Dreieich, 15 May 2025 – CWS Workwear takes a significant step into the future with the reconstruction of its Lingen plant, creating the basis for the company's sustainable expansion. The company commits a double-digit million euro investment to the project. In addition to the laundry, the construction project also includes a depot and office buildings. The new building, which is only around 300 metres away from the existing site, will replace the previous premises and create space for modern workspaces. By using environmentally friendly and resource-saving solutions, CO2 emissions, among other things, will be cut almost in half. CWS Workwear thus sets new standards in sustainability and efficiency, strengthening its role as a leading provider of Workwear as a Service – a circular rental model that enables customers to rent workwear and protective clothing. Opening of the laundry and depot in Lingen is planned for spring 2026. Completion of the remaining buildings will follow in early summer 2026.
"Our goal is not only to guarantee the highest quality for our customers with this new facility, but also to implement innovative solutions. We are particularly proud of our investments in energy efficiency, which will help reduce our carbon footprint through the integration of photovoltaic systems, for example," explains Matthias Hellwig, Director Operations at CWS Workwear. There are currently 135 employees in Lingen, 75 of whom work in the laundry, 20 in logistics, 30 in the office and another 10 in field service. In future, the new building will house the laundry, vehicle fleet, customer service, HR Shared Services Centre and field service in one central location.
Maximum efficiency: laundry relies on state-of-the-art technologies
The new building will bring the laundry up to the newest technological standards. "From Lingen, we reliably supply our customers with 20,000 items per day and will be able to expand our capacity to up to 26,000 items thanks to this upgrade," explains Matthias Hellwig, Director Operations at CWS Workwear. The fully automated technologies include a sophisticated soiled laundry sorting system and automatic wash loading systems which make the process even more efficient and ergonomic. A fully automated AI-based quality control station ensures that products are checked precisely and quickly. Manual quality checks continue to ensure that high customer expectations are always met. In addition, the laundry will include fully automated folding machines alongside semi-automated ones to ensure maximum precision and flexibility in production.
Investments totalling 3.34 million euros have already been made in washing technology alone, of which 334,000 euros are funded by the federal programme Energy and Resource Efficiency in the Economy (EEW) – Module 4 Premium. These subsidies show how much CWS emphasises sustainability. The planned modern solutions do not only increase efficiency. They also make a significant contribution to environmental protection. For example, the CO2 savings compared to conventional technology without water recycling and wastewater treatment are an impressive 43.7%. That means 291.5 tonnes less CO2 per year. The optimised technology also saves energy and water costs of around 335,000 euros per year. This investment is another significant step in CWS Workwear's commitment to sustainability, implementing innovative solutions that offer both environmental and economic benefits.
Rooted in Tradition, Driven by Technology
The Lingen site has a long history of textile care. This dates back to the establishment of the first plant in 1960. Over the years, the family business "adrett" has developed from a small laundry into a leading provider of workwear, hospital and hotel linen. The laundry has been part of CWS Workwear since 2017. With the new building in Lingen, CWS Workwear is continuing its success at the site, which is of crucial geographical importance as a hub in the European network of CWS Workwear.
"The Emsland region stands out for its high density of successful family-owned businesses. On top, Lingen is right in the centre of Europe and close to the Ruhr region. The excellent connections to important transport networks make it a particularly attractive industrial location, which is why we decided in favour of the new build in Lingen," says Oliver Mäske, Chief Operating Officer at CWS Workwear.
The new plant marks another milestone in CWS Workwear's corporate history and consolidates its position as a driver of progress in the circular economy. By integrating state-of-the-art solutions and innovative technologies, CWS Workwear continues to meet and exceed the demands of the industry.
Contact
Friedrich Claussen
friedrich.claussen@klenkhoursch.de
