Northwest Center Services Sells Private Sector Operations of Puget Sound Laundry Services

SEATTLE, January 4, 2022 (Newswire.com) - Northwest Center Services (NWCS) announces the sale of the private sector assets of Puget Sound Laundry Services (PSLS) to ImageFIRST Healthcare Laundry Specialists. Founded as a division of Northwest Center, Puget Sound Laundry Services has served government and commercial customers in the Puget Sound region since 1994.

In this sale, ImageFIRST acquires the assets of NWCS laundry operations that focus on private sector customers. Northwest Center (NWC), a separate but related legal entity, will retain the operations, contracts, and employees related to servicing all existing government customers—including continuing to employ the people with disabilities who were referred through Northwest Center's partnership with SourceAmerica, a nonprofit agency that creates employment opportunities through a national network of affiliated nonprofit agencies.

Under the terms of the sale:

• Hotel and other commercial laundry services will continue to operate from the same location in Kent, WA, under the ownership of ImageFIRST.
• Northwest Center will retain its contracts for laundry services in support of government facilities, continuing to operate out of the PSLS location in Kent, WA.
• 100% of current PSLS employees have been offered employment with either Northwest Center or ImageFIRST.
• ImageFIRST and Northwest Center intend to partner with SourceAmerica with the goal of creating more disability-inclusive workforces across the U.S. 

"We're grateful that this sale will allow the commercial customers of Puget Sound Laundry Services to receive the highest quality laundry services from ImageFIRST while positioning Northwest Center to expand our mission of inclusion into more parts of the country," says NWC President & CEO Gene Boes. "With the supportive and visionary leadership of SourceAmerica, we hope that this sale serves as a catalyst for the growth of both our organizations. We commend ImageFIRST for serving both as a champion for the message of inclusion, and recognizing the strategic, workplace culture, and profit margin benefits that inclusion can bring to the corporate sector."

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ABOUT NORTHWEST CENTER & NORTHWEST CENTER SERVICES

Northwest Center (NWC) and its sister entity, Northwest Center Services (NWCS), form one of the nation's largest and most comprehensive organizations providing disability inclusion programs and services advancing equal opportunities for people of all abilities. NWC was founded in 1965 by Seattle parents who refused to give up when their kids with disabilities were rejected from schools, and who went on to write the first legislation in the nation guaranteeing an education to kids with disabilities. Today, Northwest Center provides Early Supports and inclusive Early Learning for children from birth to school age, and Northwest Center Services provides Employment Services to adults with disabilities across Washington state and in Idaho, and is rapidly expanding inclusive early learning by training other organizations how to include kids with disabilities. NWC and NWCS own businesses as a Social Enterprise: providing best-in-class services, employing inclusive workforces, and helping fund services for people with disabilities. For more information, visit www.nwcenter.org.

ABOUT IMAGEFIRST 

Headquartered in King of Prussia, PA, ImageFIRST Healthcare Laundry Specialists has more than 50 years of laundry operation expertise and is the largest and fastest growing healthcare linen rental and laundry services provider to medical practices throughout the continental United States and Puerto Rico. The company's Hamilton Linen & Uniforms division, founded in 1911, offers linen rental and laundry service to the restaurant industry. Learn more at www.imagefirst.com.

Source: Northwest Center