Mac-Gray Corporation Celebrates 'Earth Day' with Water Savings Goal of 500 Million Gallons
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LaundryView(TM) 3.0 Feature Builds Conservation Awareness on College and University Campuses; Company Offers Incentives for Installation of High- Efficiency Washing Machines
WALTHAM, Mass., April 19 - Mac-Gray Corporation (NYSE:TUC), the nation's premier provider of laundry facilities management services to multi-unit housing locations including apartment properties, condominiums, military housing and hotels, and the nation's largest provider of these services to college and university residence halls, today announced it has raised its corporate goal of saving water for its customers from 300 million to 500 million gallons of water each year. In addition, the Company hopes to create greater water conservation awareness among college and university students that are connected to its innovative LaundryView(TM) Monitoring System.
"We recently added a new feature to version 3.0 of our LaundryView(TM) Monitoring System that measures the water saved with our high-efficiency, front-loading washing machines. It provides a reading of the cumulative amount of water saved in each laundry room and for the entire campus," said Bob Tuttle, chief technology officer for Mac-Gray. "It is indisputable that front-loading washers are significantly more efficient than top-loading washers, but many of our competitors still try to promote top-loading washers as water and energy efficient. Although using top-loading washers minimizes the service provider's equipment investment, it costs their customers more for water and utilities. We wanted students and schools to see actual results and understand the magnitude of the savings that our ENERGY STAR® rated front- loading washers deliver."
"There is a growing focus on sustainability at colleges and universities, but it is surprising how many schools still do not understand the environmental and financial benefits of being a little more green in their laundry room," said Michael Calderaro, vice president of the academic division at Mac-Gray. "Often the person responsible for purchasing the laundry service is not the person responsible for managing utility expenses. They believe they are saving money by having top-loading washers installed, when in fact, their decision is wasting both natural and financial resources."
"The same problem exists with many property managers and owners," said Neil MacLellan executive vice president of sales at Mac-Gray. "They separate the revenue generated by the laundry facility from the water and utility costs required to operate it. If they factor in the significant water and utility savings that are delivered by high-efficiency, front-loading washers over the 7 to 10 years they will be in use, the net operating income will be higher with the more efficient equipment. Based on a conservative estimate of two cycles a day per washer, our clients can decrease their water and utility costs by more than $200 annually per high-efficiency machine installed."
To help achieve the 500 million gallon water savings goal, the Company will launch an aggressive campaign to educate property managers and owners on the benefits of installing high-efficiency washers in their laundry facilities. As an added incentive for them to take action, Mac-Gray has introduced rebates of up to $350 per unit on select Maytag high-efficiency commercial washers. The program, available only for a limited time, is being offered through Mac-Gray's partnership with Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:WHR).
The rebates are available for qualified units placed in operation in apartments, condos, co-ops, laundromats or colleges and universities. For more information about the rebate program, please visit Mac-Gray's website at www.macgray.com/ , or by calling the Company's sales department at 800-298-1022 ext. 2.
About Mac-Gray Corporation
Founded in 1927, Mac-Gray derives its revenue principally through the management of card- and coin-operated laundry facilities in multiple housing facilities such as apartment buildings, college and university residence halls, condominiums and public housing complexes. Mac-Gray contracts its laundry facilities under long-term leases. These leases typically grant Mac- Gray the exclusive contract rights to laundry facilities on the lessor's premises for a fixed term, which is generally 7 to 10 years, in exchange for a negotiated portion of the revenue collected. Mac-Gray serves approximately 58,000 multi-housing laundry facilities located in 43 states and the District of Columbia.
Mac-Gray also sells, services and leases commercial laundry equipment to commercial laundromats and institutions through its product sales division. This division also includes the Company's MicroFridge® business, where Mac- Gray sells its proprietary MicroFridge® line of products, which are combination refrigerators/freezers/microwave ovens utilizing patented Safe Plug(TM) circuitry. The products are marketed throughout the United States to colleges, the federal government for military housing, hotels and motels, and assisted living facilities. MicroFridge® also markets Maytag's Magic Chef®, Amana® and Maytag® lines of home appliances under its MaytagDirect(TM) program throughout the United States. MicroFridge® and Maytag® products bear the ENERGY STAR® designation. To learn more about Mac-Gray, visit the Company's website at www.macgray.com/ .
Contacts:
Sheffield Halsey
Vice President, Marketing
Mac-Gray Corporation
+1-781-487-7600
Email: shalsey@macgray.com
Source: Mac-Gray Corporation
