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.