Success story: Professional

Zurich municipal laundry

Zurich municipal laundry: Inclusion in action!

The laundry of the Social Facilities and Operations of the City of Zurich employs unemployed social welfare recipients and IV recipients and assists them in their return to working life. The company washes, dries and irons to the highest standards. Schulthess appliances are a guarantee for achieving and maintaining this highest possible standard. The individual and at the same time simple operability of the appliances as well as Schulthess’s excellent customer service confirm to the laundry every day that they are working with the ideal laundry partner. The Zurich municipal laundry is an exceptional operation. As an organisation close to the market, it offers around 50 employees the chance to return to the ‘normal working world’. Work takes place five days a week, in three four-hour shifts. The team leader places special emphasis on manual skills such as ironing by hand, darning holes or sewing on buttons. As a social institution, the laundry aims to train employees not only in manual skills but also in social skills: The spectrum ranges from showing up on time and dealing with each other in a businesslike manner to writing job applications. The laundry works for a number of companies in the city of Zurich, but its satisfied clients also includes private clients such as Spitex and restaurants. 700 kg of laundry are processed daily, 180 tonnes annually.

User-friendly machines

Using a sophisticated logistics system, the laundry is sorted on arrival and transported to the appropriate Schulthess washing machines. This procedure is essential so that the right laundry items are returned to the right customer. The Schulthess machines are the perfect solution for the wide variety of fabric types that need to be washed. The individually programmable machines enable the staff to handle the laundry by themselves. Any language barriers among the workers are easily overcome thanks to the stored wash settings on the machines. Because of the optimal spatial planning for the machines in collaboration with the company, the washed laundry can be transported conveniently and efficiently to the Schulthess dryers, where it is gently and quickly dried. For perfect finishing, the laundry works with Schulthess ironers and ironing systems. Schulthess runs annual courses to give the staff valuable tips on operating the machines in the best way. One particularly pleasing feature is that the waste heat from the dryers heats the water for the washing machines – which is gentle on the budget.

 

First-class service by Schulthess

Beatrix Jakob, Team Leader at the laundry, is very satisfied with the Schulthess solution: «The machines do come at a price, but what you get in return are reliable and long-lasting machines as well as a first-class service.» She particularly appreciates the fact that Schulthess takes every concern seriously and offers individual, customer-oriented solutions. In her view, the company also deserves praise for its professionalism and friendly dealings with customers. Jakob knows what the Schulthess name means to her: «The company has offered a first-class service for decades. We have never had any problems.» 

Year established

Of special interest

Social institution

Employees

50 people

Fabrics

Lbs. (kg) laundry/year

180 tonnes

Receiving care

last Vischpa Textilreinigung SA
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