Paper Products: Towel Dispenser Prevents Maintenance Headache for Bayer Healthcare

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Maintenance of Bayer Healthcare’s complex of more than 65 plant and laboratory buildings on its 44-acre campus in Berkeley, Ca., could be a giant headache.

SCA Tissue and its integrated line of Tork® products keep it a manageable job for Bobby Ochse, facilities supervisor, and his staff of 35.

“We use Tork systems from SCA Tissue for our hand towels and soaps and they’ve really made life easier for me and my staff,” Ochse said.

Bayer Healthcare’s complex in Berkeley is home to many of the biopharmaceutical giant’s development, testing and manufacturing operations.

“We have about 140 Tork dispensers on site,” Ochse says. “About 100 are the Tork Matic pull-down mechanical dispensers and about 40 are the electronic touchless Tork Intuitions.”

The mix of mechanical and electronic dispensers works extremely well in the varied environments that are serviced by Ochse and his staff.

“The executive offices use the Intuitions, where creating an upscale, professional image is very important,” he says. “The Intuitions also are used in the labs, where people are putting on sterilized gowns over their street clothes and prevention of cross contamination is crucial.”

Tork Intuition dispensing systems virtually eliminate cross contamination by ensuring that patrons touch only the towel they will use. Utilizing a patented microchip sensor to detect the presence of a hand, the dispenser delivers one towel at a time while keeping other towels completely enclosed until needed.

The electronic dispenser also features an adjustable towel length of 8 inches to 24 inches, an adjustable time delay of from one to five seconds and a stub roll compartment that enables complete use of the paper rolls. The result is more precise usage control.

The Tork Matics are used in manufacturing areas, break rooms and other high-traffic environments. “The employees tend to be a little bit rougher on the dispensers in those areas because of the high use,” Ochse says. “The Tork Matics just don’t jam up.”

The Tork Matic is a portion-controlled, mechanical, touch-free towel dispensing system designed for high-traffic restrooms and industrial settings. The Tork Matic consistently delivers one pull-down towel at a time, every time, and users touch only their own towel.

An automatic paper feeding mechanism makes the dispenser easy to load and saves time. And the 700-foot-roll capacity further cuts maintenance costs by reducing the need for roll changes.

Ochse, who switched to Tork systems in late 2006, says both dispensers are highly reliable and both have the kind of controlled usage features that he expects to pay dividends in supply savings. “I think we’re going to save a lot of money this year,” he says.

One labor saving benefit of switching was immediately apparent. The same hardwound roll towels can be used in both the Tork Matic and Tork Intuition dispensing systems.

“When I came here in 2005, they were using two different towels for two different machines,” Ochse says. “It’s a big site and my staff doesn’t have electric carts, so they’d have to go over to a building, take inventory, get two different types of towels and remember which building gets what. It was just an unnecessary headache.”

Ochse says Mike Modesti, SCA Tissue rep, and Pete Farrugia, CleanSource distributor rep, showed him a better way. “Having to order and stock just one SKU has been a lifesaver,” he says.

The quality of towel has been another advantage in switching to SCA Tissue products, Ochse says. He uses the Tork Plus towel, SCA Tissue’s best-in-class hardwound towel, which is designed to deliver superior thickness, softness and absorbency.

“The quality of towel is so much better than what we were using, it’s incredible,” he says. “The old paper towels didn’t pick up anything. They would just spread the water around. The Tork towels really pick up the water and moisture.”

Increased hygiene, superior product performance and easier servicing are all major reasons for Ochse’s satisfaction with SCA Tissue and CleanSource. Outstanding customer service has been the icing on the cake.

“The service Mike Modesti and Pete Farrugia gave me, even before I was under contract, was phenomenal,” Ochse says. “Anytime I needed anything, even if it wasn’t a product that they carried, they would help me find alternatives. I can’t say enough about those guys.”