RIPON, Wis. — Huebsch, an equipment brand of Alliance Laundry Systems, has named Raj Patel, owner of Speed Coin Laundry, Murfreesboro, Tenn., its latest Store Owner of the Quarter.
In 1995, when he was 14 years old, Patel emigrated from India with his family to California, with just $500 to their name. The family soon moved to Chattanooga, Tenn., investing the earnings they saved to purchase a convenience store and gas station.
After seven years of owning the establishment, the family then moved northwest to Murfreesboro, where they purchased Marathon Discount Tobacco, an eight-pump gas station and convenience store. The family made the adjoining storefront into a liquor store which they owned and operated.
But when that store wasn’t bringing in the revenue Patel had hoped for, he sought out “a more sustainable and profitable, yet somewhat hands-off, investment,” Huebsch says.
His search led him to the vended laundry industry and his region’s authorized Huebsch distributor, Nashville-based National Laundry Equipment.
“After comparing various manufacturers, I came to the conclusion that Huebsch machines are a better value than any others available,” says Patel. “By choosing Huebsch, I was confident I would receive customized and knowledgeable support from its network of professionals.”
Patel was able to receive a business loan from Huebsch Financial, also relying on his distributor’s support and expertise throughout renovations and the installation of 36 machines.
Among store updates include the addition of a doorway that connects the convenience store to the Laundromat.
Patel opened Speed Coin Laundry in July 2014, and the addition of the doorway has proven to be beneficial, according to Huebsch. Convenience store customers end up learning about the Laundromat for future use, while Laundromat customers patronize his convenience store for snacks while they wait for laundry.
“Mr. Patel’s success over the past 20 years is inspiring,” says Kathryn Rowen, North American sales manager, Huebsch. “From having essentially nothing when his family immigrated to the United States, to now owning multiple successful businesses, he emulates the American dream.”
“We are so glad he found success in the laundry industry, and that Huebsch could support him in achieving his business goal.”
Patel already has his sights set on owning multiple Laundromats: “I already have the ideas and the support system—it’s only a matter of time.”
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