In the UK, Barker – a major domestic laundry and drycleaner – has entered the commercial laundry market with a specialist offering to boutique hotels and Airbnb across the Bournemouth Christchurch & Poole (BCP) region and the New Forest in Hampshire.

The company’s expansion into the sector follows investing nearly £1 million in new plant and machinery 18 months ago. The investment resulted in increased efficiencies, as well as achieving sustainability goals within the business. According to the company’s managing director Matthew Barker, a clever redesign of the workflow and repositioning of plant and machinery led to increased capacity and capability of approx. 50% and 20% more working space.