Thanks to their absolutely excellent sanitizing standards, the industrial laundry
named after an ancient Greek town in Sicily has significantly influenced the
functioning of the health and assistance structures over the territory. Their
leadership can be explained through the constant technological dynamics,
a thorough knowledge of the markets and the guaranteed production of 27
quintals of clean linen per day during a high season
If Himera, an industrial laundry, stops, it means that everything, meaning “everything” actually stops in Termini Imerese. It was clearly witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine, a lockdown during which Himera continued working at a full speed as far as its health care department section goes, the one dedicated to hospitals and nursing homes while the part dedicated to treating linen from restaurants, hotels and hospitality centers was inevitably blocked.
The Industrial Laundry Himera has confirmed to be one of the very few businesses that are still alive and doing well in this Sicilian town, in the province of Palermo overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.
Right in the middle of the national emergency Phase 2, when everything is coming back to the usual pace, the laundry is ready to embrace its crucial role of providing the first necessity services during the summer season in Termini. On the other hand, the name Himera, actually indicates quite a “strict” relation with the territory as it was chosen after the ancient Imera, a Greek colony famous for its temples and monuments, and destroyed by the Carthaginians during the fifth century B.C.
Looking at Himera Srl in details, its only owner, Domenico Di Stefano, acquired the name of the business in 2016 as a successful completion of more than fifty years of the business started in 1968 when the Di Stefano family opened a dry-cleaning laundry. The first important step took place in 1970, when Fiat opened one of its most important factories in Termini Imerese, that stayed operative until 2011; consequently, an entirely new productive sector started and the laundry of Di Stefano became the key player by moving the laundry right in front of the Fiat’s factory to which it had been providing services.
Over the years, the laundry progressively transformed passing from dry-cleaning to washing. Ten years ago, it defined its industrial structure, currently operative, by activating two factory buildings, a 1500 sq. m. factory that services health care structures and another one, twice as big, that services hotels and restaurants. Summing them up will translate to a workload managed by thirty employees who treat up to 27 quintals of linen per day during the high season, and an annual turnover of about two and a half million euros. We are speaking about a laundry that is currently managing 430 tonnes of linen per year thanks to the following: five ironing lines, three tunnel washers, three high spin industrial washing machines, three towels treatment lines and twelve dryers operating in the factory that manages linen for the hospitality sector; two ironing lines, one tunnel washer, two high spin industrial washing machines and six dryers in the structure servicing health care sector.
“The strength of Himera – Domenico Di Stefano explains – is based on the continuous dynamics able to adapt to any transformation of the market”. One last example, following the timeline, is the introduction of a new system for linen transport including a folding machine and a packaging machine equipped with an automatic regulation of the heat generated by an internal boiler that eliminates any energy dispersion following the most advanced sustainability models. What is more, the laundry is currently implementing an automatic garment tracing thanks to electronic chips applied to linen pieces from the beginning to the end of a production cycle. The company philosophy behind all this, is ba
sed on a continuous and necessary enrichment of competences including those in relation to the markets of reference. For example, if the standards of mattresses change in terms of dimensions and ergonomic components, it will be reflected by the production and treatments of the mattress covers; only a constant update of this kind will guarantee high levels of competitivity in case of an industrial laundry of XXI century.
This innovative vocation has become rewarding for Himera, that did not appear unprepared for the COVID-19 emergency, starting from sanitizing, that constitutes a “vital” aspect from now on, adequate to the excellent standards UNI/EN 14065 certified. Here comes the consequent and consolidated reliability of this laundry, absolutely crucial in the post-pandemic times in order to maintain business relations with hotels and restaurants and guarantee a complete sanitization to clients. In particular, as far as textile care is concerned, the procedure of separating soiled and clean linen is to be followed rigorously, and Himera applies such standards to the entire production.
As a consequence, Himera can only strengthen its partnership consultancy based relations with clients, hotels and restaurants, that are crucial for the hospitality sector, a leading industry for Italian economy. “It is true – Domenico Di Stefano concludes – that when we start a business relationship with a new client, the price quotation is just one of the aspects to consider. The choice of fabrics, the procedures and the company’s know-how are all equally important. Because today more than ever, in the post corona virus reality, the growth of both a laundry and its clients’ has to proceed at the same pace”.
Here is why, as it was mentioned at the beginning, Himera cannever stop for the good of all the businesses in Termini Imerese.
by Stefano Ferrio
Detergo Magazine June 2020
