American Coin-Op - November 2017

GO BIG AND GO HOME

Offering customers the ability to do bigger loads using large-capacity equipment can help decrease turnover and reduce the number of loads each has to do. We speak to some laundry owners who’ve enjoyed success by encouraging customers to do their entire laundry in one or two machines instead of several.

COIN-OP 101: BIGGER CAPACITY

CAN DELIVER FAR BIGGER RESULTS

The bottom line, says distributor rep Bill Kelson, is that stores offering bigger equipment can tout greater time savings and no more trips to the laundry to find all the machines in use.

GOIN’ WITH COHEN: REACHING NEW HEIGHTS

Laurance Cohen visits Indianapolis, home of Navil Manzur and his mammoth Indyland II Laundromat that covers a mind-boggling 18,000 square feet.

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As employee-owners, our success depends on your success. Our focus in every product we build and every service we provide is to make you successful and satisfied.

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SOMETHING BIG TO TELL YOU

Charles Thompson, Publisher

E-mail: cthompson@ATMags.com Phone: 312-361-1680

Donald Feinstein, Associate Publisher/ National Sales Director

E-mail: dfeinstein@ATMags.com Phone: 312-361-1682

Bruce Beggs, Editorial Director

E-mail: bbeggs@ATMags.com Phone: 312-361-1683

Roger Napiwocki, Production

Manager

Nathan Frerichs, Digital Media Director

E-mail: nfrerichs@ATMags.com Phone: 312-361-1681

ADVISORY BOARD

Kurt Archer Ann Hawkins

For this penultimate edition of American Coin-Op for 2017, I’ve got some really big stories to share. I mean B-I-G.

I’ve got a handful of articles about offering and promoting the use of large-capacity equipment in your self-service laundry, and how an Indianapolis man runs one of the largest Laundromats in the country.

Beginning on page 8 is Go Big and Go Home, my story detailing how several laundry owners around the country use and rely on large-capacity equipment in their operations. When time is at a premium, there’s something attractive about having the ability to do one’s entire laundry in a single 80- or 90-pounder instead of a bunch of smaller washers.

Building on that concept is distributor rep Bill Kelson, whose Coin-Op 101 column on page 12 suggests that by adding largercapacity equipment, store owners have something new to talk about in marketing and when customers come in.

Besides the greater capacity, Kelson mentions shorter cycles and fewer bottlenecks in the store. It’s more attractive for customers, and it increases the potential for more turns.

And in Laurance Cohen’s Goin’ with Cohen column, you’ll meet Navil Manzur and tour his Indyland II Laundromat—all 18,000 square feet of it. But that’s not all: Under the same roof of his oneacre structure is a 14,000-square-foot rental banquet hall and a soon-to-be-completed full-service, six-pump gas station with food mart and carryout chicken franchise.

Plus, there are plenty of other stories and content that’ll grab your interest. You’re going to have a big ol’ time! •

Laundry owners, I need you! ... To tell me your craziest (funniest) customer service story. I’m putting together a special feature called Customer Crazies for the December issue. Please share a brief story with me today: e-mail bbeggs@atmags.com. I’d love to hear from you by Nov. 10. Thanks!

Bruce Beggs Editorial Director

Wayne Lewis Kathryn Q. Rowen

OFFICE INFORMATION

Main: 312-361-1700

SUBSCRIPTIONS

630-739-0900 x100 www.AmericanCoinOp.com

American Coin-Op (ISSN 0092-2811) is published monthly. Subscription prices, payment in advance: U.S., 1 year $46.00; 2 years $92.00. Foreign, 1 year $109.00; 2 years $218.00. Single copies $9.00 for U.S., $18.00 for all other countries. Published by American Trade Magazines LLC, 566 West Lake Street, Suite 420, Chicago, IL 60661. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER, Send changes of address and form 3579 to American Coin-Op, Subscription Dept., 440 Quadrangle Drive, Suite E, Bolingbrook, IL 60440. Volume 58, number 11. Editorial, executive and advertising offices are at 566 West Lake Street, Suite 420, Chicago, IL 60661. Charles Thompson, President and Publisher. American Coin-Op is distributed selectively to owners, operators and managers of chain and individually owned coin-operated laundry establishments in the United States. The publisher reserves the right to reject any advertising for any reason.

© Copyright AMERICAN TRADE MAGAZINES LLC, 2017. Printed in U.S.A. No part of this publication may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher or his representative. American Coin-Op does not endorse, recommend or guarantee any article, product, service or information found within. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of American Coin-Op or its staff. While precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the magazine’s contents at time of publication, neither the editors, publishers nor its agents can accept responsibility for damages or injury which may arise therefrom.

Bruce Beggs

AT LEAST WE’RE NOT COMPETING WITH AMAZON

Utilities continue to increase while vend prices remain stagnant. Twenty years ago, the cost of a top loader was under $400—almost the price of a motor in 2017. Rents are rising, competition is increasing, and new apartment complexes are being built with in-unit washing machines and dryers. Laundromats are generally low-margin businesses that rely on maintaining low monthly expenses. And, at times, it seems like costs are rising faster than revenue growth.

I have heard it said that Laundromats have a guaranteed return of 25% or that they are completely recession-proof. While I hate to be the bearer of bad news, these statements cannot possibly be true.

While Laundromats do have the potential of generating fantastic returns, like all other businesses, they are susceptible to new competition, large rent increases and other business risks. And in an economic downturn, the business can potentially struggle. In California, a recession causes construction to slow, and when building slows, construction workers leave the state to look for work elsewhere. Many of these workers are Laundromat customers.

Despite these seemingly large obstacles, as I consider the health of the laundry industry relative to other businesses, I am pleased and bullish. Whether you operate a Laundromat in Boise or Buffalo, you will be hard-pressed to find another business with the security Laundromats have enjoyed over the past 20 years.

Radio Shack is long gone, and I will be shocked if Sears doesn’t follow suit. Traditional retailers are going out of business at an alarming rate. While some Laundromats have closed, and net income may be down from its peak, this industry is around to stay for three main reasons:

1. This business serves a basic need. People will always need clean clothes and they will need a washer and dryer to accomplish this task. Additionally, large-capacity washers and dryers allow customers to wash their clothes in a fraction of the time and for a fraction of the cost they would spend in their apartment laundry room. After food and shelter, clean clothes follows closely behind as a basic necessity. This business is not a fad.

2. We are relatively insulated from increasing labor costs. While we certainly feel the rising costs at times, we are more protected than nearly all other businesses. Grab a Subway sandwich and observe the number of employees it requires to

serve customers at peak hours. Get your automobile cleaned at a full-service car wash and count the workers — you will find a clerk, someone pumping gas, a service tech, and a bevy of people washing and cleaning cars. These businesses must deal with rising employee costs, workers’ compensation issues, and the headaches of scheduling, covering shifts, etc.

Most Laundromats, to the contrary, require only one attendant at a time, and generally for only a portion of the day. In an increasing-labor-cost environment, Laundromat owners only feel this increase across a single employee, which is much more manageable than across an entire team.

3. Most importantly, we are not competing with Amazon. I cannot stress to you how important it is that our business cannot be replaced with technology. There are countless other industries that were flourishing within the last decade and have been virtually annihilated by Amazon or other large tech companies.

Are you concerned about apps that will allow pickup and drop-off laundry service? While this is certainly inevitable, it will constitute a small segment of the total household laundry being done for years to come. In most parts of the country, a customer can do 60 pounds of wash and dry in a Laundromat for around $10 (about 15 cents per pound). The price for the same laundry to be picked up, washed, dried, folded and dropped off would be a minimum of $90 ($1.50 a pound). This difference of around 10 times is too great to significantly cut into Laundromat revenue.

In conclusion, we should complain about problems with this industry. We should be upset with the local water company for raising rates. We should scream at the top of our lungs when we get sued for a slip and fall. And we can get annoyed that our returns are not as good as they once were. But, we should also not give up.

