Safe and Sterile: Physicians Wear Brings Peace of Mind to Healthcare
9/6/2024 - Commercial Stories and Insights
The average household does several loads of laundry each week, from baseball pants to princess dresses to mom jeans. Have you ever stopped to think about who launders for your child’s pediatrician, local urgent care or grandpa’s heart surgeon?
If you live in South Carolina, it’s likely Physicians Wear, a family-owned business with a long history of providing professional cleaning services. Physicians Wear, which also serves the Charlotte region, launders hospital linens, surgical scrubs, patient gowns, and healthcare uniforms from surgical centers, healthcare facilities and labs.
The company’s work may go unnoticed by the average person, but it implements a high standard of cleanliness required to prevent infection and disease spreading.
“Patients take for granted their linens have been cleaned well, and their healthcare provider has a clean, sterile environment,” says John Johnston, Physicians Wear majority owner.
The expertise Physicians Wear offers stems from a long history of caring for specialized garments. Ed Robinson, the third-generation owner of Columbia’s Ed Robinson Laundry and Dry Cleaners, had the idea to incorporate healthcare linens upon realizing how many doctors and nurses were bringing their lab coats to the dry cleaners. Wanting to grow the company but understanding the limits, Robinson branched out and founded Physicians Wear in 1996.
Johnston and co-owner Coles Taylor married into the Robinson family and now operate the business. Under their management, Physicians Wear processes thousands of pounds of garments and linens each week.
“Cleaning linens is a large logistical undertaking for healthcare systems, so it’s better to outsource to us. It’s our primary focus,” Johnston says.
Linens of all shapes and sizes come in from across the state. Physicians Wear uses an automated tracking system in which individual items are counted so the correct number goes back.
Physicians Wear has been able to keep up with the times, whether following new legislation regarding allowable laundering chemicals or updating equipment to improve efficiency. But the standard of excellence and cleanliness remained unchanged, especially as quality took on personal significance.
Johnston recalls his son undergoing a minor procedure at a hospital served by Physicians Wear and how knowing the linens and garments were sterilized to the best quality provided him a level of comfort.
“Being on this side of the equation made it real how we serve people,” he adds.
Taylor agrees that he’s much more aware of how gowns and sheets feel having been a patient himself. “It reiterated to me the type of quality we need to provide. No one wants to see stains or discoloration,” he says.
Personalized service extends to the family’s other venture, Robinson Restoration, in which Taylor is the majority owner. The cleaning service aids homeowners following water damage, fire or other catastrophes.
If you live in South Carolina, it’s likely Physicians Wear, a family-owned business with a long history of providing professional cleaning services. Physicians Wear, which also serves the Charlotte region, launders hospital linens, surgical scrubs, patient gowns, and healthcare uniforms from surgical centers, healthcare facilities and labs.
The company’s work may go unnoticed by the average person, but it implements a high standard of cleanliness required to prevent infection and disease spreading.
“Patients take for granted their linens have been cleaned well, and their healthcare provider has a clean, sterile environment,” says John Johnston, Physicians Wear majority owner.
The expertise Physicians Wear offers stems from a long history of caring for specialized garments. Ed Robinson, the third-generation owner of Columbia’s Ed Robinson Laundry and Dry Cleaners, had the idea to incorporate healthcare linens upon realizing how many doctors and nurses were bringing their lab coats to the dry cleaners. Wanting to grow the company but understanding the limits, Robinson branched out and founded Physicians Wear in 1996.
Johnston and co-owner Coles Taylor married into the Robinson family and now operate the business. Under their management, Physicians Wear processes thousands of pounds of garments and linens each week.
“Cleaning linens is a large logistical undertaking for healthcare systems, so it’s better to outsource to us. It’s our primary focus,” Johnston says.
Linens of all shapes and sizes come in from across the state. Physicians Wear uses an automated tracking system in which individual items are counted so the correct number goes back.
A Personal Standard of Clean
Physicians Wear has been able to keep up with the times, whether following new legislation regarding allowable laundering chemicals or updating equipment to improve efficiency. But the standard of excellence and cleanliness remained unchanged, especially as quality took on personal significance. Johnston recalls his son undergoing a minor procedure at a hospital served by Physicians Wear and how knowing the linens and garments were sterilized to the best quality provided him a level of comfort.
“Being on this side of the equation made it real how we serve people,” he adds.
Taylor agrees that he’s much more aware of how gowns and sheets feel having been a patient himself. “It reiterated to me the type of quality we need to provide. No one wants to see stains or discoloration,” he says.
Personalized service extends to the family’s other venture, Robinson Restoration, in which Taylor is the majority owner. The cleaning service aids homeowners following water damage, fire or other catastrophes.
...the relationship banking offered by SouthState was the selling point. There’s a sense of trust and commitment that they’re working for the best long-term interest of our business.
Above and Beyond Service
Quality service is not only something Physicians Wear seeks to provide, but it’s also a factor Johnston and Taylor look for in a banking partner. After years with a large, national bank, they came to SouthState seeking a personalized approach.“Our previous bank was great, but the relationship banking offered by SouthState was the selling point,” Johnston says. “There’s a sense of trust and commitment that they’re working for the best long-term interest of our business.”
SouthState provides Physicians Wear and Robinson Restoration with a variety of financial services including commercial real estate loans, deposits, Treasury management and equipment loans for their large commercial washers and dryers. SouthState also financed their new facility in Columbia.
Working in the vital industry of healthcare, it’s important that Physicians Wear can access their banker in an instant. That’s where Premier Private Banker Trent Thompson comes in.
“Anytime John or Coles need anything, they know they can reach me on my cell phone, whether it is a large commercial loan request or a copy of a statement for their CPA,” he says.
Physicians Wear praised the seamless loan process SouthState offers. If machinery goes down or needs to be fully replaced, the company needs to take action on an equipment loan quickly to keep up with demand.
“If the process dragged on too long, our employees would have to use manual labor causing a significant lack of efficiency,” Taylor adds.
Thompson’s role also includes personal visits to Physicians Wear, which he says is key to understanding his clients’ businesses. “When you hear washer-dryer, you automatically think of a laundromat. But then when you see the scope and size of what Physicians Wear is accomplishing, it is quite impressive,” he adds. “It is very comforting to see the quality controls and professionalism in use ‘behind the scenes.’”
Learn more about relationship banking and commercial financing options from SouthState.
