Media

Duisburg, 24. November 2008. CWS-boco International is expanding its worldwide presence in China. On 21 November, the supplier of washroom hygiene solutions and textile services will open its first laundry facility in Shanghai. Some 85 employees at the 5000 square meter facility will provide clean and hygienic cotton towels, dirt-trapping mats and workwear textiles. By taking this step into the up-and-coming Chinese economy, CWS-boco continues to advance their sustained growth, at the same time setting new hygiene and environmental standards in the Chinese textile market. The CWS-boco laundry is the first in China to receive RAL 992 Certification from the Hohenstein Institute. This internationally recognised seal of quality confirms the high quality and environmental standards being practiced in the laundry facility. Companies using CWS-boco products and services in China include large hotels such as the Park Hyatt, Sheraton, Holiday Inn, Doubletree and Sofitel, as well as international companies including Hertz, Porsche and Metro. Due to increased market demand, CWS-boco plans to rapidly expand its presence in China adding more capacity to the plant in Shanghai, and it will open a second CWS-boco laundry facility in Beijing by the end of this year.

Andreas Heinze, CEO of CWS-boco International GmbH: “China belongs to the world markets which are growing most quickly. China in particular offers CWS-boco extraordinary large potential. One the one hand, in the course of economic development in this country, companies and consumers are placing higher demands on hygiene and environmental protection. On the other hand, many of our European customers are opening subsidiaries and branch offices in China. The opening of the CWS-boco site in Shanghai means that it is now possible to provide these customers with the services they are accustomed to having.“

CWS-boco International is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the German Haniel Group with headquarters in Duisburg, employing more than 7.600 employees in a total of 18 local country companies. Around the world, customers from all industries and of all sizes use the many services offered by CWS-boco. These include the well-known CWS cotton towel soap and fragrance dispensers as well as dirt-trapping mats, industrially laundered workwear, customised Corporate Fashion collections as well as protective clothing by boco. All CWS-boco services are available in the flexible subscription service in China. To achieve the best possible proximity to its customers and to ensure short delivery times and thus optimum customer care, CWS-boco will open a second laundry facility in Beijing at the end of 2008. Two further CWS-boco sites in China are planned for the year 2009. In total, CWS-boco will create over 200 new jobs in China.

Upon the opening of the first laundry facility in Shanghai, CWS-boco is the first textile services provider in China to receive RAL 992 Certification by the Hohenstein Institute. In granting this renowned seal of quality, the experts of the internationally recognised research and service centre confirm the fulfilment of high quality and environmental efficiency at the CWS-boco laundry facility. The facility is equipped with the most modern technology to ensure particularly low consumption of energy and water when processing textiles and washroom products. For example, thanks to a special heat exchanger, energy consumption during washing can be reduced by up to 40 percent. With the help of a heat recovery system, CWS-boco achieves energy and gas consumption of up to 40 percent as compared to conventional drying processes. Re-use of rinse water for the pre-wash cycle makes it possible to wash one kg of laundry with only some six litres of fresh water – up to 35 litres less than conventional processes in practice in most Chinese laundries. Modern technology detergents from our supplier Johnson Diversey also guarantees a lower washing temperature as well as economical use of chemical laundry additives at the same time extending the life and thus sustainability of the textiles processed. At present, some 10 tons of textiles are laundered in the facility each day. In the first quarter of 2009, laundry capacity will be doubled.

Peter Taylor, General Manager of CWS-boco Shanghai: “Providing hygienically immaculate products and extending textile life in an environmentally efficient manner is an absolute must in our industry, in Europe as well as in China. The RAL Certificate provides our customers with the guarantee that the CWS-boco laundry fulfills the highest international standards for quality and environmental issues. This distinguishes us in China from other suppliers and gives us the opportunity to quickly establish and expand our position on the Chinese market. Moreover, we place high value on excellent working conditions for our employees. This is an advantage which helps us to find and retain qualified personnel.“

CWS-boco International GmbH is the international leading supplier of one-stop professional washroom hygiene solutions and textile services. These solutions include the well-known CWS handtowel, soap and fragrance dispensers as well as innovative entrance mats, industrially washable professional clothing, customised Corporate Fashion collections, protective and safety clothing from boco. All services are available in the flexible subscription service. Customers profit from fixed costs and professional all-round care, including personal consultation, regular maintenance of the equipment as well as professional and environmentally-friendly cleaning and replacement of the cloth towels, mats and clothing. CWS-boco International has more than 18 branch offices in Europe as well as one site in China. CWS-boco employs worldwide more than 8.000 employees. Company headquarters are located in Duisburg, Germany. CWS-boco is a subsidiary of the Haniel-Group, whose overall sales of 29,2 bn Euro (fiscal year 2007) and more than 56.000 employees make it one of the most successful family-owned German businesses worldwide.

CWS-boco International GmbH
Dr. Maren Crone
Corporate Marketing & Communications
Dreieich Plaza 1A
63303 Dreieich
Tel.: +49 (0)6103/309-1032
Fax: +49 (0)40/73333998-1034
E-Mail: Maren.Crone@cws-boco.com