Introduction
K-nex Corporation Limited (“K-nex”) was founded in 2012 by Mr. Kavin Nitasnajarukul and Mrs. Prissadawan Nitasnajarukul. At the beginning, the Company focused on importing industrial laundry machines to Thailand’s market and selling to hospitality industry and industrial section. In 2016, the Company expanded its market from the B2B segment to B2C segment by introducing Commercial Laundromat Business to consumer market in Thailand. By 2019, K-nex is expected to have 250 branches throughout Thailand.

Before its success, K-nex encountered a major crisis where one of its laundromats accidentally exploded and, as a result, 20 people were injured in the accident. This incident not only caused the shop to be temporarily closed but also a 15-million-baht full responsibility for those who suffered from the explosion. Despite the severe crisis, K-nex’s customers still believed that it was just an accident, based on the service standards and the credibility of the Company.

At present, K-nex aims to be a leader in creating better standards of daily laundry services in order to enhance a healthy lifestyle among Thailand’s and Southeast Asian’s community. The Company continuously develops new technology and creates a platform of self-service laundry industry, as well as establishes relationships with foreign business partners in Southeast Asian countries.

Corporate Culture
K-nex’s success is mainly due to its collaborative corporate culture and supportive company activities. In terms of corporate culture, the staff perform accordingly to the shared organisational cultures such as Integrity - Being aware of their own roles and responsible for creating a circle of Integrity; Hospitality - Being attentive to the needs of their customers; Productivity - Being results-oriented; Teamwork - Working collaboratively to achieve the goals of the Company; and Play to win - Collaborating among one another joyfully and successfully.

In order to achieve the above culture, all staff at K-nex are required to train themselves on the skills related to their professional development such as product training, customer service provision, as well as, skills that enhance their mentality. For example, all staff are sponsored by the Company to take a course named Landmark Forum which brings about permanent positive shifts in the quality of their lives.

Moreover, K-nex’s corporate social responsibility project titled ‘Otteri Care’ consists of four core activities as follows: Free Laundry Day - Once a month, one branch rotationally provides a laundry service to the poor; Disaster Recovery - This is a free laundry support for victims of natural disasters in their time of need; Wash and Dry for Donating Clothes and Dolls - This is a free laundry service for clothes and dolls which are donated to those in need; Kid’s Corner - For parents who sometimes bring their children to laundromat.

Achievements and impact
In 2018, K-nex achieved 183 million THB of gross income, which was 454.5% higher than its gross income in 2017 (33 million THB). Currently, K-nex has 50 employees (42% higher than last year), and 164 franchisees. By the end of 2019, the Company expects a total of 260 franchisees around the country. The reason behind its success is its ability to meet its customer’s needs by providing fast service, cleanness, and convenience. All facilities of K-nex are designed for industrial use, which enables each laundry machine to tackle numerous loads at once. Moreover, its facilities are modernized by integrating a ‘web-based monitoring system’ so that the customers can estimate and manage their own time more effectively. In addition, K-nex’s customers get to enjoy its lovely café-style atmosphere, free Wi-Fi service and onsite service upon request.

Future Direction
Since 2012, K-nex has been through a lot of ups and downs. However, the team has followed through its shared corporate cultures and become successful. The Company continuously places its emphasis on business growth, operations, lifestyle platform execution, as well as, delivering the best services for its customers. In 2018, K-nex has put gigantic efforts in order to successfully deliver its brand awareness. The Company aims to move forward in accordance with its five-year strategic plan from 2019 – 2023 with the goals of achieving an increased 15-20% sales growth, 1,000 local stores in 2023, expansion of its business into the Southeast Asian Region, focusing on Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar in 2019-2020, and Initial Public Offering in 2021.

In addition, Otteri will be developed into a one-stop-service laundry solution with various services to match every customers’ lifestyle such as self-services, drop-off, delivery, and laundry corner in every local community.