We should evolve and improve the customer experience. We can’t be mad that we don’t have as many customers as we had 10 years ago if our equipment hasn’t been replaced in 30 years. You need to spend money to make money, and just know that as difficult as some of your problems are, we should also be thankful that we are in a business that is insulated, stable, and will exist for decades to come.

Brad Steinberg PWS – The Laundry Company

ANDGOHOME

by Bruce Beggs, Editorial Director

Larger-capacity equipment means bigger loads, less turnover

Offering customers the ability to do bigger loads using large-capacity equipment can help decrease turnover and reduce the number of loads each has to do. While washers and dryers in the 20- to 40-pound range still make up a significant share of equipment in Laundromats today, it’s not unusual to see a few machines twice that size or larger in the same equipment mix.

Indeed, when time is at a premium, there’s something very attractive about having the ability to do one’s entire laundry in one big machine instead of a bunch of smaller ones.

Ed Ellis, with wife Rachael, co-owns 1 Clean Laundry in St. Cloud, Fla., a “bedroom community of Orlando” with a population of around 48,000. Their store opened in June 2015.

When the couple purchased an existing store that had gone out of business in a local shopping center, they had it remodeled floor to ceiling and installed Speed Queen equipment. The mix includes washers from 20 to 80 pounds and dryer

pockets from 30 to 75 pounds.

“I think the biggest machine he had in there was a 40-pounder,” Ellis recalls. “We put in one 80-pounder, which was my mistake. I should have put in two 80-pounders.”

The 80-pounder “is probably the most popular machine in the store. We’re entirely networked, a card or coin store, so I can easily run the numbers.”

After a few mouse clicks into his ESD payment system, Ellis proclaims that in September, the 80-pounder had 79 washes by coin and 69 by credit card. “It’s doing five turns a day.”

1 Clean Laundry actively promotes having the largest vended laundry equipment in its community.

“They can do so much at one time, at one go, that it actually saves them money,” Ellis says of the customers who use the larger machines. “The 80-pounder vends at $9. If they used double loaders, they’d have to use four of them at $2.50 each, so they save a dollar.”

And it’s not unusual for a customer to put three or four comforters in the

80-pounder. They couldn’t do that many in smaller machines, he says, “and they definitely couldn’t do them in their home machines.”

“I know when they’ve tried to wash them at home, especially if it’s downfilled, because they’ll come into the store with this leaking bag,” Ellis says, chuckling, “with a heavy comforter in it that just wrecked their home machine.”

Dave Avenarius owns three stores in the Glenville and Ballston Spa communities in New York state. His two Cunningham’s Laundromats utilize large-capacity equipment, the vast majority of it being Dexter brand.

“I see a ton of people coming in to get all of their stuff done on a Saturday,” he says. “We’ve got two eight-load machines, and you’ve got 16 loads of laundry, while on the home side, you’re 40 to 50 pounds, an hour to wash and another hour to dry for a strong single (load) or even a double, whatever you can get done at home. It eats up a whole Saturday.

“They’ll take an 80 (pounder) and put the whole king sheets, comforter, pillows,

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

the whole nine yards in there.”

When the decision was made to build a new store from scratch in Glenville, population 29,480, in 2010, there were things that Avenarius didn’t like about another store that he wanted to change in the new one. One aspect was the equipment mix, opting to go with larger-capacity models while offering fewer 30-pounders.

“Looking back, I would have cut back on the 30s on washers and added more 40s, because those are the ones that get used,” he says. “I would have put three more stacks of 50s in instead of 30-pound pockets.”

Armed with that knowledge, when it came time to rehab another store, he went big.

“I could see that was the way to go. When we revamped (the original) Ballston Spa (store in 2012), we put in 80-pound dryers, 50-pound stacks, two 80-pound washers and two 60-pound washers” plus replaced some older equipment with eight 40-pounders.

“It’s quite a larger mix in Ballston than we’re used to. People just kept gravitating to that bigger machine.”

Cunningham’s vends its 80-pound washers at $8.75 in Ballston Spa and $9 in Glenville.

“Based on a $2 top-load washer, that’s like $1.09 a load. You know, it’s like half-price. I get the customers that walk in and first thing they see are the big machines and they say, ‘Omigod, you’re an overpriced Laundromat. Since we’re unattended, it’s difficult, but other customers let people know, and slowly they do know.

“That’s 80 pounds of dry product. This is an on-premises style of machine, introduced to the vended laundry only maybe five years ago. We were the first in Saratoga County with those 80-pounders. We put signage up just to exploit that.

“People who understand pack those freakin’ things and get the job done.”

Jock Jouvenat’s Value Clean Laundromat in Roseburg, Ore., opened in May 2001. Through the years, Jouvenat gradually increased Value Clean’s laundry capacity, both by adding Dexter machines for general use, as well as behind the counter when he established a drop-off laundry service.

First were three stack 50-pound dryers. Then came an 80-pound OPL dryer behind the counter for drop-off laundry service. When Jouvenat discovered the

75-pound washers he wanted to acquire were no longer being made, he took his distributor’s advice and purchased two 90-pounders instead. The high-capacity washers fit within the existing space.

“We have received nothing but glowing reviews from our customers, who love how their laundry comes out virtually dry, which means they spend less total time doing laundry,” Jouvenat said in a story published last year.

The larger machines are aesthetically and operationally pleasing, he adds, plus he likes the extra capacity because it means that drop-off laundry doesn’t get held up in the queue for one of the 75-pounders.

Miguel Beckles owns three stores in greater Atlanta: two in Marietta and one in Buckhead, an affluent uptown district. He’s been in the laundry business only about 2½ years, coming from a background in marketing and brand management.

When the Buckhead store he now owns was originally built in 1999, the surrounding area was low-income in nature. Store investment was lacking and equipment was not well-maintained, he says.

But after the Great Recession, Buckhead began to gentrify and phase out lowincome housing. With condominiums and an upscale supermarket under development nearby, Beckles took advantage of the opportunity and bought the location.

Beckles felt the store was too cluttered: “Before I remodeled, the (equipment) mix was 40 washers, and it was 20 20-pound washers, 10 30-pound washers, and 10 50-pound washers. The dryer mix before was two 75-pound dryers and 38 30-pound dryers.”

When he put in all-new Speed Queen equipment connected by a SpyderWash payment system, he reduced the total number of machines. Today, the Buckhead store features 28 washers with capacities of 20, 30, 40, 50 or 80 pounds, and 28 dryers with capacities of 30, 45 or 75 pounds.

“The customer who comes into my store with 100, 200 pounds of laundry, I never want them to (have to) wait.

“The higher-income person gravitates to the bigger washers, even if they have 20 pounds (to wash),” Beckles says. “I would say the upper middle class, male or female, no matter what, they like the bigger machines.”

At Joe Basile’s Lantana, Fla., store called The Laundry Tub, there are 38 washers and 46 dryers in a variety of capacities. But it’s not unusual for customers to wait in line to use Basile’s biggest machines, two 90-pound Continental ExpressWash washers.

“The 90s we have found to be very popular, especially on the weekends when we’re busy,” Basile says. “People want to get in and get out, and the amount of clothes they can handle is considerable.”

The large machines are centrally located and get lots of attention from passersby.

“When you look into the store when coming from either the east or the west, you get visibility from the middle of the store, which would be the two 90s. They’re right dead middle of the store.”

Does he promote the larger equipment in some way?

“They speak for themselves. Other than a mailing before we opened (June 2015), we have not done any marketing or advertising for the store. It’s a lot of word of mouth. A lot of people talk about the store, how clean it is, how friendly the people that work there are, how well the machines work, and how they’re in and out of there in less than an hour.”

It’s common for laundry owners to offer mid-week or off-hour specials, and Basile is no different. But there are certain machines that are never discounted.

“Everything in the store, when I do a special, which is off-hours, the middle of the day, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, the only machines that do not get discounted are those 90-pound machines,” he says. “Those are $15 per cycle.”

Hindsight is always 20-20, and Basile says that knowing what he knows now, he would double the number of largecapacity washers offered.

