Investments in the future market "Cleanroom"

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The Bardusch Group, Ettlingen, continues to focus increasingly on the "Cleanroom" business area as part of its growth strategy. After a successful pilot phase, the internationally active textile service provider Bardusch is opening its sixth branch in Mülheim-Kärlich in mid-August, which, with its certified processing processes, meets the highest cleanroom requirements of the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, but also, for example, the electronics and biotechnology sectors.

No one expected the COVID-19 pandemic when the decision was made by the management of the Bardusch Group more than two years ago to significantly expand their competencies in the cleanroom sector. They developed the corresponding strategies and established state-of-the-art cleaning and disinfection processes in selected branches to meet the strictest decontamination requirements of the chemical and pharmaceutical industries for clothing and other textiles.

High demand from various industries

"Today – in view of strengthened hygiene regulations – it becomes clear that supplying a wide range of institutions and laboratories with germ-free laundry and workwear is a future market," explains Bardusch CEO Wolfram Rees. He adds: "These high new hygiene standards affect almost all parts of society. Especially the industry is an important customer of textiles processed in accordance with cleanroom standards. In addition to the pharmaceutical industry and the food sector, many technical companies are among our clients – such as electronics, optics, precision mechanics, or biotechnology sectors. In highly technical companies, hygiene is not only important but also the safety of the product against environmental influences through the carrier. It is crucial that workwear and textiles do not release dirt or fiber particles from the wearer into the environment."

Already in 2004, Bardusch entered the cleanroom clothing segment and also emphasized this area in 2017 with the adoption of the new corporate strategy. The recently completed facility in Mülheim-Kärlich is the third audited and certified Bardusch branch in Germany that meets cleanroom standards. Bardusch also operates laundries at this high level in Poland, Switzerland, and Spain.

High hurdles through validations and certifications

The new facility is conveniently located between the Ruhr area and the Rhine-Main region. "In a planning and construction period of only 18 months, we established the cleanroom laundry in Mülheim-Kärlich. On approximately 2,500 square meters of working space, we can employ up to 60 staff," reports Thomas Walz, branch manager in Mülheim-Kärlich.

In addition to state-of-the-art cleaning technology, the planners also prioritized meeting all sustainability criteria. For example, the laundry has its own water treatment and heat recovery systems.

In the meantime, all qualification measures and validations have been completed in the operation. "Our integrated hygiene concept 'Risk Analysis and Biocontamination Control' according to EN 14065 guarantees not only the consistent adherence to high standards in the disinfecting washing process but also the systematic control of microbiological quality," emphasizes Walz. Depending on the industry and customer requirements, certifications for reprocessing under cleanroom conditions (EN ISO 14644-1) or steam sterilization (DIN EN ISO 17665 and EN 285) are important. The requirements for particle detection on clothing (according to ASTM-F51.00) are also met.

Close to the customer – well prepared for emergencies

"We traditionally rely on regionally well-established companies with close contact to customers as part of our corporate philosophy. This allows us to respond quickly and flexibly to specific customer needs," explains Rees about the orientation of the Ettlingen-based family business. Rees is confident that these structures will become even more important in the future: "In the changed economic situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become clear that the strategy of decentralized locations is very forward-looking. While we are not entirely independent of global structures, our branches are always close to the customer, providing supply security: in emergencies or when individual operations fail, we can quickly and easily turn to other locations to ensure our delivery capability."