Meet Our Team
Stephen Miller
Vice President & General Manager
Mr. Miller joined Victor Kramer Company in 1986 and assumed the leadership role in 2018. During his 30-years with the firm, Mr. Miller has been deeply involved in hospitality and healthcare laundry projects to analyze and improve operations, to conduct economic feasibility and market studies, to examine options for future service, to develop and implement strategic plans and to design and construct new, renovated and/or expanded laundry facilities.
Steve has played a key role in the company’s growth by advancing linen control systems and the concept of InSourcing to reduce costs and maintain control over production, quality and service. As lead consultant or project manager, he has served a wide range of clients in the United States and internationally including: Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide, Fairmont, Four Seasons, Loews Hotels, Mount Sinai Healthcare System, Portland Hospital Services, Northwell Health, Florida Hospital System, Atlantis Paradise Island, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, University of Notre Dame, Unilever, and New Zealand Ministry of Health.
Mr. Miller earned his B.S. at the University of Connecticut where he earned a soccer scholarship and, as luck would have it, worked part-time in the athletic department laundry.
Ian Bigelow
Vice President, Facilities Engineering and Construction Services
Mr. Bigelow serves as Vice President of Facilities Engineering and Construction Services for Victor Kramer Company. He has been the design and build team leader for two Crothall state-of-the-art laundry facilities in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Manteca, California–the first such facilities ever to achieve LEED certification in the laundry industry. He has served as Project Manager for several laundry renovations including the Ritz Carlton Naples and Marriott San Antonio RiverCenter. In his role, Ian is responsible for the planning, design and implementation of capital projects, utility acquisition, facility retrofitting, HLAC Accreditation, and TRSA Certification programs.
Ian has authored 15 manuals outlining best practice operations for multiple disciplines in the support services industry. He serves on the TRSA Production Task Force and is a member of ARTA’s Board of Directors. He graduated from The University of Utah with an undergraduate degree in Theatre Education and Production Design and earned a master’s degree in Architecture (also at The University of Utah).
W. Russell Watson
Senior Consultant/Operations Specialist
Russell has been with the company since January 2011 in a variety of roles including Senior Regional Operations Director of the Crothall Hospitality Laundry Division. Previously, Russell worked over eight years at Angelica Corporation, a provider of textile rental services to hospitals, clinics and long-term care facilities. While there, he held the positions of Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Strategy, Vice President Operations and Vice President Business Development, leading key acquisitions and operational improvement initiatives. Prior to joining Angelica, he worked for National Linen Service and its parent company, National Service Industries, for 13 years in various financial and operations roles including Assistant Treasurer and Vice President Six Sigma.
Russell holds an MBA-Finance degree from Georgia State University and a BBA-Accounting degree from the University of Georgia.
Sam Nolder
Senior Consultant
Sam has been a valuable member of VKCo’s management team for 6 years and has worked in the laundry industry for 25 years. At VKCo, he has served in numerous complex consulting assignments for hospitals and hotels throughout the United States, the Caribbean, and internationally.
Mr. Nolder devised operational and reporting systems and procedures for productive, cost-efficient laundry service. He has in-depth experience in all areas of laundry operations and hospital linen control systems. Prior to joining VKCo, Mr. Nolder, during the period of 2003 through 2010, was General Manager of FDR Services, Front Royal, Virginia and Alsco, Portsmouth, Virginia. Prior to enter the laundry industry Sam worked in the waste disposal industry.
Sam is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh.
Tim Scott
Senior Consultant/Operations Specialist
Mr. Scott gained his experience as a performance-driven leader with Ritz Carlton Hotels and Resorts. Tim excelled as a hands-on operator of a multi-unit laundry with outstanding guest and staff satisfaction scores. He is versed in all aspects of the operation that includes production standards, utilities usage and conservation, equipment repair and maintenance, washroom chemistry, scheduling, budgeting, and linen inventory and control systems.
Since becoming part of the VKCo Team, Tim has started-up several of the company’s hospitality accounts. As an operations specialist, he develops and mentors managers and helps implement operational systems. Mr. Scott graduated from Johnson and Wales University with a degree in Hotel Management and has completed several hospitality and technical classes and programs.
Karen Schneider
Senior Consultant/Operations Specialist
Ms. Schneider joined the company in 2008 as the on-site Laundry Manager at the Ritz Carlton South Beach under one of the company’s first InSourcing accounts. After exceeding the expectations of her client, Karen’s skill as a “turn-around” and “start-up” expert quickly came in demand. She presently oversees and supports new and existing hospitality accounts including the JW Marriott Grande Lakes shared laundry, several Ritz-Carlton properties including Westchester, Charlotte as well as the Four Seasons St. Louis and Westin Kierland. Prior to joining the company, Karen served as the laundry manager for a luxury boutique hotel. Ms. Schneider first entered the industry as the owner of dry cleaning business that catered to hotels. Karen has served on industry Task Force Teams and is well-versed in human resources, employee training, OSHA compliance and production methods and procedures.
Support Team
VKCo’s staff members have backgrounds in industrial engineering, fabrics, wash-room chemistry, nursing, business administration, finance, computer science, laundry & dry cleaning management, and the like, and are supported by a technical and office staff which includes engineers, systems analysts, draftsmen, statisticians, researchers, report writers, specialists in material handling and machinery systems, washing technology, textiles, government regulations and compliance, total quality management, sales and marketing, management and employee training, and safety and motivation. VKCo’s team members are individuals who have distinguished themselves and earned their credentials in the laundry industry.
In addition to VKCo’s full-time team members, we can draw upon Crothall’s professional resources, as needed for various consulting projects, including nearly 100 General and Plant Managers, Operational and Textile Specialist, Engineers and Mechanics, Human Resource Directors, and Accountants.