DUBOIS, Pa. — Paris Companies welcomed Lt. Gov. Joseph Scarnati and other dignitaries in dedicating its new $14 million Healthcare Linen Services plant here June 11.
The new state-of-the-art, 52,000-square-foot plant is one of the most efficient in the world and positions Paris as a leader in providing healthcare linen services to the Mid-Atlantic Region, the company says. It has the capacity to launder 50 million pounds of linen annually.
“We wanted to invite all the people who have supported the growth of the Paris Companies to join us in dedicating the new plant today,” says Paris President/CEO David Stern. “I believe Paris is a success because of the relationships we have with employees, customers, suppliers, and the communities in which we operate. Today’s event is our way of saying, ‘Thank you.’”
The new plant on Tom Mix Drive will add new jobs to the DuBois community in the near future, according to Stern.
He thanked his company’s work force (“Our employees are one of the main reasons Paris can commit the capital it takes to build this new plant and they deserve much of the credit for the project”), its customers (“hospitals and nursing homes, large and small”), community leaders and politicians, vendors, and friends and family.
Paris Companies is Pennsylvania’s largest, independent uniform and healthcare linen services company in the Mid-Atlantic. It employs more than 600 people and operates facilities in DuBois, Pittsburgh, Sayre and Williamsport, Pa., as well as Olean, N.Y., and Ravenna, Ohio, in serving 3,800 clients.
It operates two divisions: Paris Healthcare Linen Services, which provides bed linen, operating room linen and garments to healthcare facilities, and Paris Uniform Services, which provides uniforms, mats, mops and shop towels to a variety of businesses.
All Paris Healthcare plants have been accredited by the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC), signifying that they exceed rigid industry standards in processing healthcare linens.
“The healthcare part of our business has grown in western Pennsylvania and we decided to build a new plant that would guarantee our ability to serve healthcare clients with quality products, while remaining a competitive producer. After evaluating many sites, we decided to build our new plant here in DuBois,” Stern said prior to cutting the ceremonial ribbon.
“Our plan is to operate two plants in the City of DuBois. Our present facility on Hoover Avenue will still serve as corporate headquarters and houses all the production, service and distribution functions for our growing uniform services business.
“Last month, we announced the intention to sell our drycleaning business, which allows us to better focus on the textile rental businesses. Although this was a hard decision, the community will still be served with quality drycleaning services and no Paris employees will be without a job.”
A pair of 12-module, 150-pound Pellerin Milnor tunnel washers and a dozen Milnor 300-pound dryers anchor the new plant.
The flatwork finishing department includes a 6-roll Hypro ironer and Chicago® four-lane folder; four G.A. Braun 32-inch ironers with Omega folders and dual stackers; a Chicago three-roll, 42-inch ironer with Skyline folder and dual stackers; two Chicago linen separators; five Braun rear-discharge small-piece folders; two Braun Theta blanket folders; and two Chicago Blanket Blaster folders with stackers.
There are three Hytrol 75-foot flat-belt conveyors and an overhead rail system with soil/clean separation by Jensen.
A 238-hp Hurst boiler provides water heating, while Kemco wastewater and heat-recovery systems boost the plant’s efficiency (it will recycle more than 88 million gallons of water annually, Paris says). Also in use are two 50-hp water-cooled air compressors from Kaeser.
“This new building is an example of the partnership we require of our vendors,” Stern says. “It represents the collaboration of many of the top equipment people in our industry, who provided their engineering and operations expertise to help us reach our goal of providing high-quality linen service at a competitive cost.”
The plant has a sizable fleet of delivery vehicles: six 30-foot straight trucks, a 24-foot clinic delivery van, four semi tractors, four trailers, and a “supertrailer” capable of carrying 55-60 carts depending on cart size.
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