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Linen & Party Rentals Market Case Study

Rental Company Triples Business with Continental Flatwork Ironers

May 2008  |  Download article as a PDF

Bradley Rentals, a linen rental company in Cleveland, Tenn., tripled business after replacing a hand-held iron with a Continental Pro-Series Flatwork Ironer. With the hand-held iron, the company only processed 75 pounds of linen and napkins per week. After installing the new ironer, Bradley Rentals’ production soared to more than 400 pounds of linen weekly—a substantial boon to business and labor productivity.

Hand-ironing Strangled Business

Before installing the flatwork ironer two years ago, the laundry process was labor-intensive and time-consuming. Tedious hand-ironing created a growth barrier for Bradley Rentals. The new ironer removed that roadblock.

“The results have been outstanding,” says Jeff Large of Laundry Systems of Tennessee, a laundry equipment distributor in Sevierville, Tenn. Large recommended and installed the Pro-Series F13 Ironer.

“Before, it took an hour to hand-press four to five tablecloths,” he says. “With the new ironer, the company churns out 20 to 30 tablecloths an hour.” The results are tangible; improved production and revenue using less labor.

Bradley Rentals rents table linens, napkins and silks to caterers for weddings, parties and banquets and also other rental companies, according to manager Tommy Rowe. Since the business started in 1992, all the linen was ironed by hand. “Handironing meant we were sacrificing both time and quality,” says Rowe.

After the company invested in the flatwork ironer, product quality improved in a big way. The new Pro-Series Ironer delivers a professional finish, is gentle on fabrics, is easy to use and has significantly increased production.

From Washer to Ironer with No Dryer Conditioning

Installing the ironer meant Bradley Rentals eliminated the expense of purchasing a new dryer. “With the ironer, linens travel straight from the washer to the ironer, curtailing time, labor and the cost of a dryer,” says Rowe. As a result, production improves and labor time decreases. Now, just two employees handle all the laundry and no dryer is needed—saving the business money.

“The effects on production have been monumental,” says Large. “Without the unnecessary time in the dryer, linen can be processed for same-day delivery.”

Production Escalates; Business Booms

But not all ironers are created equal, attests Large. Pro-Series Flatwork Ironers feature AutoSpeed, which escalates production by automatically adjusting the ironing speed according to moisture content in fabrics. It eliminates dryer conditioning, and thus, slices 20-40 minutes off processing time. Pro-Series Ironers also feature a chrome cylinder that eliminates messy wax application and stripping and an industry best 5/3 year warranty.

Not only are linens processed quickly with the new ironer, they are prepared with a professional finish, according to Rowe. “With the hand-held iron, we were constantly forfeiting quality,” he says. The Pro-Series Ironer's Kinematic Pressure system refines finishing results by administering three times more force to linens than most other ironers, according to Large. “Linens, such as 120-inch rounds and chair covers, are easily and flawlessly ironed with a single pass,” he says.

The gentleness on fabrics is another key attribute of the ironer, according to Rowe. “It never overheats and ruins the fabric,” he says. The AutoSpeed Control prevents shifts in temperature that can cause damage to fabrics—diminishing linen replacement costs. The ironer's Kinematic Pressure system further prolongs linen life because it compresses rather than stretches the linens, like most ironers.

The Pro-Series Ironer is an essential rung in Bradley Rentals' ladder to success, thanks to improved production using less labor. “The addition of this ironer is worth at least a person's salary,” says Rowe. “Less people and less time means more money.”

Large agrees. “By tossing out the handheld iron in favor of a flatwork ironer, Bradley Rentals virtually turned the ironing aspect of linen rental from a burden to an easily managed profit center.”

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