American Drycleaner - October 2014

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drycleaner

“Business has never been better.”

“We’re moving faster. We’re moving better. We’re moving more efficiently. That means profitability”

Pre-ins P ection

Business-to-Business

When looking for opportunities to diversify your drycleaning business and generate additional revenue, you may find yourself exploring the possibility of selling your drycleaning services to commercial businesses.

Yes, there is money to be made by serving hotels, restaurants, medical offices, spas, camps and the like, but taking on new accounts can also create hassles that you don’t want or, even worse, cost you money.

Bruce Beggs

B2B prospects abound, says contributing editor Diana Vollmer, and it’s important to assess each one based on sev eral factors. Doing the math she describes in her feature starting on page 14 should illustrate which prospects take priority.

Publisher

Charles Thompson 312-361-1680 cthompson@american trademagazines.com

Editorial Director

Bruce Beggs 312-361-1683

bbeggs@american trademagazines.com

Production Manager Roger Napiwocki

National Sales Director

Donald Feinstein 312-361-1682

dfeinstein@american trademagazines.com

Digital Media Director

Nathan Frerichs 312-361-1681 nfrerichs@american trademagazines.com

Are your competitors already pres ent in the B2B market? Does serving a certain account require specialized equipment? Do you even have the capacity to take on the extra service?

Seems there are lots of questions tied to service diversification that you’ll need to answer, so you’d better turn the page and get B2Busy. O

Main: 312-361-1700 Fax: 312-361-1685

Contributing Editors

Howard Kaschyk

Carolyn Nankervis Howard Scott John Spomar Jr. Diana Vollmer Martin Young

SUBSCRIPTIONS

630-739-0900 x100 www.american drycleaner.com

American Drycleaner (ISSN 0002-8258) is published monthly except Nov/Dec combined. Subscription prices, payment in advance: U.S., 1 year $39.00; 2 years $73.00. Foreign, 1 year $89.00; 2 years $166.00. Single copies $7.00 for U.S., $14.00 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 Drycleaner, Subscription Dept., 440 Quadrangle Drive, Suite E, Bolingbrook, IL 60440. Volume 81, number 7. Editorial, executive and advertis ing offices are at 566 West Lake Street, Suite 420, Chicago, IL 60661. Charles Thompson, President and Publisher. American Drycleaner is distributed selectively to: qualified dry cleaning plants and distributors in the United States. No material appearing in American Drycleaner may be reprinted without written permission. The publisher reserves the right to reject any advertising for any reason. © Copyright AMERICAN TRADE MAGA ZINES LLC, 2014. Printed in U.S.A.

American Drycleaner, October 2014 www.americandrycleaner.com

Survey: 70% of dry cleaners believe marketing efforts are paying off

CHICAGO — Dry cleaners employ a broad range of marketing initiatives to promote their business and services, and nearly 70% believe their efforts pay off by generating real dollars, according to the results of September’s American Drycleaner Your Views survey.

Maintaining a company website is the most common marketing initiative, used by 67.2% of respondents. A close second, at 59%, is social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.).

Other popular efforts include community outreach (54%), direct-mail marketing (45.9%), e-mail marketing (39.3%) and print advertising (34.4%). A small percentage (9.8%) uses other outlets, including radio, billboards and door-to-door sales.

As for the main goal of their company’s marketing initiatives, 50.8% of respondents say it’s multi-faceted: to build the customer base, encourage customer loyalty, boost brand awareness and increase short-term sales.

Some dry cleaners have just one goal: 18.6% of respondents are focused on encouraging customer loyalty, 13.6% point to increasing brand awareness and 11.9% are all about building a customer base. Small shares focus on increasing short-term sales (3.4%) or other goals not included among the survey answers provided (1.7%).

Dry cleaners who responded to the sur ve y spend an average of 2.78% of their annual gross on marketing initiatives. The biggest individual spender devotes 15% of annual gross to marketing, while several respondents claim they spend nothing on marketing.

Ro ughly 69% believe their activities have generated revenue, while 4.9% say they haven’t generated real dollars. The re maining 26.2% of respondents are unsure.

Dry cleaners who responded to the survey spend an average of 2.78% of their annual gross on marketing initiatives.

“I need to win back customers one cus tomer at a time by showing each one the value of spending money with me,” says one cleaner.

“Wit hout [marketing], your volume will automatically start falling every year,” warns another.

While American Drycleaner’s Your Views survey presents a snapshot of the trade audience’s viewpoints, it should not be considered scientific. Due to rounding, percentages may not add up to 100%.

