Fulfilling high ambitions together

The new constructions of Nedlin Industry in Hoensbroek are progressing rapidly. The expansion of the building has been completed, and now the location just has to be furnished. The end result – an innovative and sustainable industrial laundry facility – is becoming more and more visible. This is partly thanks to the good collaboration with Kannegiesser, the producer of the machines in the laundry facility.

The construction work in Hoensbroek comes with high ambitions. “It’s not just about capacity expansion, but also about realising one of the biggest and most modern laundry facilities for work clothing in Europe”, says director Luuk de Win. “This means that we apply the latest innovations in our laundry process. Such as modern track & trace techniques with UHF chips in the clothing, so that we and our clients can see exactly in which stage of the process the item is. The internal logistics and the working conditions for our employees are also being improved. Furthermore, we implement the latest techniques in the field of sustainability, such as smart dryers and heat exchangers, so we can warm up the floors with the residual heat from the washing machines. So we don’t just aim for efficiency and quality, but also for the sustainable deployment of employees and machines.”

The power of a family business

Of course, you do not establish a high-end laundry facility on your own. This requires intensive collaboration with suppliers. For our machines, Nedlin worked together with the German company Kannegiesser, a global player supplying machines for laundry facilities. Although Kannegiesser has around 1700 employees by now, it is still a true family business, according to Sales and Marketing Director Lars Blechschmidt: “I have been working here for fifteen years myself, my father even worked here for 55 years, he started even before the company was named Kannegiesser. The company started as a manufacturer of machines to press shirts, and folding machines. Later, the owners bought various other factories, such as a producer of super tracks (rail system) in England. That is why we can now offer complete production lines, from washing and drying to sorting and feeding. We consciously chose to keep the production in Germany, England and the United States, and not to move it to China, for example. This way we can keep all the technical knowledge close to home, we can offer the speed that our clients require, and we offer employment opportunities in the area. Naturally, we are constantly reviewing how we can increase productivity and reduce the costs. Seeing as we are a family business and not a listed company, we have all the space we need to work on this, without the involvement of impatient shareholders.”

Good partnership

Nedlin choosing to work with Kannegiesser was actually to be expected. Director Stef de Win explains: “We have worked with Kannegiesser before, for instance at our location in Elsloo. They have shown us that they can offer solutions that are fitting for our ambitions. Together we can achieve great things”. Sales director of Kannegiesser Benelux, Henk Robers, reacts with appropriate pride: “We have established a good partnership with Nedlin over the years, so we are happy that we can also get to work in Hoensbroek. It’s a special assignment, for Nedlin and for us. Nedlin already established the benchmark in Europe with their high productivity. But the productivity and efficiency that we are achieving here, are really unprecedented. So we’re creating a new standard for the whole sector.”

Intense preparation

There has been an intense preparatory process for this high standard. “In principle, we supply standard machines, such as the tunnel washers and folding robots, and we can add various options according to the client’s wishes. So we create customised machines, fully attuned to the building, the various kinds of clothing and the diversity of our clients”, says Lars Blechschmidt. The Research & Development department of the supplier had already worked closely together with Nedlin employees. “By familiarising ourselves with the wishes, demands and possibilities of our client beforehand, we can build machines that fit perfectly. It is nice to have clients who know exactly what they want. The employees of Nedlin paid attention to every little detail of furnishing the production process. Thanks to our open discussions, we have learned a lot from each other, and we were able to create an even better product. A good example of this is the extra layer on the expansion, so that there is more space for the rail system, and the laundry facility has more capacity.”

Eye for detail

Together, Nedlin and Kannegiesser offer a unique service. What is the strength of their sustainable collaboration, according to them? “The amazing commitment of the employees at Nedlin, but also the eye for detail, the environment and the well-being of employees. This results in a high standard for our equipment, but also makes us put in even more effort as suppliers.” Stef de Win adds: “Kannegiesser and Nedlin are both family businesses. This is reflected in the way we work together. We have the same mentality, are both open to innovations and aim for long-term solutions. Furthermore, Kannegiesser is reliable and flexible. Even when we wanted to change things during a later stage, this was no problem. Because of this, we have been able to raise the quality of our service even more. The result: high-quality and transparent service for our client, which is also cost-efficient, sustainable and ergonomically responsible.”

Space for innovation

There is also plenty of space for innovation in machinery. The manufacturer has a solid Research & Development department. Lars continues: “Mister Kannegiesser himself is the current head of Marketing and R&D. As a result, there is a clear vision of where we want to go in the long-term, even if there is no certainty beforehand if it will be successful. We keep a close eye on developments in the market. For example, we monitor the continuous automation of the washing and sorting process, the improvement of hygiene and the reduction of energy consumption. We also listen to the wishes and ambitions of our clients, such as the need to be able to identify laundry more easily. After a few failed attempts – since mistakes are how you learn – we have developed self-learning software with cameras for linen identification, so that clothing can also be identified without chips. Complete automation of the logistical process is one of the next developments we are working on.”

The client benefits

The expansion of Nedlin in Hoensbroek offers more capacity and a state of the art production process. As a result, we can offer the highest standards in quality, efficiency, sustainability and working conditions.

But how do our clients benefit from this? They can count on:

• excellent quality, improved security for the whole process and guaranteed turnaround times;
• an improved guaranty with respect to hygiene and microbiological processes;
• more insight and transparency in the process thanks to the latest track & trace techniques. Clients can follow their laundry during every stage of the process. Furthermore, this minimises the risk of incorrect deliveries.