Parker Brubaker launched his commercial laundry business — Brubaker Linens, in Phoenix, Ariz. in 2020. As he’s pounded the pavement in search of new accounts, he’s also made key automation investments to keep pace with production and quality. Business has catapulted, as a result.
Most recently, he secured a new hospitality account promising to double business — launching it from 80,000 to 140,000 laundry pounds per month. In response, Brubaker did the research and bolstered his current equipment lineup. He added two 130-pound capacity Girbau Industrial (GI) soft-mount HS Series Washers; two 170-pound capacity GI Drying Tumblers; a GI CompactPro All-in-One ironing system; and a second GI FT Maxi auto-sort, dry-goods folder.
Phase 2 Automation Additions
This second phase of equipment additions set Brubaker Linens up for continued growth and greater efficiency – helping to maximize throughput and end-product quality using less labor. The new soft-mount washers and dryers significantly amped productivity; the CompactPro improved end-product quality, lowered labor costs and catapulted throughput; and the new FT Maxi provided needed redundancy.
Compact Pro Lowers Labor Costs
“The CompactPro has changed the dynamic of our business and the type of laundry we do,” said Brubaker, who now has an open door to pursue premium hospitality accounts demanding a high-quality product. The CompactPro uses one operator and automatically feeds, dries, irons, folds and stacks 130-170 sheets per hour.
“The sheets never go into a dryer,” said Brubaker. Rather, they go straight from the washer into the CompactPro, which is also configurable to handle pillowcases, napkins and table covers. “It does a good job with flat and fitted sheets and it’s very easy to operate and train staff to use,” Brubaker said. “It singlehandedly dropped our labor costs from 50 to 37 percent of revenue.”
Doubling Dry Work Folding Capacity with a Second FT Maxi
To boost dry work throughput, Brubaker Linens recently added a second FT Maxi automatic towel folder to the operation. Now, two FT Maxis handle the sorting, folding, and stacking of hand towels, bath towels, and king and queen pillowcases — each with just one operator and capable of processing 600 to 900 towels per hour.
The first FT Maxi alone freed up three employees and cut labor costs by $1,200 per month. With the second folder now in place, Brubaker Linens is poised to double folding capacity. The current air compressor supports only one FT Maxi at a time. When this snag is rectified and both machines run simultaneously, Brubaker will unlock even greater savings while increasing efficiency and production quality.
In the meantime, Owner Jesse Brubaker appreciates the flexibility. “It’s great knowing we have a second FT Maxi ready to go. If one ever needs service, we’ve got built-in backup,” he said.
That same confidence extends to the company’s CompactPro ironing system. “It’s running beautifully and I’m absolutely glad I made these investments,” Brubaker shared. “I secured a 10-year Small Business Administration loan at a good rate — smart financing for a growing business.”
Looking to the Future
In the short term, Brubaker’s focus is on turning out a quality product backed by unparalleled, 24-hour service. In the long term, he plans to grow, which will require a second, high-volume ironing line and a new compressor sized to operate both FT Maxis. “I’ve got space for the ironing line already, and as the company grows, we can also expand into a building next door,” he said.
To learn more about Brubaker Linens, visit brubakerlinens.com. Discover more about Girbau Industrial laundry solutions at girbauindustrial.com.