Content about Wis

RIPON, Wis. — Alliance Laundry Systems has officially appointed Washburn Machinery, headquartered in Elk Grove Village, Ill., as its new UniMac distributor for northwestern Indiana.

The longtime distributor already represents UniMac’s on-premise laundry equipment in northern and central Illinois and east-central and southern Wisconsin, according to its website.

To learn more about Washburn Machinery and its relationship with Alliance Laundry Systems, visit washburnmachinery.com.

INWOOD, N.Y., and RIPON, Wis. — Superstorm Sandy impacted New York, New Jersey and other areas along the East Coast, causing catastrophic damage. At a time when laundries in those areas are assessing the disaster’s impact on them, some equipment providers are offering special recovery programs.

Laundrylux and Alliance Laundry Systems have each announced programs that offer deferred payments and interest and no fees on equipment purchases made by qualified on-premise and coin laundries.

Qualifying businesses purchasing Electrolux or Wascomat equipment under distributor Laundrylux’s Disaster Recovery Program 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 Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia or West Virginia. Interested parties should call Laundrylux at 800-645-2205 to learn more.

Alliance Laundry Systems’ 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 they may eventually receive from FEMA or their insurer.

The program is available to qualifying businesses in New York and New Jersey, but Alliance Laundry says it will review other situations and offer the finance program to other affected businesses on a case-by-case basis.

Local owners who were impacted by the storm can contact Metropolitan Laundry Machinery (Huebsch distributor) at 800-214-9200 or 800-214-9300 in New York or 800-728-0001 in New Jersey, or Super Laundry (Speed Queen distributor) at 888-678-9274 in New York or 800-992-7269 in New Jersey for eligibility requirements and more details.

Sandy’s impact hits close to home for Laundrylux, based in Inwood, N.Y. “We have personally witnessed the devastation in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states and our hearts go out to the millions of people affected by Hurricane Sandy,” says Laundrylux CEO Neal Milch. “Our families have been affected, too, so we understand personally what our customers are going through.”

Laundrylux says it is reaching out to distributors and customers to make it as affordable as possible for self-service laundry owners, as well as hotels, nursing homes, etc., to get the equipment they need right away.

“Laundries that are able to serve affected populations will be running at maximum capacity and as power is restored elsewhere, laundries may need to replace equipment destroyed by salt water,” says Milch. “We have inventory stockpiled for immediate shipment as needed.”

“Dealing with the aftermath of a storm of such epic proportions is incredibly challenging, and we want to help those in need get back to normal as soon as possible,” says Mike Schoeb, CEO of Alliance Laundry Systems. “We know the value a Laundromat provides a community, particularly when people are struggling with the kind of disruption this storm has caused. As the market leader, we are glad we are able to act quickly to help our customers.”

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. — Some business owners and facility managers are considering outsourcing their laundry operations in hopes of reducing expenses. It is important to gather all the information up front and weigh the pros and cons carefully before making any decision.

Dilemmas such as this are becoming more prevalent every day. Many business owners and facility managers are charged with finding ways to reduce operating expenses and increase efficiency for the greater good of their business. But unless you have all the information available, your decision could wind up producing a negative impact instead of a positive.

HOW DO THE COSTS DIFFER?

If you’re considering the switch from on-premise laundry (OPL) to a linen service, it’s important to learn what makes up the laundry dollar so you know where your expenses come from.

According to OPL managers surveyed by UniMac, a manufacturer of OPL equipment, the main costs of running an on-premise laundry come from labor, which makes up 45-55% of the total cost, followed by linen replacement at 13-25% and equipment at 8-12%. The remaining costs are incurred through chemicals, utilities and maintenance.

The main costs incurred when paying for a linen service include company overhead, with functions including marketing, sales, delivery trucks and gas, administration, and management. Of those costs, 31.5% is included in your payment.

It can be difficult to imagine a comparison between the cost of operating an on-premise laundry and the monthly service fee from a linen service. However, by analyzing the cost of equipment and accounting for labor, utility costs, expected lifetime maintenance and chemical costs, it is possible to calculate the expected operational costs.

On average, to launder a pound of soiled linen on the premises costs approximately 31 cents, according to several OPL distributors and UniMac research. While it is true that a linen service can leverage economies of scale to actually process the linen for less per pound, the average linen service charges approximately 48 cents per pound to service and supply the facility’s linen, according to distributors and UniMac.

The 17-cent-per-pound savings is significant. For example, if your business launders 1,200 pounds of linen a day, the average total cost for on-site laundry for a year is $135,845, while a linen service for the same period would cost, on average, $209,664, a difference of $73,819.

QUALITY CONTROL

When your laundry is on-site, managers have complete control over everything being laundered for guest use. As a manager, you are in control of what type of laundry chemicals are used, how loads are sorted, and which washing and drying cycles will be used.