“If I built another store, I would have four of them,” Basile says. “I’ve had as many as 14 turns in a day (on one of the 90s). People were going out and coming back later. If we had been giving out numbers, they would have taken one.” ACO

“They can do so much at one time, at one go, that it actually saves them money.”

—Ed Ellis, 1 Clean Laundry

It’s a scene that plays out in vended laundries across the country. That regular customer lugs several bags of clothing into the store, sets a bottle of detergent on the counter, and begins to stake out a row of top-load washers. Two, three, sometimes four machines are occupied by one customer.

The scene likely brings a smile to the owner’s face. Heck, one customer has three or four machines in use, so why shouldn’t they be smiling? More machines in use means more revenue, which leads to more profit.

Ahhh, the top-load washer. The mainstay of our business. So much so that many dated laundries still rely on them to carry the volume of the wash cycles. Today’s more modern facilities, however, are reducing their numbers and relying more on large-capacity machines.

GIVE THEM SOMETHING NEW

The easiest sell on large-capacity machines is that by adding them, store owners now have something new to talk about in marketing and when customers come in.

Extra capacity for your customers translates quite simply into time savings. Your customers want to get in and out quickly. The time savings of large-capacity commercial washer-extractors comes on multiple fronts. First, cycle times tend to be shorter than those of top-load washers. Second, the high-G-force extract of washer-extractors removes more water and reduces their drying time.

If those aren’t big enough selling points for your big washers, think about the reduction in bottlenecks in the store. The

person in the example I mentioned now only needs one washer instead of three or

four. When they get over to the drying side, they need only one or two drying pockets

Bill Kelson

versus three or four. And with the higher extract speed of the washer, those drying cycles will be significantly shorter.

The bottom line is stores can tout greater time savings and no more trips to the laundry to find all the machines in use. More available machines not only are attractive to customers, but owners have increased the potential for more turns (people aren’t waiting for that customer occupying three or four machines to wrap up).

EXPAND YOUR CUSTOMER BASE

Giving them something new not only

applies to current customers, but also to those prospects who might occasionally visit. These are the folks who have washers and dryers at home. If your store only offers single-load machines like they already have at home, they have no reason to come in.

The 60-pound washer-extractor is a customer favorite, giving those with laundry equipment at home an efficient means to wash bulky items, such as king-size comforters. Efficiency is achieved on two levels: first, the washers are able to handle a few comforters and deliver time savings;

second, the vend price is significantly less pricey than dry-cleaning the pieces at $25 each.

Add in some 80-pounders and the possibilities really open up for customers. These units make short work of a variety of bulky comforters and quilts, while large families can throw a week’s worth of laundry in … and then some.

I recently worked with an owner who went through a retool and saw so much use on the 80-pounders that they soon wanted to swap out the new 40s and 60s for more 80-pound units.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

The old adage of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” cannot apply to our business any longer. True, a store with top-load washers and single-pocket dryers can still turn a profit. But as we have already discussed, offering something new in the form of extra capacity can increase the profit potential. If your store is holding tight to the topload formula, it’s likely just a matter of time before you see a new entry into your market.

The objections I hear are that the upfront cost is too much and the return on investment (ROI) is too long. My counter? It’s really just simple math.

Think about this. In that store of topload washers with basic controls and cycle selections, let’s say we are looking to just swap out three. The owner is maybe vending them at $1.75 per cycle and, conservatively, we’ll say they are turning three times. That’s $5.25.

In the same footprint, we can place two 40-pound washer-extractors with upgraded controls that offer more selections and cycle modifiers. These machines will vend for upward of $5. Add in a hot water wash, and a couple more cycle modifiers, and you are easily at $6. Multiply that by the three turns and the total is $18 per machine. So the three top-loaders would total $15, while two washer-extractors would total $36.

Simple question: Are you in business to make $15 or $36? Are two washer-extractors with greater cycle flexibility in the same square footage as three top-loaders with limited cycle selections a better decision?

This is an example using just three washers. You can imagine how the revenue increases with a total store retool. I’ll also stress that faster cycle times, coupled with the fact the one customer is no longer

occupying three or four machines, opens the door to far more turns. As business owners, that’s what we are after – getting people in and out fast. When we do that, our stores can handle more customers.

Every customer is worth roughly $500 a year, and if we can conservatively add even just 10 new customers, that’s $5,000 more gross each year.

While it seems cliché or “salesman speak” to say that such a retool will pay for itself, it’s quite close when one factors in the improved efficiency of the washers and reduced drying times (due to high-G-force extraction).

DRYING SIDE BASICS

By swapping out single-pocket dryers for stack tumblers, stores can increase drying capacity in roughly the same footprint. Think about a 45-pound stack in the space of a single-pocket 50, offering 90 pounds of

capacity in the space of 50 pounds before. By matching the stacks up one-for-one with the new washer-extractors, owners not only gain better efficiency, but again, the ability to handle more turns per day.

Stores also are better positioned to go to a single vend price for 30-minute dry cycles, with a 25-cent option to add five more minutes.

The store owners I work with on such retools are quite often surprised that the pro forma shows a 24-month cash-on-cash return on such projects. The key is being cognizant of where the bottlenecks in your laundry are and right-sizing the retool to eliminate these pain points to increase profit potential.

FINAL THOUGHTS

We aren’t always great at stepping outside our businesses to see the full picture. Some owners might look out at all the top-

CALENDAR

load washers and single-pocket tumblers turning and see success. But how many potential customers are they missing out on? This business is about profit per square foot and turns, getting as many people in and out each day as possible. There’s no debate that large-capacity machines accomplish both.

Retooling a Laundromat with these units isn’t an inexpensive proposition, but when the numbers are laid out and their efficiency taken into account along with the potential to drive greater traffic, the ROI can be surprising. Bigger can, indeed, be better for overall turns and returns. ACO

Bill Kelson is director of vended laundry sales at TLC Tri-State Laundry Companies, a Speed Queen® distributorship, based in Atlanta. He has more than 30 years of experience in the commercial laundry equipment industry.

UPCOMING EVENTS

NOVEMBER

2

ALS Commercial Equipment

Customer Appreciation & Open House

Jacksonville, Fla. Info: www.alstoday.com

7 Commercial & Coin

Laundry Equipment Co.

Distributor Show

Gulf Breeze, Fla. Info: 800-366-4168; www.clecco.com

9 Belenky Inc.

Laundromat Trade Show Akron, Ohio Info: 800-235-3659, ext. 207; www.belenkyinc.com/ tradeshow

11 Coin-O-Matic

Service School: Speed Queen Single & Stack Tumbler Dryers

Alsip, Ill. Info: 708-540-2076; http://coinomatic.com

15 Laundry Equipment Services (LES)

Fall Service School Hagerstown, Md. Info: https://leslaundry.com/ 2-events-2-days/

FEBRUARY 2018

22 Laundry Owners Warehouse Open House

Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Info: 954-537-1643

28 Laundry Pro of Florida Open House Lakeland, Fla. Info: 863-701-7714

APRIL 2018

5-7 Southwest Drycleaners Association

2018 Cleaners Showcase Shreveport, La. Info: 512-873-8195

MAY 2018

22 Coin Laundry Association Excellence in Laundry 2018 Naples, Fla. Info: 800-570-5629

DO IT HOME Reaching the CROWD

Choosing a store location often means paying attention to demographics like the nearby rental population, household size and income level, mindful that lower-income households are less likely to have in-unit washers and dryers and thus have greater need of a Laundromat.

But what about the higher-income demographic in your area? Is there a way to entice the folks who have washers and dryers at home and perhaps some disposable income to try out your store?

You can demonstrate how using a

AT

vended laundry makes processing hardto-clean items like comforters a snap while turning “laundry day” into “laundry hour.”

One way is to offer larger-capacity washers and dryers to your walk-in customers (as documented in Go Big and Go Home, beginning on page 8 in this issue).

