Casino Hits Jackpot when PRIDE Industries Outperforms Previous Provider
Thunder Valley Casino Resort is a AAA Four-Diamond premier destination resort in Lincoln, California. This world-class facility includes a 17-story luxury hotel with 408 rooms and 46 suites, as well as a large banquet and entertainment hall, meeting rooms, bars, a pool, a full-service spa, and a gift shop.
Situation
As the region’s premier luxury hotel and casino, Thunder Valley hosts 3.1 million guests annually. With this high number of guests comes an equally high volume of laundry. When the resort first opened, it was sending its linens to a laundry facility 90 miles away, incurring significant transportation costs.
In 2019, Thunder Valley built an in-house laundry facility to improve quality control and eliminate transportation time and costs. The new 6,000‑square‑foot facility would handle 1,000 pounds of laundry each hour, and to successfully operate it, the casino needed to supplement its workforce with staff that could reliably handle a high work volume.
Solution
Thunder Valley turned to PRIDE Industries for a winning staffing solution—work teams that each consist of three people with developmental disabilities and one employment coach. Now, 30 PRIDE Industries employees—including 23 with a disability—wash, dry, and fold more than 10,000 pounds of laundry every day, helping Thunder Valley deliver the exceptional guest experience that the casino resort is known for.
Because of the staffing success in its laundry, in 2024 Thunder Valley expanded its partnership with PRIDE Industries to include auto-detailing services for its fleet of limousines, vans, and other vehicles. This work is also performed by PRIDE Industries work teams, bringing the total number of PRIDE Industries employees at Thunder Valley to 52, including 38 employees with a disability.
Services Provided
- In-house daily laundry services
- Vehicle cleaning and detailing
- Recruiting
Results
- >10,000 pounds of laundry washed, dried, and folded per day
- 6,000-pound volume increase over the previous laundry service provider
- Reduced environmental footprint due to the elimination of laundry shipping
- 58 cars, vans, buses, and golf carts cleaned every week
- Skilled and reliable employees with low turnover
- An increased appreciation for a diverse and inclusive workforce
Highlights
>10,000
pounds of laundry cleaned per day
58
vehicles cleaned per week
38
employees with a documented disability
“PRIDE Industries has been an important partner of Thunder Valley for many years, and the individuals working in our laundry operations and fleet services are a valued part of the Thunder Valley team. Their professionalism, dedication, and positive attitude help create the level of service our guests experience throughout the property every day. This partnership reflects something very important to all of us at Thunder Valley, creating meaningful opportunities and recognizing the talents and contributions of every individual.”