Additionally, you are in control of the type of linens that are being used at your facility, meaning you pick the brand, thread count and color. Luxury linens are becoming increasing popular, and because of the high-end material used, specific washing and drying instructions will need to be followed.

On-premise laundering allows managers to have that type of quality control over processing.

Linen services typically work out of a pool of linens that their customers rent. When your business returns linens, those items are put in the wash with other businesses’ linens in order to achieve the maximum efficiency. You can choose to separate the linen your business uses from others’ linen, but your costs will go up from the previously mentioned figures.

EQUIPMENT SELECTION

If your laundry is on-site, it’s critical to take a look at how you can continue to improve the costs associated with the operation. Equipment can positively impact the largest expense of the laundry dollar—labor.

When selecting washer-extractors for your operation, it’s important to look for machines that conserve utility costs and cut down on the time spent cleaning linen.

Washer-extractors with high G-force extraction speeds remove more water from linens, which leads to decreased drying times. For example, a machine spinning at 100 G-force extracts less water during the final spin than a washer extracting at 300 G. Higher extraction reduces the amount of moisture left in the linens by up to 47% and also decreases drying times and gas usage by as much as 35%.

Another feature to look for is spray rinse, which uses less water than a traditional bath wash. It also cleans linen more quickly and efficiently than a standard machine.

The last feature to look for in washer-extractors is the number of fill valves a machine uses. A washer-extractor that has four fill valves helps maximize efficiency. It can trim up to four minutes off the fill time.

A timesaving feature available on dryers is Over-dry Prevention Technology. This technology shuts a dryer off when the load has reached a precise level of dryness.

In a survey of commercial laundry distributors and laundry managers, 79% believe on-premise laundries over-dry by more than eight minutes per cycle. If this practice were eliminated, annual savings could be as much as $883 in utilities and nearly $5,000 in labor. Also, the linens experience 31% less fiber loss when over-drying is eliminated, which extends linen life and reduces replacement costs.

Advanced equipment controls are available to help managers regulate their staff. They help to keep the laundry running efficiently, while reducing the costs associated with keeping linens on-site.

Newer controls offer quality reports that give managers access to date-and-time stamps for machine activities, including each cycle’s start and end times. Too much time between cycles indicates staff inefficiency. With this type of information, management can take necessary steps to improve employee productivity.

To further improve efficiency, control options such as “head start” can help cut several hours of labor expenses per week. Machines can be preloaded and programmed to start ahead of employees’ start time so when the employees arrive for work, the first wash load is complete and ready to move into the dryer. This allows for an extra load of laundry to be processed each day.

Workers should be performing at full capacity, as should your machines, but employees sometimes under-load the machines, leading to wasted utilities and chemicals. Advanced controls provide information when this happens. These reports help managers determine whether better training or smaller machines is needed.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

When considering a change in how your business processes its laundry, you must look at the long-term savings. By contacting your local laundry distributor, you can gain insight into the benefits of maintaining an on-site laundry and get all the facts about what additional options are available. A distributor will be able to provide an actual assessment of your operation and pinpoint where improvements in efficiencies may need to be made.                         

ROANOKE, Va. — Several times a year, I am asked about poor-quality wash or stains. About stains, my philosophy has always been that they represent a failure to properly handle or clean the fabric; I have frequently found that most stains are caused by improper wash formulas. I was convinced that I had not met a stain I could not beat until I arrived in Milwaukee, Wis.

While working at Aurora Health Care, I encountered a light yellow stain that resisted all attempts to remove it. We attempted to identify what the substance might look like before it was washed, but the source of the stain eluded us. We worked with our chemical vendor to identify the stain. We tried developing a reclaim formula but still the stain stumped the company experts.

We requested that our chemical vendor and linen vendor send samples of the stained linen to independent labs for analysis; the labs could not identify the stain or find a way to remove it. The stain showed up more frequently in early-morning loads than at other times of the day, we determined, but the source of the stain and its tool for removal remained a mystery.

When I accepted a job at Health Group of Alabama, the stain “followed.” The fact that the stain could be present in two different laundries 600 miles apart led me to look at other environmental factors. This time, we narrowed our search to various chemicals used in the hospital and quite accidentally discovered that the source of the pesky stain was a hand soap used at the largest facility.

The active ingredient was chlorhexidine gluconate, the most effective hand sanitizer on the market today. The soap is clear; it shows no color in liquid form or when dried on linen. But the cleaner will react with chlorine to form a light yellow to dark brown stain (its color depends on the amount of soap and chlorine present).