Another is to promote using your washdry-fold (WDF) service to process big, bulky items like comforters or sleeping bags or seasonal items like blankets.

When Dave Avenarius was drawing up specifications for a 2,500-square-foot

store to be built in Glenville, N.Y., in 2010, the landlord of the shopping center where it was to be located made him an offer that turned out to be a plus for offering WDF service.

Another 900 square feet became available next door, and the landlord told Avenarius he could utilize it at no additional cost. “So, I used it to create a washand-fold center.”

“I actually put four double-load washers and a stack 30 dryer in our wash-andfold center that are just for that purpose,” he says. “Customers can look in there.

(Photo: © iStockphoto/TommL)

by Bruce Beggs, Editorial Director

Offer ways to make processing hard-to-clean items like comforters a snap

THE

The Huebsch® distributor network earned the highest Overall Distributor Quality Score in the vended laundry industry,* with outstanding marks for prompt response and proactive communication. Proof that whenever, wherever and however you need help, Huebsch distributors are there. Gulf States Laundry Machinery Company was recognized as the 2014 Huebsch Distributor of the Year earning them the designation “The Best of the Best.”

Gulf States Laundry Machinery Company, serving the Houston and Atlanta markets, is determined to provide the best service and best commercial laundry equipment at the best price. It’s the Gulf States Laundry Machinery Company way of doing business.

We built our own rolling gate, so even when it’s closed, you can look in there.

“You can see that your clothes are getting washed with exclusive machines. … It just gives it a little bit different element: ‘Ooh, that wash and fold is like its own little business.’”

The demographic in the immediate area is of a mixed-race population, and there are 400plus “higher-end” apartment units surrounding the strip mall that houses Avenarius’ store, he says. There are a lot of retirees living in the quad units that share a washer and dryer in a common lobby.

Some factors, such as a busy schedule or an unfamiliarity with laundering certain items, lend themselves to generating more WDF business.

“That person is a little bit better off,” Avenarius says of the nearby residents. “They don’t have enough time (to do their laundry) because they’re a busy professional and they’ll drop off their product and we turn it. Or they may be older individuals who might’ve lost a significant other who generally did that work and they come in and drop that off. There’s a wide variety of items that they do bring in.”

Avenarius says he recently put up seasonal signage with a fall scene that reads, “Now is the time to get those big, bulky items cleaned for the winter. Come in now and use our large machines.”

When planning to bring in unique items for cleaning, customers can leave one at home: Avenarius, who owns three Laundromats in total, doesn’t allow horse blankets in them.

Having been raised on a dairy farm himself, Avenarius has nothing against animals “but 99% of my customers don’t want to smell a dryer that’s had a horse blanket in it. It just radiates through the store. It’s something that we put signage up for.”

Ed Ellis, co-owner of 1 Clean Laundry in St. Cloud, Fla., says his business promotes its WDF service generally and as it relates to special items.

“I target comforters quite a bit because they’re easy for the staff to do, and they’re one revenue stream. We have sandwich board signs that sit outside the front of the store and they’re strategically pointed toward the Planet Fitness gym, two doors down in the same plaza. The people going

into the gym will see the WDF and promoting the comforter washing. We do it that way to target those folks with disposable income.

“People with gym memberships tend to be busy professionals, quite often, and they don’t have the time (to do laundry). It’s a good way to spark their interest, even if they just come in to inquire about it. Sometimes we get them, sometimes we don’t.”

The store also offers WDF service to some unique local businesses: “We have heavy-duty degreasers to get the (auto) mechanics’ wear clean. We also do (towels and smocks for) barber shops, (tablecloths for) catering companies,” Ellis says.

While these could be considered commercial accounts, it’s up to the individual businesses to drop off and pick up their goods, he adds.

Many laundries have lots of verbiage in their windows explaining their services. But what about 1 Clean Laundry?

“On ours, we have one simple phrase. It just says, ‘Home of the 4-Minute Wash.’ The whole idea is to get someone to come in the door and ask, ‘What is this 4-minute wash and how do I get that?’ It works great, because the whole idea is to get a conversation going between the potential customer and the attendant.

“Customer says, ‘What’s this 4-minute wash about? Do you actually have a machine that can do a load of laundry in 4 minutes?’ We say, ‘No, the wash actually takes about 20 minutes, but, if you drop it off with me, you get it done in 4 minutes: 2 minutes to drop it off, we do all the work, then 2 minutes to pick it up.’ All they have to do is put it away.”

If you really want to sell the benefits of WDF, get involved in your local chamber of commerce, Ellis says.

“If you want to build a WDF business, that’s really where you want to be. Because those are your businesspeople who have extra money. They’re busy people, and they’re the ones who will utilize the drop-off service,” he says, adding that he offers discounted comforter washing to chamber members “just to get them in the door.”

At his Splash Laundry in the high-income Buckhead district of Atlanta, Miguel Beckles says offering the latest laundry equipment, keeping the premises immaculate and building longterm customer relationships through WDF service has helped him draw upper- to middle-class clientele who wouldn’t ordinarily use a Laundromat.

“They discovered a way to get more of their non-traditional laundry done in a nice environment. And it keeps on growing,” he says.

Splash’s WDF service averages 1,200 to 1,400 pounds a week. Some of his customers request their laundry be done by specific attendants. He likens it to getting a haircut or massage, where it’s customary to request the services of a certain worker.

“Our WDF has grown a lot predominantly through word of mouth,” Beckles says. “People come in and look behind the counter and see a ton of WDF bags and see someone folding, and it grows through word of mouth. But the WDF business has always been pretty big in that area.”

Comforters are also a popular WDF item at Splash, which cleans several a week.

“The whole key (to successful WDF) is the consistency in how it’s folded, how it’s packaged, and that you never miss deadlines. If it’s not done when you say it’s going to be done and they prefer it the same day, you’re going lose out. The quality has got to be there, and it’s got to be timely.”

And when you’re offering WDF service, you’re sure to be surprised by some of the things people bring in, according to Beckles.

“We have a client who works at a massage parlor. And she always drops off towels, and my attendants have noticed that there are G strings or thongs mixed in with the towels. That’s kind of interesting. But the funny thing is she only has about 8 pounds of clothes and she wanted to argue about the price.”

Some factors, such as a busy schedule or an unfamiliarity with laundering certain items, lend themselves to generating more WDF business.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE AN ESD SYSTEM?

I chose ESD because of ESD’s commitment to product cutting edge technology, customer care and technical provided me with the tools with MyLaundryLinkTM my stores operations anywhere, and ESD provides payment options: card, Credit/debit card, pin based EBT. They can also start their washers or dryers with and their phone will vibrate when their washer or dryer system even allows the customer to view their account from their PC when they are away from the store.

WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE LAUNDRY INDUSTRY?

I have been in the commercial laundry industry since owned retail Laundromats since 1987. I have personally ESD’s growth over the years to become the industries payment systems.

WHAT WERE THE UNKNOWN CHALLENGES THAT WITH YOUR NEW STORE AND HOW HAS ESD’S YOU OVERCOME THESE CHALLENGES?

Building a customer base, hiring and managing a managing staff of employees and security; ESD provided me with systems to manage my employees, and provide me with

product innovation, technical support. ESD software to oversee my customers with based debit cards and with a phone app, dryer stops. The account and add value

my competitors do not have…I have a totally cashless store, which gives my employees and me peace of mind and security. In addition, many other marketing and pricing options that my competitors do not have.

IS THERE ANYTHING THAT SURPRISED YOU ABOUT THE ESD SYSTEM?

I was surprised at how many customers really love the ability to use their credit or debit cards right at the machines.

HAS THERE BEEN ANY DOWNSIDE TO THE ESD SYSTEM?

INDUSTRY? since 1979 and have personally witnessed industries leader in THAT YOU FACED SYSTEM HELPED managing a good with the tools and with advantages

Absolutely not. I do not believe my store would be as successful as it has been so far without the ESD CyberLaundryTM system and the company and the people that stand behind it.

www.esdcard.com

Contact your local ESD distributor or ESD sales representative for more information.