Subscribers to American Drycleaner emails are invited each month to participate in a brief industry survey they can complete anonymously. The entire American Dry cleaner audience is encouraged to partici pate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define owner/operator opin ions and industry trends. O

To find past Your Views survey stories or share this month’s with your colleagues, visit www.americandrycleaner.com.

Topstories@www.AmericanDrycleaner.com forthe30daysendingSeptember15

Top NewS STorieS

1. AATCC Seeking to Revise Drycleaning Test Methods

2. Lapels Dry Cleaning Coming to Boston’s Seaport District

3. CD One Price Cleaners to Create Flag Mosaic Honoring U.S. Military

Top columNS & feATureS

1. Spotting Tips: Multiple Variables Thwart ‘One-Shot’ Expectations

2. Your Views: 70% of Dry Cleaners Believe Marketing Efforts are Paying Off

3. Small-Biz Center Helps Couple Open Doors to Trinity Dry Cleaners web eXcluSiVe!

4. StatShot: South Dominates in July Sales; Operating Costs Up in Most Regions web eXcluSiVe!

5. Your Money: Protecting Against Disability

Top STorieS @ our SiSTer SiTeS

www.Americancoinop.com: 1. Music to Your Ears 2. Past to Present 3. Aaxon Laundry Systems Promotes Battaglia, Hires D’Annunzio 4. How the Right Image Boosts Profits

www.AmericanlaundryNews.com: 1. Polymer Bead Technology Brings New Approach to Wash Process 2. UniFirst, Cintas Fined in EPA Settlements 3. Management, Technological Trends Focus of TRSA Annual Conference

American Drycleaner, October 2014 www.americandrycleaner.com

Time to Switch?

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THE NUMBERS

UNEMPLOYMENT figures remained relatively unchanged in August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate stood at 6.1%, down 0.1% from the July figure, and 142,000 jobs were added to nonfarm payrolls.

Businesses have added more than 10 million jobs over the last 4 1 / 2 years, says U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. “That makes 54 consecutive months of private-sector job growth, the longest streak on record.”

He also noted the significantly lower unemployment rate compared to the 7.2% rate of August 2013.

IN THE BEIGE BOOK issued Sept. 3, the 12 Federal Reserve Districts, of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, reported economic activity had expanded since the July report. New York, Cleveland, Chicago, Minneapolis, Dallas and San Francisco districts all reported moderate growth, while the Philadelphia, At-

lanta, St. Louis and Kansas City districts reported modest growth. Boston reported that business activity appeared to be improving, and Richmond reported further strengthening.

THE LATEST NON-MANUFACTURING Institute for Supply Management Report on Business shows there was economic growth in August. The NMI® registered 59.6%, 0.9 percentage point higher than the July reading of 58.7%. It was the highest reading for the composite index since its inception in January 2008. Also, the Non-Manufacturing Business Activity Index increased to 65%, which was 2.6% higher than the July rate; it’s the highest reading for that index since December 2004.

THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of Realtors reports that pending homes sales rebounded in July and have now risen in four of the last five months. Favorable housing conditions are behind July’s higher

contract activity, says Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist.

“Interest rates are lower than they were a year ago, price growth continues to moderate and total housing inventory is at its highest level since August 2012,” he says. “The increase in the number of new and existing homes for sale is creating less competition and is giving prospective buyers more time to review their options before submitting an offer.”

LESS THAN ONE-QUARTER of Americans (22%) say there is too little government regulation of business and industry, while about half (49%) say there is too much regulation. An additional 27% say the level of regulation is about right. These attitudes have been consistent over the past five years; prior to that, the percentage who said there was too much regulation rose between 2008 and 2010. The latest data are from Gallup’s annual Governance survey, conducted Sept. 4-7. O

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Save time and money and add to your profits by contacting existing clients and reaching out to new clients through DryClean PRO Enterprise’s built in MARKETING and EMAILING functionality. You’ll be able to send Thank You emails to new or Top 100 customers, Customers with overdue inventory, Customers that have not visited you for a while, Route customers & e-mail coupons to all your customers.

Call us about our new version of Uniform Tracker

P d C a adds more free exhibit hall seminars, activities

The Pennsylvania and Dela ware Cleaners Association (PDCA) has added more exhibit seminars and activities for its Dry cleaning and Laundry Expo, slated for Oct. 18-19 at the Atlantic City (N.J.) Convention Center.

On Saturday afternoon, Oct. 18, Liz Davies will conduct an Englishlanguage shirt finishing demonstra tion at the Unipress booth.

A free Korean-language pants finishing demonstration is sched uled for Sunday afternoon, Oct. 19, at the Sankosha booth. Jay Song will demonstrate proper techniques to produce quality work in an effi cient manner.

Dan Eisen will conduct free seminars on modern stain-removal processes at 2 p.m. both days. His demonstrations will take place in the seminar area on the convention floor.

