Content about Alliance Laundry Systems

NEW YORK — Superstorm Sandy flooded and crippled numerous hospital and hotel laundry operations when it struck the Northeast in late October.

Emergency preparedness planning made all the difference for the Hospital Central Services Cooperative (HCSC) Laundry, which consists of five plants and processes approximately 110 million pounds of linen for some 350 healthcare facilities in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. The town of Asbury Park, N.J., where the laundry has its headquarters, was evacuated before the storm struck. The laundry lost power for a week.

“This was an unprecedented situation for us,” says Bill Moyer, vice president of Marketing Services for HCSC. “We had never had a plant out of service for a week. It was a worst-case scenario.”

HCSC management put its emergency preparedness plan into effect days before the storm struck, says Moyer. Linen conservation alerts were sent out to all healthcare linen customers, as they share a common linen inventory. Linen orders were escalated and prepared a day ahead of time. Linen volume was shared and produced by the laundry’s sister plants in Camden, N.J., Allentown, Pa., and Baltimore, Md. The laundry’s service suffered only “minimal” disruption, according to Moyer.

“The storm presented a logistical nightmare,” he says. “This was as bad as it gets. Fortunately, our other plants stepped up and picked up the slack. It took a tremendous amount of planning, a high level of teamwork and cooperation, and a good deal of patience by everyone concerned.”

He continues, “I can’t say enough about the importance of having backup capability in your system during a storm. I don’t know what we would’ve done without it. During the storm, our hospitals absorbed more patients who were evacuated from nursing homes. Their censuses were up.”

In the aftermath of the storm, some manufacturers and distributors of laundry machinery announced programs aimed at helping laundries replace equipment destroyed by Sandy.

Alliance Laundry Systems, Laundrylux and Dexter Laundry were among the companies that announced programs offering deferred payments and interest and no fees on equipment purchases made by qualified on-premise laundries. American Dryer Corp. stepped up its production to make certain enough laundry equipment would be readily available to customers during the recovery.

Alliance’s Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief program allows owners to replace their damaged washers and dryers with no payments or interest for up to four months, no loan fees, and a cash allowance to assist with installation costs. Additionally, there is no prepayment penalty if customers choose to pay off their loan in full with reimbursement eventually received from FEMA or their insurer.

Alliance has made the program available to qualifying laundries in New York and New Jersey, but will review other situations and offer the finance program to other affected laundries on a case-by-case basis.

“The purpose of the program is to help laundries get back on their feet and start operating again, while they are sorting out their insurance claims,” says Bill Brooks, North American sales manager for UniMac, an Alliance company.

Under Laundrylux’s Disaster Recovery Program, qualified laundries purchasing Electrolux or Wascomat equipment can make no payments for up to six months and pay no interest for up to 12 months. All associated fees will be waived. The program is available in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and West Virginia.

Dexter’s program offers qualifying laundry owners in the Hurricane Sandy-affected areas of New York and New Jersey the ability to purchase equipment for up to six months of no payments, with no origination or documentation fees, along with a special allowance for installation and start-up costs. Customers wishing to pay off their loan after recovery from their insurer or other agency will face no prepayment penalties.

RIPON, Wis. — Commercial laundry equipment manufacturer Alliance Laundry Systems has promoted Bill Bittner to vice president of North American sales. He succeeds Jeff Brothers Sr., senior vice president of North American sales, who is retiring at month’s end after 35 years of service.

Beginning Dec. 1, Bittner will be responsible for managing Alliance Laundry’s well-known brands, which include Speed Queen®, UniMac®, Huebsch®, IPSO®, and Cissell®, through a team of national sales managers and their respective regional sales managers. Additionally, he will oversee pricing, budgets, forecasts, sales promotional activity and distributor development.

During his 15-year tenure at Alliance, Bittner has held a wide variety of positions that include leadership roles in sales, manufacturing, and genuine parts. He most recently served as vice president of Customer One, the global company initiative focused on customer service.

“Bill’s passion for sales combined with his creativity and experience in the commercial laundry business makes him an ideal choice to lead our North American sales organization,” says Mike Schoeb, Alliance Laundry’s president and CEO. “In his new role, he will continue to be an essential member of Alliance Laundry’s leadership team.”

Bittner graduated with honors from Wilfrid Lauier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, where he received his bachelor’s degree in business administration.

For 35 years, Brothers has served as an important and respected leader in the commercial laundry industry, having made “significant contributions that have helped the company achieve the market success that it continues to build upon today,” Alliance Laundry says. He participated in three major acquisitions and the integration of those companies, resulting in “significant market share, sales and profit growth.”

“I want to thank Jeff for his years of service and dedication to Alliance Laundry Systems, and wish him the very best in his retirement,” Schoeb says. “While he will be deeply missed, he has earned the opportunity to enjoy more time for his leisure interests and his family.”

