Frank van den Akker has been working in the laundry industry for nearly 25 years. He started at the family business Edelweiss Textielverzorging in The Hague. With his technical background and years of experience in production and process improvement, he has a keen eye for how work can be done smarter, calmer, and better.
In 2025, he and his colleagues made the transition to Blycolin, following the acquisition of Modeluxe and Edelweiss. A change that in practice felt less significant than might have been expected beforehand.
His first impression of Blycolin? There was hardly one, really. Frank was primarily focused internally on his own organization. That is precisely why something else struck him after the transition: the scale of collaboration. Where previously the work stayed within the own location, there now was more exchange with colleagues from other laundries. More knowledge, more experience, and more opportunities to find solutions together.
You notice that especially in moments when things get tense. If there is a disruption somewhere or pressure on the schedule, a location no longer has to solve it alone or work extra on weekends. Work can be shifted, coordinated, and taken over by another location. That collaboration brings peace of mind and, according to Frank, also makes the organization stronger.
Safety does not start with rules, but with attention
In a laundry, the daily focus is on machines, logistics, pace, and physical demands. Frank is matter-of-fact about this: risks are part of the work, but that is precisely why safety requires continuous attention. Not only through instructions on paper, but above all in practice.
According to him, the key is to keep talking, training, and keeping each other alert. New colleagues must know where emergency stops are located and when a machine is safe and when it is not. Technicians and production staff also need to be on the same page in this regard.
It may seem small, but that is precisely where the difference between routine and risk lies.
For Frank, safety is therefore inextricably linked to communication. Employees must have the courage to report what they see. Supervisors must be visible on the floor. And colleagues need to be aware of each other: if someone is still working, another person should not simply switch that machine back on.
Healthier work also means fair distribution
A safe working environment goes further than machines and instructions. It is also about how the work is organized. In laundries, there are inevitably workstations that are physically more demanding or less attractive than others. That is precisely why rotation is important.
By rotating workstations, Frank prevents the same people from always being at the most physically demanding positions. This helps prevent physical overexertion and avoids imbalances in the team. It directly contributes to health and collaboration.
Mental workload also receives attention. Clear working hours help. Working four days, from seven to five. Stopping on time helps too. Not pushing through every day until the work is done at all costs. That sense of calm in planning and management makes the work more sustainable over time.
Open culture makes the difference
“You can share more and learn from each other” After nearly a year within Blycolin, Frank describes the culture as open. Not only in interaction, but also in information, figures, and choices. That transparency helps to better understand how decisions are made and where opportunities lie.
According to him, the transition itself also went remarkably smoothly. Of course, the closure of The Hague required a great deal of attention, but that is precisely where it became clear how important trust and communication are. Change only truly works when people feel heard and understand what is changing.
Looking ahead without grand words
When Frank looks ahead, he does not seek answers in grand promises but in targeted improvements on the floor. The low-hanging fruit has largely been picked. The next steps lie in smarter washing, more efficient loading, better use of machines, and improving workstations that are currently still physically unfavorable.
He cites expansions to the sheet ironers, more efficient process operation, and smarter loading as concrete opportunities. Not spectacular on paper, but relevant in practice. It is precisely there that the combination important to Blycolin emerges: higher efficiency, less strain, and a more sustainable process.
Safe and sustainable work starts on the floor
For Frank, the difference lies not in grand plans, but in what happens every day on the work floor.
“Ultimately, it is about people being able to do their work safely and well. That you organize it together, that you help each other and keep improving. Then the work not only gets better, but is also easier to sustain.”
“You no longer have to solve it on your own.”
– Frank van den Akker, Operations Manager