By Victor V. Saulon
Sub-Editor
WITH THE GROWING popularity of self-service laundromats, US company Technolux is now offering coin-operated laundry machines in the Philippines, a market which it has dominated with industrial-type equipment.
In an interview last week, Fersus M. Lacia, sales supervisor of Technolux Equipment and Supply Corp., said the launch of the self-service laundry machines comes as more laundry shops open in the country, especially in urban areas.
“This brand Ipso, this is [what] our clients in the hotel industry are using and also the big laundry providers,” he said, citing the company’s clientele — Okada Manila, Makati Shangri-La and Resorts World Manila.
“Those equipment are industrially built, heavy-duty stacked washer and dryer with components [that are] based on [the] industrial [laundry equipment],” he added.
Technolux is more known in the Philippines as supplier of industrial-sized laundry equipment, but Mr. Lacia noted the booming laundry businesses located in busy neighborhoods prompted the company’s foray into the commercial business segment.
Mr. Lacia said Technolux’s machines are more expensive than the brands more commonly used in existing laundry shops, but they are guaranteed to be made of quality equipment parts with accompanying reliable service centers.
He placed the price of upcoming stocks at P230,000 for each stacked washer and dryer.
In particular, the market for the Ipso commercial-type machines are entrepreneurs who want to open self-service laundry shops or those who want to upgrade their existing shops with more heavy duty equipment.
“Wash cycle alone is 40 minutes, and drying is 40 minutes,” Mr. Lacia said about the machines’ performance, which is about the same as that of the brands commonly used by laundry shops.
“Ang features niya mukhang commercial, pero ang built niya industrial [It’s features look commercial but its built is industrial]” he added.
The net weight of the machine is 177 kilos, which is 31 kilos heavier then the regular 146 kilo-machines in laundry shops, he said, adding that the sturdy make of the Ipso brand reflects on its durability.
Technolux, which claims to be the country’s biggest distributor of premium laundry machines for 43 years, guarantees that the machines’ speed, capacity and durability make it ideal for those planning to put up a laundry business.
Interested entrepreneurs may choose from the three business packages to start their business.
Business package 1, or the start-up offering, is ideal for new entrepreneurs wanting to launch their first coin-operated laundry business within a 30-square-meter space. This includes five units of stackable Ipso or Primus washer and dryer, 250 tokens, 10 laundry baskets, a table for folding clothes and another table or counter for staff, plus six units of monobloc chairs for the customers.
The tokens can be programmed to an equivalent peso value and used when starting the machine.
For business package 2, which target the established shops, clients will get 10 units of Ipso or Primus stackable washer and dryer, 500 tokens, 20 laundry baskets, three rectangular tables, one table or counter for staff, plus 12 units of monobloc chairs enough for a 50-sqm space.
Package 3 for expanding shops includes 15 units of stackable Ipso or Primus washer and dryers, 750 tokens, 30 laundry baskets, two tables, one table or counter for staff, plus 18 monobloc chairs for an 80-sqm space.
Technolux regularly conducts training and seminars with topics such as operating machines, simple troubleshooting and the ins and outs of the laundry business for interested entrepreneurs.
