GREAT FALLS, Mont. — Montana Secretary of State Linda McCulloch recently presented the National Laundry Co. with the first Secretary of State’s Centennial Award, honoring the local business for 100 years of service.
“A lot has changed in Montana since 1910, and the National Laundry Company of Great Falls has been in business through it all,” McCulloch said during the ceremony. “It survived different owners, economic ups and downs and a devastating fire. All the while, it remained locally owned and operated.”
Accepting the Centennial Award on behalf of his employees and the local community was Fred Simmons, president and general manager of the National Laundry Co. “We’re humbled by this award, and accept it in honor of the many customers who have supported us over the years,” he said. “Without their loyalty and support, the National Laundry Company would not be what it is today. We thank Linda McCulloch for this honorable recognition.”
The National Laundry Co. was established in Montana on March 17, 1910. At that time, Montana had been a state for only 21 years. William Howard Taft was serving as the 27th president, Edwin Norris was governor, and more than one-quarter of Montana’s population was born outside the country.
Over the past century, the business has evolved from a wash-and-dry, by-the-pound laundry service to a full-service textile company, with services that include laundering, drycleaning, pillow service, alterations, leather cleaning, linen supply, paper products supply, janitorial products supply, and direct sales.
National Laundry has a staff of 43 full-time employees, operates six linen supply routes serving more than 2,000 active commercial customers, and has two retail outlets in Great Falls, according to its website.
Opened in April 2004, National Laundry’s state-of-the-art production facility covers 51,000 square feet and is capable of laundering customer-owned goods from clients that include hospitals, nursing homes and motels.
It sports automated counting equipment connected to automated billing equipment, ensuring that accurate linen counts are transmitted to customer accounts, the company says. Soiled linen is transported in slings via overhead rail to washing and drying equipment, then transferred via overhead rails to assorted processing departments and finally to the delivery-route staging area.
The National Laundry Co. presentation launched McCulloch’s Centennial Project, which will commemorate the anniversary of businesses and organizations that first registered in Montana in 1910.
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