Attendees can also “Meet the Experts”—Henry Parker, James Peuster and Don Desrosiers—at the PDCA booth at various times dur ing the Expo.

Admission to the exhibit floor is free. Visit www.pdclean.org, or call 215-830-8495, to learn more. O

events Calendar

Oct. 3-6 EXPOdetergo Intl. To be held in Milan, Italy. Visit www.expodetergo.com. Oct. 18-19 Pennsylvania and Delaware Cleaners Association Drycleaning & Laun dry EXPO. To be held in Atlantic City, N.J. Call 215-830-8495.

Nov. 16-17 North East Fabricare Asso ciation Fall Fest Educational Conference. To be held in Portsmouth, N.H. Call 603-6350322.

Jan. 15-18, 2015 Brainstorming & the Five Stars Conference. To be held in Can cun, Mexico. Call NCA, 212-967-3002, or DLI, 800-638-2627.

April 16-19, 2015 Clean Show. To be held in Atlanta. Visit www.cleanshow.com

July 29-Aug. 1, 2015 Textile Care Allied Trades Association Annual Management & Educational Conference. To be held in Napa, Calif. Visit www.tcata.org.

Sept. 9-11, 2015 Textile Rental Services Association Annual Conference. To be held in Isle of Palms, S.C. Visit www.trsa.org.

Sept. 14-15, 2015 International Dryclean ers Congress Convention. To be held in Osa ka, Japan. Visit www.idcgroup.org.

Nov. 25-27, 2015 Texcare Asia. To be held in Shanghai, China. Visit www.texcareasia.com. O

Post notices of your organization’s events on www.AmericanDrycleaner.com

American Drycleaner, October 2014 www.americandrycleaner.com

Going

By Diana Vollmer

n the constant quest to increase profitable sales, diversification into various alternative services—including commercial distribution channels—may be a logical step for your business. (Note the emphasis on profitability, which must be

considered at every step in the process.)

Commercial business-to-business (B2B) prospects abound, with hotels, restaurants and medical offices being some of the most obvious. Digging deeper will reveal extensive business opportunities

(Photo: © iStockphoto/ darak77)

that include, but are not limited to, medical offices, salons, spas, schools (for linens and uniforms or student clothing), camps (for linens and camper clothing), marinas (for boat interiors and cushions), private airports (for plane interiors), and any industry that utilizes uniforms.

To optimize commercial business efforts, one must first assess each opportunity for critical factors that influence the outcome by ranking each opportunity in a grid to prioritize them. Some of those critical factors are:

• Size of market potential

• Existing competitive environment

• Profitable pricing alternatives

• Ease of production and service delivery

• Ease of selling the service

• Ease of access to decision makers

To optimize commercial business efforts, one must first assess each opportunity for critical factors that influence the outcome...

• Capacity to deliver the service

• Resources required to develop and deliver the service

• Availability of the required resources

• Learning curve involved to develop expertise

• Optimum timing for introduction of the service

Rank each factor with 5 being most favorable and 1 being least favorable. Then total the scores to help prioritize. ▲

For example, Dry Cleaner A weighs two alternatives: hotels and medical offices. Once each factor on the grid is assessed, hotels rate a 43 and medical offices rate a 30 in the cleaner’s market. Thus, it would be logical to focus on hotels first. Additionally, in a case where the scores are similar but the timing score is significantly different, both may be opportunities; the optimum timing may indicate that the medical offices would be a more immediate opportunity.

The analysis will include in-depth research, particularly in assessing the size of the market potential.

SIZE OF MARKET POTENTIAL. The Economic Census (www.census.gov/econ/census) is a good place to start in determining the size of the market potential, providing data on numbers of establishments, estimated average sales, number of employees, etc. This information is historical and must be tempered with expectations, especially if creating a new market service. Many industry associations also provide this type of data to their members or for a fee. Often, it is possible to find research that has been done by college and university students and faculty on a specific business.

EXISTING COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT. In addition to the market-potential data gathered, feet-on-the-ground investigation is essential to accurately assess the current competitive environment.

Cleaners will want to know how many competitors are in the specific niche they are targeting, the longevity of their expertise, their available capacity, where they are in the business life cycle, whether their customers are happy, and whether they are

growing or sales are declining.

PROFITABLE PRICING ALTERNATIVES. Shop the existing pricing alternatives to determine the profit margins. If pennies are critical, one has to decide if their business has the efficiency to compete in a tight margin business. If quality is the determining factor, what price is necessary to provide the required quality in the time frame required?

