Tender Care – Windy City Hospitality Phenom

Tender Care Systems Inc. is a leading Chicago-area hotel launderer that recovered from the unexpected passing of its president, Dan Spielman, in 2022. Today, the company is making great strides under new leadership.

The February issue of Textile Services will profile Tender Care and its team of 116 employees. They work in the company’s 29,000-square-foot (2,694-square-meter) main plant on the city’s northeast side and an 11,000-square-foot (1,021-square-meter) satellite plant in suburban Northfield.

Tender Care’s continued success since Dan’s passing stems to a large extent from its embrace of a management philosophy based on “five pillars.” These include: 1) Team Safety/Satisfaction; 2) Highest Quality Laundering; 3) On-Time Delivery; 4) Responsive Customer Service; and 5) Reliable Information (i.e., data).

Dan’s son, Jake, joined the business after his father’s death. Jake had previously worked outside the linen, uniform and facility services industry. He says that while each of the five pillars is important, the fifth provides crucial support to the others with an emphasis on “measured management.”

“We have put in a very extensive tracking system here,” Jake says. Programs include an in-house software system that tracks barcodes on each cart of the customer-owned (COG) items, including delivery information. There’s also a Spindle productivity-tracking system in its main plant on West Peterson Avenue and a satellite laundry in suburban Northfield, IL. This program measures each production employee’s productivity.

Kelly Quinn, the company’s general manager, says the focus on data trends gives Tender Care a competitive advantage in its metro-Chicago market. In essence, as conditions change, Tender Care adjusts its operations to facilitate its ongoing data collection. “It’s constantly evolving,” Quinn says. “If we ever come across a circumstance that we don’t have a perfect answer for, or the numbers to back it up. … Well then, we get to work and think of a new way to track that specific detail. So as time goes on, we fill every gap.”

The main plant in Chicago, which also houses the company’s corporate offices, processes roughly 430,000 lbs. (195,044 kg.) per week with the aid of a Kannegiesser tunnel washer with 12 135-lb. (61 kg.) modules. After washing, the goods are moved via a conveyor to any of eight 260 lb. (117 kg.) dryers. Opened in 2010, the Chicago plant also operates soil- and clean-side rail systems to efficiently transport goods from the wash aisle to the finishing area. The latter area includes five ironer lines for processing large- and small-piece linens. The plant has three Kannegiesser ironers and one each from Chicago Dryer Co. and JENSEN USA.

The second plant, opened in 2022, is roughly 25 minutes northwest of the main facility. It specializes in processing terry goods. It also has a tunnel washer, a JENSEN machine from the company’s Alpha line, which is manufactured in China. The tunnel has 12 modules, each weighing 135 lb. (61 kg.). After washing, the bath linens are conveyed to one of eight 260 lb. (117 kg.) dryers. They next move to a row of five folders, including four Kannegiesser machines and one from Foltex.

For more on Tender Care, look to February’s article in Textile Services, titled “‘Built to Last’ – Tender Care Thrives on Teamwork, Quality & Service.” The article will include details on an innovative water-cooled air compressor in the Northfield plant that recovers heat for reuse. You’ll also gain insights on trends in Chicago’s booming tourist trade that’s drawing thousands of visitors to the city’s downtown hotels, including several served by Tender Care.