Reino Linen, MI – Growing Strong, 15 Years On
Reino Linen’s plant in Brownstown, MI, has come a long way since its founding in 2009 as a satellite facility for Reino’s Gibsonburg, OH, laundry. Reino/Brownstown currently is processing roughly 45-48 million lbs. of healthcare textiles annually for Detroit-area hospitals and clinics. Textile Services magazine is also planning a profile article on the Michigan plant.
Today, one key difference is that in 2022, Reino Linen shifted from private ownership to an affiliation with the Healthcare Linen Services Group (HLSG) based in St. Charles, IL. Sean Flanders is vice president of operations, north, for the regional healthcare laundering group, which operates 20 plants across the central U.S. Reino Linen’s affiliation with HLSG has brought an infusion of fresh ideas and capital to the Brownstown plant, Flanders said. Those investments are especially welcome now because certain aging systems require upgrades, even as others, such as the plant’s two Kannegiesser tunnel washers, continue to thrive. “We retrofitted the dryer deck,” Flanders said. “We bought some folders, some feeders. We bought a Kannegiesser garment-folding machine.” The folding machine was used for isolation gowns. When COVID-19 hit, customers dropped the folding requirement, so the machine is now used for scrubs and other garments, he says.
Reino/Brownstown now is close to finalizing plans to acquire two Olma small-piece folders. This equipment is expected to boost productivity. It also can process multiple items, such as isolation gowns, during the same wash cycle, Flanders said. J.P. Equipment Inc., Indianapolis, is the exclusive dealer for equipment from Olma, which is manufactured in Europe.
In addition to equipment, Flanders noted that the corporate office of HLSG also is helping to refine the Reino/Brownstown plant’s wash-aisle strategy. “With HLSG’s direction we are also focusing on stain washing,” Flanders said. “This helps with sustainability initiatives as well as reducing overall costs.”
On the supply-chain front, Reino/Brownstown has leveraged its HLSG ties to access better merchandise through negotiated agreements with vendors. “We have used our partnership with HLSG to create synergies with vendors,” Flanders said. “This partnership has allowed us to get better products for our customers.”
Taking a proactive approach on operations is helping the Reino/Brownstown plant respond to recent market shifts, including an increase in the number of healthcare textile suppliers that are now operating in the area. “HLSG’s Reino/Brownstown Laundry has experienced additional opportunities to purchase specific linen items, as a multitude of smaller linen manufacturers have entered the marketplace, allowing better cost initiatives and savings opportunities,” Flanders said.
Another positive development for Reino/Brownstown is the prospect of more hospitals and clinics shifting away from disposable isolation gowns to reusable personal protective equipment (PPE). During COVID, many hospitals and clinics turned to reusables, amid shortages of disposable PPE from 2020-’23. More recently, however, some healthcare providers have reverted to disposables following the end of COVID-driven shortages. Nicholas Ball, general manager for Reino/Brownstown, believes the laundry can grow its reusable PPE business, based on the cost-savings and environmentally friendly advantages of these goods. “Reusable gowns are a priority linen item and are being used more frequently after the COVID pandemic,” Ball says. “There are still some facilities that utilize disposables, but long-term plans include the discontinuation of these items.
Like other U.S. laundries, Reino/Brownstown faces the challenge of dealing with inflation. However expenses in one area, public utilities, recently have moderated. “For the most part, utility costs seem to have stabilized,” Ball said. “We generally see spikes at certain times each year which has followed standard practices pre-COVID.”
While hospital flatwork is a mainstay for this plant, Flanders said Reino Linen is experiencing robust growth in outpatient textiles as well from its hospital-owned clinic customers. This stems from a technology-driven shift by healthcare providers to perform complex medical procedures, such as knee replacements, on an outpatient basis. While Reino/Brownstown doesn’t pursue standalone clinics, the hospital-owned outpatient centers that it services are experiencing rapid growth. “Most of our contracts are set up so that you get the ‘off-sites’ with the hospital pricing,” Flanders said. “We don’t have a clinic-based model. But yes, that is something that has been growing, more so than the hospitals.” Flanders added that Reino/Brownstown services more than 350 outpatient healthcare facilities. “We’re pretty full,” he said. “We have four clinic routes.”
To keep pace with current volume, Reino/Brownstown plant employs a staff of nearly 200 who operate four ironer lines, shrink-wrapping machinery, a tunnel finisher and more. Watch for additional coverage of this plant in April’s Textile Services. Click here for more information on TRSA’s award-winning magazine that features news on trends, technology, personnel and more for operators of commercial and institutional laundries across North America and worldwide.