business backgrounder | family enterprise
“ We joke the lint gets in your blood, and you can’ t get rid of it.”
— Kelsey Van Miert, president of customer relations at Northwest Health Care Linen
“ So, without that cross-contamination, our linen has a higher quality,” Hall said,“ assuring the patient has a quality stay when they most likely don’ t want to be there.”
Other laundry businesses also have sales teams, while Northwest primarily grows through word of mouth, which is just the way Van Miert likes it.
Northwest delivery personnel serve as account managers who don’ t have to hustle to sell to people what they don’ t need, Hall said. They also serve as the front line for problem-solving, though clients can always seek help directly from Van Miert and Hall.
“ We look at our entire organization as a family,” Van Miert said.“ We’ re in customer service and linen management.”
“ It really does feel like a family business,” said Paco Chavez, manager of central services at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.
The business is so family-oriented that Chavez was very disappointed when one of Northwest’ s employees moved on to other opportunities.
“ It was hard to know he was leaving. You know you’ re breaking my heart,” said Chavez, who worked with the manager for years.
Van Miert’ s two daughters and Hall’ s three sons don’ t have the“ lint” in their blood yet. But if their interest does pique, Van Miert and Hall have the same philosophy as their father— their children will need to make their way in the world and then bring something to the table of this enterprising family business.
48 association of washington business