Tom Benson

Link: http://www.standingupforillinois.org/feature.php?id=176

            Tom Benson doesn�t complain about the summer heat. In fact, he thrives on it. Benson is the proud owner of the �World�s Largest Laundromat,� a 50-year-old Berwyn institution boasting the largest commercial solar hot water system in Illinois � not to mention 153 washers, 148 dryers and 15 flat-screen TV�s.

 

            Benson�s innovative self-service laundry facility uses 36 rooftop solar panels to channel the energy of the sun. These panels provide clean, renewable energy to heat the laundromat�s water. The innovative system was paid for in part by state funds.

 

            The World�s Largest Laundromat is truly a business built on persistence and community spirit. On August 29, 2004, the original World�s Largest Laundromat was destroyed in a fire. The next day, Benson vowed to rebuild the business that had become an integral part of the community. Today, the World�s Largest Laundromat is bigger and better, standing as a shining example of the way small businesses can use All-American energy to reduce our dependency on foreign sources of energy.