1975
Founding
The Company was founded by Roger Waistell to supply a wide range of hotel products, principally to the Carribean. Having been made redundant from a travel business servicing the hospitality industry, Roger saw this as an opportunity to utilise his skills and knowledge of the market to continue working in a sector he loved. He called his company Hotel-E-Quip.
1976 – 1988
Early Growth
Over the following years, Roger built an enviable reputation for service and quality. He loved to provide that ‘personal touch’ and became a well-known and popular figure in the hotel industry, both at home and abroad.
1989 — 1994
Expansion
Having started to develop the linen side of the business, it became apparent that this was a growing market with huge potential. In 1989, Roger formed a sister company to complement the existing business. Exclusive Linens focused on supplying the UK 4 and 5-star hotel market with high-end linen and towels, sourced mainly in Europe.
1995 — 2008
Continued Growth
Roger’s son, Charles Waistell, joined the company with a view to expanding the customer base. He worked to develop relationships with the high-volume linen rental companies and simultaneously started developing the supply base with mills worldwide. Coming from an engineering background, Charles had a keen sense for accuracy and quality. He used this knowledge to develop close business relationships with the mills, with a view to improving all aspects of the products and supply chain.
As the business expanded, the Company outgrew its original premises and moved to a new location with larger offices and warehousing in Southdown, Harpenden. Roger and Charles continued to develop the business, building a team to take on Sales, Purchasing, Warehousing, Technical Development and Customer Services as the company saw a steady growth.
2009 — 2012
Increasing focus on quality
Charles took over the full running of the company in 2009. Focussing strongly on quality control and technical expertise, the company continued to increase turnover year on year.
To support this growth, the Company invested more and more in textile research with the introduction of a range of cutting-edge testing equipment into the facility.
2013 — Present
Onwards and upwards
As product lines and stock increased, the Company expanded to take over three units at its Harpenden location, eventually outgrowing the site. In December 2013, Exclusive Linens moved to its current location in Bedfordshire with larger offices and purpose-built warehousing. The company is now set to continue moving forward and is well set to service the needs of its clients well into the future.