The healthcare linen, uniform and facility services sector in the U.S. Pacific Northwest is thriving, and so is Southern Oregon Linen Service (SOLS), a co-op laundry serving nine area hospitals and a rehab center from a base in White City, OR.
“We’re at about 44,000 lbs. (19,958 kg.) a day,” says General Manager Antonio Casillas. “It’s about 220,000 lbs. (99,790 kg.) a week.” That figure is up several thousand pounds from when TRSA editorial staff visited in March. The source of SOLS’ expansion includes both inpatient hospitals and outpatient medical center clinics that are linked to those hospitals, he says. Growth is expected to continue in 2024, including the addition of a new wing at one of the co-op’s largest hospitals that will bring on 165 additional beds.
Another area that’s showing a steady expansion is facility services. “We’re growing our microfiber,” Casillas says, citing an uptick in demand for the synthetic fiber that’s used for mop heads and cleaning cloths. “That’s going to help us. I see our poundage increasing by about 2% in the next year.” Textile Services magazine will follow up on SOLS’ progress in this area and others with a feature article slated for February 2024. Recently, we asked Casillas for an update on SOLS’ 2024 prospects.
To help the co-op manage its expansion, SOLS recently has acquired a number of new tools to help them quickly and efficiently process these goods with a high degree of quality.
This series of upgrades dates back to Q1 ’22, with the addition of a Lavatec Laundry Technology Inc. tunnel washer with 14 132 lb. (60 kg.) compartments. This move boosted both quality and efficiency, including savings in water and natural gas. The tunnel and other improvements have lowered SOLS’ water use per gallon of textiles from .61 to .52. Casillas characterizes the latter number as a “conservative” estimate on overall water use. In addition, the tunnel comes equipped with production-tracking software called osLaundry. Production numbers also are tracked via the Gurtler Laundry Information Systems (GLIS) program, provided by the co-op’s chemical vendor, Gurtler Industries Inc. While having two tracking systems adds complexity to the wash process, Casillas says the combination is more cost-effective than rival programs, and works very well. His team also is in the process of getting the plant’s tracking system “married” to a linen-tracking system from LinenMaster.
Other recent improvements to the 30,000-square-foot (2,787-square-meter) plant include:
- The placement on the tunnel of an Omni SULAOS (smart ultraviolet light oxidation system) system, which is part of Gurtler. The SULAOS oxidation equipment is used to eliminate microorganisms in press water, thus allowing for greater water reuse, which in turn saves on natural gas by shortening dryer times. “It’s carrying over heat that it’s reclaiming, which in turn lets you keep your dry times to a minimum,” says Casillas, who adds that he’s getting “whiter whites” for the co-op’s textiles since the system was installed in March.
- The recent installation of a new Blanket Blaster folding system from Chicago Dryer Co.
- The addition later this month of a Kannegiesser small-piece folder.
Another source of success for SOLS comes on the HR front, where the implementation of an internship program for high school students has helped the company fill vacant positions, while giving young people a chance to learn about the industry and earn an income. “I have zero openings right now,” Casillas says of his current staff of 70 people. “I know how fortunate I am to say that because I know that’s not the case for a lot of people.” SOLS currently has eight high school students working on the second shift. Five student interns graduated last year, but three are still working part-time for the laundry. The program is expected to continue and could possibly expand in 2024, Casillas says.
For more on SOLS’ success stories, don’t miss February’s plant profile in Textile Services magazine. Click here for more information or to subscribe to Textile Services. Click here for a related story on Casillas’ involvement in TRSA’s Executive Management Institute (EMI).
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