In Milwaukee and again in Alabama, there was enough chlorine in the local water system to cause the chlorhexidine gluconate to form a stain. In an effort to reduce the amount of staining, I worked with our chemical company to devise a formula that would limit the chances of setting the stain before we could rinse the soap from the fabric.

Our first step was to change from chlorine bleach to hydrogen peroxide bleach. This reduced the stain by 50% but apparently there was still enough chlorine in the incoming water to cause the problem.

Our next step was to add an antichlor or hydrogen peroxide to the first pocket of the tunnel washers. Both chemicals neutralize the chlorine and thus prevent the chlorhexidine gluconate from setting.

By taking these steps, we were able to reduce our stains from this chemical by 80%.

At the Roanoke, Va., laundry where I now work, chlorhexidine gluconate stains have reared their ugly head once again. This time, the hand cleaner is part of a bed-bath kit used to bathe bedridden patients. The Roanoke city water system contains chlorine levels sufficient to cause the chemical to set a light yellow stain.

To add to our frustration, the sodium vapor lights used in the laundry’s overhead lighting make it difficult for workers to see the stain. Under normal fluorescent light, the stain can be easily detected.

In all my years in the laundry business, I have seen the process I detailed above remedy a number of stain and odor problems. Oil stains on high-thread count polyester surgical gowns or Gortex gowns can be almost eliminated through the use of a solvenated detergent in conjunction with enzymes but with no softeners. A barrier retreatment product, if used properly, will prevent oil from adhering to the polyester fibers while maintaining the barrier quality of the fabrics at like-new levels.

Residual odor problems in freshly laundered reusable diapers and underpads can be addressed by switching to an enzyme detergent.

Numerous stains can be avoided by using a warm (not to exceed 120 F) fresh-water flush at the start of the wash formula. Many medicines and body fluids react unfavorably in the presence of heat or wash chemicals.

The key to overcoming a stain is the willingness to do the detective work required to identify the cause, then asking for help from the appropriate people to develop a system to avoid it.

DULUTH, Ga. —IPA, makers of scrubEx and alEx™, has named Sarah James its director of product management. Serving in a new position created to capitalize on growth opportunities, James is responsible for complete product positioning and strategy for the company.

James earned her MBA from King College in Bristol, Tenn., and has six years of healthcare laundry experience. She has also served on the Board of Directors for the Association for Linen Management (ALM) and is currently the chair of the marketing committee.

IPA manufactures automated scrub suit and linen dispensing systems for the healthcare market.

RIPON, Wis. — Alliance Laundry Systems has promoted Jennifer Whitney to financial services manager.

Whitney will continue to work with all of Alliance’s finance groups, including Speed Queen Financial Services, UniMac Funding, Huebsch Financial and IPSO Finance. In her new role, she will be responsible for all equipment loan underwriting and origination, finance program and promotion development, marketing services support, and distributor and customer relationship development.

For more than 13 years, Whitney has been a key member of Alliance’s finance team. She recently worked in a dual role where she successfully developed Alliance’s acquisition financing portfolio and worked as a liaison to marketing services and ALSU.

“We’re extremely honored to offer Jennifer this opportunity, especially since she’s played such a key role in our division,” says Todd Rice, director of Financial Services for Alliance Laundry Systems. “We look forward to her continued success and congratulate her on a job well-done.”

Whitney received her B.B.A. in finance and business administration from Valparaiso (Ind.) University. Prior to joining Alliance, she worked for JP Morgan Chase, formerly known as Bank One.

DENVER, N.C. — Leonard Automatics has added two new employees to its staff, the company reports.

Ron Wilkins (left) joins the company as mechanical engineer. He brings years of engineering and design experience to Leonard, in addition to an understanding of industry-standard software packages and mechanical processes.

Robert Spradley (right) is the company’s newest service technician. He is a career service tech who has worked in high-tech environments all over the world, Leonard says. As a specialist in system installation and integration, he brings years of experience and a wide range of knowledge to the company.

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. — David N. Page has been selected as the new vice president of healthcare for the Institution Division of Venus Group, the company reports.

He has been in the healthcare industry for more than 25 years, including 11-plus years with Medline and 10 years with Angelica.

He brings to Venus Group a wealth of knowledge covering topics from utilization of management programs to optimize operational efficiencies and reduce total linen program costs, to product knowledge within the industry, to having key contacts in some of the larger healthcare facilities and buying groups.

Page is a member of several healthcare associations, and the company plans to draw upon his expertise to develop its healthcare business.

OAK CREEK, Wis. — When Crothall Laundry Services officially opened its new 83,000-square-foot plant during a June 27 ribbon-cutting ceremony, it marked a couple of important firsts for the Crothall Healthcare service line.

