Healthcare Linen Alliance Expands in Multiple States

Posted December 6, 2019 at 12:43 pm



Through a combination of new construction, acquisitions and moving quickly to replace service coverage to hospitals where healthcare launderers have left the market, the Healthcare Linen Alliance, a group of independent companies that collaborate on bids on regional and national contracts, is achieving significant growth, according to a news release.

With members serving health systems and hospitals across the U.S. and Canada, the group now collectively processes more than 750 million lbs. annually for more than 2,100 customers. Their customer base includes providing linens to more than 120,000 hospital beds.

A prime example of an Alliance member that’s recently completed a plant expansion and replaced a laundry that had exited the market is Century Linen & Uniform Service, Johnstown, NY, the release said.

Century recently opened a new, fully equipped healthcare laundry in Johnstown, and it also took over contracts previously serviced by Clarus Linen Systems, which recently closed its facilities in Syracuse, NY.  “In less than a month, Century brought on new customers representing more than 15 million lbs. of volume annually,” the release said. “Within seven business days, Century surveyed and assessed all of the locations of the potentially stranded hospitals, ordered, prepped and processed linen to facilitate installation and seamless operations.”

“We have an agile and professional customer-centric team capable of decisive action, and we were pleased that we could lend a helping hand to businesses in need,” said Dick Smith, CEO of Century. “We are always looking for the right opportunities to expand strategically and we believe that our ability to scale quickly and assist businesses in our community is a win for everyone involved.”

Other Alliance members in different parts of the U.S. have made similar moves in recent months. Examples include:

  • Novo Health Services, a Georgia-based Alliance member recently added an 8 million lb. customer in Richmond, VA, with 30 days’ notice. Aiding this effort was Alliance member Up To Date Laundry of Baltimore.
  • Midwest Healthcare Linen Service, an Alliance member based in Des Moines, IA, began servicing a Peoria, IL, hospital within two weeks after another laundry bowed out of the region. The hospital experienced no disruption in service.
  • Emerald Textiles, an Alliance Member based in San Diego, has recently grown through acquisitions of plants in St. George, UT, and Los Angeles. Emerald has also upgraded existing facilities in Los Angeles and Turlock, CA, and recently opened a new plant in Livingston, CA. This expansion allowed Emerald to onboard 30 million lbs. of annual laundry and linen services for a large integrated managed care consortium based in California.

In all, the Alliance includes 10 companies operating in 30 states, plus the District of Columbia and Canada.  Click here for details.

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