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Lessen The Loads: Pottstown women clean 1,000 pounds of PGA laundry nightly
Two Pottstown moms, co-founders of Lessen The Loads, are handling laundry services for staff at the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club, operating through a home-based network.
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. - Two moms from Pottstown are running laundry operations for concession workers, bartenders and tournament staffers at the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club, according to FOX 29 News.
Local business takes on PGA Championship laundry
What we know:
Ally Cook and Mary Catherine Weber, co-founders of Lessen The Loads, are washing and pressing laundry for tournament staff all week. "It’s a dream come true," said Cook. "Such a huge opportunity for such a small business like ours. Truly life-changing."
Cook and Weber, along with their team, collect uniforms daily from Aronimink, wash, dry and press them before returning them by the end of the day. "It’s definitely crazy, but not something that we’re scared of," said Weber. "This is obviously the biggest event that we’ve ever taken on."
The operation is run by a network of 10 women working from their own homes, not a large warehouse. "Right now we’re about 800 to 1,000 pounds of laundry every single night," said Cook. "A lot of coffee, a lot of caffeine."
By the numbers:
Lessen The Loads expects to wash between 3,000 and 5,000 pounds of laundry by the end of the week.
The team works late into the night, often not leaving until 2 a.m. and starting again at 6 a.m., according to Weber.
Cook and Weber started the company four years ago to create flexible work opportunities for women and mothers. "It was really important for us to build a company where women had flexible income opportunities," said Cook. "A lot of women choose to stay home with their children but still want to provide income for their family, and this was a way to do it."
How they landed the PGA contract
The backstory:
Cook and Weber, who are high school friends, secured the PGA Championship contract through the PGA’s VendorMatch program.
They were one of only 10 local businesses selected to work the event.
The company’s approach stands out because it relies on a network of women working from home, rather than a traditional industrial laundry setup.
The days are long for the team, with early mornings and late nights required to keep up with the demands of the tournament.
What we don't know:
The full list of other local businesses selected for the PGA Championship and details about how many staff uniforms are being processed each day have not been provided.