CHICAGO — The laundry and dry cleaning industry lost two vendor leaders recently with the passings of Steven Katz, CEO of ThermoSteam Industries, and Gene Blumenthal, founder and president of Metro-Chem Inc.
Steven Mark Katz, 1948-2012
Katz, 63, South Bend, Ind., died Monday. He was born and raised in South Bend. He attended Indiana University, where he graduated with a history degree in 1970. He pursued a career in laundry and dry cleaning, and eventually became the CEO of two companies: ThermoSteam Systems, manufacturer of packaged steam boilers, and Kay Industries, producer of phase converters.
Katz was active in the Textile Care Allied Trades Association (TCATA), having served on its board of directors for four years and as treasurer for two.
He was also active in his local community and his congregation, Sinai Synagogue. He was known as an extraordinary orator and was called upon to emcee various events in the South Bend area over the years.
