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As a commercial laundry investor, wouldn’t you like to be as certain as possible that your money and efforts result in a successful, profitable outcome? As you look to invest in an existing commercial laundry or develop a new one from scratch, there are multiple critical factors to consider that will ultimately shape your business’ success. Go in knowing that…

While highly programmable wet cleaning washer-extractors have been on the market for years, their partner dryers have lacked the programmability needed to dry delicate fabrics — wools, silks, linens — without resulting damage. Historically, garments were either wet cleaned and air-dried overnight, which took a lot of time and space, or dry cleaned. Thankfully, emerging dryer technology is changing all…

New technologies allow wet cleaning to significantly improve throughput production over traditional dry cleaning. This makes a strong case for the eco-friendly wet cleaning process. When comparing the costs associated with both — wet cleaning is the clear winner. The initial investment, operational costs and associated fees are thousands less. Read on to see the figures in black and white.…

An exciting movement is taking hold within the laundry industry. More and more laundries are serving as community hubs, where giving back is as important as receiving. Today, the neighborhood laundry is often more than just a place where people wash clothes once weekly. Rather, it delivers multiple services, provides a comfortable enjoyable place to hang out, and initiates and…

There’s no doubt that the “laundry service center” concept is gaining ground within our industry. And for good reason. A true laundry service center packs multiple services into the laundry footprint. Owners of laundry service centers, as a result, enjoy favorable financing; a diverse revenue-generating portfolio; more protection from economic downturns; fewer competitors within a given geographic area; and generally,…

Starting from scratch, Whistler Laundry Inc., in Whistler, BC., stepped into laundry automation a little at a time. The commercial laundry started with three washers and three dryers. It quickly added more washing and drying capacity, along with a heated-roll ironer and integrated folder. Production, quality and profits escalated. “That first ironer improved production and revenue 30 percent,” said co-owner Steve…

Pounds Per Operator Hour, or PPOH is a critical benchmarking measurement that shows the average laundry pounds processed by a single employee in an hour. It’s likely the most important efficiency metric used by laundry operations. This is because a laundry’s greatest cost savings is always gleaned from reducing the labor hours used to deliver the product. So I urge…

Many new vended laundry investors resist the idea of including large-capacity washers (80- to 130-pound capacity) as part of their equipment mix. Some say they can’t imagine anyone needing a machine that big. Others don’t want the expense of a big machine. Still, others don’t want to sacrifice smaller machines to make space for massive-sized machines. Sadly, these investors will…

All vended laundries are different and cater to a unique demographic. No two locations are the same. In order to maximize revenue generated from that demographic, it makes sense to appeal to its diversity. Consider offering services — from your laundry hub — that go beyond the self-service customer. Create services that appeal to homeowners, professionals, singles and nearby businesses.…

It’s an animal all its own, so when negotiating a commercial property lease for a vended laundry, do your research. Your lease will be among your biggest expenses. So it’s important to understand the various types of commercial leases and how to negotiate them in your favor. Read on for a quick lesson. Key Things to Know When negotiating a…