Emerald Textiles™, a commercial healthcare laundry and linen service business headquartered in San Diego, recently upgraded their Los Angeles facility. One of the capital investments Emerald made as part of a multi-million dollar commitment was the purchase of a new continuous batch washer system (CBW) from LAVATEC Laundry Technology, Inc., according to a news release.
A dryer operator removes linen from one of the 11 LAVATEC gas dryers in operation at the Commerce plant.
Timing of the new equipment and increased volume projections coincide with a December 4 announcement that Emerald Textiles had acquired the west coast assets of the Angelica Corporation, a national healthcare linen service provider. The acquisition included nine facilities, allowing Emerald to expand its western footprint into Phoenix and Las Vegas and strengthen its northern and southern California markets.
“We are focused on building out our strong network of customers and expanding our footprint of facilities, while investing $35MM in capital across our locations to create world-class linen and commercial laundry facilities in the west,” said Andy Kratky, Emerald Textile’s CEO. “At the Commerce facility, we have welcomed several newly won healthcare customers that is the primary growth for 2022, along with 100% renewals of linen services to all our acute hospitals and medical centers.”
The new LAVATEC 12-compartment bottom transfer tunnel washer installed last December is helping Emerald to reach greater daily wash capacities.
Emerald’s new LAVATEC CBW system in Commerce went online the first week of October 2021. It included a custom built, 12-compartment bottom transfer tunnel washer, a new 50-bar, LP583S washer extractor speed press, six pre-owned TT-745 gas dryers, a 4-pocket loading conveyor and shuttle conveyor, and a dryer shuttle control cabinet.
Sean Mageean, general manager of the facility indicated that the facility is ready to take on a greater workload after the new acquisitions announcement made in December 2021. “The expectation is that, at a minimum, the new LAVATEC CBW system will handle approximately 50,000 pounds wash capacity per shift,” he said. “With the addition of 15 new client hospitals, our plant has transitioned to a two shift, seven days a week schedule.”
Jim Hernandez, Emerald’s director of engineering who oversees all major projects, handled this installation with Luis Lopez, the chief engineer in Commerce. Mageean said both men and Jim Slatcher, LAVATEC’s western regional sales manager, were responsible for a seamless transition.
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