Larry Vladimir - Bakers Centre Laundry

New ReachingHeights

Indianapolis megastore tops out at 18,000 square feet

13,500-square-foot, 304-unit behemoth in suburban Chicago off the top spot.

F

irst, it was Art “Smiley” Cormier and his namesake 340-machine coin-op in Denver dubbed the “Largest Discount Laundry in the World.” Then along came another city block-long goliath, the World’s Largest Laundromat, in Berwyn, Ill., which operator Tom Benson took to a new level.

While Cormier’s succumbed to neighborhood gentrification, nothing—not even a tragic fire—could knock Benson’s

In an industry where success isn’t measured in poundage and space, it’s still notable when someone arrives on the scene with something enormous. Size may not matter, but it sure gave me a reason to return to Indianapolis and see Navil Manzur.

Manzur’s Indyland II Laundromat near the east beltway is a mind-boggling 18,000 square feet. Three hours north in neighboring Illinois, the total machine count at Benson’s operation is significantly higher, but this second venture for the Bangladesh-born entrepreneur is by no means light when it comes to iron on the floor.

Inside the cavernous facility stands three tons of combined wash-and-dry capacity spread among 74 washers and 79 dryer pockets.

That’s not all: Under the same roof of the one-acre structure is a 14,000-squarefoot rental banquet hall and a soon-to-be-

completed full-service, six-pump gas station with food mart and carryout chicken franchise.

BUILDING BIGGEST WASN’T THE GOAL

To Manzur, all these numbers are just that, numbers. Constructing the biggest self-service laundry footprint to date wasn’t his goal.

“I wanted to build a Laundromat that was convenient for customers. That was my main target,” he emphasizes. “People don’t have to wait for washers or dryers, or bump into each other with their carts.”

Surveying coin-ops inside and outside the Indy market convinced him that enhancing the customer experience begins with addressing density.

“If there’s too many people in a small area, they don’t enjoy it,” Manzur observes of small and, in some cases, even large stores. Choked aisles, bumper car-like maneuvering of laundry carts, and restless kids turn laundry day into a stressful one, he adds.

(Left) Navil Manzur’s second and largest laundry venture in Indianapolis boasts 153 machines and creature comforts spread out over 18,000 square feet.

▲

by Laurance Cohen

GOIN’ WITH COHEN

His answer: a layout that affords families ample load capacity and luxurious amounts of elbow space.

During a recent Saturday afternoon visit, and even with a headcount reaching 35, Indyland II appeared relatively empty. It’s so enormous that you could fit the World’s Largest Laundromat inside and still have room for another 4,500-square foot store. The coin-op, with its 22-foothigh exposed deck, is a sight to behold. And remarkably, the facility is overseen by a single attendant per shift.

With my wash load tumbling away, I catch up with manager Kimberly Lander wiping down machines. The cheery staffer, who worked at Manzur’s original Indyland location for a decade, has been keeping things humming at the new venue since it debuted in June 2015. Her smartwatch logs 30,000 steps during a typical shift — that’s 15 miles a day traversing the aisles.

We soon depart the main floor for a quick tour of the back of the house where decorations are up and the DJ is performing a mic check for an evening wedding reception.

Later, I get a sneak peek at the fullservice gas station taking shape at the east end of the structure, the third business to call home under the roof of the massive 44,000-square-foot complex.

Gasoline and wash water mix for Manzur. After emigrating to the United States from Bangladesh to attend school in New York, he relocated to Indianapolis in 2000 to open a gas station with his brother. Four years later, he built his first Indyland Laundromat from the ground up. The 10,000-square-foot coin-op, with its 150-machine lineup, is still going strong today, as are the pumps.

The opportunity for a hybrid operation came when the Indyland II property, a shuttered carpentry school, was purchased and redeveloped. The permitting process and buildout for the multi-function facility, most notably the banquet hall, went surprisingly smooth, thanks in large part to the prior occupant’s improvements, the operator says.

In the laundry section, there was a surprise of another sort. It turns out a bowling center pre-dated the school, leaving behind ball returns unearthed during excavation of 3,000 square feet of the 5-inch slab in preparation for the highextract washer foundations. Manzur lined up his back-toback washer bulkheads with the below-grade ball trenches to facilitate placement of drain lines and troughs.

“When I took the floor out, I saw the ball returns in the alleys and it worked perfect for me,” Manzur says. “I just made it a little deeper.”

Ample parking and a power door entry greet Indyland II patrons, who load carts and make their way along spacious

open aisles of up to 14 feet. Five models of 200-G extract washers range from 20 to 90 pounds. Dryers ranging up to 80 pounds are laid out in an L-shaped configuration running perpendicular to the washer bulkheads and parallel to the back row of 60-pound washers. Two dozen folding tables, cushy seating, as well as the lion’s share of the venue’s 15 wall-mounted TVs are among the creature comforts on the main floor.

Off to the right is a slightly elevated section of the premises, easily accessed by a ramp or step-ups, where the laundry’s centralized transactional hub, recreation lounge and compact convenience store are positioned.

The hub consists of twin multi-hopper changers, a bill-to-bill exchanger, optional proprietary card load payment stations and an ATM.

Dozens of seats, four billiards tables, two foosball tables, along with an assortment of amusement devices are in close proximity of the transaction gateway.

In addition to a wall-mounted soap vender, Indyland II features its own ministop, where laundry products, snacks and impulse items are on display. With its glass storefront and counter facing out toward the laundry, the attendant on duty can ring up a sale while keeping an eye on the action from the front entry to the far reaches of the rear dryer wall.

ROOMINESS, DIVERSIONS ARE WELCOME

Customer Alicia Perez pops into the c-store to pick up some clothes hangers while her son Samuel, 9, and daughter Sophia, 8, play foosball nearby.

“There’s always a lot of space and ▼

Preparations for a Saturday evening wedding reception near their completion inside the 14,000-square-foot banquet hall adjacent to Indyland II.

Customer Alicia Perez (left) picks up clothes hangers from manager Kimberly Lander inside the laundry’s compact convenience store.

GOIN’ WITH COHEN

machines to use plus all the activities for my kids,” she says, adding that the roominess and diversions are welcome on family laundry day. “It’s spacious. You don’t feel closed in, and you’re not overheated inside here. It’s definitely less stressful.”

Just after noontime, the activity on the main floor ramps up just as the jukebox booms with Bruno Mars’ hit single, That’s What I Like. Over at the 50-pound stack tumblers, Lynn Wilson and niece DeAngel Laster are swaying to the beat as they fold up their $25 of weekly wash.

Wilson says she’s drawn to Indyland II by the plentiful big dryers and plenty to do to pass the time: “Play a couple of arcade games and listen to some music – it’s very nice.”

As the song ends, the sounds from the banquet hall begin to reverberate through the laundry.

“Party days are good for me because 400-500 people come in,” Manzur smiles.

Having all those wedding cakes cut on the other side of the coin-op’s wall was an afterthought.

“People asked for it since it’s hard to get hotels and those can cost $3,000 to $4,000 a night,” the host points out.

The 22-foot deck extends from the laundry into the banquet facility, perfect for staging lighting and elaborate decorations. Manzur rents out the space, along with dining tables and chairs, and leaves the event planning and execution to the professionals.

Bookings for Saturday evenings see the

largest gatherings, requiring the attendant to monitor parking stalls closest to the store entry and occasionally directing partygoers to the 200 additional spaces at the side of the complex.

With the laundry and rental hall buzzing, the entrepreneur remains focused on seeing his vision of a coin-op/fuel station combo become a reality. Manzur is particularly interested in rolling out his Chester’s quick-serve franchised chicken outlet in the food mart.

“Two decades ago, people weren’t ready to buy chicken from a gas station,” he recalls. “They thought, ‘What are you doing, cooking with motor oil?’ We had to change the public’s perception and now most everyone has food in gas stations and promotes them as food marts. It wasn’t like that 20 years ago. They only pumped gas and sold cigarettes.”

