FAIRFIELD – Dexter Laundry in Fairfield is celebrating its 130th anniversary in 2024.

The business held a big celebration for its 125th anniversary five years ago, and while this year’s party won’t be nearly as large, the business still has plenty to celebrate. In fact, it’s grown tremendously in the last few years with a brand-new laundry on West Burlington Avenue and a factory expansion. Dexter’s president, Amanda Konczal, said that in 2019 the company hosted a large trade show, too.

The COVID-19 pandemic shook the world the following year, and it had a huge effect on the laundry industry as well. Konczal said the pandemic precipitated a surge in demand for Dexter’s washing machines and dryers because there was a need for high-grade commercial equipment in places like hospitals and laundromats.

“We’ve always said that clean laundry is essential and a basic human need,” Konczal said. “COVID really accentuated that. Investors saw laundromats as a safe haven because they weren’t subjected to the same regulations that some restaurants were or other investment opportunities. We saw a spike in our business.”

Konczal said that, because laundromats were a safe place to invest, there was an uptick in the number of laundromats built.

“Post-COVID, we saw a spike in business, but we were still subjected to the supply chain crises around the world in microchips and various electrical components,” Konczal said. “Everyone was trying to get into our business, and the global supply chain was still broken.”

Konczal said the biggest problem during the pandemic was procuring enough parts to meet demand.

The company’s success, especially from this recent demand, is a reminder of just how special both Dexter and Fairfield are.

“We’re known around world for building the best laundry equipment,” Konczal said. “To sit back and realize that this little town in Iowa is making the best equipment in the world is really cool. In the past five years, we’ve invested a lot in our manufacturing facility to help us meet this customer demand.”

Dexter runs its manufacturing plant around the clock on weekdays, going three shifts from Monday through Friday, but taking a break on the weekends. The business employs hundreds of people, and they make products ranging in size from 20 pounds to 170 pounds. At its laundromat on West Burlington, the largest washer holds 90 pounds and the largest dryer holds 80 pounds. The largest washers and dryers are usually purchased by major entities such as hospitals, hotels, schools, nursing homes or “any place that needs clean linens to run their business,” Konczal said.

Dexter is creating a new type of washer to sell overseas and which can be installed on wood floors.

“Our normal product requires 8 inches of concrete under it, and to be bolted down,” Konczal said. “This new one can be installed essentially anywhere.”

Dexter exports to 75 countries, and employs sales managers, who are working with those foreign markets. Konczal made a business trip to Mexico in June, and others are selling in Asia.

“This week, we’ll go to Australia, and we’ll be in Europe later this year,” she said. “International expansion is a big opportunity for us.”

Marketing Specialist Mackenzie Swanson noted that Dexter manufactures all its machines, from start to finish, in Fairfield. One advantage of having the production entirely under one roof is that it’s easy for departments to collaborate, like when the engineers need to interact with operators and designers.

One of the recent advancements in washer/dryer technology is that they can be operated from “the cloud,” so they can be run and paid from anywhere in the world.

“The days of finding quarters in the couch are gone,” Konczal said. “Now, you can use your phone, you can earn rewards, you can earn cashback. It’s changed the way users interact with the laundromat.”

Konczal describes Dexter as a “hidden gem” in Southeast Iowa, and the company appreciates the loyal fan base it has built over the past 130 years. She said the company is always looking to hire, and she wants any potential employees to know that they can do “world-class” things at Dexter.

“We have an amazing brand, the best product and great people,” she said. “I think we have an awesome culture. There are not many places where you can do all those things and still have a three-minute commute home.”