For the Reporter

Alsco Inc., a linen and uniform rental services company, celebrated the grand opening of its new laundry processing facility in Kent on Wednesday.

Alsco executives, management and staff joined Mayor Suzette Cooke, City Councilmembers and the Kent Chamber of Commerce at the event.

“Tell us, why Kent?” Cooke asked the Alsco executives. “I know ‘why Kent?’: because of our location, because we are a business-friendly city, because we have access to the best employees to serve you, and it’s a great place to live for those families. That’s why I think you chose Kent.”

The plant provides linen and garment cleaning and processing for linens, workwear, hygiene and well-being services throughout the region.

The 70,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility – at 6828 S. 204th St. – gives Alsco the capability to further expand its services in the Puget Sound market. The new processing plant can accommodate more than 150 percent increased production.

General Manager Steve Bivens recognized the individuals involved with the planning, development and move to the new facility, including the local employees who pitched in to make it possible over a weekend.

“It’s not easy to move a production facility of over 80 employees from one city (Tacoma) to another,” Bivens said. “Trust me, I learned this the hard way.”

Alsco co-CEO Robert Steiner spoke about his great-grandfather, George A. Steiner, who in 1889 in Lincoln, Neb., picked up an after-school towel route in order to add to his family income. That route eventually became Alsco, a company that now operates from 150 processing facilities in 14 countries throughout the world.

The company has been in Western Washington since 1952, originally based out of Tacoma.

“The move from Tacoma to Kent was probably the smoothest, most successful move we’ve ever made in our company,” Robert Steiner said.

More on the Kent plant

Built from the ground up, Alsco’s new plant is environmentally friendly. All the equipment in the facility runs on the most up-to-date energy efficiency standards for the industry. The innovative facility will also use 10 percent less water and 10 percent less chemicals than used in the previous plant.

In addition, all chemicals used are environmentally friendly and waste water is processed well within county requirements.

Other positive benefits of the new Alsco plant include additional job opportunities for the community and additional tax revenues to the city of Kent.

More about Alsco

Alsco is a family-owned and -operated business, founded in 1889, that was recognized by the Hohenstein Institute for having invented the linen and uniform rental industry.

Celebrating its 125th anniversary, Alsco provides linen and uniform services to customers that range from restaurants and health care clinics to automotive repair and industrial manufacturing facilities.

With 150 locations, Alsco provides world-class service to more than 250,000 customers in 14 countries. Its new plant in Kent employs 82 individuals and provides service to more than 1,400 customers.

To learn more, visit www.alsco.com/en/index.htm.

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PHOTO BELOW: Alsco co-CEO Robert Steiner speaks to the crowd at the grand opening.