Brady at 70 – Powered by PureStar
Brady Linen and its sister company Brady Industries, a supplier of cleaning chemicals, celebrated the company’s 70th anniversary on April 26 with a party at Brady Industries’ headquarters in Las Vegas that drew more than 600 people.
The company’s come a long way since Feurman Brady founded the business in 1947 as City Janitorial Supply in Las Vegas. In an interview with Textile Services Weekly, Feurman’s grandson Eric Brady, current CEO of Brady Linen, described the company’s rapid expansion since its spinoff from Brady Industries in 2000.
That growth accelerated with the acquisition of Mission Industries in 2011. Today, Brady is a market leader in Las Vegas with several other acquisitions now in the works. As importantly, Brady allied itself in 2014 with a private equity group, Alvarez and Marshall Capital Partners (AMCP) and formed the PureStar Linen Group as a holding company. The group features a partnership between Brady and Atlantic City (AC) Linen. Other companies have since joined PureStar such as Royal Hospitality, Boston; United Laundry Services, Honolulu and others. Today, PureStar includes 21 hospitality focused commercial laundry facilities in the United States; Cancun, Mexico; and the Bahamas.
Brady, through PureStar, looks forward to continued growth, especially through acquisitions, along the lines of the company’s recent “rollup” of Ozark Linen in Branson, MO. PureStar is attracted to individual companies that are able to run their own operations. Based on this management model, Brady predicts continued growth for the group. “I think we have at PureStar about 4,000 team members right now,” Brady said. “We hope that with the additional partnerships we are currently finalizing and others that we will have over 10,000 (employees) five years from now. We have found that there are many companies that are looking for a transition plan and that together we are able to quickly facilitate a mutually beneficial arrangement.”
Brady says the company’s anniversary coincides with an effort to raise the PureStar profile. The goal is to inform companies that may want to sell – especially those in hospitality and food and beverage – that PureStar is available to consult with them. “I think there continues to be laundries out there that would be interested to talk to us,” Brady said. “I will be as supportive as possible in making Brady/PureStar as visible as possible. Hopefully that creates awareness that there is somebody out there that these people can partner with. We’re not looking to change them or their management team or decisions. We’re not changing the names of these companies. In fact, they’re very stand alone. That is very important to us.”
When asked how “hands on” the private equity company is in terms of oversight, Brady said he’s pleased that they let the laundries manage their businesses while also providing much appreciated advice and support. “I think this private equity group is very unique,” Brady said. “Somewhat hands off, but they’re up front with what they think. Some private equity groups try to squeeze every penny out. They don’t purchase any equipment. This one’s the opposite. They’re very easy to work with and it has turned out to be much better than I expected.
As for the reasons for Brady Linen’s success since 2000, Brady credits the company’s focus on providing value. “I think it’s reputation that has taken decades to build,” he said. “Hard work and we’re a good partner with our customers. We’re always focused on having the best product at the best price.”
Finally, what’s on his shopping list for next month’s Clean Show, June 5-8 in Las Vegas? “We need baggers,” Brady said. ‘Automated baggers. We’ll be on the market looking for a partner for bagging machines. Of course, it is always exciting to see new developments in equipment that we can potentially test and use. It’s important to stay current.”