Doing it right the first time

Marketing Manager Dorothea Keating, and Group Distribution Manager, Ken Townsend give John Loughran an overview of Celtic LinenÕs operations.

Celtic Linen are specialists in the rental of managed garment systems, bed linen and towelling; roller towels, and floor matts. Established in the 1920’s as a domestic laundry service, the Wexford based company now has customers on land, sea and air.
An I.S.O. accreditated company since 1995, the company prides itself on the level of service it gives its customers. With the motto “do it right the first time” the company strives to offer a high quality service to hospitals, the hotel and catering sector, and to industry from food processing to pharmaceuticals. They also have important contracts with air and sea carriers such as Irish Ferries.

Dorothea Keating explained the company covers approximately 80% to 85% of the country. “We go as far as Co. Galway in the West and to Drogheda in the north east.”
Business is certainly booming and Dorothea revealed the secret to the company’s success. “Market share is growing all the time. It is increasing at a rapid rate. We would put that down to the standards we have set ourselves and building on the business we had. We have the ability to build on our service and quality because it is recognised. Quality and a devotion to customer service is our driving force. People want to do business with us.”

The company are unashamedly at the quality end of the market but the affable marketing manager enthused: “If you buy a mini you get a mini. If you buy a Mercedes, you get a Mercedes. We are very much near the Mercedes end of the market.”
To maintain this enviable standard the company employ a fleet of 56 vehicles. Ken Townsend revealed how the distribution chain operates. “We have three production plants, two in Wexford and one in Carlow. During the night we truck on 40 foots from Wexford/Carlow/ Dublin, Wexford/Dublin direct, and truck from Wexford to Cork. We use three artics and one closed coupled railer combination. We run with that service virtually right through the night. It is sub-sorted in the Dublin and Cork depots and is then transported to the various customers on 7.5 tonne trucks.” He added “Wexford and Carlow would have 7.5 tonne trucks of their own. The trucking service serves Dublin and Cork and to some extent Carlow.” The trucks are then re-loaded with soiled products and head back to base.

He continued: “we also supply Irish Ferries in Cork, Rosslare and Dublin. Rosslare is serviced with special thirty foot trailers which travel on the ferries. That is an operation all on its own”. The trailers are specially designed to fit below the cargo deck of the ships and remain on board until the vessel docks on return. The trailer is then towed off the vessel and replaced with another trailer with clean products.

Working to tight deadlines is part and parcel of the operation. Ken elaborated: “we do it on a “just in time basis”. We have been doing it for so long and so accurately that it just happens every night. We have put a lot of thought and a lot of effort and a lot of backup into it. Drop dead time in Dublin is 5.00am. If it hasn’t arrived by then you are in desperate trouble and of course with the car ferries there is no point being five minutes late or literally you have missed the boat. In over 27 years of service we have never missed a delivery.”

To meet these demanding schedules Celtic Linen works in close harmony with the customer. “It is a partnership arrangement with the customer. If they don’t do their part of it, we can’t do our part. We have some customers who can’t seem to get that right and we then find it equally difficult to give them the service. We have become adept at keeping to our schedules,” Ken revealed.

Ken revealed two other keys components in the distribution chain - the company’s Mercedes fleet and the distribution staff. He was fullsome in his praise of the German marque and lauded the distribution staff. “The commitment is absolutely superb. Without them it couldn’t happen. The night driving crew are unbelievable and the day crew are terrific. We would never have a fear or a thought that the forty foots weren’t going to arrive in Dublin or Cork. In ten years I have never seen it happen.”