Superior Linen Service

What is the history and how was your company founded?

Superior Linen Service was founded in 1926 by Charles Hersey as a home laundry service, with 25 employees performing $18,000 in weekly volume. Charles ran the business until 1941, when our Grandfather, Jack Hersey, took over the company. Jack began to set his sights on larger customers, including Fort Lewis and McChord Airforce Base. In 1958, just as things began to grow and business was flourishing, Superior Linen experienced a devastating fire that virtually wiped out the business, causing Jack to move the business to its current location in Tacoma, WA. In the early ‘60s, our Fathers, Garry Hersey and Gordon Hersey joined their father Jack, and the third generation was now in place to move the company forward away from the home laundry business and in the direction of Linen supply and Uniform rental. To better serve their growing customer base, they opened two depots, one in 1978 in Olympia, WA., and the other in 1985 in Bremerton, WA. As we arrived in the ‘80s, the fourth generation became involved in the operation with Garry’s three kids Mike, Rusty, and Terri, and Gordon’s two sons’ Jack and Greg. The legacy of the fourth generation continued until recently, with Mike, Rusty, and Terri, all deciding it was time to retire after having long careers in the business. Jack and Greg Hersey purchased Superior Linen in October 2019 with a lot of excitement and some sadness in that our time together was ending. The fifth-generation, Jack’s two kids Anne and Max Hersey, along with Greg’s two sons Carter and
Mitchell Hersey, are now the newest members of Superior Linen Service, and we are all looking forward to what the future has in store. We have come a long way, and the future is bright for our family, our employees, and Superior Linen Service.

What markets does your company serve, and what products/services are offered?

We service the Greater Puget Sound area from Everett to Chehalis, WA, and from North Bend to Aberdeen, WA. We offer Table Linen, Toweling, Chef Apparel, Uniforms, Floor Care, Restroom
Services, and Hotel Linen. We have our own in-house embroidery machine for fast turn-around time and offer a full line of direct sale items.

What are the advantages for your customers doing business with Superior Linen Service?

Our family has been in business in the greater Seattle-Tacoma area for the past 95 years, and over that time, we have developed a strong relationship with the people in this region, as well as with many other business owners and our fantastic customer base. We all take very seriously our obligation to provide outstanding quality and service to maintain and grow our business for the future. We take great pride in being responsive to our customers’ ever-changing needs and do not have an automated phone system. We enjoy answering the phone directly. As a family business, we can collaborate and implement new ideas/processes very quickly. This responsiveness resonates with our loyal customer base.

How many customers/routes/ employees do you have?

This is a moving target with all that the global pandemic has created in our world. Different counties have been opened and or shut down multiple times over the last year. Currently, we stand at approximately 900 Customers, 15 Routes and 90 Employees.

How many salespeople are currently on your team?

John McMasters, Jr. handles our larger accounts, and Dave Smith serves as our Outside Sales Consultant for all other new opportunities. To what do you contribute the success and growth of your company? Our success is a direct reflection of our loyal and dedicated employees, providing outstanding service and quality products to our customers. Our average Route Service Representative tenure is over 12 years. This enables our customers to count on us every week. Every year, we celebrate 1 or 2 employees’ 25-year anniversaries with custom engraved watches thanking them for their “time” and service.

How do you differentiate your company from the competition?

We look at our competition as an opportunity to listen to customer’s needs and see if we are a good fit. We know that customers have a variety of options when looking for a textile service company. We frequently find that our company values align with our customers. This allows us to create a partnership to highlight our customers’ mission and goals and will enable us to serve, not just for a few years but often for generations.

What is your company’s mission statement/slogan/model?

Superior is our first name; Service is our last, and Linen is what we do! Hard work works, and it is something we strive for every day.

How do you effectively communicate your message to your employees, customers, and prospects?

We enjoy celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and new customer onboarding every day by showcasing them on large TV screens throughout our facility. We have monthly meetings to go over employee needs and safety concerns. Over the past three years, we have updated our online presence with a new website and many social media platforms. This allows our customers multiple
opportunities to communicate with us. In doing so, we have increased our ability to resolve concerns quickly and efficiently.

What innovations (if any) have been implemented in your company/plant recently?

In the last three years, we have worked very hard at strategically adjusting to our growth, not only on the routes in the form of new step vans and box trucks but also in the production with Plant Manager; Lee Baldaulf – Head of Maintenance; and Katherine Seward – Office Manager. We are fortunate that we have an amazing team that has been in place for several years. Our goal is to continue to grow and diversify the family in all aspects of the business.

What do you see as the greatest challenge for our industry?

Covid-19 is certainly a challenge for all of us in this industry, yet it has created some opportunities for us. King and Snohomish Counties built four large mobile hospitals that we supplied with
toweling, scrubs, patient gowns, and bed linen back in March of 2020. This enabled us to weather the storm. However, more importantly, it allowed us to give back to the communities we service and help those in need.

What do you see as the greatest opportunities for growth/ change in our industry?

We will always continue to look for the addition of new equipment spread throughout multiple departments. In total, we have 14 pieces of new equipment and have added six new route vehicles
to update part of our fleet, with more on the way.

What are the advantages of working in a family business, and what does it mean to you?

It means the world to us that we have been doing business in this area for 94 years. Along the way, each generation has put its stamp on how the company is run and determined the path we would
take in the future. As the fourth generation nears its end, the fifth generation is excited to carve its name in the history of the company. Working every day together to achieve success is very inspiring!

What is the succession plan/training strategy for future generations?

The company is led by Greg Hersey – President; Brother Jack Hersey – Vice President; John McMasters, Jr. – General Sales Manager; Dennis Zech – Plant Manager; Lee Baldaulf – Head of
Maintenance; and Katherine Seward – Office Manager. We are fortunate that we have an amazing team that has been in place for several years. Our goal is to continue to grow and diversify the family in all aspects of the business.

What do you see as the greatest opportunities for growth/change in our industry?

We will always continue to look for F&B and retail Medical customers, but there is a large opportunity for us in the hospitality industry (Hotel Linen). As more and more hotels do away with their OPLs, we see an opportunity to carve our niche in this market.

What is the greatest value you get from being a CSC Member?
We have been lucky to be a part of CSC from the beginning. This has allowed us the opportunity to build relationships with other owners and managers. The fantastic group of CSC vendors
enables us to be competitive in the marketplace.

SUPERIOR LINEN SERVICE
1012 Center Street, Tacoma, WA 98409
President: Greg Hersey
(253)383-2636
Member since 1994