business backgrounder | family enterprise
The tunnel washer at Northwest Health Care Linen uses hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach to extend the life of the lines and apparel.
“ Faster and more efficient equipment. Our dad saw that a long time ago— how automation would be needed.”
— Evan Hall, president of operations with Northwest Health Care Linen
“ I find it fascinating. I really like it here,” Van Miert said.“ We joke the lint gets in your blood, and you can’ t get rid of it.”
Today, she serves as president of customer relations for Northwest, one of the few laundry service companies with women in leadership positions. Her mother, Jill, became majority owner after the passing of Jim Hall in 2020.
Evan Hall studied hospitality and business management at Washington State University, spent some time in the restaurant industry in Hawaii, and returned home with his wife in 2016.
As president of operations, he works what he calls“ the back of the house,” where there is a flurry of activity. From overhead rail systems constantly transporting large laundry bags, automated machines washing and drying, and employees everywhere sorting, folding and feeding linens into ironing machines, Northwest operates like a choregraphed dance.
“ We’ re here day in and day out to make sure patients have hygienic, clean linen to put on,” Hall said,“ providing essential services to help hospitals operate.”
Northwest rents medical linens and apparel to more than 550 individual medical facilities— 18 hospitals and numerous clinics in the Puget Sound region. With up to 80,000 pounds of textiles cleaned and distributed daily, the business is set to crack the 21-million-pound mark this year, Van Miert said.“ It’ s hard to imagine how much laundry that is,” Hall said. While employees work two shifts Monday through Friday and one shift on Saturday at the laundry facility, the company still operates elsewhere during off hours.“ When the plant shuts down, our trucks drive,” Hall said. Traveling at night when traffic is lighter, the company’ s fleet of 20 trucks deliver throughout the region, including to their Puyallup depot with its double-decker semi to serve locations as far south as Olympia.
“ It’ s pretty much a 24-hour operation,” Van Miert said.“ It’ s just different parts running at different times.”
Northwest has about 150 employees; the majority on the work floor are women. However, when it comes to nationalities, the company’ s staff is very diverse, with 16 in all. Most are Hispanic and Punjabi with some Ukrainians coming on after the war started there.
The high retention rate enjoyed by the company— some employees have worked there 10, 15 and 20-plus years— is partially due to people wanting a more family-based business to work for, Van Miert and Hall say. There’ s also a sense of bettering the community and region by assisting in health care.
Northwest’ s journey began when Jim Hall was part of a different multi-generation family business— running an extended care center with Van Miert and Evan Hall’ s grandfather, aunt and uncle.
46 association of washington business