The veteran operator notes that working off an 18,000-square-foot canvas afforded him the opportunity to design a self-service laundry layout benefitting end-users, staff and ownership. He points to the pairing of changers and bill exchanger capabilities, which automates all bill transactions and enables customers to focus on their wash and staff on their cleaning duties.

With staff productivity maximized and the tech-savvy operator availing himself of state-of-the-art machine monitoring from the convenience of his smartphone, the day-to-day ownership of such a large-scale laundry project blends seamlessly into his

The row of 90-pound front-load washers attracts patrons as Saturday afternoon trade ramps up.

business portfolio, he adds.

Manzur remains bullish on the Indianapolis market, a mid-size metropolitan area that boasts its fair share of coin-ops over 4,000 square feet. His mega superstore operation draws wash patrons from up to 15 miles, he says.

“They know they don’t have to wait for washers or dryers. If somebody has a big piece of material to wash and they don’t have a big enough machine available, I have a bunch—not only one or two, but a whole row. They don’t have to wait.”

But having the biggest footprint isn’t what motivates Manzur. To him, size doesn’t matter if his loyal base isn’t being properly catered to.

“The largest laundry doesn’t mean anything unless your customers are satisfied with what you have.”

ACO

Laurance Cohen crisscrosses the country seeking out the most unique vended laundries. He served as American Coin-Op editor in the early 1990s and currently operates Laundry Marketing Concepts based in Hallandale Beach, Fla. He can be reached at goinwithcohen@outlook.com.

A father and daughter enjoy a friendly game of pool just steps from the washer banks.

After observing the congestion at other laundries, Manzur ensured that his facility had plenty of elbow space.

VIEW

DISTRIBUTOR DISPENSES INDUSTRY-BUILDING ADVICE

Since 1968, Metropolitan Laundry Machinery Sales Inc. has dispensed advice and consulting to owners, investors and prospects, led first by Howard Katzman and now by Marc Katzman, president, consultant and resident guru. The distributor employs 20 and operates out of Queens, N.Y., and Union, N.J.

In New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and lower Connecticut, the company is known for supplying knowledgeable advice for a fee. Today, the business specializes in three areas: store startups, retooling, and utilities analysis; brokering laundry sales is a minor aspect of the operation. (Metropolitan is also active in the on-premises laundry [OPL] sector, assisting facilities such as hotels and nursing homes.)

Marc Katzman, 46, has been in the business for 20 years. He has seen all kinds of situations: great operators in poor locations do well, poor operators in great locations fail, and great operators in great locations succeed. He estimates that Metropolitan is involved with 200 transactions a year, although only 50 to 60 are major jobs. “The most important determination for Laundromat success is location,” he advises.

When he helps a customer find a new location, he looks into the following: presence and quality of competition; visibility; ingress and egress; density of population; percentage of renters; and parking. Then he prepares a market study of characteristics of completion, vend prices, and area utilities. From there, he considers specifics: has/doesn’t have a basement, the lease terms, the amount of rent.

From that, he comes up with a recommendation. It might be that the proposed location is not good enough, the location is fine but the facility won’t work, more negotiation with the landlord is needed, or it’s a good money-making opportunity.

To facilitate the process, Katzman generates a computerized store layout. He creates a comfortable space that maximizes utilization while allowing easy flow of people and carts. With that help, the operator is ready to act. Often, Metropolitan not only builds the new store but negotiates the utilities arrangements.

Katzman distinguishes between urban, semi-urban and suburban settings because each environment has its own set of requirements.

“For example, in New York City, a second store can be as little as a half-mile away; it’s an entirely different market. But a suburban store has to be capable of drawing from a much wider space,” Katzman says. “On the other hand, suburban stores are patronized by those suburbanites who have a washer and dryer at home, but are a busy, two-income working family. Often, these folks would rather clean their clothes using wash-dryfold service or even make it a weekly event for one parent and the kids to get their laundry done in two hours. To these busy folks, this is often preferable to spreading the task over the week.”

Many Metropolitan customers own more than one store. Katzman’s rule: “The new store should be no more than 10 to 20 minutes away from the primary store or the owner’s home. After all, this is a seven-day-a-week business that’s open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., and anything can happen at any time.”

In general, being only 15 minutes away allows both stores to draw from different markets. “It’s another world,” he says.

Katzman is big on developing store chains. Often, these concerns are highly profitable. At first blush, there are no economies of scale; every store has utilities, rent, and employees. But he points to advantages:

• Often, one can bargain with utility service companies for better rates based on bulk usage.

• Employees can more easily be switched from location to location.

• Systemizing procedures helps make life easier for the operator.

Indeed, Katzman has worked with many operators who have owned anywhere from six to 10 stores.

Katzman claims that 99% of his customers run attended stores. He posits: “They take care of the store. They keep the place clean. They handle customer complaints. They handle drop-off work. Often, they pay for their salaries.”

Another aspect of Metropolitan’s work is retooling. Staffers go into an existing establishment to seek out inefficiencies. This begins with a utility analysis.

Howard Scott

Marc Katzman

It begins by reviewing utility bills or studying utility costs, including kilowatt-hours, therms, water usage, and sewage. These costs are entered, along with the age and brand of machines, into a software system to come out with cost basics. The system also compares with buying new equipment.

Katzman evaluates costs and tries to spot inefficiencies. He then compares saving with new equipment and provides a recommendation. Often, efficiency savings will be offset by the cost of the note, so then the operator has to have other savings to make it worthwhile. Other times, Metropolitan may be hired to retool a store and its consultants determine that the facility is in a bad location. The recommendation: move.

Katzman points out that there are many advantages to buying new equipment, including:

• Doing so creates a good time to raise prices.

• Parts and service expenses are greatly reduced.

• There are often up charges that effectively raise prices.

• A good operator should win more customers.

While Metropolitan does minimal brokerage work, Katzman is a thorough student of the business. He offers these generalized cost percentages for a Laundromat doing around $250,000: utility

expenses (including premise utilities) — 25-30%; rent — 18%; labor — 10%; administrative — 15-20%; note payments — 5%; and ownership take — 20%.

Buying new equipment often pushes utilities under 20%, Katzman notes, maybe between 15% to 20%.

He doesn’t believe absentee owners are best for this business. It’s a $200,000 to $250,000 investment, after all, and he prefers hands-on operators who take an active role in their stores. It can be an operator with a job, but the person must be involved in the laundry business.

The person who succeeds, according to Katzman, is someone who believes in the positive customer experience. That means having a clean operation, employing an attendant, and offering efficient, working equipment, he says.

The industry has a bright future, Katzman believes, especially because of busy families going to a Laundromat to clean their clothes or choosing to use a wash-dry-fold service. ACO

Howard Scott is a former business owner, longtime business writer, and consultant. He can be reached at dancinghill@gmail. com.

MONEY-HANDLING EQUIPMENT

LOCK AMERICA

Thieves like to work fast. We’ve all read about thieves who smash and loot coin boxes, and while there are bars, cases and shields to stop brute force, thieves also like to pick locks. Picking locks is quieter and less detectable than brute force.

With a duplicate key or a key-picking device, a thief can clean out coin boxes in

IMONEX

The Imonex® R7 Series coin drop for washers and dryers is a field-proven and reliable solution to quarter-only or aging loyalty card operations, the company says.

Dollar coins are gaining in popularity as owners boost wash capacities and initiate full-cycle dry vends, the company reports. Imonex’s intuitive design allows dollar coin and quarter insertion into one inlet. The dual coin format retains quarter increment pricing, maximizes vaultand changer-hopper capacities, and minimizes operator collection duties, Imonex says.

a few minutes. Even worse, with a picking device, the thief now has a duplicate key that enables his crew to keep on skimming, indefinitely and undetected.

Lock America says it has a powerful way to slow a thief down: key each box differently with a pick- and drill-resistant key and color-code the keys.

