Meet the GBPA18’s outstanding PTC showcases: Vendrig (The Netherlands)

For the coming period, we will present you week by week, the most outstanding PTC showcases that were officially nominated for The Global Best Practices Awards Program 2018. The profiles of these companies are also present in the WOPCOM platform, which you can access here.

Vendrig (The Netherlands)

From small laundry to family owned industrial company

Vendrig was founded in 1960 in IJsselsteijn in the Netherlands as a small laundry for washing cloth. Nowadays it’s still a family owned industrial laundry company that processed 2.3 million kg of industrial wear last year. Its full service concept consists of three components: purchase, maintenance and management of workwear. The company offers workwear with the ideal look and quality, which also looks hip, specifically for men and women. Durable and comfortable clothing, with the functionality the wearer needs and the required protection in specific working conditions. Of course the clothing is always clean and available on time.

Vendrig offers extra value to customers. Some larger companies even have their entire garments stored in the laundry. If a location of one of these customers needs clothing, they ask Vendrig. The clothing is assigned to the location and thus recorded in the ERP software and Vendrig delivers it.

A friendly staff policy

Vendrig is very active in the field of training and education for both production, office and supporting staff. All employees within Vendrig actively participate in the ‘Vendrig Academy’, a system of permanent education in which the employee and supervisor determine together which courses will be followed by the employee.

In addition, the employee can also take courses which contribute to his or her general development, apart from Vendrig’s. Vendrig also offers working hours to allow employees to follow courses. In addition to the trainings offered in the Vendrig Academy, the laundry employees also attend the annual course module ‘Hygiene in the laundry’, provided by an important partner company.

High quality standards

Vendrig meets CERTEX-standards (NEN-EN-ISO 9001: 2008 based). This is the sector-specific certification scheme for industrial laundries. For all these aspects, the CERTEX participants are periodically checked by the TÜV Netherlands certification body. Vendrig also has the RABC certificate (NEN-EN 14065). This means that risks with respect to bio contamination have been strongly reduced. Off course, while serving food related businesses, the control on bio contamination is of great importance with respect to the big risks of dangerous pollution.

To improve quality, each department organizes a daily start in which the work supply is discussed. During these day starts (designed according to LEAN methods) also themes are discussed like requests for help, best practices, customer complaints and quality issues. Many actions of improvement are rooted in these daily consultations.

Some of the industrial washing equipment used at Vendrig

A sustainable company

Vendrig operates several large sized washing extractors as well as chemical washing machines for dry cleaning. The used equipment varies by age. To make sure all equipment is sustainable, the energy management system monitors them on a weekly base, so that adjustments can be made in time for deviations. The machines can also be tracked in preventative maintenance as to detect frequent faults at an early stage. The result of this is that the company can better determine which parts need to be kept in stock.

The company has taken numerous measures to make its business more sustainable:

  • There’s only use of ‘green’ electricity and ‘green’ gas;
  • Due to process improvements, Vendrig managed to reduce the number of ‘re-washes’ from 2.6% to 1.3% on wet wash in 2017. This resulted in energy saving on natural gas of 7.66 GJ;
  • In water-based washing, water is used from an own source of recycling water which is located beneath the laundry. Cooling water for the washing that is heated is reused as water for the water-based washing. Because it is already heated, less energy is needed!

In 2013 the laundry was the first to wash with K4 with large industrial dry cleaning machines. Next to conventional washing and dry cleaning this is a third cleaning process. K4 is a chemical that is biodegradable and does not harm human, air, water and ground. The laundry process is circular. K4 is being distilled after use and dirt (oil and fat) are being filtered separately. Moreover, also PER which is the basis for dry cleaning is distilled and reused. Dry cleaning even has more advantages like low temperatures and no use of water. However it does have a chemical nature.

Vendrig also has plans on sustainability for the future. Until 2020 it will replace all its lamps for more energy-efficient versions (LED). This will result in an annual saving of more than 60% on the energy consumption of lighting. The CO2 reduction that will be achieved by 2020 is 23,000 kg compared to 2016.

Vendrig mainly processes work wear for automotive and food-industries

Being one of the most innovative laundries

Apart from the mentioned innovative third washing process called SYSTEMK4 (next to conventional water based washing and chemical dry clean washing), there are several other examples of innovative and customer focussed processes within Vendrig:

  • The company has developed “My Vendrig” being an online system where the customer can order company garments 24/7 and is able to have management information, from company-wide to specific items of clothing;
  • There’s the Chiptex U-Cab, a system for controlled delivery and collection of folded clothing. This system uses UHF / RFID technology. The wearer logs on with a badge and is only offered the clothing that is permitted from his or her position. The sizes of this specific wearer are known in the database. The system only opens the doors of which the clothing is to be used by this specific wearer;
  • Walk ’n Closet: This regards work wear with integrated chips. These are scanned at the entrance of the dressing room and when they are leaving it. It is therefore continuously known which clothing item an employee has in his possession and what is worn by this employee. As a result, all movements are registered and a track & trace system is created that ensures clothes can never get lost.

Management of Vendrig claims the company distinguishes itself in a market that is opaque to many. It does not work on the basis of a supplier / customer relationship, but is looking for partnerships. This family business has been placing the wearer at the centre, and fully gear its services around his safety, hygiene and comfort.