Alliance Laundry Systems Receives Energy Efficiency Award

RIPON – Alliance Laundry Systems has received a 2017 Excellence in Energy Efficiency Award from Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy program.

The world’s largest commercial laundry equipment manufacturer, based in Ripon, had a banner year of energy efficiency accomplishments in 2016.

With support and guidance from Focus on Energy, Alliant Energy and other trade allies, Alliance Laundry Systems conducted four equipment upgrades. This commitment to energy efficiency placed it among 15 elite recipients that received the statewide recognition.

“At Alliance, we have always placed an emphasis on conserving energy and resources both in our products and the manufacture of our world-leading products,” said Todd Kaull, Alliance Laundry Systems vice president of global manufacturing. “These improvements are an extension of that commitment. However, we could not have made these upgrades without the assistance of Focus on Energy.” 

The upgrades included replacing an aging steam boiler and distribution system with energy efficient space heating equipment to their campus of facilities that have seen 47 expansions during the company’s 109-year history. 

The improvements resulted in first year savings of 384,127 kilowatt hours of electricity and 71,654 therms of natural gas. The projects were made possible by $62,895 in custom and prescriptive incentives provided by Focus on Energy, a statewide energy efficiency and renewable energy program funded by participating Wisconsin utilities. 

Alliance Laundry Systems currently is upgrading to LED lighting and installing a new rooftop HVAC and energy recovery ventilation system to a warehouse.

Alliance Laundry Systems has saved more than $250,000 in energy costs thanks to efficiency projects undertaken since 2012. In that time, energy savings of more than 1.2 million kilowatt hours and 127,000 therms means 2,526 tons of carbon dioxide were not released into the atmosphere. That’s equivalent to removing 476 passenger vehicles from the road (or 5.4 million miles drive by the average car).  

“Saving energy and money keeps Alliance Laundry Systems competitive in the global marketplace,” Kaull said of the Fond du Lac County business that recently built a state-of-the-art sales and marketing office and a 193,000-square-foot global distribution center. 

Alliance Laundry Systems’ roots in Ripon trace back to 1906, when tombstone merchant John Seelig and hardware dealer Joe Barlow joined forces and bought the manufacturing rights for a hand-crank washing for $2,000. Two years later, Barlow and Seelig Manufacturing Co. was created and production began. The first washers were sold for $96 a dozen, with one free washer with each dozen ordered.

Today, the company manufacturers the world’s most reliable commercial washing machines, dryers and ironers under the well-known brand names of Speed Queen®, UniMac®, Primus®, Huebsch®, and IPSO®.

Focus on Energy works with eligible Wisconsin residents and businesses to install cost effective energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. For more information, visit www.focusonenergy.com.

A list of all 2017 Excellence in Energy Efficiency Award recipients is available here.

In the photo: 

Pictured at the July 17 awards presentation (left to right): Tim Duley, David Hickman, Richard Feustel (Focus on Energy advisor), Bruce Kobishop, Todd Kaull and Dwayne Turpin.