Laundry & vending
Hercules Corporation
Hercules Corporation provides end-to-end laundry room design, installation, management, and service for multi-housing buildings, colleges and universities, hospitals, and on-premise laundry in the Northeast. It started in 1959 as a storefront operation on Utica Avenue in Brooklyn, New York, and is now a third-generation family business describing itself as the largest family-operated laundry room outsource provider in the nation.
The company leases and sells laundry equipment, including energy-efficient models from Maytag, Wascomat, and American Dryer and remanufactured machines rebuilt to original factory condition, and it operates smart card laundry rooms rather than coin. Its Hercules Smart Center reaches customer service directly from the laundry room, and Laundry Alert shows machine availability online in real time. Residents add money to smart cards online. The firm guarantees a service technician will arrive within 24 hours of a request, day or night.
The installation process is documented in detail. An account representative surveys the room within two to three business days of a proposal request, measuring floor, wall space, venting, plumbing, electric, gas lines, drains, and access constraints, and a formal written proposal follows. After a signed contract, a new installation usually takes no more than 60 days including removal of the previous provider's equipment, and paint and tile samples are sent for selection where the contract provides for them. Where a building has no existing laundry room, the management company or board provides the plumbing, electric, and gas.
Hercules employs over 150 people and works from a 75,000-square-foot headquarters at 550 West John Street in Hicksville, New York, serving the New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania multi-housing markets.
Best for
Apartment building owners, co-op and condo boards, and property managers in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania who want a shared laundry room installed and serviced under a lease rather than owning machines.
What they do
- Laundry room design and installation
- Smart card laundry equipment leasing
- Equipment sales, including remanufactured machines
- Laundry room rent and revenue share agreements
- Service and repair with a 24-hour response guarantee
- Laundry room surveys and written proposals
- Laundry Alert machine availability monitoring
- Resident smart card issuance and reloads
Details
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1959 |
| Ownership | Private |
| Team size | 51-200 employees |
What stands out
- Started in 1959 as a Brooklyn storefront and is now a third-generation family business.
- Employs over 150 people and works from a 75,000-square-foot headquarters in Hicksville, New York.
- Guarantees a service technician will arrive at a laundry room within 24 hours of a request.
- Serves multi-housing, college, hospital, and on-premise laundry markets in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.
Common questions
- How long does a new laundry room installation take?
- After the signed contract is received, a new installation usually takes no more than 60 days, including the time to coordinate removal of the previous provider's equipment. If the room is already empty that period can be significantly shorter. The estimate assumes the required electric, venting, and plumbing are already in place.
- How long are Hercules laundry agreements?
- The majority of agreements entered into today run between five and 10 years, with seven years being the average. The firm says the longer the agreement, the more generous the terms of the contract will be.
- Who pays for plumbing and electric in a brand new laundry room?
- If a building has no existing laundry room, the management company or board of directors is responsible for providing the required plumbing, electric, and gas. A Hercules account representative can assist with the process and provide names of plumbers, electricians, and other contractors. Depending on the size of the room and the complexity of the renovation, an architectural firm may be needed to file plans and required forms.
- How is the number of washers and dryers decided?
- The number depends on the family composition of the occupants, the number of apartments to be served, whether children are present, and how many laundry rooms the building has. An account representative surveys the room within two to three business days of a proposal request, assessing floor, walls, existing venting, plumbing and electric, gas lines, drains, and the room's location, then prepares a written proposal.