Post-lockdown rebound sees Fishers reopen Perth laundry with headcount to hit 80 people

Commercial laundry business Fishers is reopening its Perth facility which was closed as a result of the pandemic and expects to return to its pre-Covid headcount of 80 people by September.

The laundry was shut in May 2020 as a result of the impact on the hospitality sector of the first Covid-19 lockdown.

With the reopening of the hospitality sector and high demand being experienced by hotels, guesthouses and restaurants across Scotland, the company now anticipates washing, drying and ironing more than two million items a week by mid-summer.

This rebound in demand has made the reopening of the Perth laundry economically viable, bosses said.

The laundry, which is located in Inveralmond Industrial Estate, has undergone a brief period of recommissioning and is now recruiting to build its workforce over the summer.

Although Fishers’ Perth laundry was forced to close in May 2020, the firm kept its laundries in Cupar, Coatbridge and Newcastle-Upon-Tyne open in order to support and provide clean bed linen and towels for hotels that were accommodating front-line workers and care homes for the elderly.

Michael Jones, managing director of Fishers, which is part of the K-Bro group of companies, said: “It’s been a hard road out of Covid, but we view the reopening of our Perth facility as a major milestone, both for the Scottish hospitality sector and for Fishers.

“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, together, we recover from the impact of the last two years.”

David Emslie, general manager of Fishers.

General manager David Emslie added: “We’re thrilled to be reopening our Perth laundry. This is the right decision for our customers and for the business and we look forward to seeing the facility operating at full capacity once again.

“It was heart-breaking when we had to close our Perth laundry in 2020 and that strength of feeling is matched only by our delight at reopening Fishers Perth now.”

Staff are being recruited now to operate the laundry with the headcount expected to rise to 80 by the end of the summer.