in producing in Europe with local regulation considerations, and we want to share that knowledge. Equally, we have much to learn from other members about operational realities and market-specific requirements. That mutual exchange makes ETSA valuable.

Looking ahead, what are the main challenges and opportunities you see for textile service providers in Europe, and how is HDM Groupe preparing to address them?

Three dynamics stand out. Regulatory pressure around sustainability and ecodesign will reshape how textiles are specified and procured - we welcome this, as it rewards quality and durability. Instability across the world, particularly visible since Covid, is challenging the value chain - evolving in this environment, HDM should remain a reliable partner assuring at its level consistency in service and quality. Consolidation in the industry means we are looking for stronger partners - we aim to keep expanding our European presence.