Monarch Linen & Uniform
Monarch Linen & Uniform Rental was established in 1956 by Tom and Juhne Shultz on the West side of South Bend, IN. After Tom's passing Robert Shultz stepped in to help his Mother run the business, eventually becoming President of the company. Robert continues to run the business today with his brother Tom Shultz who leads the maintenance department.
Monarch processes over 100,000 pounds of linen, mats and uniforms each week and delivers to businesses of all sizes throughout the South Bend area. General Manager Rob Burt gave us a window into the operation.
While living on Wilber Street during 2015 I drove past Monarch's shops each morning on the way to work. The shops are older, so I wasn't sure that they were in use until I noticed workers pushing carts of laundry across the street between buildings. This consistent sign of a new day has become one of my favorite sights along Lincoln Way West.
It wasn't until this past summer that I stopped to photograph the shops exterior and ended up meeting one of the owners. One shot of the main sign from that day was included in my installation for The Birdsell Project's Summer 2016 Residency.
“We’re the local guy. We feel strongly about keeping the dollars in the area”