RIPON, Wis. — Alliance Laundry Systems announced Friday a planned $23 million investment to increase production capacity for current and new products, and to purchase tooling and equipment for its plant here. Alliance Laundry Systems designs, manufactures and markets commercial laundry equipment under the brand names of UniMac, Speed Queen, Huebsch, IPSO and Cissell.

The expansion will add more than 20,000 square feet to the existing assembly, metal stamping and press shop facilities. Plus, it will add more than 250 skilled jobs to the company’s 1,300-member Ripon workforce.

Alliance expects the project, which will not impact ongoing machine production, to be completed by the summer of 2013.

It is expected to increase Alliance’s production capacity for small-chassis washers and dryers by more than 40%, ensuring that it will be able to meet increasing customer demands for what the company calls “the most reliable and durable products available on the market today.”

“Alliance Laundry is experiencing unprecedented growth across our product portfolio,” says Mike Schoeb, the company’s president/CEO. “Demand for our small-chassis products, domestically and internationally, is driving this phase of our expansion strategy. We have the best distribution network in the industry, and our customers depend on us to deliver outstanding equipment on schedule. This expansion will guarantee that we can continue to meet that expectation.”

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. approved up to $1.5 million in tax credits for the project, and the Fond du Lac County Economic Development Corp.’s County Special Allocation Revolving Loan Fund has provided a $500,000 performance-based loan.

The WEDC incentive is tied directly to job creation. It will distribute tax credits to Alliance annually in direct relation to the number of jobs retained over a 54-month period, based on the number of new, full-time positions created.

For local media coverage of the announcement, click:

WLUK Fox 11 (Green Bay, Wis.)

WGBA NBC 26 (Green Bay)

RIPON, Wis. — Net revenues for Alliance Laundry Holdings LLC, the parent company of Alliance Laundry Systems, were $128.9 million for the quarter ended June 30, a 9.4% increase from second-quarter 2011.

Second-quarter net income was $6.0 million, compared to $5.8 million for second-quarter 2011, a 4.5% increase. Adjusted EBITDA was $24.4 million compared to $21.5 million the previous year.

The overall net-revenue increase of $11.0 million was attributable to revenue increases in the United States and Canada ($8.5 million), Asia ($2.9 million), Latin America ($0.9 million) and the Middle East and Africa ($0.6 million). These increases were partially offset by a decline in Europe revenues of $1.9 million.

The overall net-income increase of $0.2 million for the second quarter was primarily attributable to improved operating income of $2.1 million, a decrease in interest expense of $3.8 million and a decrease in provision for income taxes of $0.6 million. Early extinguishment of $6.2 million in debt partially offset the gains.

Net revenues for the six months ended June 30 increased $24.0 million, or 10.8%, to $246.1 million compared to the first half of 2011. Net income for the period increased 9.3%, to $11.5 million.

“We are pleased to report a record quarter driven by strong organic growth in North America, Latin America, and Middle East and Asia,” says CEO and President Michael Schoeb. “Our diverse operations delivered record revenues and EBITDA despite continued headwinds in Europe, the negative impact of foreign currency, and higher raw material and distribution costs.”

Second-quarter results continue to demonstrate Alliance’s progress in executing strategies with an intensified effort on new product development, according to Schoeb.

Alliance recently completed a refinancing of its senior credit facilities, which dramatically reduces interest expense over the term of the new agreement. “This new credit agreement improves our financial position and provides the flexibility to invest in additional capacity and innovative new products, which positions the business for long-term growth,” Schoeb says.

Alliance Laundry Systems designs, manufactures and markets commercial laundry equipment under the brand names of Speed Queen, UniMac, Huebsch, IPSO and Cissell.

BEIJING, China — Suppliers from China, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United States have confirmed their participation in Texcare Asia, the region’s foremost trading platform for modern textile care. It is scheduled for Nov. 17-19 at the China International Exhibition Center in Beijing.

Held every other year, the trade fair consistently attracts key players such as Castic-SMP, Dow, Hoffman/New Yorker, Jensen Group, Maxi Companies, Primus, Pony, Via-trade and Weishi, says Messe Frankfurt, the show’s organizer.

These suppliers and more—the exhibitor list stands at approximately 110 companies—will present a range of sophisticated, energy-efficient washing, drying and ironing technologies in a trade space of more than 10,000 square meters (approximately 32,000 square feet).

China’s laundry and dry cleaning market presents what Messe Frankfurt calls “significant opportunities” for suppliers of resource-saving technologies as the Chinese government implements a raft of measures to reduce its CO₂ emissions by 45% by 2020.

