Behind the Seams Episode 10 Recap
In this episode of Behind the Seams, Jeff Courey welcomes Dr. Adil Salam, Director of Sourcing & Procurement at George Courey Inc. From aerospace cost modeling to pharma, retail, and now institutional textiles, Adil has seen complex supply chains from every angle. In this episode of Behind the Seams, he unpacks how George Courey Inc.’s strategies to keep healthcare and hospitality customers supplied, on time, on spec, and within budget even when global conditions change overnight.
Dependability You Can Feel
Whether it’s patient gowns, sheets, and surgical textiles in healthcare or hospitality linens, reliability is non-negotiable. Adil’s team focuses on three pillars:
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The right partners – Proven mills and converters with the capability, capacity, and compliance footprint our categories demand.
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The right communication – Continuous, transparent contact so small issues never become big problems.
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The right measures – Vendor scorecards, quality gates, and TCO analysis to drive continuous improvement.
Balancing Quality, Cost, and Reliability
When it comes to procurement, every decision is a balance. Adil explains that the goal is to find the right combination of performance, quality, and cost — not just the lowest price.
From fabric selection to production timelines, each step is carefully considered to ensure durable, high-performance textiles that meet the demanding standards of both healthcare and hospitality environments.
“It’s not just about buying a towel or a gown,” Adil says. “It’s about building a reliable program that delivers peace of mind for our customers.”
Strategic Sourcing > Spot Buying
We don’t “chase the cheapest towel.” We build resilient programs.
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Partner selection, not one-off suppliers: We work with local and overseas partners and maintain a balanced portfolio so we can flex capacity as demand or trade rules shift.
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Open book, open line: Weekly check-ins and forecast reviews, so we can replan fast and shield customers from disruption.
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Vendor scorecards that matter: We measure On-Time/In-Full (OTIF), quality (AQL/claims), and cost competitiveness. Results are shared, discussed, and actioned.
Why it works: Trust + transparency = speed. When partners tell us what’s really happening, we can reroute, re-sequence POs, or shift production and keep your shelves full.
Quality by Design: Inspections from Loom to Loading Dock
Textile categories don’t forgive shortcuts:
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Defined specifications by segment (e.g., construction, GSM, whiteness, tensile/tear, shrinkage, shade tolerances).
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Multi-gate inspections: Pre-production (PP) approvals, inline audits, and final random inspections (FRI) with documented criteria.
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Category nuance: For surgical and isolation gowns, barrier performance and labeling must meet the applicable level specs (e.g., L2/L3/L4). For hospitality, hand feel, durability, and appearance after industrial laundering are paramount.
Built-In Resilience
Markets move. Your linen supply shouldn’t. We design flexibility into each category:
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Multi-origin options to avoid single-country risk
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Contingency partners qualified in advance
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Continuous monitoring of trade, transit, and capacity
We don’t own overseas manufacturing by design. That keeps us nimble and able to pivot when trade rules or logistics shift.
The Takeaway
Sourcing and procurement may happen behind the seams, but their impact is front and center. By combining technical expertise with trusted relationships and a proactive mindset, George Courey Inc. continues to deliver dependable, sustainable, and high-quality textile programs to the healthcare and hospitality industries across North America.
Check out the full episodes of our podcast Behind The Seams!
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUm37DtQGvY
Stay tuned for upcoming episodes, where we’ll dive deeper into the world of institutional textiles, hospitality linens, healthcare laundry solutions, and the people who keep this industry moving forward.
