Member Article

Rotherham commercial laundry firm hits the US market

Rotherham’s Xeros, a commercial laundry firm, has made headway into the US market after opening offices in New Hampshire in September.

Xeros, based in the Advanced Manufacturing Park, has supplied 20 washing systems to a raft of high-profile customers in its target commercial laundry and hospitality sectors, since it opened its North American office, in Manchester, New Hampshire, last September.

The South Yorkshire firm supplies clothes laundering technology developed at the University of Leeds in which the use of water is largely replaced by reusable and recyclable polymer beads.

Compared to conventional washing machines, Xeros says its products demand less time and typically more than 70% less water, 50% less energy and 50% less detergent.

Among the US-based organisations to have bought Xeros systems in the last few months are Kleen Dry Cleaners, based in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and Crest Advanced Dry Cleaners, which has stores in Virginia and Maryland.

Xeros US customers also include commercial hospitality laundry Sterling Linens Services, whose headquarters are also in Manchester, New Hampshire.

In addition, the company has sold systems to four of North America’s top six hotel chains, including Chicago-based Hyatt and Wyndham, part of the world’s largest hospitality group, whose head office is in Parsippany, New Jersey.

Bill Westwater, chief executive officer, Xeros, said: “We’re delighted with our initial sales in the US market, which only reinforce our belief that laundering clothes the Xeros way will become the norm in the future.

“The highly encouraging initial US sales follow the launch of our system to the commercial laundry market at the Clean Show in New Orleans last June. We then unveiled it to the US hospitality sector in October.”

The company says using its bead technology systems, rather than conventional machines, enables customers to reduce operating costs, deliver superior cleaning and enhance their “green” credentials.

In addition, users don’t have to separate most colours, as the beads absorb stray dyes, and the gentler cleaning action and lower temperatures mean customers’ clothes stay new for longer.

The rapidly-rising interest in Xeros products in the US mirrors the position elsewhere in the world, including the UK. Other current company partners include: national UK laundering provider Johnsons Services Group; premium dry cleaners Jeeves of Belgravia; and international washroom hygiene, mat, work wear and textile solution provider the CWS-boco Group.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .