This year, Dexter Laundry, Inc. is proud to celebrate 130 years of business, helping people and companies all over the world process laundry faster and more efficiently.
Dexter’s journey began in the tiny town of Dexter, Iowa in 1894, the era of hand-powered wringer washers. As wringer washers gained popularity, Dexter founder W.H. George realized he could improve upon the existing designs and capabilities. He wanted to provide customers with an affordable laundry solution that would withstand the test of time.
As the years went on, the Dexter business grew quickly in size and prestige. When it outgrew its space in Dexter, George looked for a new location and new partners, and he found what he was looking for in Fairfield.
Fairfield was a rural town with a growing population and both an east-west and a north-south railroad for shipping and receiving goods and materials. A group of businessmen, led by L.O. Gains and R.D. Hunt, saw the company’s potential and raised the $10,000 needed to purchase it. The purchase agreement was signed August 10, 1911, ground was broke for a new plant, and Dexter moved to Fairfield in 1912.
As our journey progressed through the century, we manufactured many types of laundry equipment. Our wooden hand-powered wringer washers gave way to single and twin tub wringer washers made of zinc, copper and porcelain. These washers featured a variety of power options, including belts, steam, gas and electricity. Around mid-century, Dexter began to manufacture top-load and front-load laundry equipment for both the home and commercial market. These machines were the precursors to the home and commercial laundry equipment we are all familiar with today. A couple of decades later, we restructured our product offering and began focusing solely on commercial laundry products.
More than a century later, we are still proud to call Fairfield home. Today, Dexter is an employee-owned company, and employs over 230 people who design, engineer, and manufacture our products from start to finish. We offer a complete line of washers, dryers, and management systems for laundromat owners and managers across the globe. With an emphasis on quality and a refusal to compromise, we have flourished and grown into a premier brand and leader in the vended and on-premise laundry industries.
While our company and products have evolved over the years, we haven’t forgotten our roots. Our Dexter horse icon logo reminds us of our champion namesake and symbolizes our dedication to performance, unmatched strength, unrivaled endurance and loyalty to
our Dexter customers. Additionally, we wouldn’t be where we are today if it weren’t for the vision created by the people before us. We look forward to continuing on our Dexter legacy while WOWing our customers and supporting the Fairfield community for another 130 years.