With 6 million key codes and 9 different color key bows, Lock America can improve a laundry’s chances against a thief. For thieves to move fast, “one key fits all” is what they’re looking for. Multiple key codes can stretch out the clock on the invasion, discouraging the intruder and saving the cash. And the keys are numbered with Lock America’s proprietary code, so a replacement is always available.

www.laigroup.com 800-422-2866

The company says its patented Geometric Vertical Technology substantially reduces coin jams, resulting in higher rates of coin acceptance and unsurpassed coin flow. There are no moving parts and no required adjustments.

Mechanisms can be custom-ordered to accept both higher- and lower-value tokens and up to two coins in a single slot. Tokens have proven an economically viable alternative to proprietary loyalty card systems while providing similar benefits, including in-house promotions, credit/debit card capabilities, as well as the elimination of attendant drop-off laundry coin banks and cash refunds, Imonex says.

Imonex products are made in the USA and supported by regional distributors.

www.imonex.com 800-446-2719

owe International introduces its new BC-1600 bill changer (available in front or rear load and in the same dimensions as its reliable BC-1400) with security features that include a 12-gauge steel cabinet, “safe-like” lock bar with a three-point locking system, hardened steel T handle, and Medico high-security lock and keys.

Rowe’s new BC-1600 model will automatically include two MEI bill acceptors as well as two coin hoppers holding the capacity of 5,600 quarters, tokens, or dollar coins each (11,200 total).

Rowe has incorporated new technology into its machines, creating a userfriendly, programmable touchscreen that is included in all new models. There are no more worries that a changer light is on or the changer could possibly be out of service, because the Rowe BC-1600 will send remote alerts via text

message and/or e-mail using free Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection if coin hoppers are low, or an error such as a bill jam or coin jam has occurred.

The BC-1600 unit can be purchased with dual bill recyclers, which will allow customers to receive coins as well as bills. Bill recyclers are a great way to eliminate keeping cash in the hands of your attendant, the company says.

Rowe also offers the BC-3200 unit: two BC-1600 changers that share the same faceplate and include four MEI bill acceptors and four coin hoppers (22,400 total).

www.rowebillchangers.com 800-669-7693

CUMMINS ALLISON

Cummins Allison says its broad range of coin counting/ sorting and currency scanning/sorting solutions are designed for speed, accuracy and enhanced productivity. The JetScan iFX® money scanning and sorting machines provide the fastest, most accurate cash-processing technology available. The JetScan iFX i100 processes 1,600 bills per minute (33% faster than other machines, the company says), while the i400 multi-pocket sorter is configurable from 3-17 pockets to handle even the highest volumes of bill counting and sorting.

Cummins Allison claims that its JetSort® coin counters are the fastest highcapacity coin processors in the industry, delivering speeds of up to 10,000 coins per minute with 99.9995% accuracy. This translates into less time managing coin processing and more time for other tasks, the company says.

Both the JetScan iFX and JetSort products contain advanced counterfeit detection that minimizes the risk of incoming counterfeit currency.

Cummins Allison maintains a large network of local sales and service offices to ensure that customers get the necessary advice and post-sale support when and wherever the need arises.

www.cumminsallison.com 800-786-5528

SETOMATIC SYSTEMS

Setomatic Systems provides drop-coin meters for many makes and models of laundry machines designed for Laundromats.

The company suggests replacing older turnknob dryer meters with an up-to-date drop-coin meter that features a digital display and time countdown. The meters are adjustable in 15second increments and are easy to install, Setomatic says.

If you still have plastic drop coins, Setomatic has all-metal dropcoin replacements. The company also makes dropcoin meters to replace the coin slides on most machines.

Multipush insertions on Wascomat washers can be eliminated with a drop-coin meter, Setomatic says. The company also offers aftermarket drop-coin meters to replace factoryinstalled units on many front-load washers.

www.setomaticsystems.com 516-752-8008

The Expanded Function (EF) Module has been available on change machines for several years. It is an optional feature that provides more control over a change machine while at the same time giving more feedback via the LCD display. New from Standard Change-Makers is the EF+ Module, which does everything the EF Module does but also includes an Ethernet port.

By plugging an Ethernet cable into that port and connecting to a network router, a store owner can program the EF+ Module to send text messages to a smartphone or computer. The EF+ can be programmed to send a daily

audit report and messages when the machine has an “Out of Service” condition, such as hopper empty, bill validator stacker full, etc., the company says.

The EF+ Module is available as an optional feature on all of its change machine models, Standard Change-Makers says, and can be retrofitted on any existing change machine that has Modular (MC) technology.

www.standardchange.com 800-968-6955

perators who prefer the economy and simplicity of coin slides can select from ESD’s four basic models, which include a four-coin, five-coin, eight-coin, and a 14-coin slide model.

The vertical slides can be configured to accept various quantities and denominations of coins, ranging from 5 cents to $3.50. The company says it manufactures 72 different slides, which will accept coinage of most countries, for international markets.

In addition to currency, ESD also builds slides designed to accept various tokens.

All slides are equipped with several security devices— designed with components made of stainless steel, magnets

and case hardened parts—that defeat attempts to slug, string, wrap, tape or any variation of “pull back” cheating, the company says.

ESD also manufactures a variety of money boxes, with security design features like case hardened steel face plates, a four-point locking system, and a cone that provides extra protection for the lock, which is additionally available. Four different options of lock styles can be purchased with each of its boxes.

Coin trays are available in 6-, 8- and 9-inch lengths, with faces available in several finishes, including powder black, chrome and powder blue.

www.esdcard.com 215-628-0860

ENVIROSTAR TO ACQUIRE TRI-STATE TECHNICAL SERVICES FOR $16.5M EnviroStar Inc. (EVI), a Miami-based distributor of commercial laundry and drycleaning equipment, has executed a definitive asset purchase agreement to acquire substantially all assets of Tri-State Technical Services Inc., a distributor of commercial, industrial and vended laundry products and provider of laundry installation and maintenance services based in Georgia.

Payment of the $16.5 million purchase price will be split between cash and shares of EVI common stock. Publicly held EVI expects the addition of Tri-State to be accretive to its current fiscal year ending June 30, 2018. As this issue went to press, the transaction was expected to close by early November, subject to customary due diligence and closing conditions.

Tri-State will operate as an EVI subsidiary under its current name and from its present locations, and will continue to be led by President Matt Stephenson and Tri-State’s existing employees.

The addition of Tri-State provides EVI contiguous territory from Florida through the southern Mid-Atlantic states, which the company says will create new opportunities to deliver more products and technical services to its growing customer base in the region.

Founded by Stephenson in 1995, Tri-State operates from four distribution facilities serving over 8,500 customers throughout Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and southern Virginia, which EVI describes as “some of the fastest growing and most stable laundry markets in the nation.”

Tri-State employs 66 people, including 28 service personnel, and distributes a comprehensive line of laundry equipment and related parts and supplies, consisting of over 7,500 SKUs that include Pellerin Milnor, Speed Queen, Maytag and Chicago Dryer Co. branded products.

Under Stephenson’s direction, Tri-State has increased its revenues, profitability and market share, EVI says, earning it recognition as one of the leading distributors and service providers in the Southeast.

Tri-State generated approximately $27 million in revenue for the 12 months ended June 30, 2017, EVI says, derived from sales of equipment, parts and supplies; the performance of installation and maintenance services; and from the rental of commercial and vended laundry equipment.

“I believe in the EVI vision and we are confident that with EVI, Tri-State will continue to expand and be a valuable contributor to EVI’s long-term growth objectives,” Stephenson says.

“EVI is a growing group of accomplished entrepreneurs with an unrelenting passion and commitment for growth,” says Henry M. Nahmad, EVI chairman/CEO. “Our operating philosophy is a natural fit for these entrepreneurs who also seek to continue building their company as part of a broad family of businesses with the common goal of creating a North American enterprise. Matt Stephenson exemplifies the entrepreneurial vision and drive we pursue.”

