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The Savannah Soap Co.

More Than a Laundry!

February 2012 | Download case study as a PDF

savannah soap company There's a new card-operated laundry in Savannah, Ga. – The Savannah Soap Co. – that's environmentally friendly and offers the “Perfect Wash” in 60 minutes or less; free WiFi; full-service wash-dry-fold; high-speed laundry equipment; all-natural organic soaps and cleaners; freshly brewed natural teas; and unmatched customer service…

The 2,800-square-foot laundry – a “green” operation – is located in an apartment-heavy area of Savannah, two miles from an Army base and six miles from a large, middle-class neighborhood. As such, its equipment and services are designed to cater to the “Full Monty” – families, professionals and businesses alike.

Equipment Selection – Going High Speed

With help from Russ Arbuckle of Wholesale Commercial Laundry S.E., in Southside, Ala., owner Michael Wine outfitted the store with this in mind. It features a hefty line-up of energy-efficient Continental ExpressWash Washers and Dryers.

savannah soap company “Our business model is farther reaching than a basic self-service laundry,” says Wine. After all, this “green,” high-efficiency laundry is also Georgia's largest retailer of natural and organic soaps, cleaners, detergents and cosmetics. Moreover, The Savannah Soap Co. boasts a robust commercial business – providing wash-dry-fold services to restaurants, catering companies and hotels – as well as to area professionals and families.

“I wanted equipment that could provide the lowest ratio of utility costs to revenues,” says Wine. In addition to its high-efficiency washer-extractors and dryers, The Savannah Soap Co. incorporates a number of “green” products, including energy-efficient T-8 fluorescent and LED lighting; a Hamilton Engineering EVO Condensing water heater system that's 99.8 efficient; recycled content Eco-Products cups, lids and drinking straws for serving freshly brewed iced teas; and Loll Designs seating made from 100 percent recycled materials.

High-efficiency products have made an impact. “There's evidence that the utility savings are significant,” says Wine. “Thus far, our utility costs make up just 7 percent of the store's total revenue.”

The ExpressWash Difference

Contributing greatly to low water and natural gas usage are the laundry's Continental ExpressWash Washers. The washers not only cut water, natural gas and electricity usage, according to Wine and Arbuckle, they generate extract speeds of 354 G-force – considerably higher than traditional hard-mount washers. The high-speed washers remove more water per load when compared to hard-mount washers, which generally only generate extract speeds between 75 and 150 G-force, according to Arbuckle. “As a result, laundry loads dry 40-50 percent faster using considerably less natural gas and electricity,” he says.

A 60-Minute Wash & Dry

savannah soap company More significantly, the high-speed equipment allows customers to complete the task of doing laundry more quickly. “It's proven day in and day out that the average time it takes customers to complete laundry is less than 60 minutes,” says Wine.

As a result, the high-speed equipment works to maximize customer turnover – accommodating more clients per day, which in turn, improves revenue. In 60 minutes or less, customers can wash and dry their laundry—maximizing the number of paying customers per week and alleviating congestion during peak laundry hours.

Not only are customers completing their laundry in an hour or less, they enjoy a free dry. Wine offers this perk, he says, because he can afford to. “The efficiency of my equipment gives me tremendous flexibility from a pricing point of view and allows me to meet benchmarks in profitability,” he says. “I'm experimenting with offering a free dry cycle with every wash because it's clear to me customers are out of the dryers in 14 minutes. It's a great perk for customers, and it will mean higher washer revenues as we welcome more customers.”

Wine, who manages the store carefully, is glad he chose to develop a card-operated laundry. “The card system is an incredible tool for monitoring the store, machine use, promotions, sales and pricing,” he says. “Everything is in real-time and it's terrific.”

Customer Comforts

Adding to customer convenience are several “Perfect Wash” washers, where organic detergents and softeners are automatically injected into each load. Thus, customers avoid lugging their own cleaning products to the store. “I can purchase the soap for less and pass the savings onto my customers,” says Wine. “Customers love it!”

The Mammoth 90s

savannah soap company Still, The Savannah Soap Co. offers more… Four 90-pound capacity Continental ExpressWash Washers, which handle up to 10 loads of laundry at once. “They are used constantly throughout the day and are the backbone of our growing commercial business,” says Wine. Using the 90s, customers complete mammoth loads of laundry – clothing, towels, comforters, throw rugs, sleeping bags and blankets – quickly and efficiently. No other area laundry offers such big machines…

Wash-Dry-Fold

When idle, store attendants use the 90s to complete laundry for wash-dry-fold accounts. Attendants neatly fold and wrap laundry in natural paper, complete with personalized name label, individual order details and an inspection certification.

Tea Bar & Soap Boutique

savannah soap company Finally, a tea bar and soap boutique round out the laundry's offerings. The Savannah Soap Co. not only retails a large selection of natural and organic soaps, detergents, cleaning products and cosmetics, it provides freshly brewed, natural iced teas daily – offering customers tasty flavors including passion fruit, raspberry, blueberry and mango.