The DuBois, Pa., plant became part of the NOVO Health Services family in January of 2020. Like all NOVO facilities, the DuBois plant is accredited by the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC) and is a TRSA hygienically clean certified processing facility (the not-for-profit trade association for the Linen, Uniform and Facility Services Industry). In fact, TRSA named the DuBois its plant of the year for 2021.

At 61,600 square feet, the DuBois facility processes close to 42 million pounds of laundry each year. While it is known for its customer service, the plant is also known for the employment opportunities it provides throughout the community and the advancement it supports from within the organization.

"The maintenance department has an extremely robust training program that takes production associates and grows them into highly skilled laundry industrial maintenance technicians," said Tim Ryan, general manager of the NOVO Health Services DuBois Plant. "Additionally, the leadership team – from our operations manager down to the supervisors – all started working hourly roles and then progressed within the company."

The DuBois facility also supports many in the community who may need a second chance. "We have a work release program that provides jobs to inmates to help them pay fines or child support, and we offer them jobs and cash to help restart their lives once they are out of jail," added Ryan. "The special features of this plant are its commitment to upskilling its workers and providing second chances."

Like all NOVO facilities, the DuBois plant focuses on linen sterilization and infection prevention. Its overhead rail systems, tunnels, presses, and shuttles contribute to the efficiency offered by the plant the minute laundry arrives, and automation is one of the biggest keys to the consistency the facility provides.

Once employees sort the soiled laundry, it is transferred via conveyor belts, mechanically bagged, and transported via an internal rail system that then drops the laundry in one of three tunnel washing machines where the temperature reaches 160 degrees, and all linens are cleaned with hydrogen peroxide. After it is washed and then transferred via the rail conveyor belt, the laundry then goes into dryers that reach up to 390 degrees. Once dry, the linens are then fed through irons that reach 350 degrees. The plant has the ability to sort, launder, dry, fold and ship laundry back to customers in under four hours. In addition, the plant's textile management system allows its healthcare customers to monitor cost per patient, performance data, and real-time tracking to reduce costs.

Another attractive feature to its customers is the DuBois team's knowledge of how linen departments are run in hospitals. "They have a unique advantage to seeing dozens of different ways various hospitals keep linen in their patients’ rooms," Ryan said. "They have seen and are familiar with issues in the industry and they have the answer on how to fix it because they’ve observed it done well and have the expertise to help our customers. Our service department is one of the main reasons our customers choose to work with us."

When asked if there was a department he would recognize, Ryan said he could not choose. "I would be hard pressed to pick one department," he said. "We have lots of hardworking people and we are proud to be part of the NOVO organization."