Israeli workwear management company Polytex Technologies announced that the penetration of its automated workwear solution into the Spanish market has accelerated, specifically at hospitals and other healthcare providers throughout the country including in Madrid and Barcelona. Spanish customers implemented Polytex’s solution in order to fight contamination, protect workers’ health, cut costs, and maximize efficiency. Spain is currently Polytex’s fourth largest market, after Israel, the U.S., and Germany.
In 2020, Polytex sales in Spain nearly doubled as hospitals installed or expanded their use of the Polytex solution which provides improved protection for health workers, that has become even more critical during the Covid-19 pandemic. The momentum appears to be intensifying this year, when part of the 2021 contracts is with first time customers, including: La Fundación Puigvert in Barcelona, the Garbí and Delta buildings, two new centers dedicated to the care of patients with COVID-19 that belong to the Vall d’Hebrón and Bellvitge Hospitals respectively, as well as an extension at the Hospital Fundación Universitario de Alcorcón and a new project in a refering hospital in Madrid.
As part of the momentum, Polytex’s automated hygienic workwear management solution has been recently installed at the Tarragona based subsidiary of H&T Presspart, a world leader and specialist in manufacturing drug-delivery systems and pharmaceutical components. In March, Polytex reported that Servicio Navarro de Salud, a government agency serving several hospitals in the Navarra region of northern Spain, is also adopting the Polytex solution. The system is also scheduled to be installed next month at a center near Barcelona of Laboratorios Echvarne, a leading diagnostic testing center with facilities throughout Spain.
The Polytex solution is fully automated and enables hands-free dispensing and collecting of individual uniforms. The system itself is sealed, keeping garments in a clean environment that is opened only by laundry professionals during collection and restocking. The system is available on a 24/7 basis and often installed at multiple locations enabling staff to receive and return garments in seconds, thereby avoiding unnecessary crowding.
Refilling the machines with fresh clothing is very quick and takes only a couple of minutes.The units can also be moved to special temporary wards dedicated to infectious diseases like COVID-19. The Polytex automated system is backed by a centralized cloud-based management and monitoring applications for end-to-end tracking.
The Polytex system helps to simplify the distribution of workwear and customers report up to 40% reduction in expenses on clothing inventory and laundry. The actual volume of workwear needed was substantially reduced as was the amount of storage space required.
“Hospitals were the first to adapt our solution and they continue to do so at a rapid pace as a result of the pandemic, but we are also witnessing growing interest from other segments of the health care sector in Spain,” said Yariv Matzliach, CEO of Polytex. He added that the growing interest will enable the company to continue to register rapid growth in the Spanish market, currently the company’s fourth largest market.
There are currently over 3,000 Polytex units operating in 20 countries such as the U.S., Spain, France, Germany, and Israel, alongside countries in eastern Europe and Asia.
About Polytex Technologies
Polytex Technologies is a leading provider of workwear management solutions. Polytex supports the entire workwear laundry lifecycle with a wide range of automated machines backed by centralized cloud management and monitoring applications. Polytex’s solutions are used by hospitals and healthcare institutes, manufacturing sites, hospitality, and fitness centers. Polytex has over two decades of field-proven industry experience in the delivery of large-scale commercial laundry services. Polytex was established in Israel by the Poliner family. The co-founder Tomer Poliner served as the company’s CEO until Polytex received a major investment from the private equity fund Fortissimo Capital in 2019. He now leads the company’s technological and business development activities.