A new purpose-built commercial laundry has been unveiled following a £6million investment by an independent, family-run firm.
Swiss Laundry, which dates back to 1904, is 䲹岵’s largest commercial laundry and provides linen hire and laundry services to tourism, hospitality and university customers throughout the East.
Doubling the previous capacity of its former site on Cherry Hinton Road, the 38,000 square foot building introduces new systems, technology and equipment to significantly reduce impact on the environment and make the process more efficient.
The Papworth site has the capacity for washing, drying and pressing up to 500,000 individual pieces of linen every week.
Commercial director Mark Turvill said: “I feel extremely proud. This new state-of-the art laundry demonstrates our commitment, as a family-run business, to reinvest in Swiss Laundry, providing job security for our employees, and a focus on delivering a first-class laundry and linen hire service to all our loyal customers in and around Cambridge.
“It has taken 18 months to build, and we thank our key supply partners for their support and hard work, helping to bring it to fruition and creating a world-class facility.
“A special thanks should also go to our production and engineering director, Craig Saunt, who has project managed the entire build; bringing our vision to life.”
He added: “We’re really proud of our roots in Cambridge, and while we needed larger, more modern premises, we wanted to remain close to the city.”
Swiss Laundry has many long-standing members of staff, including one who has been with the business for more than 30 years.
“It was important to find a new home where we could take them with us, offering long-term, secure employment,” Mr Turvill said.
Some of the benefits of the new technology is that it reduces the water usage per kilogram washed and increases the amount of water the company can reuse.
Water consumption is therefore expected to reduce by 40 per cent, from eight litres per kg washed to five litres.
The new hot water system, which replaces a traditional boiler, minimises environmental impact further by controlling and directing heat to specific parts of the laundry, rather than heating the entire site.
Technology to increase efficiency and reduce manual handling has also been introduced.
A new gravity-powered sky-track, which automatically transports up to 200 bags via a rail system around the roof of the laundry, has been installed.
Mr Turvill said: “We’re now fully operational at our larger, more efficient laundry and have never been in a better place to service new contracts and meet growing demand from our existing customers as we start the new year.
“The recently published Cambridgeshire Ltd report has proven the local food and drink sector is performing well, sitting in the top three for turnover, earnings and number of jobs.
“Last year, the sector turned over £2.6billion, and we’re now very well positioned to provide a reliable, quality service to these businesses.”
Part of the Swiss Camplings group, and with sister business Camplings Linen based in Great Yarmouth, the combined group turnover in 2019 was £13million. The turnover for Cambridge-based Swiss Laundry jumped to £5million in 2019, up from £4.5million in 2018.
Swiss Laundry is a family business too, which is very important to the company.
“We still operate the business based on family values today, viewing the entire team and all employees as part of the larger business family,” said Mr Turvill.
“Being family managed and owned means the management team are wholly invested in the business. We are always accessible to our employees, and our customers, and dedicated to making a difference.
“When it’s your family name associated with the brand, you work hard to make it the best it can possibly be.
“I also believe, as a family business, we often take a longer term view on decisions. We want the business to continue to thrive for generations to come.”
The company has recently made external hires as well, however.
“As we’ve been successful and grown, we’ve strengthened our senior management team, bringing in external expertise to avoid all decision making having to come through family members with an executive role; valuing different views and fresh ideas as we collectively work towards making the best decisions for the business as a whole,” said Mr Turvill.
His mother, Marina Turvill, the former chairman, worked in the business throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
Three of her sons – Guy, Richard, and Mark – are chairman, managing director, and commercial director respectively, and a fourth – James – is a consultant physician, but a director too.
Mrs Turvill said she could not be prouder of everything the family business has achieved.
“Since my late husband Keith first acquired shares in Swiss Laundry in the 1930s to today, Swiss Laundry has been successful because the business has always been nurtured, with all family members and our much-valued staff giving it their total commitment,” she added.
“I’m extremely proud of the world-class facility we see at Papworth today.
“It’s a real mark of achievement, and a symbol of all the hard work and dedication put into the business, over the years.”
The business was founded 116 years ago, primarily to serve the needs of University of Cambridge students.
In 1937, Dudley Turvill, a mechanical engineer from London, moved to Cambridge as manager of Swiss Laundry. He eventually purchased shares in the company.
In 1962, aged just 56, Dudley passed away, leaving his shares (17 per cent) to his second son, Keith.
By this time Keith, at the age of 26, had completed training at another laundry in Bury St Edmunds, and acquired the skills required for running a family laundry business.
Keith and his wife Marina began to acquire more shares in the business, eventually turning it into a wholly family-owned business by 1980.
By 1970, around 65 per cent of Ƶ households had a washing machine, resulting in less demand for domestic linen to be collected and laundered.
Marina and Keith therefore turned their full attention to the commercial opportunities offered by restaurants, hotels and conference venues.
Marina said of the time: “There was a lot of friendly competition between laundries in Cambridge at the time.
“The University Arms and Garden House were the two main hotels, and we all wanted to win their contracts.
“I am proud that the business continues to work with the University Arms today.”
When Keith died in 1984, Marina continued to run the business with help from others until her sons joined the company.
She said: “Keith and I always wanted the children to find their own paths and to spend time learning other skills so they could return to the business later, should they wish.
“After careers in banking, management, business and engineering, I’m really proud that three of them are active in running The Swiss Laundry today; and it remains under the Turvill family name.”