EASE OF PRODUCTION AND SERVICE DELIVERY. Does the service require exceptional expertise or is it more a matter of finding a sufficient relatively unskilled labor pool? Whichever skill level is required, is it available to one’s business at a wage that is realistic?

Does the service require specialized equipment? If so, is it affordable?

EASE OF SELLING SERVICE. Is the chosen service one that is in great demand? Do many companies need it? Is it difficult for them to produce internally?

EASE OF ACCESS TO DECISION MAKERS. Who makes the buying decisions? Is it an individual or a committee? Does the front line have advisory power but no budget or spending authority? Are the decision makers easy to reach or must one run the gauntlet of effective gatekeepers?

Will a box of cookies get one in the door or will it take an inside introduction from an internal influencer? Does one have a sales team that knows the difference between the effective and ineffective strategies and who can apply the appropriate tactics to the given situation?

Do they have the necessary contacts to

American Drycleaner, October 2014 www.americandrycleaner.com

be immediately effective selling or must they develop all new contacts from the ground up? Can one “buy” someone with the appropriate contacts to ramp up the sales effort quickly?

CAPACITY TO DELIVER SERVICE. Does one’s plant have excess capacity that is suitable for this service? An example might be an unproductive storage room for discarded equipment that could be converted to a rug cleaning room to clean area rugs for building management companies.

Does one have excess space in a store where the production could be done possibly utilizing underutilized labor? A good example is a hotel pillow service for which the production is done by store staff during hours when the store traffic is slow.

Another example is adding a washer and dryer to a store to provide a towel service for beauty salons and spas.

RESOURCES REQUIRED TO DEVELOP/DELIVER SERVICE . Weigh the cost and availability of all of the resources required to provide the service:

People — Consider the demands on staff, including management, production and sales and marketing.

Time — Can one carve out time to manage the development and the manage ment of the project? If so, what might one give up to free up attention for the new project?

Capital — Diversification usually re quires capital investment in people, product, equipment or real estate. Will the ROI on this project exceed other alternative opportunities? Remember, there is also an investment cost in doing nothing due to the lost-opportunity cost.

AVAILABILITY OF REQUIRED RESOURCES. Is the capital readily available either in the form of cash on hand or available credit at a rate that is less than the ROI on the desired project?

LEARNING CURVE INVOLVED TO DEVELOP EXPERTISE. How complicated is the business opportunity? Does it require special training or expertise? Does it entail detailed regulations that must be learned and followed? How discerning is the end-user?

For example, a doormat service is much easier to provide than a service that cleans fine Oriental carpets.

OPTIMUM TIMING TO INTRODUCE SERVICE. Is there seasonality in the service, such as a ski resort’s snowboarding gear uniforms that need to be sold at a specific time, or is the service needed year-round?

Are there outside economic factors that affect the timing? For example, hotels are more likely to have their drapes cleaned when occupancies are down and money is too tight to replace décor.

Many factors affect the decision to diversify. These considerations are mentioned to help one effectively assess opportunities and stimulate thinking about potential beyond the standard retail consumer drycleaning and laundry business.

In the quest to improve profitability and increase sales, be creative but also be thorough in investigations and considerations. O

Diana Vollmer is managing director at Methods for Management (MfM) Inc., which has served the dry cleaning and laundry industry with affordable man agement expertise for improved profitability since 1953. For assistance with B2B service planning and implementation, contact Vollmer at dvollmer@ mfmi.com or 415-577-6544.

www.americandrycleaner.com American Drycleaner, October

industry observations

u se e mpathy to d efuse u nhappy Customers

You always tell your counter staffers to be nice to customers. Sometimes they listen, sometimes they don’t. Try another tact: tell them to be empathetic.

Empathy is defined as “identification with an understanding of another’s situation, feelings, and motives.” So, empathy goes beyond being nice to customers. It asks one to try to step into their shoes, and understand their behavior from their point of view. It forces the staffer to look at a situation from a different perspective. While it might not seem like much of a difference, it prompts your counter staffers to think about their actions. That consideration could result in a whole new way of responding.

You might instruct your counter staff in this way: “Look, we have good customers and bad customers. Plus, all customers have good days and bad days. Not every encounter is perfectly smooth, perfectly pleasant. But I urge

To find past columns from Howard Scott or share this month’s with your colleagues, visit www.americandrycleaner.com.

you to react to the customer from the point of view of why she’s acting the way she is.

“Why is she making a fuss? Why is she treating you with zero respect? Why is she making such outrageous claims when there’s no truth to them? Maybe her husband yelled at her this morning for spending so much on household goods and she’s taking it out on you. It’s possible she has just had a bad encounter with another merchant, and she’s frustrated. Perhaps she has a job deadline and is distracted. Or maybe she’s feeling glum because it’s a dark, rainy day.

