By Bob Wolff
As a family-owned company in business for more than 80 years, Bates Troy Healthcare Linen has experienced its share of highs and lows. Leadership has answered challenging economies and changing environments by being innovative, resilient, and resourceful. Today, they are a trusted name and well-respected business in their community.
The Bates Troy Healthcare Linen executive team includes, from left to right, president Brian Kradjian, plant manager Robert Cutone, and general manager Joseph Liparulo. Kradjian praises LAVATEC’s 12-compartment tunnel washer for reducing water consumption and energy usage.
Brian Kradjian, company president, represents third generation ownership of the laundry operation based in Binghamton, New York. Many years ago, Bates Troy was a hybrid dry cleaning and laundry facility when they had over 15 retail dry-cleaning stores. Times changed but solid adjustments and the right decisions put the company on course for a brighter future.
“Currently, we service over 40 customers that consist of hospitals, nursing homes, and more than 100 off-site clinics. Most of the clinics and ambulatory centers are associated with the health systems we serve. We also have customers in northeastern Pennsylvania,” says Kradjian.
Last year, Bates Troy processed 20 million pounds of soiled linen and delivered nearly 18 million pounds of clean linen. This year, Kradjian adds that they are poised for growth.
“We try to be conservative in our forecasting and have a measured approach to growth. We look for potential customers that will be a good fit, and who want to cultivate true partnerships and value great quality and service, as opposed to just treating linen as a mere commodity. As a company, we are small, nimble, and responsive in nature. We are looking at the potential of one million pounds of new business, which we are hopeful to capture a majority of it.”
Meeting and Exceeding Customer Demands Under Pressure
Not to say that Bates Troy hasn’t met – and overcome – it’s share of obstacles. A testament to the company’s success. Kradjian’s ingenuity was tested in late 2024 when the unexpected happened. After years of water infiltration, some wood beams rotted and caused the wash room floor to drop into their soil room. It was a complicated and costly repair – but business continued as customers relied on the laundry’s output.
When repairs were needed, Bates Troy officials got creative and continued operating the LAVATEC tunnel washing system uninterrupted by suspending it above the wash room floor.
The company’s contractor cut and jackhammered the floor with a robotic excavator, then removed the debris and replumbed some of the plumbing, brought in structural fill with skid steers, compacted, laid rebar, fiber mesh, and repoured the floor – all while the laundry work continued for clients.
“We had to remain operational and run goods through our LAVATEC tunnel washer for two shifts during the week, and a half day on Saturday,” he recalled. “One of the remarkable aspects of all this is the LAVATEC tunnel was only supported by the legs on each far end, and not by the middle legs. This made it appear to be floating on air. Due to the well-constructed boxed underframe, we were able to do this without risk to damaging the tunnel and it ran the whole time during the repair and construction process. This speaks to its durability, engineering and dependability.”
“Our LAVATEC continuous batch tunnel washing system has done everything a laundry operator can ever ask of a machine to do. That is, to simply run and run and run while putting out clean linen,” said Kradjian, “After 30 years, it’s still delivering high performance results.”
Bates Troy’s chief engineer and maintenance technicians have historically worked close with LAVATEC. “Over the years they always seem to maintain quality products, technologies and service,” says Kradjian. “My late father, Ara Kradjian, and I had really good energy and chemistry with their team when we bought the tunnel washer. That has continued through the years with president Mark Thrasher and Eric Schori, our sales representative.”
Equipment meeting the needs of Bates Troy customers include: Soil Sort consisting of Softrol Sort Deck, and Overhead Rail System with Automation Dynamics OS. The LAVATEC 110-lb CBT, a press shuttle and five 250-lb dryers, a LAVATEC 250-lb open pocket washer, a 220-lb Braun Continuous Batch Tunnel Washer, press, shuttle and five (5) 500-lb dryers, one (1) 500 lb. SBS Dryer, and several smaller Milnor pony washers and dryers.
The finishing aisle includes three (3) ironers: GA Braun 3 Roll Ironer with Omega Folder / Stacker, a Chicago Dual Edge Feeder with an American Hypro 6 roll Ironer with a GA Braun Omega Folder / Stacker, & a Jensen Edge Maxx 2 lane Feeder with an American Hypro 6 roll Ironer with a GA Braun Omega Folder / Stacker. One Blanket Blaster, 8 Chicago Air Small Piece Folders, 2 Kannegiesser Small Piece Feeders, and 1 Foltex Small Piece Feeder.
The facility’s power plant consists of two(2) Cleaver Brooks Steam Boilers, two (2) Ingersol Rand Air Compressors, and Tecogen Cogenerarion System (micrgrid).
Next week, in Part 2 we’ll take a look at the Bates Troy–LAVATEC long-standing history. For Part 2 go here.
For more information, visit the company’s web site: LAVATEC
