Loyal and emotionally involved staff due to the presence of a coach-osteopath, among other things. Carefully and strictly customized relations with clients. This is how this business from Grossetano area with its constantly updated machines, has become a reference point for hotels and restaurants all over Tuscany
“Soon, we are going to hire an osteopath who will take care of our staff’s well-being because we think it is decisive for the quality of services we guarantee. This actually demonstrates that our business grows thanks to the investments we make in the human factor. What we mean is investing in both, a completely loyal and fully involved work force that actively participates in our company mission and the clients with whom we have established customized and direct relations aimed at sharing new challenges in terms of quality and efficiency”.
The above expression of energy and creativity comes from Irene Soddu, a 25-year-old wonderful endorsement of the Soddu Industrial Laundry, a family business, with its headquarters in Campagnatico, Grosseto. It services the whole Tuscany region with the company mission aimed above all, at tourist services. The great hotels of the Tyrrhenian coastline, the excellent local restaurants and trattoria, and the renowned spas: many of these structures flaunt the Soddu brand, known outside Tuscany as well, e.g. in Lazio region where it constitutes one of the most important business cards.
“It all originates from an everyday experience based on relations and the curiosity with its most positive aspects just like the attraction towards the new that creates well-being and improves the collaboration between businesses and clients – says Irene Soddu. – It has been like this since the very beginning. Years ago, my father, Carlo Soddu, planned and pondered their small family business possibilities. It was a tailoring and embroidery workshop run by my grandparents. Some local hotels were serviced by them and my dad seized the important opportunity of offering linen rental service”.
Born “on site” in the beginning of the ’90s, the Soddu laundry grew quickly and reached the “industrial” size becoming a reference point for hotels and restaurants of a bigger and bigger kilometre range. “From the very beginning– the owner’s daughter says – two major factors came out. One of them concerned the importance of growing together with the employees who are, first of all, collaborators able to contribute, through their experience, to the development of the business. We are really proud of collaborating with staff who started here when we just opened the laundry. The other extremely important factor is all about customizing the relations with clients. An example of such an approach comes from the Saturnia spa. We supply them with new linen every year changing colours, patterns and accessories. We know that nothing is secondary about the service like ours: when you work with great hotels, what creates recognizability could even be a carefully designed brand name on the bathrobe pocket which will help remember the clients where they have been and why they would go back there”. Given such a work context, the Soddu laundry has just purchased a machine for round shape linen treatment, e.g. high quality restaurant tablecloths.
This type of philosophy gives birth to work organization where quality, apart from excellent machines, means certifications that underline the validity of a business based on transparent regulations as far as health and environment protection go, starting from a rigorous separation of soiled and clean linen. “Who enters the Soddu laundry – explains Irene Soddu – understands immediately that the company has been founded on sustainability measures that we cannot give up on today for the well-being of the entire community. It translates to daily water recycling at 70% integrated by 30% of rain water, boilers using renewable energy and a photovoltaic system on the roof”.
The Soddu nurture global wellness concept with affection. During high season, the number of employees increases up to 100. According to the company policy, they constitute a priceless patrimony. “As a matter of fact – Irene Soddu confirms – we carefully optimize human resources starting from the well-being of those working with us. It translates to work pace and shifts organized in the best possible way, promoting a stress-free body posture at work and the routine activities reduced to the lowest possible level so that the interest in what is happening at work is always wide awake”.
“Therefore, – the young manager, born together with the family laundry business, concludes – when we came across 
the possibility of getting regular consultancy by an osteopath, Patrizia Patanè, who works on emotions and empathy towards others, we saw it as a great occasion for us to follow the fundamental path. Being able to rely on motivated and content staff is a real gift. The gift that the Soddu laundry wants to keep well protected”.
by Stefano Ferrio
DETERGO MAGAZINE
FEBRUARY 2017