“These realizations don’t excuse

Howard Scott

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

HANG AROUND WITH THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY

With over 10,000 people and 400+ exhibitors, the Clean Show is the most important event in the textile care industry. This is your chance to explore all the latest technologies, products and concepts, presented through live demonstrations and classroom based seminars. For more information visit cleanshow.com.

April 16-19, 2015

Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta, Georgia USA

industry observations

the behavior, but such insights might give you a better grasp on the situation. When a customer starts to give you a tough time, take a breath, and say to yourself: ‘I wonder what happened with her day for her to be so unpleasant.’ This pause will help you strategize an approach to create a better outcome and to make that bad taste in your mouth disappear.”

With an empathetic outlook, a counter staffer will strive to guess what’s underneath the anger and seek to alter the attitude, or at least they will be more tolerant. Maybe being sympathetic will work. Pos-

With an empathetic outlook, a counter staffer will strive to guess what’s underneath the anger and seek to alter the attitude...

sibly pointing up some fact will do it. Another solution is being quite emotive. Humor might win over the day. That’s a better attitudinal approach than just dealing with the surface of the interaction. Certainly, if the customer is peeved, responding to the words themselves will not bring a positive outcome.

Let’s see how an empathic instinct might work in different situations.

• The customer is amazed at the price of cleaning a comforter. “That’s highway robbery!” she exclaims. “I think your store is overpriced.” The typical response might be, “Let me check the price. No, that is our correct price.”

The customer begins to walk out angry. Remembering the lecture on empathy, the

counter staffer, who has seen the customer getting out of her expensive car, thinks to herself that all expenses are relative. It depends on what you’re getting, just like that $40,000 vehicle is the woman’s preference. The staffer offers, “You’re right, Mrs. Malone. That is a lot of money for one piece. But, you know, it reflects our high quality on everything we do.

“We don’t take short cuts. We use the finest cleaning agents. Our people are well-trained. All that costs money, just like the workmanship in your car. I am sorry you are upset, but realize that you are getting the best for your money, and hopefully, you’ll understand.” The second response is surely better than the first. It will go a long way toward appeasing the customer.

• The customer had to wait for two slow customers to finish. By the time she is at the register, she is annoyed and surly. Under usual procedures, the counter staffer would process the order and the person would walk out grumbling.

By being empathetic, the counter staffer realizes the customer’s frustration and says, “I’m sorry you had to wait so long, Ms. Manfriedi. Our average transaction takes only 45 seconds, but the two customers in front of you were very slow. And this is our busiest pickup time. If you had come an hour earlier, there wouldn’t have been any line, and you would have gotten right in and out. If you’re able, consider avoiding the noon hour. Again, I’m sorry for your delay. I can imagine how annoying it is.” The customer leaves, feeling

American Drycleaner, October 2014 www.americandrycleaner.com

some consolation.

• The customer finds a stain on her dress. She accuses the dry cleaner of causing it. She says, “It’s probably grease from one of your machines.” As it happens, the counter staffer has had a bad day. Several people have yelled at her, and she is about to snap at the next customer who gives

Sometimes, shifting the emphasis makes a transaction go more smoothly.

her trouble. So she says, “I’m sure it wasn’t from our plant. But we’ll take it back and get out the stain.”

With empathy in mind, she sees the stain and feels for the customer. She remembers how annoyed she was when she discovered a stain on one of her favorite garments, so she decides to take a personal approach. “Mrs. Kleinrath, I know how bad you feel. I just discovered a stain on one of my favorite outfits; I thought I would die. But I brought it in the next day and they removed the stain completely. I’m sure we will do the same with your garment. Just leave it here. I’ll call you when it’s ready. In fact, to save you another trip, my driver will drop it off at your house. Just tell me where he should leave it.” The customer can’t help from being at least somewhat mollified.

• The customer is a grump. Ordinarily, the counter staffer would process the order without saying anything. Her goal would be to get rid of the unpleasant guy.

But, with empathy in mind, she de-

www.americandrycleaner.com

cides to try humor. “Mr. Anderson, surely you can smile today. It’s such a beautiful morning. We’re alive, standing above ground, healthy. That’s reason enough to be appreciative. Plus, I enjoy your patronage. That’s worth the price of admission, isn’t it? So, have a great day, Mr. Anderson.” With such enthusiasm, Mr. Anderson pauses, then says, “You’re right. Have a great day, my dear,” and walks out in a better mood than when he came in.

• The customer is annoyed that the crew can’t find a garment. The counter staffer responds, “Mrs. Wilson, we’ll locate it and call you. Just give us a day.” The customer is left quite angry.

