The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
City laundry to reopen and create 80 jobs
Fishers is reversing its decision to withdraw from Perth by reopening its laundry plant, creating 80 jobs.
Scotland’s largest commercial laundry and textile rental firm closed its Perth site in May 2020.
The Fife-based firm relies heavily on the tourism and hospitality industries, which closed during lockdown.
After losing a contract with the operators of Premier Inn and Hub hotels, the company said running the Perth site had become “unviable”.
This resulted in 84 job losses at the Inveralmond Industrial Estate plant.
But with the hospitality sector reopening, Fishers anticipates washing, drying and ironing more than two million items per week by the height of summer.
This resurgence in demand has made the reopening of its Perth laundry economically viable once again.
Fishers general manager David Emslie said: “This is the right decision for our customers and the business.
“We look forward to seeing the facility operating at full capacity once again.
“It was heartbreaking when we had to close our Perth laundry in 2020.
“That strength of feeling is matched only by our delight at reopening Fishers Perth now.”
The laundry plant has undergone a brief period of recommissioning and is now recruiting to build its workforce over the summer.
The company expects to return to its pre-Covid headcount of 80 people by September.
While the Perth laundry plant was forced to close, the Cupar-headquartered firm kept its Fife, Coatbridge and Newcastle plants open. It now also operates a Livingston site.
Fishers’ client base includes hotel chains such as Travelodge and Jurys Inn, as well as Malmaison, the Caledonian Waldorf Astoria and Hotel du Vin chains.
Managing director Michael Jones said it’s been a hard road out of Covid for the firm.
“But we view the reopening of our Perth facility as a major milestone, both for the Scottish hospitality sector and for Fishers,” he said.
“Like the rest of the commercial world, we are currently facing a global supply chain crisis, sky high energy costs and staff recruitment and retention challenges.
“But we remain committed to supporting the hospitality sector as we recover from the impact of the last two years.”
The move to close the Perth operation two years ago saw politicians lobby the Scottish Government in a bid to save the stricken facility.
During the consultation period, the Fishers management team said they examined a range of options in an effort to avoid closure, including suggestions from staff.
Employees at the plant and drivers offered to job share and cut their hours if it meant saving their jobs.