We peek behind the scenes at The Linen Hire, with Owner Anthony Issler and Operations Manager Rafi Grunhut giving us some insight into the day-to-day of a key industry supplier.
Hi guys! So what’s the background of the business?
Anthony: The business started in 1994, and I’ve been actively involved for the past 28 years. We started off as a small family business just supplying white and cream tablecloths for local events. Since then, we have grown the linen hire and supply nationwide from small events to large corporate events. In 2014 I bought a commercial laundry which allowed us to offer laundry services to existing and new clients. In 2021, just after COVID, we moved both the linen hire and the commercial laundry onto one site, and also incorporated workwear into the business.
What does the day-to-day look like?
Rafi: There are several aspects to our operation. We have deliveries going out by our own driver and courier, as well as hire and laundry returns coming back throughout the day. We have to keep on top of hire stock levels constantly to make sure that the items are available for the existing orders as well as any last-minute orders or changes. For the laundry, client’s orders that come back get washed and dried separately – and depending on what it is – some items need to be ironed, or just dried and folded. Once the laundry clients are completed, packed and put on the rack for delivery, time is then allocated to wash the hire cloths. The linen hire cloths then get packed, labelled, and put back on the shelf. And let’s not forget about getting workwear embroidered and set! It can be quite busy and hectic, balancing it all – but it’s what keeps us going!
What’s the best part of the job?
Rafi: I love to hear/see people happy after an event. It’s the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve delivered what they’ve asked, people are happy, and that the event has gone well.
Anthony: We are proud to work with some of the largest venues on events of all types and sizes. It’s always nice to get an email afterwards saying: “Thanks for all the effort, everything went smoothly.”
How can event organisers collaborate better?
Rafi: At the end of the day, it’s not about making it easier for us, it’s about us making it work for the organisers and we’re here to support whatever they need as best
we can. Things like table sizes and colour schemes are always helpful; the more information and time we have, the more efficient we can be to supply what they need in the best possible way so that we can work with them to make their vision a reality.
Anthony: I always find that the more information they give, and the more foresight they have, the easier all our jobs are!
What’s the USP at The Linen Hire?
Anthony: We’re a family business. Customer service is our unique selling point, when people come to us, we deal with them one-to-one, and they’ll always speak to the same people.