Being empathetic, the counter staffer realizes how annoying this situation is. She knows the customer fears the worst, that the garment is lost. So the staffer says, “I sincerely apologize. I know you’re annoyed, but try not to be upset, Mrs. Wilson. It has to be here, and we’ll find it. I imagine it was one of your favorite outfits. We had a large shipment of commercial work dropped off this morning, and things are extra busy. When we do find your jacket, I’ll see that it is personally delivered to your house.”

Sometimes, shifting the emphasis makes a transaction go more smoothly. Try preaching empathy to your counter people and see how much better they get at responding to less-than-pleasant customers. O

Howard Scott is a longtime industry writer and dry cleaning consultant, and an H&R Block tax preparer specializing in small businesses. He welcomes ques tions and comments, and can be reached by writing Howard Scott, Dancing Hill, Pembroke, MA 02359, by calling 781-293-9027 or via e-mail at dancinghill@ gmail.com.

American Drycleaner, October 2014 23

The of Dry Cleaning ‘CSI’

Inside the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute’s Laurel, Md., headquarters is what has been called the “CSI” of dry cleaning: the International Textile Analysis Laboratory (ITAL), a high-tech investigative unit that works backward to figure out how garments and other textile items compromised in processing met such unfortunate ends.

The vast majority of failed garments come from DLI member cleaners, but ITAL also accepts items from consumer advocates, hotels, hospitals, department stores, chemical companies, and smallclaims courts for analysis. A flat $36 fee per item (DLI Premier Club members can receive up to six free ITAL analyses per year) covers analysis, supplies, labor and return shipping, and the lab tests up to 5,000 items annually.

Why? To find out why the garment,

bedspread or draperies failed, and who was responsible.

“We write an explanation of our findings and what the findings mean, and a conclusion on why or where this occurred,” says Jim Kirby, ITAL’s chief analyst. “Whether it was a manufacturing defect, or if the consumer did something in use or storage, or if the person who cared for it made a mistake.”

Complaints are different from garment to garment, so the testing protocol depends on the complaint, he explains.

“For instance, if a customer complains that a red dress is no longer as red as it once was, the analyst will run colorfastness tests according to ATSM and AATC standards.”

ITAL uses a full complement of equipment and chemicals to reproduce the care process in controlled conditions, plus spe-

(Photo: © iStockphoto/allanswart)

How the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute solves problem garment mysteries

cialized equipment and chemical indicators that can reveal the presence of deleterious materials and stress factors.

“We have every piece of equipment in the textile-testing world at our access,” Kirby says. “We use at least two microscopes [and] a SpectraLight machine that generates six different light spectra to look at the textiles.”

“It is a little bit like CSI,” says DLI Chairman of the Board David Machesney, owner of Pratt Abbott Cleaners in Westbrook, Maine.

The ITAL analyst writes a report on his findings and returns it and the garment. The entire process typically takes less than two weeks for dry cleaners in the continental United States, but rush services and expedited shipping are available.

With e-mail, you can have the report back the same day a garment is tested, according to Machesney.

An analysis is usually ordered in response to a customer claim. If the dry cleaner and the garment’s owner can’t work out a satisfactory arrangement, they can send the item to ITAL to help work things out.

“We’re an independent laboratory,” Kirby says. “We take no hearsay evidence from the retailer, the manufacturer or the consumer—only what we find in the laboratory. We try to resolve complaints and pinpoint problems.”

ITAL has the final word on whether or not the care process, a manufacturing defect, or the customer caused the garment failure—and the customer may be right. ▲

American Drycleaner, October 2014

The lab’s analyses “have helped us save thousands of dollars over the years on claims we shouldn’t have paid,” says Norman Way, director of operations at Puritan Cleaners in Richmond, Va. “But it’s also helped us to be able to take care of customers when we find out that it was our fault, and we were able to learn from that.”

Machesney’s plant recently saw a $600 dress exhibit a substantial color change in processing. He approached the boutique that sold it to express his suspicion that the dress was labeled “Dry clean only” incorrectly. “She said, ‘We have never had a problem,’ and whipped up the customer against us,” he says. “I said, ‘We’ll pay the claim, but let’s send it in.’”

ITAL analysis confirmed that the dress wasn’t made to withstand routine drycleaning procedures and shouldn’t have carried a label specifying dry cleaning.

“It gives the cleaner credibility as the expert,” Machesney says. “You can provide validity to your position, and show that you have resources if something goes wrong. That has huge value. We try to treat people fairly, but it’s not the money—it’s the credibility it builds with customers, and hopefully with the boutiques in your area.”

Pratt Abbott sends eight to 12 garments in for testing per year, and often uses mys terious garment failures as a challenge for employees.

