What began with an accident at sea and one man’s dream for the future, has transformed into a business reality. Laundrylux wishes to share that success with families and businesses, helping investors and business owners maximize their returns on their laundry system investments.
In the mid-1950s, a young man with an engineering background and experience in laundry equipment sales and service was hired to assess damage to the laundry equipment aboard the Swedish American Line’s M/S Stockholm after a ship collision near the Island of Nantucket. The young man’s name was Bernard Milch.
This was Milch’s first introduction to the Swedish-made Wascator front-load stainless steel washers. He was extremely impressed that the machines remained functional after the laundry area, which had been filled with seawater, was drained. He was intrigued by the simplicity of the European design and construction compared to products then on the market in the USA. Milch made inquiries to the Swedish company and eventually purchased a Wascator washer for testing and technical investigation. He was curious to see if it could be adapted for the growing coin laundry and institutional markets that he was selling to. He dismantled it, integrated a coin meter, and then reassembled it for the purpose of testing its design, components, durability, and wash results.
Milch’s testing confirmed his initial confidence in the Wascator machines. He was convinced that commercial front-load washers could revolutionize the industry. He knew they would provide superior wash results and use much less water and energy than the appliance top-loading washers that were being used in laundromats at the time.
Milch obtained the sales and marketing rights for Wascator machines in North America and since he ate lunch at the “Automat” and liked the sound of the name, he decided to use the name Wascomat for marketing. He seized the opportunity and the industry was changed forever.
Milch’s vision of fully automatic, self-service coin laundries equipped with commercial laundry equipment soon became a reality all across the U.S. and Canada. And Wascomat soon became the standard of the industry for front-loading commercial washers.
In 1960, the first of many all-Wascomat coin laundries opened in Manhattan. Once Wascomat had gained a substantial share of the self-service coin laundry market in North America, the Company expanded its sales efforts to hotels, motels, nursing homes, hospitals, firehouses, military bases, salons, cruise ships, and other on-premises laundry (OPL) operations such as the Alaskan pipeline and nuclear submarines.
The message remained focused on Wascomat’s strengths – superior design features, innovative engineering, reliability, and long-lasting products. The word was out, the message was clear, and the Company’s market share continued to grow.
Wascomat-equipped coin laundries are now found in every population center across the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Many stores have Wascomat washers over 30 and 40 years old, still working in laundries today. It’s a true testament to Wascomat design and engineering and reflects the pioneering vision of Bernard Milch.
Electrolux, which purchased Wascator in 1973, credits Wascomat’s growth in North America to the extraordinary marketing efforts of Milch and his team. Bernard Milch was even honored by the King of Sweden in 1980 for his contribution to Swedish-American business when he was knighted with the “Nordstjerneorden,” the Order of the North Star.
Bernard Milch retired in 2007. His son Neal then took the reigns as CEO and renamed the company Laundrylux. Neal continues to believe in Bernard Milch’s vision and dream and he is determined to think “out of the box” every day, just as Bernie did.
As a teenager, Neal Milch worked at the company over school breaks and summer vacations. He grew up learning every aspect of the business from his father. Neal graduated from Stanford University and Columbia Law School and later went on to lead Electrolux’s global marketing department, based in Copenhagen, for two years. He rejoined the company in 2006 with significant plans for the organization’s growth and development.
“My father was a marketing genius and industry pioneer. His enthusiasm, confidence, and vision for Wascomat inspire us all.
“We have dedicated employees who have worked for us for years and years and are still committed to providing the best possible products and services. It’s because we all believe in what we do and in the products we sell.”
– Neal Milch
“My son Cody Milch joined the company a few years ago and serves as Executive Vice President. As a third-generation family business, we are continuing my father’s tradition of innovation and excellence, striving to provide our customers and distributors with the highest level of products and services.”
“We continue to seize every opportunity to lead the industry and our company into the future with state-of-the-art marketing and technology. It’s an exciting time for all of us at Laundrylux and the laundry industry.”
– Neal Milch