Leading players in the commercial laundry market, Armstrong, Solent Laundry Solutions (SLS) and Hughes Pro, celebrated their recent merger and the official launch of WashCo at their new HQ in Newbury this week.

Employees and special guests were invited to celebrate the creation of the second largest commercial laundry specialist in the UK, which brings together a 100-strong team from eight locations, including Newbury, Glasgow, Leicester, Norwich, Rochester and Fareham.

The merger enables WashCo to offer leading brands, including Miele, Grandimpianti, Alliance and Schulthess, for sale, rental or full service and maintenance support.

Peter Hosking and James Holmes from SLS have now taken on the role of managing director and sales director of WashCo respectively. Simon Quinlan from Armstrong is operations director and the WashCo board will be chaired by Andy Pallant, who is the Hughes Electrical sales director.

Commenting on the launch, WashCo MD, Peter Hosking said; “Seeing everybody come together in celebration of our achievements marked the culmination of months of hard graft. We look forward to moving forward as one, with a common goal to provide our customers with unrivalled customer service.”

Managing director of Hughes, Robert Hughes, added; “The infrastructure and capital here at Hughes combined with the great experience and passion of the other businesses makes for a successful future.”