AKRON, Ohio — Advantage Equipment Inc. is commemorating its 20th anniversary this fall. The full-service equipment provider, established by President Scott Vlahos in September 1996, caters to on-premise, vending and industrial laundry customers throughout West Virginia and large portions of Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Advantage opened for business with its flagship Continental Girbau line. “Continental became our first secured line of equipment and has spurred strong and even growth in both the vended and on-premise laundry segments,” Vlahos says.
Today, his company offers multiple equipment lines, including Continental, Hamilton Engineering, Hamilton Mfg., ADC, Ram Air, LG and Sports Laundry Systems. Additionally, the company supplies chemical products and ancillary laundry items.
“We started off in a small warehouse in Kent, Ohio, with one employee and my mom doing the books and answering the phone,” Vlahos recalls. “Today, we operate out of a large facility in Akron with four factory-trained technicians and four office personnel.”
Advantage has helped develop numerous successful vended laundries during the past 20 years, he says.
“We partner with investors and help them with site selection, lease negotiation, equipment mix, installation, operator and employee training, store marketing, and technical service after the sale,” he says. “There’s nothing more exciting than a vended laundry’s grand opening. It means we’ve helped an investor’s goal become a reality.”
Known for personal service, the company responds to nearly all equipment service calls within 24 hours. “Our staff of factory-trained service technicians get the job done,” says Vlahos. “Our vans are stocked with the needed parts, so we can make the repair on the first visit.”
Vlahos is grateful for his customers’ loyalty and support through the years, and has come up with a special way to demonstrate it.
“We’re slashing equipment prices in an effort to let our customers know how much we appreciate their business,” he says. “We are doubling our 20 years for a 40% discount through year-end.”
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