Speed Queen

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For the comic character, see Speed Queen (comics). For the boat, see Speed Queen (boat).

Speed Queen is a laundry machine manufacturer headquartered in Ripon, Wisconsin, USA. Speed Queen is a subsidiary of Alliance Laundry Systems, the largest commercial laundry machine manufacturer in North America.^{[citation needed]} They make a large variety of products, from 25 pound capacity tumblers to 250 pound washer-extractors, as well as dryers. Their commercial machines are a popular brand for laundromats, apartment buildings, and hotels.

[edit] History

The company was founded in 1908 by Joe Barlow and John Seelig as Barlow & Seelig Manufacturing. They got their start by taking existing machine designs and improving them. In 1922, Speed Queen was the first company to introduce washers with nickel-copper tubs. The brand name "Speed Queen" was created in 1928. During World War II, they switched production to support the war effort, manufacturing 20 mm shells, and parts for airplanes, tanks and guns. In 1998, Raytheon Commercial Laundry, owners of the Speed Queen brand, was sold to Alliance Laundry Systems^[1].