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Blue Heron Linens, in Savannah, Ga., a premier provider of commercial laundry services to the hospitality market, recently invested in Girbau Industrial (GI) ironing and folding solutions. Now with doubled production, slashed labor and elevated quality, owner Michael Wine anticipates a 12-month return on investment and a growth path to new business.The Automation AdvantageFollowing the pandemic, operational costs skyrocketed. “In…

Even before a pandemic took the world by storm, athletic programs concerned themselves with fighting and reducing the spread of potentially deadly pathogens, including HIV, Hepatitis and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a type of staph resistant to antibiotics. MRSA in particular has been a problem for years — plaguing locker rooms, infecting and ending the athletic careers of many student-athletes…

“We want to be at the top end of outdoor hospitality,” said Jill Currier, director of accommodations for Kampgrounds of America’s (KOA) Company-Owned Properties (COPs). Of the 500 KOA campgrounds across North America, 28 are COPs and feature deluxe cabins where linen and towels are provided for guests. During 2013, KOA COPs provided clean linen for over 50,000 camper night…

After outsourcing laundry for years, Pratt Regional Medical Center (PRMC), in Pratt, Kan., developed its own off-site laundry capable of processing and sanitizing more than 1,000 laundry pounds per day. The $300,000 laundry investment — which proved considerably more efficient and cost-effective than outsourcing — paid for itself in 18 months, cut linen volume loss in half, and toppled cost…

“I wasn’t looking to get into the laundry business,” said Eddie Quispe, owner of Wonderwash, a 4,000-square-foot, high-speed laundry in Bernalillo, N.M. Rather, Quispe fell into the business while searching for land to develop apartment complexes. He noticed a laundry for sale flanked on each side by available acreage. He bought the land and the business.Quispe’s plan? To build 15-…

Since the installation of new Poseidon TextileCare System Wet Cleaning Machines and Dryers,Perfect Cleaners, in Detroit, has tripled processing throughput, lowered utility costs, and realized an 8 percent increase in sales volume. Owner Gary Heflin, a dry cleaner of 28 years, has transformed his business from predominately dry cleaning to mostly wet cleaning. Wet cleaning, he maintains, is a more…

Brightwater Laundry in Sevierville, Tenn., recently completed a massive automation project that positions the company to process up to 10 million pounds of customer-owned goods (COG) per year, according to Laundry Project Manager Matthew Shadle. The commercial laundry, which serves the booming vacation rental and hospitality markets of Eastern Tennessee, immediately launched laundry productivity, lowered labor costs and improved end-product…

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers — the High-Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers — recently expanded Fox Cities Stadium, in Appleton, Wis. That expansion resulted in new seating areas, elevated player amenities, a new three-story slide, an expanded concourse encircling the stadium, and a larger, improved laundry facility dedicated to processing everything from table linens, skirting and game uniforms to…

Shortly after purchasing an existing laundry near Palm Springs, Calif., Keith and Jacqueline Reed made smart equipment tweaks to better serve the booming vacation rental market. “Our goal was to take our very nice laundry and increase its revenue and profit for a more viable business,” said Keith Reed.When Opportunity KnocksWhen purchased in 2018, the 4,500-square-foot Sparklean Laundry was predominately…

Scott Vlahos is president of Advantage Equipment Inc., a full-service laundry solutions provider serving Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Over the course 21 years, Advantage Equipment has sold and installed turnout gear washers at more than 600 fire departments. In this Q and A, Vlahos provides expert advice on how to select the right washer for cleaning turnout gear according…