“We use it as a training tool,” Machesney says. “It gives us a chance to say, ‘OK, what do you think went wrong?’ Then I’ll tell them, ‘Let’s send it in and

see if we got it right.’ Sometimes we get it; sometimes we don’t. Sometimes, [the item] will come back with a suggestion.”

He believes DLI members may not be taking enough advantage of the lab’s capabilities.

“A lot of managers don’t want to send [garments] in because they think it costs money,” Machesney says. “That’s penny-wise and pound-foolish. Better cleaners are spending more time training staff, and using our online services to educate. But a lot of that stuff goes hand-in-hand with the lab.”

ITAL also informs manufacturers of its findings to help them make better garments. The data collected at the lab adds to DLI’s considerable repository of drycleaning knowledge, providing topics for newsletters that cleaners can reference repeatedly.

“What we see here, we turn into a variety of bulletins,” Kirby says. “It helps our members explain problems to the consumer, and if it was the cleaner’s fault, they can learn from it.”

“It would be helpful if more dry cleaners would send in more garments, so that if we have manufacturer-specific problems, we can get that information out to the industry,” Machesney says.

“Cleaning is going from a necessity to a luxury item,” he adds. “And when you’re working in a luxury business, the expectations are far greater. As pieces dwindle and the price per piece rises, customers expect more out of us. We’re not just cleaners—we provide solutions to garment care.” O

American Drycleaner, October 2014 www.americandrycleaner.com

The lab’s analyses “have helped us save thousands of dollars over the years on claims we shouldn’t have paid.”

—

Norman Way, Puritan Cleaners

Competing and Winning in the Delivery Marketplace

By Bruce Beggs, Editorial Director

The drycleaning industry is becoming more and more route-competitive, says consultant James Peuster, and he believes businesses that do not offer route service will see a steady decline in drycleaning sales in the coming years.

The Route Pro, as Peuster’s Missouribased business is called, is well known in the industry for the route consulting and development services it offers. Peuster travels frequently throughout the country for on-site training and coaching.

“I don’t want to be known as the angel

of death for drop stores, but there are more and more people closing drop stores now,” he says to an audience at this year’s South Eastern Fabricare Association (SEFA) conference in Jacksonville, Fla.

Peuster says his company has conducted research to calculate how much a gallon of gas would have to cost in order for the cost of running a $5,000-a-week route to match that of running a $5,000-a-week drop store. The answer: $12.46 per gallon.

“When gas gets to $12.46, then we might want to go back to looking at more (drop) stores,” he says. “Now, that’s based on different average mileage, all kinds ▲

(Photo: © iStockphoto/Tjanze)

Drycleaning route consultant offers fresh look at raking in business on the road

ComeseeusatthePDCAExpo!

of stuff, and results may vary.”

SELLING CONVENIENCE. Developing a route service requires the acquisition or use of a delivery vehicle such as a van, the hiring or selection of an employee to drive the appointed route, the acquisition or use of some type of computerized route management system, and the hiring or selection of an employee to head up the marketing efforts that should go along with it.

and there’s nothing more convenient in the service industry than pickup and delivery.

WHO IS ON THE RIGHT TRACK AND WHO IS GETTING DERAILED? Many cleaners see their routes “run off the rails,” and Peuster thinks he knows why:

• Unwillingness to Change — Some operators subscribe to the theory that what worked before should work again and are unwilling to make changes for the betterment of their service. Peuster says he often sees this dynamic when a business has multi-generational owners.

Whether your business walks through the door with your customers or is transported in from a route, today’s valueconscious patrons will spend money if the service is worth it, Peuster says.

“They’re looking for a quality product, customer service, convenience and price,” he says. “If you add the four together, that is the definition of value.”

Many dry cleaners are discount-happy, Peuster says, believing that couponing is the best way to market their business. But he claims that customers won’t stay for discounts alone.

“They’re going to leave us because of price. Why? Because they’re going to get another coupon. … They signed up because of price, they’re going to leave because of price. They’re not going to see the value in the rest of what you do.”

Convenience is the No. 1 thing to sell a new customer on, according to Peuster,

“I love going to these shows because ... a wide range of people come to our booth and ask questions. My favorite ones are the people who are new to the industry. They don’t have the old habits the older cleaners have. … A lot of this younger generation have really creative ways they could put into play for building their business, and they’re handcuffed.”

• Complacency — Peuster often hears cleaners say they put out a “quality product” that they don’t need to worry about, or they have no “competition.”

“Those are my favorites, because lots of times someone flies underneath the radar and scoops them up,” he says.

• Mismanagement — This includes a lack of accountability and a lack of motivation on the part of route drivers, and a failure by management to correct it.

