Speed Queen is a laundry machine manufacturer headquartered in Ripon, Wisconsin, United States. Speed Queen is a subsidiary of Alliance Laundry Systems LLC, which billed itself as the world's largest manufacturer of commercial laundry equipment as of 2004.

Products

Speed Queen makes a large variety of residential and commercial products, from 25 lb-capacity tumblers to 250 lb washer-extractors, as well as dryers. Its commercial machines are a popular brand for laundromats, apartment buildings, and hotels.

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, it switched production to support the war effort, manufacturing 20 mm shells, and parts for airplanes, tanks and guns. Later, it was sold to McGraw-Edison Company (which also owned Eskimo fans and Toastmaster), and then to Raytheon, in 1979. In 1998, Raytheon Commercial Laundry sold the brand to Alliance Laundry Systems.

Speed Queen Ireland

Speed Queen Ireland provides cheap and easy self-service laundrettes around the Republic of Ireland