People in NYC are used to surprises — but one morning, commuters in Manhattan paused as an entire street was shut down outside one of the city’s historic hotels. The reason? A laundry upgrade was underway, and the Braun team had rolled into town with a mission: to install a three-roll ironer, folder and stacker system for the hotel’s laundry finishing line.
The hotel laundry processes over one-million pounds of hospitality, and food and beverage linens yearly for 140 guest rooms, 49 suites and 80 co-op residences — all with a single-shift team of about a dozen people.
This landmark building posed several challenges for the install. There were tight corridors to squeeze through, marble floors to tread carefully upon, and no standard access from which to load equipment. The demand was high, and the space was tight. That’s where Braun’s precision planning came in.
A Complex, Challenging and High-Stakes Install
Robbie Tippett, project field supervisor, G.A. Braun oversaw the project. His expertise in major installations, evaluating rigging challenges, developing logistical plans, and his unique ability to disassemble, transport and reassemble complex systems with precision made him the man for the job.
Over two years and five site visits, the Braun team engineered a meticulous plan.
“Two pieces of equipment had to be broken down into an unbelievable 16 pieces,” said Tippett. “Then we had to reassemble it using gantry cranes that we had to erect inside of the laundry.”
Each machine was broken down into sub-3,000-pound sections — the largest of which had to be craned through a fragile second-story historic window. From there, the pieces were rolled carefully across a protected marble ballroom floor and guided through narrow back hallways. Finally, the equipment was lowered down an elevator shaft using a custom-installed I-beam for controlled vertical rigging – a process requiring coordination with a third-party elevator company and inch-perfect execution.
Once in the basement, the equipment was reassembled using gantry cranes and a custom sequencing plan that maximized every inch of available space.
Despite active weddings, events, and even construction on the building’s façade, the Braun team worked around the hotel’s schedule — ensuring minimal disruption.
What was expected to take up to four weeks was finished in just two. “For this particular job, we did three days of rigging, and then the next two or three days we spent getting everything assembled, time tested and running,” said Tippett.
The installation was completed safely, efficiently, and with zero incidents. “We probably go a little overboard about safety,” said Tippett, “But you know, I’d rather be safe and have everybody go home at the end of the day.” The hotel team was “amazed” by Braun’s execution and the care, professionalism, and precision behind every project phase.
For Tippett, who’s spent his entire career building and rigging laundry equipment, this job showcased everything Braun stands for: planning, safety, respect for the customer, and getting the job done right — the first time.
By James Galeno-Budion, Written for Laundry Ledger