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Laundry Facility in Kentucky Goes Solar

SITEX continues sustainability, laundry quality efforts with Solar Energy Project Initiative

HENDERSON, Ky. — Jan. 1, 1961, is an important date for the Sights family.

That’s the day they founded Industrial Uniform Services Inc. here.

The family set out with no business, a shallow line of credit, some very used laundry equipment and one delivery truck to establish a customer base in uniform rental service within a 25-five-mile radius of its plant.

“With a small but aggressive sales force and a commitment to providing its customers with exceptional service, we grew to five routes and expanded our territory to a 75-mile radius within five years,” says Wes Sights, president and CEO, part of the third generation of the family involved with the business.

Expansion continued as the uniform service steadily acquired volume and services from other area companies, and in 1995, Industrial Uniform Service Inc., d/b/a Sani-Clean Services, officially changed its corporate and operating name to SITEX Corp.

The company says the name SITEX, short for Sights Textiles, provided it not only with a new name, but also a new image—one that was clean, attractive and in touch with the times.

It’s also a name the company says will be known throughout its market area as the leader in the textile rental industry.

But SITEX hasn’t been standing still since 1995. It has continued to grow and expand, and its most recent acquisition happened in October with the uniform, linen and textile rental business from New Day Uniforms and Linens Inc. in Clarksville, Tennessee.

Despite the continual growth, SITEX says it maintains a local, small-town feel with the “best team members in the industry” to serve its customers—all while remaining “in touch with the times.”

The company says it uses state-of-the-art technology and is continually increasing the sustainability and green nature of its products and services.

In November, the company announced that the Henderson laundry processing facility went solar, installing a massive new solar PV system through AmerLight Energy.

“SITEX has long been an active participant in the global efforts toward making the commercial laundry industry cleaner, greener, and more sustainable,” Sights shares. “This new solar initiative is in line with our pre-existing sustainability efforts.”

SOLAR ENERGY PROJECT INITIATIVE

SITEX says its Solar Energy Project Initiative is part of the company’s continuous effort and commitment toward providing every customer with cleaner, greener and more sustainable services.

What exactly does the company’s switch to solar energy mean?

To understand more about the impact of its Solar Energy Project Initiative, SITEX looks to the numbers:

  • SITEX installed 572 ZNShine Solar ZXM6-NHLD144-445/M solar panels and three Growatt MAC 70KTL3-X MV inverters.
  • The new solar power system can produce 338,593 kWh of energy, powering 38.48% of the facility’s energy needs.
  • The solar panels have a lifespan of more than 30 years, while the inverters have a 10-year lifespan.
  • With the power that its solar power system can produce, the company looking at preventing 311,506 pounds of carbon emissions, significantly lowering the carbon footprint of processing customers’ laundry.
  • SITEX’s Solar Energy Project Initiative reduces carbon emissions equivalent to the work of 6,490 trees.

SUSTAINABLE LAUNDRY

Alongside reducing its energy consumption, SITEX says it has also been following several sustainability practices that have been in place for years:

  • Using green detergent and laundry chemicals in its facilities, in partnership with EPA Award-winning chemical partner, Washing Systems Inc.
  • Strict wastewater monitoring to ensure that the company is not dumping pollutants into the water.
  • Charter involvement in the Laundry Environmental Stewardship Program (Laundry ESP).
  • Choosing Green Seal-certified products for its restroom supply services.
  • Reduced paper usage in its financial transactions (e.g., billing, payroll, banking, etc.).
  • Reduced fuel consumption through efficient delivery route systems.
  • Hanger recycling to reduce waste.
  • Environmentally conscious laundry procedures while ensuring clean, hygienic laundry results.
  • Locker-, rack- and bin-refurbishing efforts for more sustainable uniform and linen storage.
  • Reduced water consumption for its laundry processes.
  • Conscious effort to use products and materials that align with the company’s sustainability efforts.
  • With the addition of its new Solar Energy Project Initiative, SITEX says it can guarantee a significant reduction in the amount of energy used to process customers’ linens and uniforms.

“SITEX continues to commit to and seek out new and better opportunities to bring eco-friendlier uniform and linen services,” says Sights. “Customers can trust that our continued effort towards greener operations will, in no way, reduce the quality and cleanliness of their items.

“In fact, these new efforts align with and empower our aim at achieving the best quality results for your linens and uniforms.”

OPERATION TODAY

Achieving “best quality results” takes 150 team members working a single shift (for the most part) Monday-Friday in a highly automated laundry plant, producing approximately 12 million pounds of clean goods annually.

Besides the main plant in Henderson, SITEX has branches in Louisville and Paducah, Kentucky; Nashville, Tennessee; and Jasper, Indiana. It’s service area covers Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana and Tennessee

SITEX’s “service footprint” spans an approximately 200-mile radius from the corporate office in Henderson. Products and services offered by the company include uniform service, kitchen apparel, linen service, restroom and mat service, and first aid service.

“Our services are not only for uniforms but also for many other types of linens that a business may need,” shares Sights. “We have medical apparel as well as restaurant and kitchen linen services, restroom and first aid services available to businesses in many different industries.”

SITEX likes to say it has everything from “the shop floor to the top floor.” The company says its uniforms, workwear and custom apparel promote pride and teamwork in the workforce as well as customer security and professionalism since employees can be easily recognized in their uniforms.

The company has state-of-the-art customization and embroidery equipment with colors, styles and fits that influence customer perception of quality and service.

“Our technology is the leading technology in the industry and provides customers with 100% accuracy through our automated tracking system, SITRAX,” points out Sights.

“Our team members, our technology, and our products and services are what make the difference. We have the best, most skilled and well-trained team members in the industry.

“Our customers are the best and we strive to continually provide them with the best products and services possible.”

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Laundry Facility in Kentucky Goes Solar

SITEX recently installed 572 solar panels at its Henderson, Kentucky, plant. (Image: SITEX Corp.)

Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Matt Poe at [email protected].