About Mission Linen & Uniform Services
In the 1930s, when Max Fleischmann (of yeast fame) brought his yacht into the Santa Barbara harbor, the local laundry trucks did the sensible thing. They lined up on the dock and patiently waited for the ship to arrive so they could get their share of its dirty laundry. This approach made sense to everyone; everyone except a young man named George "Ben" Page, founder of Mission Linen.
When young Mr. Page saw Max Fleischmann's yacht come into view, he jumped into his rowboat and reached the ship before it entered the harbor. The surprised Captain, no doubt impressed by the young man's drive, invited George on board. By the time the yacht anchored, Mr. Page had closed a deal which gave Mission Linen the exclusive right to clean all of the ship's laundry, thereby shutting out all his competitors waiting at the dock.