Sterling Linen Services in Manchester is literally cleaning up. The commercial laundry company, which services the hospitality industry, processes 12 to 13 million pounds of laundry annually, employs 120 people and is the first in the nation to beta test new technology to dramatically cut down water usage at commercial laundry services.
The company cleans 18,000 to 57,000 pounds of laundry a day, though the average is 35,000 pounds, says President Dennis Kim. It has machines that can handle 400 to 800 pounds of laundry per load, allowing the company to process 3,000 pounds of linen per hour.
With water and sewer costs continuing to rise and customers wanting greener options, Sterling became the first location in North America to test technology from U.K.-based Xeros Ltd., which uses polymer beads with an ionic charge to attract dirt from linens, using 70 to 90 percent less water than traditional washers, Kim says.
Sterling Linen Services is one of four businesses and part of a portfolio developed by Kim and his partners Jonathan Benjamin, Ned Hazard and Kevin Melia. We had an active consulting business in downtown Boston, says Kim. We always wanted a portfolio of businesses.
They bought Bird Bath Laundry in Manchester in 2004, which at the time processed 1 million pounds of laundry annually and only had eight employees. The business has since expanded to service restaurants and hotels in Massachusetts, NH and Maine, cleaning and returning linens within 24 hours.
With the success at Sterling, Kim and his partners have added other companies to their portfolio that complement one another. In 2008, Sterling acquired Freitas Equipment in Maine, which sells and services commercial and industrial laundry equipment. Also in 2008, Kim and his partners started Turning Bridge, a managed services and consulting firm for the distribution of linen internally at hospitals. In 2012, Sterling merged with Kleen Laundry in Lebanon, which specializes in commercial laundering for hospitals and medical facilities.
Among all the businesses, Sterling and its associated businesses employ about 250 people and generate about $14 million in revenue annually, Kim says. Sterling and its companies service 26 hotels and 27 hospitals. Clients include Wentworth by the Sea in New Castle, Renaissance Hotel and Spa at Patriot Place, Stowe Mountain Lodge in Vermont, Elliot Health System in Manchester, Wentworth Douglass Hospital in Dover, and Southern NH Medical Center in Nashua.
We're looking at more expansion in 2013. We would like to grow in the laundry space and add to the portfolio as well, Kim says. For more information, visit www.sterlinglinen.com.
Current Issue - May 2024