Not many may know about the laundry services Callaway County Extended Employment provides.
Callaway County Extended Employment Commercial Laundry Services, at 2611 N. Bluff, has been in business since 2020.
Business hasn’t been the same since the COVID-19 pandemic, said Brian Jones, laundry supervisor.
By January 2020, construction was finished for the laundry services, but by then the pandemic hit in March that year causing issues such as contracts with local businesses falling apart.
It wasn’t easy, but Jones said they made it through that hard time and their commercial laundry services are still thriving. Services are currently provided at hotels Holiday Inn Express and Baymont Inn.
Jones said they are looking to provide services for more businesses in the future. He said they are scouting local businesses and would like to do services in healthcare again.
At their laundry services, dryers can hold 396 pounds of laundry at a time.
A machine called the rolling iron drys and irons. The rolling iron accepts sheets, blankets, duvet covers, and other cloth items up to king size.
Five to eight people help fold the laundry typically once finished, Jones said.
The laundry services have a capacity to wash 325 pounds of dry laundry per cycle and dry 396 pounds per cycle.
Each full cycle of washing and drying takes an hour and a half.
Full processing per load can vary depending upon amount of soil, stains, soaking and pre-treating required.
Water is softened to ensure maximum effectiveness of the wash process.
Water and the laundry itself are chemically tested periodically to make sure that everything is working as it should.
The laundry service maintains 160 Fahrenheit degree water when running at maximum capacity.
To transport laundry, a passenger van was converted to transport laundry to and from the facility, which provides door to door service to the community.
Other services at CCEE include packaging, labeling, quality control inspections and commercial mowing.
CCEE employs more than 50 adults with disabilities year round.
Laundry services are open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Callaway County Extended Employment.