A second Beacon Laundry opens in Adelaide
Hot on the tail of the official launch of Beacon in Bangalow with Prime Minister Albanese, WhiteBox Enterprises have opened a second Beacon Laundry in Adelaide in collaboration with Bedford Group. This is an exciting partnership with Bedford, the second largest disability employer in Australia, to transition an existing commercial laundry to a jobs-focused social enterprise.
White Box Enterprises has joined forces with Bedford Group to transform a large-scale commercial laundry in Adelaide’s south into a jobs-focused social enterprise under the Beacon Laundry brand, creating up to 50 new jobs for South Australians who face barriers to work over the next three years.
The two organisations will work closely together to transition the existing operation into a social enterprise model. Currently, the laundry operates as a supported employment model for 24 employees who identify with a disability.
White Box Enterprises CEO and founder of Beacon Laundry, Luke Terry, said “we are thrilled to be collaborating with Bedford to bring Beacon Laundry to South Australia.”
“Transitioning supported employment businesses (ADEs) to social enterprises is something White Box has been discussing with government, funders and a number of organisations, including Bedford over the last 12 months. This collaboration gives us the rare opportunity to do this, building the case for further ADE transitions in the future,” said Mr Terry.
Bedford is the second largest employer of people with a disability in Australia. According to Bedford CEO, Myron Mann the White Box partnership aligns with Bedford’s strategy to provide more choice for people with disability and those experiencing barriers to work.
“It’s another example of Bedford pushing itself to look for new business models and partnerships to offer different pathways into open employment,” said Mr Mann.
Beacon Laundry joins Bedford’s portfolio of three open employment social enterprises which operate across a diverse range of industries including food manufacturing, landscape construction and advanced timber manufacturing.
“This partnership is so much more than simply acquiring a new brand for the laundry, it’s a complete transformation of the laundry into a best practice, jobs-focused social enterprise,”
“Bedford will continue to work closely with White Box to drive efficiencies and impact through procurement, logistics and advocacy for Adelaide’s first Beacon Laundry enterprise, which has a strong customer base across aged care, health and hospitality sectors,” said Mr Mann.
The first Beacon Laundry was officially opened in Bangalow, 15 minutes’ drive from Byron Bay in Northern NSW by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in April this year. It is the fourth jobs-focused social enterprise incubated by White Box Enterprises since 2019.
“We’re having great success with the original Beacon Laundry in Northern NSW. In less than six months we’ve created 70 jobs for people experiencing barriers to work and have over 30 new customers on our books.” said Mr Terry.
“The Beacon Laundry model focuses on people, purpose, and the planet. Its goal is to create jobs and deliver a scalable approach to open employment which generates incredible returns for individuals, the community and the economy.”
“Working with Bedford to bring the goodness of Beacon to Adelaide is something we’re all really excited about. We’d love to see a Beacon in every community,” said Mr Terry.
Visit beaconlaundry.com.au to find out more.
