On a busy Sunday afternoon, laundromat owner Paul Pettefer found himself facing a problem all too familiar to operators: a leak behind the washers. In a rush to shut off the water, he attempted to leap onto the machines to get over the traditional bulkhead and reach the plumbing. The result was a dislocated kneecap and a painful realization: there had to be a better way.
“I didn’t want to fix a leak that day – I wanted to be with my family,” Pettefer said. “And while I was lying on the floor, waiting for the ambulance, I wasn’t thinking about the pain. I was thinking about how to never end up in this situation again.”
That moment of frustration and clarity gave rise to Freedom Bulkheads, a new solution designed to eliminate the crawling, climbing and contorting typically required to access utilities behind washers.
Instead of working around outdated design limitations, Freedom Bulkheads reimagined how laundromat owners interact with the most important part of their store – the machines.
A Walkable Platform, Designed for Efficiency and Safety
Freedom Bulkheads allows operators to walk upright behind the washer rows via a clean, elevated platform with no hoses or wires underfoot. With utility access located on the sides – not overhead or underneath – owners can service equipment safely, quickly and without damaging machines or risking injury.
“Imagine being able to shut off a leaking water line in 60 seconds instead of crawling through a maze of wires and hoses,” Pettefer said. “Our design gives owners the ability to work smarter, while also creating a better environment for their guests.”
The platform system also eliminates the need for oversized, sight-blocking bulkheads. By keeping the utility zone compact and accessible, stores can open up more floor space, improve sightlines and shift the focus back where it belongs: on the washers.
Born from Experience, Built for the Industry
Pettefer has been in the laundromat business since 2004, when he purchased his first two 5,000-square-foot stores. After years of remodeling, repowering and building new locations from the ground up, he developed a strong perspective on what works – and what doesn’t – in store design.
“I’ve talked to countless owners who share the same frustration I’ve had: crawling through bulkheads or denting machines just trying to get access during installation or maintenance,” he said. “We’ve accepted this way of doing things as normal, but it doesn’t have to be.”
The early iterations of Freedom Bulkheads were field-tested in his own stores, with each new build bringing refinements in structure, durability and usability. Even setbacks, like the destruction of Pettefer’s Westlake, La., store during Hurricane Laura in 2020, became opportunities to rethink and rebuild better.
“We call our first version Mark 1. It didn’t have a walkable platform yet, but it showed us what was possible. Today, the system is durable, easy to maintain, and tailored to the way laundromats actually operate,” said Pettefer.
A Practical and Beautiful Upgrade
In addition to functionality, Freedom Bulkheads offers visual and spatial benefits. With a compact 24-inch footprint and customizable height, operators can design stores with a cleaner, more spacious feel. The covers are designed to be sleek and durable, while optional hose adapters ensure plumbing connections stay functional and out of sight, even when the bulkhead sits below the washer height.
“People spend a lot of time and money trying to cover up traditional bulkheads,” Pettefer said. “Our system makes the bulkhead blend into the background and puts the focus on the washers – right where it should be.”
Built by an Operator, for Operators
Freedom Bulkheads are now being installed in laundromats across the country, including for operators like Joe Dan Reed of Splash ‘Em Out Laundromats in Kentucky and the Williford Brothers in North Carolina. With each new project, Pettefer and his team bring the same commitment to freedom, simplicity and performance that launched the product in the first place.
“If you’ve ever crawled through wires and hoses, wondering what might short out next, you know what we’re talking about,” Pettefer said. “We didn’t get into this business to crawl. We got into it to build great stores, serve our guests and build better lives.”
