Compassion and communication keys to operating through the current crisis for Wash Ventures in Houston

How does one manage an essential laundry business through a pandemic? Well, if you ask Penny Garza, business operations manager for Wash Ventures’ three laundries in the Houston area, she’ll tell you at the onset of her answer there was a ton of research involved in getting the facts and coming up with a plan to be in compliance.  

However, that’s just the base. The success of their laundries was due more to the compassion showed to staff and clients, as well as an exceptional commitment to communication. 

On the compassion side, the company, owned by Jonathan and Susan Dison, provided meals to staff members and their families as a thank you for their hard work and commitment to helping serve the community through this difficult time. And this wasn’t just a pizza order…they sent employees home with full meals, such as pot roast dinners. Including family members, 70 people were fed. The Disons went even further, guaranteeing pay of employees, whether they could work or not. Garza believes the move built loyalty and trust among staff.  

“We wanted to make sure our people were well taken care of,” Garza said. 

But it didn’t stop there. The Wash Ventures team knew the communities they serve were hard hit, and they wanted to help. So, during the month of April the two largest stores offered free drying on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.