11/30/2007
(Fredericksburg, VA) – Rappahannock Goodwill Industry’s commercial laundry operation in Fredericksburg has acquired a second, large customer in Washington, D.C. Howard University Hospital, a 350-bed facility in Washington, hired Goodwill recently to handle its laundry needs.
The new contract will bring 1.4 million pounds of laundry per year to Rappahannock Goodwill’s commercial laundry located in Battlefield Industrial Park. Goodwill’s commercial laundry employs 75 local people and about two thirds of those employees are people with disabilities. Goodwill’s mission is to provide to people with barriers to employment – particularly those with disabilities – an array of quality vocational and educational services so that they can work most independently.
“Our facility can handle 8 million pounds a year. With the new contract from Howard University Hospital we will be increasing our laundry production from a little over 3 million pounds per year to almost 5 million pounds,” said Bob Ankrum, Goodwill’s director of laundry operation. “Our laundry will provide linens to the hospital on a daily basis,” Ankrum added.
This summer, Goodwill won a three-year accreditation from the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council. That recognition means that Goodwill’s laundry meets federal and industry standards for excellence in processing healthcare-related textiles. Rappahannock Goodwill Industries is a private not-for-profit organization that serves the city of Fredericksburg and a 12-county region. It provides work opportunities and job training to people with barriers to employment, particularly those with disabilities. Its operations include two job help centers, a commercial laundry, off-site custodial and administrative services, an outsourcing and contract facility and five retail stores and donation centers.
Contact Michael W. West
V.P., Marketing & Development
540.371.3070 x143
michael.west@fredgoodwill.org