Kleen Kraft Services Then & Now
Kleen Kraft Services has a rich history of uniform rental and facility services in Southern California. Believe it or not, when our story began in 1952, there were over 100 independent uniform rental/laundry companies in our region. Today, there are less than 10 privately owned uniform rental companies, with Kleen Kraft serving as one of the largest! We are still owned and operated by the founding family and now well into the 4thgeneration of family leadership. We’ve come a long way from our beginnings, but still hold true to many of our original values – and believe that it’s an adherence to these core values that keep us continually relevant and growth-oriented today. Take a look then and now, with Kleen Kraft.
Kleen Kraft Then
Albert Antman started the business as a small retail laundry facility near the University of Southern California in 1952. At the time, his son Seymour was a student at USC and Albert purposely purchased this space to be closer to his son. The facility was less than 2500 square feet and at the time, Albert focused the business on pressing and ironing retail garments, sending its laundering to another plant.
Seymour Antman quickly joined the business and together, they moved to a larger 5,000 square foot location with its own washroom and flat work ironer in the mid-50s. In the late 1960s, Kleen Kraft began its uniform rental business, which grew to become its focus and main service. In 1975, Seymour’s son Fred Antman joined the company roster. And a few years later in 1978, Kleen Kraft purchased Supreme Laundry and Linen, combining both businesses under one roof.
From 1978-1990, uniform rental services increased five-fold and in 1991, Kleen Kraft opened a separate distribution facility in Commerce, CA. This location now serves as our corporate office, route storage, distribution, and stock room. Take a look at our timeline here.
Kleen Kraft Now
In 2004, Kleen Kraft purchased Pride Uniform Rental Corp., adding $40,000 of garment volume and filling many key management positions. President and CEO, Fred Antman, is the third generation of Kleen Kraft professionals and his son, Rick Antman, has also joined the family team as the Plant Manager – which makes Kleen Kraft Services four generations strong! We’ve certainly kept up with the times, focusing on superior customer service and continuous innovation. Here are just a few examples:
- Our G-Mark inventory control system allows for scanned garment tracking and a full history of garment processing, eliminating missing or misplaced uniforms.
- Using this state-of-the-art barcode system, every bundle is scanned, laundered, inspected and scanned out before they leave our facility, providing our customers with 100 percent complete deliveries, every time.
- We offer a unique in-line repair system, meaning there’s no uniform separation; every garment is wash, dried, sorted, repaired, reconciled, bundled, and delivered as one – eliminating uniform shortages due to repair.
- We go beyond uniform rental with our extensive facility services offering a variety of mats and towels, soap and hand sanitizer, paper product fulfillment, wet and dry mops, and odor control products.
- In addition to regular goodwill visits, we provide customers with data-rich reports that help inform the decision-making behind their uniform rental program or facility maintenance solution. We are a partner in that process and regularly review customer accounts as a team, identifying better ideas and new ways to improve programs, increasing efficiency and impacting our customers' bottom line.
In short, we are in touch with innovation. Our team is built around collaborative thinking and constant innovation. We work together to stay on top of product updates and new technologies that can positively affect our process and your program.
Some Things Never Change
Since the beginning, we’ve focused on running a reliable, high-quality uniform rental company. It’s part of our legacy, and something we carry on from generation to generation. By combining an old-fashioned, honest work ethic with teamwork, technology, and a family-first attitude, Kleen Kraft Services has become one of the largest privately owned and independent uniform rental companies in Southern California. We will continue to serve every customer like they are our very first one.
We treat employees and customers as a member of our family. We seek to build long-lasting relationships with everyone at Kleen Kraft - customers large and small, employees who have worked with us for a week or 15 years - we treat every account, and every person, with the recognition and respect they deserve. That has set the stage for success since 1952 and will help propel our growth well into the future.
Contact a customer service representative today and learn more about starting a new uniform rental program with Kleen Kraft Services - we can’t wait to meet you!
