Expert Advice From Armstrong Commercial Laundry Systems
Expert Advice from Armstrong Will Ensure an Efficient, Cost Effective Laundry Service. We Speak to Neil Baker from the Dower House Who Informs Us of His Experience with Armstrong
The Dower House, which sits is two acres in Rousdon just outside Lyme Regis, was built in 1880 and has served time as a rectory and a public school headmaster’s residence until it was converted to a hotel in the 1970s.
When Neil and Rosemarie Baker bought the hotel two years ago it was, they told us, in a very ‘tired’ state operating in the main summer season only. Since then they have carried out a major refurbishment including completely new plumbing, a new laundry, a biomass boiler and solar energy system – their aim being to run as ‘green’ an operation as possible.
The hotel now offers a very high standard of bed and breakfast accommodation and service in 10 individually designed rooms, plus cream teas, a bar, evening meals by arrangement and a swimming pool. In addition it is becoming a popular venue for celebration parties, meetings and even weddings.
The laundry they inherited from the previous owners consisted of domestic equipment which was on its last legs, Neil told us. “I looked at several companies, and was attracted by the Armstrong website”, he said. “I was impressed by their attitude, which felt more like consultancy than hard sell. When their territory manager had been to see us, he changed the original advice on what we needed, so we felt we had a plan which was totally tailored to our requirements.” The laundry, which consists of a Schulthess 7kg washer and a Huebsch tumble dryer, handles all the towels, table clothes and napkins while the bed linen is sent out. It is operated by the housekeeping team, headed by Rosemarie and is in operation every day.
“Altogether I think Armstrong have been one of our best suppliers”, Neil told us. “They really seem to know what they are talking about and the equipment has been totally trouble free since it was installed.”
Saving on energy and water costs is obviously important to all operators which is why Armstrong continues to work with all its manufacturers to improve and develop machines which offer the expected excellence in wash quality while minimising utility costs.
For instance, launched last year the improved Huebsch and Speed Queen Horizon machines for smaller units do just that. The Huebsch 8kg YWN commercial topload washer has new, easy-to-use electronic touch pad controls which offer much greater cycle flexibility and up to a 29% saving on water consumption compared with the previous electro-mechanical model. With cycle times as short as 16 minutes while still a providing a first class wash utility costs as kept to a minimum. The upgraded Speed Queen Horizon washer has a new 97 litre (10kg) drum, 20% bigger than the previous model, but with no extra utility consumption. This is because a 1200rpm spin on final extract produces 440G to remove more water which consequently shortens drying times and dryer energy which is by far the most energy intensive part of the laundry process.
Tom Lowes, director of Armstrong was keen to stress, “it’s worth remembering that utility costs are only part of the overall running cost of a laundry and labour costs remain the largest item. The right choice of equipment for each individual unit is vital, as is correct chemical usage – and that’s where our expert advice can make a big difference to an operator’s costs.”
For further information contact Armstrong Commercial Laundry Systems, Ampere Road, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2AE Tel: 01635 263410 E: enquiries@armstronglaundry.com Website www.armstronglaundry.com