This has created a demand for environmentally friendly products such as centralized laundry systems, advanced dry cleaning machines, green solvents, energy-saving dryers, and water reclaimers.

Alliance Laundry Systems will launch Over-Dry Prevention Technology (OPT)—which it debuted in the States earlier this year—at the fair. The innovative technology shortens drying time and decreases utility consumption while extending linen life, Alliance says.

“We get to see customers, new and old, from across the Asia-Pacific region at Texcare Asia,” says Kitty Zhang, area sales manager for Alliance. “It is the ideal venue to launch our latest energy-efficient products.”

The Jensen Group from Switzerland hopes to impress visitors with innovations in sustainable laundry automation. “Representatives from our three core technology centers—washroom, flatwork and garment technology—will be at the fair to show how our tools can increase efficiency and boost productivity,” says Gerda Jank, head of marketing at Jensen. “These products will be especially interesting for visitors working in heavy-duty laundries.”

Shanghai Sailstar Machinery Co. is confident that its new SGS Cleaning System will be a popular draw.

“As governments enact ever more legislation to combat climate change, we expect our green SGS Cleaning System will generate a lot of excitement,” says Ivy Zheng, Sailstar’s marketing manager. “This system enhances energy conservation in medium- and large-scale laundry plants. It maximizes output, making washing more economical.”

The fair’s long-standing professional reputation continues to attract new exhibitors wanting access to China’s developing textile care market, Messe Frankfurt says. One such company is German-based BÖWE Textile Cleaning GmbH, which manufactures 12-30-kilogram dry cleaning machines for commercial use and 70-200-kg dry cleaning machines for industrial use.

“Texcare Asia has an established reputation for facilitating trade. We are looking forward to participating in the fair and increasing the visibility of our brand in China,” says Frank Ziermann, managing director.

Kunshan Yingelan Commercial Laundry Equipment is another company exhibiting at the fair for the first time. The Taiwanese firm will present its front- and rear-tilt automatic washer-extractors, front-input and rear-output auto-fast-dryers, dry cleaning machines and solvent recovery dryers, along with finishing and ironing equipment.

“Texcare Asia provides textile care specialists a professional platform for trade,” says Lin Qingguo, vice general manager of Yingelan. “By joining the fair, we hope to get a better understanding of the textile care market in China; this will be useful in marketing the Yingelan brand.”

The 2009 event featured 133 suppliers from 17 countries and regions and welcomed 5,977 visitors from 51 countries and regions, including the United States.

To learn more about Texcare Asia 2011 or to register, visit texcare-asia.com or send an e-mail to texcareasia@china.messefrankfurt.com.

RIPON, Wis. — Alliance Laundry Systems has streamlined its in-house loan process with a new online credit application.

Laundry managers can apply for loans of up to $100,000 using the new online credit application. The system is designed for ease of use, safety and security, and applicants will receive a response within one business day, Alliance says.

The application is available through Alliance’s brand financial programs—Speed Queen Financial Services, UniMac Funding, Huebsch Financial Services and IPSO Finance. For more information, visit the following sites, and click on the Finance tab: www.speedqueen.com, www.unimac.com, www.huebsch.com, www.ipso.com.

RIPON, Wis. — Alliance Laundry Systems has entered into an agreement with Bangalore-based Ramsons Garment Finishing Equipment PVT. Ltd. to provide Alliance’s IPSO and D’Hooge products to the fast-growing Indian laundry industry.

India’s rising economy has created higher demand by the growing middle class for personal laundry services, as well as opportunities to invest in Laundromat and multi-housing businesses, Alliance says.

In order for my customers to be responsible for linens and garments, I suppose they need to be instructed or reminded about abuse. What steps can my operation take to train them and minimize these occurrences? Is it possible that we’re abusing the linen during processing and/or distribution?

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. — Ajax finishing equipment is returning to the laundry and drycleaning industry in a newly revamped line of garment presses by Sankosha.

Since purchasing the rights to the Ajax brand from Alliance Laundry Systems in June 2006, Sankosha has redesigned, reengineered and manufactured its “Ajax by Sankosha” presses from the ground up.

FAIRFIELD, Iowa — Dexter Laundry recently hired Kevin Hietpas, formerly with Alliance Laundry Systems, as its director of sales and marketing, and promoted Robert Mack to director of engineering.

Hietpas’ business career has consisted of increasingly responsible roles in marketing administration, distributor sales, product management and sales management, Dexter says.

RIPON, Wis. — Alliance Laundry Holdings, the parent company of Alliance Laundry Systems, announced today that it will soon discontinue the manufacture of Ajax pressing and finishing equipment.

Alliance announced last October that it would consolidate all operations in its Ripon headquarters and close its Marianna, Fla., facilities by the third quarter of this year; Ajax will not make the move.