D&M EQUIPMENT HOSTS ANNUAL DEXTER SERVICE SEMINAR

D&M Equipment Co., led by owner Joe Frankian and his staff, hosted its annual Dexter Service Seminar in Chicago in August, drawing more than 60 area Laundromat owners and service technicians, the company reports.

Dexter factory technicians Casey Stufflebeem and Shane Palmer treated attendees to an extensive service seminar on new C-Series Dexter Washers and Dryers. Rick Case, Dexter area sales manager, and Leo Frazier from Dexter Financial Services were also on hand to support the event.

D&M introduced newcomer Connor Frankian, Joe’s son who recently graduated from DePaul University. Representing the third generation of his family with the company, Connor Frankian is heading the distributor’s sales and marketing efforts.

Also, D&M conducted a service seminar on Lochinvar water heaters and the benefits of using high-efficiency systems in today’s Laundromats.

Attendees were treated to a lunch buffet, the chance to win raffle prizes, and a Dexter goodie bag.

TRIO OF DISTRIBUTORS EARN HUEBSCH AWARDS

Huebsch, a brand of equipment manufacturer Alliance Laundry Systems, recently recognized high-performing distributors during a ceremony in Las Vegas. Earning awards were Laundry Systems of the Carolinas, Spartanburg, S.C.; Loomis Bros. Equipment Co., Fenton, Mo.; and Onward Commercial Laundry Equipment, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.

Laundry Systems of the Carolinas was honored for top sales improvement over the prior year in its region, yielding 68% yearover-year growth. The company’s Huebsch sales and service area includes the Carolinas, East Tennessee, and parts of Kentucky and Virginia.

“For nearly 50 years, Laundry Systems of the Carolinas has been a consistent leader in their market,” says Kathryn Rowen, North

Chicago-based D&M Equipment Co. drew more than 60 area Laundromat owners and service technicians to its annual Dexter Service Seminar in August. (Photo: D&M Equipment Co.)

American sales manager for Huebsch. “Their 2016 (performance) only continued to build on that tradition of excellent sales results and outstanding customer service.”

“The strength and reputation of the Huebsch product range is well received in our territory,” says Chad Bradley, sales manager of Laundry Systems of the Carolinas. “Our success is a result of the entire staff’s commitment to going above and beyond for our clients.”

Loomis Bros. Equipment Co. earned the Outstanding New Distributor award from Huebsch.

“In this business, experience is key to success, and there’s no doubt that the experience Loomis Bros. brings to the table is well respected in their territory,” says Rowen. “They have proven to be an excellent Huebsch partner, adopting the brand’s principles.”

The Missouri company’s rich history dates back to 1949. Today, its tradition of service excellence continues with a highly experienced team of professionals, including 14 factory-trained service technicians to provide superior service.

Besides vended laundries, Loomis staff serves the laundry equipment needs of clients in a variety of markets, including long-term care, hospitality, corrections and multi-housing.

“The Huebsch brand really is synonymous with quality in both equipment and distribution,” says Dale Loomis, president of Loomis Bros. Equipment Co. “The addition of this product line has been a great fit for both companies, and we are proud to receive this honor.”

Ontario-based Onward was honored for top sales improvement over the prior year in the Midwest Region, yielding 66% year-

Missouri-based

Bros.

a presentation earlier this year in Las Vegas. Pictured are (from left) Ryan Sheridan, Huebsch senior regional sales manager; Carl Rees, vice president of strategic accounts for Loomis; Matt Lamons, sales and marketing manager for Loomis; Kathryn Rowen, Huebsch North American sales manager; Dale Loomis, president of Loomis Bros. Equipment Co.; and Loomis sales representatives Drew Hoselton and Gabe Rees.

(Photo: Alliance Laundry

over-year growth.

“The year that Onward had in terms of Huebsch sales was nothing short of amazing,” says Rowen. “This is an organization that exemplifies what a Huebsch distributor truly is—providing excellent sales, service and customer support. Clearly, that commitment

Loomis

Equipment Co. received Huebsch’s Outstanding New Distributor award during

Systems)

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shows in their 2016 performance.”

Onward has been in business for more than 50 years, serving the needs of coin laundry owners as well as those of on-premises laundries serving hospitality, healthcare and other industries.

LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT MAKERS EXTEND HURRICANE RECOVERY EFFORTS

In the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, commercial laundry equipment manufacturers are continuing to work to help vended laundries affected by the storms get back in business.

Alliance Laundry Systems is offering a powerful finance program to laundry owners in hurricane-ravaged regions in Florida and the greater Houston area, the company reports. The key element of the package is 120 days of no interest and no payments.

“We know that time is of the essence and store owners need to get damaged equipment replaced as soon as possible,” says William Bittner, vice president, North American Sales, for Alliance Laundry Systems. “By pushing interest and payments out 120 days, they can focus and getting their operations cash flowing again.”

The program is being offered through all Alliance Laundry Systems brands, including Huebsch, Primus, Speed Queen and UniMac. Running through the end of the year, the financing assistance program is open to a minimum finance amount of $2,500 up to a maximum of $500,000.

Alliance says that store owners interested in learning more about the program should contact their local distributor.

Dexter Laundry is working closely with its distributors in Florida, Texas and the Gulf Coast.

“Thankfully, our distributors in each of these communities were back in operation quickly and have begun the important process of helping our customers rebuild,” says Craig Kirchner, president of Dexter Laundry.

The Dexter Technical Support Team is working directly with authorized distributors to provide expert service tips to help assess and repair any damage. These distributors are fully stocked with the parts needed to get operations back up and running quickly, Dexter says.

“Many of our customers simply need time to start the rebuilding process,” Kirchner says. “We are working with individuals to repair product where necessary and also offering delayed loan payments to help our customers focus on getting their operations back up and running as quickly as possible.”

Continental Girbau, which earlier initiated disaster assistance for Hurricane Harvey business victims in the Houston area, is now doing the same for Hurricane Irma victims in Florida.

Working with its distributors there, Laundry Pro of Florida (Lakeland) and The Laundry Shop (Pembroke Pines), Continental is offering special commercial laundry equipment financing and rental programs, as well as quick equipment parts replacement.

Continental’s Hurricane Irma relief initiative encompasses special financing on all Continental, LG, Econ-O and Girbau

Industrial vended and on-premises laundry equipment.

“Surplus commercial laundry equipment and parts are being warehoused throughout Florida to keep pace with the replacement demand caused by Irma,” Floyd says.

Locally, Laundry Pro of Florida and The Laundry Shop are responding to questions and working to quickly prepare equipment replacement quotes, assist customers and insurers, and perform installations.

Continental says to learn more about its disaster relief program, call 800-256-1073 or visit www.cgilaundry.com/disaster-relief.html.

DEXTER DISTRIBUTOR DETERGENT SOLUTIONS OFFERS FIRST LOOKS

Store owners and technicians from across lower Michigan attended a Dexter Laundry service seminar and toured a first-of-its-kind self-service facility during a September event in Utica, Mich., hosted by distributor Detergent Solutions.

The two-part service session was conducted by the manufacturer’s factory technician James Scotton, who was accompanied by area sales manager Rick Case. In addition to acquainting attendees with Dexter’s new C-Series line of washers and dryers, the workshop covered helpful installation techniques and preventative maintenance tips to maximize efficiency and machine performance.

Following a catered lunch and the conclusion of service training, guests were treated to an open house of the distributor’s nearby Wash Dry and WiFi Laundry, which the company says is the nation’s first self-service outlet with an equipment layout dominated by Dexter Laundry’s vended stack washer-dryers. The facility, which opened earlier this year, also marks the debut of the first multi-coin plus phone pay-formatted store in the country, Detergent Solutions says.

Behind-the-scenes tours, demonstrations of the Imonex hybrid coin plus phone pay system, along with manufacturer representatives showing product innovations highlighted the open house. ACO

Butch Bruner (right), owner of Imonex, explains how customers of the Wash Dry and WiFi Laundry could pay using his company’s smartphone application, ClearToken. (Photo: Detergent Solutions)