Years ago, my grandfather, Richhard Amis retired from the railroad business in Chicago to a new life in the sleepy town of Mountain Home, Arkansas. I spent many of my best childhood summers helping him with his new business – a hotel, restaurant and medical linens company.
We would meander through the Ozarks delivering linens and cleaning supplies. Many of his clients were nestled on the area’s many rivers. He believed it was good business etiquette to cast a line and discuss business with his clients as they lured colorful rainbow trout onto their poles. I would gleefully play in the river catching minnows and thinking his new business was the absolutely best in the world.
During this time of crisis, supplying crisp, clean linens and garments to the area’s medical and hospitality industries has been considered an essential business. And for decades, that’s exactly what Loop Linen and Uniform has been doing.
It’s a full-service textile rental company that throughout this pandemic has continued to serve the needs of its more than 2,000 customers.
Loop Laundry and Cleaners, as it was called originally, was founded in 1929 by Julius Sandras, Sr. and Webster Terrebone, as a family laundry and dry cleaner. In 1960, Loop Laundry and Cleaners expanded its service to include linen rental, uniform rental, dust control, and hospital service.
Currently, the business offers a complete range of services, including such things as chef uniforms, kitchen apparel, lab coats, towels, entry mats, dust mops, safety products, floor mats and restroom supplies.
All its clients rely on linens to protect their staff’s safety so Linen Loop’s normal laundry process effectively removes and/or degrades the Coronavirus. The company currently uses Ecolab to manage its chemical program in its wash wheels.
“The Covid-19 Virus has caused all of us to take a close look at how we manage our daily affairs as this major outbreak continues to develop,” said Scott M. Burke, Loop Linen ’s president in a letter to clients. “The safety, health and well-being of our employees and customers are of the highest priority.”
Loop Linen is also participating in the Apron Project, a fundraiser presented by the Louisiana Hospitality Foundation to aid chefs and restaurateurs in the Greater New Orleans area. They will be collecting and auctioning off signed aprons from chefs in the community.
“Scott generously donated all the aprons for this project,” says Greg Reggio, one of the event’s creators.
Additionally, they will be selling posters, as well as allowing people to donate directly.
“Here at Loop Linen, our customers are family,” said Burke. “We take pride in supplying restaurants with the high-quality linens and uniforms that they need to perform at their best. COVID-19 has hit our community hard, but it can’t break us.”
For more information, feel free to call 1(800) 337-3401 or contact the Louisiana Hospitality Foundation here.
