Prudential Cuts Ribbon at New Cleanroom Plant in NH

Posted June 29, 2018 at 11:25 am



Prudential Cleanroom Services (PCS) recently hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new cleanroom laundry processing plant in Nashua, NH. The 12:30 p.m. ceremony on June 28 drew more than 120 attendees, including employees, friends, family and local dignitaries.

Speakers at the event included Will Arvelo, director, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development (Department of Business and Economic Affairs); Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess; Tracy Hatch, president and CEO, Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce; Brad Schacherl, the general manager at PCS’ Nashua facility; and Stefan Schurter, sr. vice president, PCS.

During the ceremony, Schurter noted that, “This facility now provides over 85 well-paying jobs for the greater Nashua community, and provides our customers with world-class cleanroom laundry services throughout the Northeast.”

He recalled a groundbreaking ceremony 18 months earlier at the then-partially wooded, undeveloped site, and how the project has transformed the property. “This is the most modern facility built for a cleanroom laundry in the United States,” he said. “Some would say the world.”

In his remarks, Mayor Donchess praised the work of PCS, a new corporate citizen in the community. “We are pleased to welcome Prudential Overall Supply to Nashua,” he said, adding that he’s pleased by the advanced technology he’s seen at the new plant. “Stefan (Schurter) and I were here for the groundbreaking,” he said. “I didn’t really imagine how large and sophisticated this facility would be.”

That technology, coupled with the company’s employee-centered approach, also has helped Prudential attract staff, despite a tight labor market in greater Nashua. Arvelo, the state economic development director, said an outreach effort by Schacherl to area immigrant communities has helped Prudential tap into New Hampshire’s diverse workforce. “I congratulate Brad for reaching out to Colombian and Dominican communities,” Arvelo said. “I think he hit on something. Every company in Nashua right now is having a hard time finding a workforce. When you reach out into these tight-knit communities, it’s word of mouth. If you recruit one, and they have a good experience, then they’ll go back and recruit others.” Arvelo spoke briefly in Spanish as well, addressing the 60 or so employees who’d gathered in a large break room for the event, including several of Colombian and Dominican descent.

Schacherl, who relocated from Texas to oversee the Nashua plant and also speaks Spanish, acknowledged the plant’s employees from other countries as well, including Puerto Rico, India, the Philippines, the Congo and Mexico.

Mayor Donchess and the other state and local officials then joined with Schacherl and Schurter at the front of the break room where they used an oversize pair of scissors to cut a large blue ribbon, thus symbolizing the formal opening of the plant. The attendees then adjourned for lunch and tours of the new $20 million facility, which includes both a cleanroom and conventional industrial laundry on-site.

Located on a 14.23-acre tract, the laundry at 45 Simon St. includes a total of 131,371 square feet. Prudential completed the first of three phases; building a one-story facility that includes offices, industrial space, employee areas and loading docks with 136 parking spaces on-site for staff.

The first phase is a 70,091-square-foot building. The next phase will be followed by a 45,000-square-foot section and, the last phase will be a 16,280-square-foot addition. When all the phases are completed, the building will occupy 12.2 acres of the site.

Schurter acknowledged several contractors who assisted in developing the new cleanroom plant in Nashua, including TRSA member American Laundry Systems. “American Laundry (Systems), Gerard (O’Neill) and his team, have done a fantastic job, helping us with the construction,” he said. Schurter added that he looks forward to working with many of the same partners on Prudential’s next cleanroom project, planned for Portland, OR.

Prudential Cleanroom Services is a division of Prudential Overall Supply. Since 1960, Prudential Cleanroom Services is recognized as a world leader in cleanroom laundry processing services, according to a news release. Prudential’s network of ISO 9001 certified ISO Class 3 cleanroom laundry processing facilities extend throughout North America and Puerto Rico, the release said.

124