It was such an old facility that what ended up happening was that when the machines went into extraction, the vibration transmitted into the floor and shook,” said Ron Hirsch, Direct Machinery.

“So a lot of the existing equipment had vibration problems.”

To avoid those difficulties with the new laundry equipment, Hirsch, the equipment manufacturer for the new laundry, installed all soft mount machines. Another hurdle in the construction of the new laundry was the fact that the machines needed to be dismantled and then re-mantled in place since there were limited entrances into the building and there was a non-moveable steam line obstructing free movement of machinery.

When all was said and done, four months after re-configuring the existing laundry space – the Mohonk had a brand new laundry boasting three 135-pound Milnor washers, one 90-pound Milnor washer, one 60-pound Milnor washer, one 90-pound Unimac, a Chicago Tristar combination iron/folder/stacker with an attached spreader feeder, an Air Chicago towel folder and seven, 75-pound ADC dryers to handle 32,828 pounds of linen per week.
The new laundry equipment has provided multiple benefits for the facility. Capacity has increased to an additional 5,332 pounds of bed linens, food, beverage and spa linens per week.

“We’re able to handle a larger volume and in at least half the time,” said Stanton. There have also been payroll savings due to less shifts being needed to do the same, or more, amount of work.

The Mohonk laundry has six full-time, year-round employees. Although the laundry is open seven days a week, additional employees and hours for operation vary based on the season.

”We have less seasonal help needed now,” said Angela Moynagh, executive housekeeper at the hotel. “We also used to do graveyard shifts on weekends and now don’t have to though we still have the same total of 14 employees in the laundry.”