The $13 million state-of-the-art facility is the first that Crothall has built from the ground up, and it is reportedly the first laundry in the world to certify (its processing included) under certain LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environ-mental Design) standards. And Crothall managed to complete the construction project—aided by many industry vendors—in nine months.

The Oak Creek plant is one of the few facilities in the country to process laundry without using high-pressure steam boilers, Crothall says. Instead, a Thermal Engineering of Arizona (TEA) Steamless Water Treatment System—using natural gas-fired hot-water boilers and heat exchangers that recover heat from wastewater—provides all the hot water needed for washing.

A gas-fired steam tunnel from Colmac Industries used to condition lab coats generates its own steam independent of a traditional boiler.

Chicago Dryer Co. provided 42 pieces of flatwork finishing equipment to maximize the facility’s production output with minimal utility consumption and enhanced ergonomics.

There are two full ironing lines, each featuring an Edge Maxx cornerless spreader-feeder; Powerhouse self-contained, thermal-fluid, deep-chest ironer; Skyline large-piece folders and Bridge linen transition conveyors.

A small-piece ironing line includes a Rapid Feed small-piece vacuum feeding aid, Powerhouse ironer, Skyline folder and DrawBridge linen transition conveyors to move stacked product from the folder directly to the main conveyor.

There are dedicated systems for a variety of tumble-dried items, including three Blanket Blaster cornerless finishing systems, two Skyline fitted sheet and blanket folders and six Air Chicago folders. All have Bridge conveyors.

All feeding and folding equipment incorporates CHI•Touch, an advanced PC-based control system that offers optimum visualization of operating, electronic and mechanical machine functions, as well as real-time display of production numbers.

Crothall management can set, monitor and maintain desired standards and production levels. CHI•Touch guides employees through each step of machine operation and uses the same logic and uniform style display on every machine so staff members can easily switch to a different piece of equipment.

Click here for Part 1.

OSHKOSH, Wis. — Continental Girbau recently presented the Girbau Industrial Distributor of the Year awards to Laundry Pro of Florida Inc., Lakeland, Fla., and Laundry Systems of Tennessee, Sevierville, Tenn. The honor recognizes excellence in distribution and sales.

Led by Ron Jansen, Laundry Pro is a full-service vended, on-premise and industrial laundry equipment distributorship. “Ron Jansen is a great supporter of Continental and took the challenge of being the first to embrace Continental’s new Girbau Industrial brand,” says Continental President Mike Floyd. “He exceeded with flying colors, having installed the first Girbau Industrial TBS-50 Batch Washing system, complete with conveyors, press and ST-100 Drying Tumblers.”

Laundry Systems of Tennessee, led by President Jeff Large, is a well-established full-service vended, on-premise and industrial laundry distributorship. “For years, Jeff Large has been among our most technically equipped distributors in North America,” says Floyd. “He embraced our Girbau Industrial brand from the beginning. His installation of two Girbau Industrial ironing systems in Nashville proved a huge success for all involved.”

Girbau Industrial products include the TBS-50 Batch Washer, SPR-50 Press, ST-100 Drying Tumblers, several models of high-capacity washer-extractors, drying tumblers and finishing systems, as well as feeders, folders, stackers and conveyor systems.

STURTEVANT, Wis., and CINCINNATI — Diversey Inc. and Standard Textile Co. have formed a joint venture to bring “innovative, cost-effective and sustainable laundry cleaning solutions for the lodging and healthcare industries,” the companies announced in a joint press release.

Called Proteus Solutions LLC, the joint venture combines Diversey’s expertise in commercial cleaning and sustainability applications with Standard Textile’s unique capabilities in linen management, textiles and activated water.

ST. JOSEPH, Mich. — Maytag Commercial Laundry recently honored exceptional distributors at its 53rd annual meeting, held in Palm Springs, Calif.

The Fred Maytag Award went to Pierce Commercial Laundry Distributors, Mandeville, La., for outstanding achievements and remarkable performance. The Maytag Red Carpet Service Excellence Award went to John Morris Equipment & Supply Co., Springfield, Mo., for exemplifying the excellent service and dependability for which Maytag is known.

RIPON, Wis. — Alliance Laundry Systems LLC has promoted Michael D. Schoeb to chief executive officer. All executive staff will report to Schoeb in his combined role as president and CEO.

Thomas F. L’Esperance will become vice chairman of the board of directors of parent company ALH Holding Inc. L’Esperance joined Alliance in 1996, having previously served as president of Amana Home Appliances and Caloric Corp. and as a senior executive of Raytheon Co. He will continue to serve as a director and will maintain his office here.

RIPON, Wis. — IPSO honored two of its leading distributors, D&M Equipment and Laundry Equipment Services, with its Award of Excellence. The awards were presented based on sales growth, commitment to the IPSO brand, customer service and after-sale support, the equipment manufacturer says.