Free Drums

Meg Heveran

This pic was taken at Capital Linen, a new laundry account in Richmond. The Owner said he had so many drums before ChemStation came in that he had to make the sign to help get rid of them. I don’t know if I’ve seen a better customer testimonial than this one!

Laundry is a huge buzzword for us as we gear up to make a really concerted push into this market. To that end, we welcome Michael Reinmuth into his new role on the IGHQ Team as our National Account Manager in Laundry!

Mike gave us the lowdown on Capital Linen. And you’ll hear a lot more from him in the months to come especially at the Sales Meeting in 2024 in Las Vegas.

There we are planning in-depth conversations, presentations, and expert speakers to discuss this topic. We encourage all sales reps to be there! Whether you are a laundry novice or an industry expert, this meeting will cater to you. This is a great market for ChemStation. Laundry accounts, even at the low end, can range $50k-$250k/year, with really healthy margins.

Capital Linen

Mike’s account below goes beyond your typical case study. This article is a training piece in itself. Thank you, Mike!

Tell us about Capital Linen.

Capital Linen is a Textile Rental Service Company.

They provide linen rental services to the restaurant & food service industry, culinary industry, hospitality industry, party venue & event services. 

Describe the sales process.

During prospecting, I worked with Ellie Cronin via ZoomInfo as well as LinkedIn.

My initial call to Capital Linen was via the contact information Ellie and I found on ZoomInfo. I was able to briefly describe ChemStation to the Owner. We discussed our refillable system and telemetry.

The refillable system immediately sparked his interest. He began to discuss a big pain point of having to receive his current chemicals in 55-gallon drums and not being able to store, dispose of, or return them. He described how space at his facility was limited and that if we could add more open space it would allow for more opportunities for his business (i.e., more laundry machines).

I listened and knew this was a solid entry point into the sales conversation. I empathized with him and understood how we could help him. We set a meeting and I toured the facility.

In addition to the facility tour, I came prepared to the meeting with some before and after pictures of how ChemStation’s refillable system saved our customers on space, storage, and disposal. I also went into further detail on how our telemetry system monitors product levels for the customer and allows them to see usage trends, and track products more efficiently. These were all points that hit home with him and he was really impressed with our ChemStation system.

This allowed for the sales process to continue into discussions about products, weekly/monthly/quarterly usages, current providers level of service, results and price.

Continuing to gain his trust we began to discuss the laundry products, wash formulas, wash efficiency, rewash, and linen reclaim. While these were not major pain points that he had at that moment, I asked if we could titrate one of his washers and look at some of his rewash and wash formulas.

Through my experience I knew the competitor’s product line was good and that the wash wheel would titrate with good results. I wanted to focus more on wash formula efficiency.

Capital Linen’s operation consisted of 8 washers ranging from 90-120 lbs. This sort of operation can lead to and is usually controlled by how efficient the washers run and how the wash floor operates. This is called being “washer heavy.” The best way to combat this issue is to look at the wash formulas and try and cut down some of the cycle times while not impacting results. This is where the 5 factors of clean come into practice.

1. Time
2. Temperature
3. Mechanical Action
4. Chemical Action
5. Water/Procedures

When evaluating wash formulas, these 5 factors need to be looked at and tested.

Applying these factors to each wash formula we were able to bring to light another opportunity for us to help. This furthered the Owner’s confidence in ChemStation and he agreed to share his current pricing and usages.

Once we were able to agree on tanks sizes, locations, products, and prices the sales process wrapped up quickly and ChemStation Virginia secured its first textile laundry customer.

What objections or problems did you encounter during the sales process?

The customer was initially unsure about ChemStation’s laundry program because of its newness. But once our products were compared and the results were consistent that concern was put to rest.

Describe the demo process.

There was not a true demo in the process.

To install a textile laundry takes a full commitment from the customer and ChemStation. Our dispensing equipment is a high initial investment, but with its innovation, ease of use, and technology the customer is able to see the immediate benefits.

What products did you sell?

• 1442 – Alkaline Break
• 90431 and 90472 – Detergent
• 3131 – Bleach
• 50743 – Water Conditioner
• 90369 – Anti-Chlor
• 9517 – Sour

What competitor did you boot?

Gurtler Industries.

Our customer saw the value and benefit in our refillable system, our telemetry, our knowledge, and our service.

What services does the customer expect from you?

Capital Linen expects us to be their “chemical service partner.”

We commit to truly partnering with our customer and always striving to help make their business better and better. And in turn grow their relationship with ChemStation and our business as well.

Any advice for other reps trying to tap into this industry?

In laundry as with other markets, sell our ChemStation system. Space is a premium at many (if not all) textile customers and our refillable system addresses that pain point exceptionally well.

This article truly just scratches the surface of where we are going within the laundry market. Wins like this will help us turn local opportunities into national game changers. We are thrilled to see where Mike Reinmuth, Matt Overton, and the Laundry Team takes us!

Equipment at Capital Linen

The old Gurtler dispensing unit

Our ChemStation dispenser

ChemStation dispenser

Signal box that connections to washer

ChemStation dispenser

Row over 55g drums of Gurtler product

Our ChemStation refillable tanks

Seen here is the Richmond team at the install.

Avery Hazzard – Operations Manager (purple shirt);

Brian Moots – Sales (grey shirt);

Collin Klich – Sales (blue shirt);

Carter Robertson – Sales (white shirt);

Bryce Golbus – Manager in training (black shirt);

Anthony Hall – Operations/Driver (black shirt & black hat)

Brian Moots is wearing my favorite ChemStation t-shirt of all time. Neat Deal.

Ultimate ChemStation Gift Giving Guide

Amie Rossi

Need a little help finding the perfect gift for you customer this year? The new and improved ChemStation Store has what you need. We have the ultimate ChemStation gift giving guide here!

For the sporty customer:

• 28 OZ Bottle – $17.50
• Titleist NXT Tour S Golf Balls & Tee packs – $33.75
• Baseball Hat – $13.00
• Charcoal Snapback Hat – $15.00