“You, unfortunately, have to step up your game as a manager,” Peuster says. “(Route drivers) are on auto pilot sometimes, on cruise control. … It’s your job to turn potential into performance.” ▲

American Drycleaner, October 2014 www.americandrycleaner.com

“It’s your job to turn potential into performance.”

— James Peuster

TAKE YOUR ROUTES TO THE NEXT LEVEL. What must a dry cleaner do to ramp up their route efforts?

• Drivers Must Do More Than Just Drive

“There is a natural attrition that will happen with routes,” Peuster says. “If that attrition overtakes what your route driver contributes (in sales), your route is going to … flatline. What if your driver was more involved, not just in sales but in (customer) retention as well? What would that look like?”

• Evaluate Current Route Personnel

“Are they bringing in new business? Are they getting more skilled in their position? Are they making you money or costing you money?” Peuster asks.

• Sell to Full-Price Customers

It’s up to the route salesperson to evaluate the quality of a potential customer with the thought in mind of offering minimal or no discount on a first order, Peuster says. It goes back to building loyalty on service rather than price.

• Manage the Process

Just “having the van” is not enough to offer good route service, according to Peuster. Also, it’s up to management to balance route personnel motivation and accountability; your long-term goal is to have a 50/50 split.

“Accountability is not finger-pointing and assigning blame. It’s repercussions for not living up to the responsibilities you’ve laid out. … The motivation is always (linked to) money.”

THE BOTTOM LINE. Competing in today’s market means you have to separate yourself from the competition, Peuster says, “not do what your competition does and hope that you just happen to be the dumb-luck guy around when (a customer) just happens to get that direct-mail piece (and) decides, ‘I’m ready to change my dry cleaning today.”

And what should happen if you put off offering route service, or stand pat with what’s already in place?

“Each day you wait, your competition is solidifying their routes,” he proclaims. O

James Peuster (standing), “The Route Pro,” speaks to a South Eastern Fabricare

Association audience during the group’s annual conference in July. (Photo: Bruce Beggs)

■ Have you invested in renovations, equipment upgrades, or a whole new drycleaning plant? Enter your plant in the 54th Annual American Drycleaner Plant Design Awards!

Every year, the magazine honors the best new plants and renovation projects, recognizing them for appearance, efficiency, convenience and comfort. Your plant could be next!

You can find our online entry form at: https://americandrycleaner.com/54thannual-plant-design-awards-entry-form

■ Fill out the form completely and upload a layout (blueprint or sketch) and several photos (300 dpi digital files are preferred, but color photos will also suffice) that show off the features that make your drycleaning plant an excellent place to do business.

And include any information you feel is relevant to the way your plant’s design attracts customers and fulfills your production needs. The more detailed the entry, the better!

Perhaps you’ll join the likes of previous grand prize-winners Corona Del Mar (CDM) Cleaners, Newport Beach, Calif.; Rainbow Cleaners, Oxford, Miss.; and Margaret’s Cleaners, San Diego, Calif., at the pinnacle of the drycleaning industry.

But you can’t win if you don’t enter!

■ Entries are subject to verification. Contact Editorial Director Bruce Beggs, 312-361-1683, bbeggs@ americantrademagazines.com, with any questions.

American Drycleaner is accepting entries until Friday, Oct. 31. Good luck!

Can You Make a Little Change?

What do you want to happen to your drycleaning business over the next five years? Where are you right now, in relation to that goal? What will it take to get from where you are to where you want to be?

The cleaning industry is changing. It is the subject of concentrated scrutiny, due to the industry’s perceived environmental impact. It is the subject of intense criticism for the occasional appearance of gender pricing. Several companies have targeted the industry with “in home” products to replace professional cleaning services, from dry cleaning in the home dryer to a cabinet that freshens and de-wrinkles a garment. If all this makes you uncomfortable, you are not alone.

The question is simple: Can a treated fabric sheet bagged in a home dryer come close to delivering an end result that is equal to your cleaning quality?

The “me, too” cleaner has now become the equivalent of low-hanging fruit. With nothing to distinguish a cleaning operation, it will fade away, while others will prosper due to unique marketing strategies or superior garment restoration. This is where my long years reveal my bias in favor of

supplemental stain removal. Marketing programs require a capital expenditure while superior garment restoration simply requires knowledge and effort. Based on my experiences when working with various immersion solu tions, there is not a lot of difference in wet-side supplemental stain-removal procedures, regardless of the system be ing used. The most important thing is to remove the stain while at the board.

Dry the area thoroughly. If there is no trace of the stain, the garment can then be cleaned or, if post-spotting, passed up to be finished. If for some reason the garment has to be “re-run,” apply a leveling agent formulated to work with your system. If possible, al low the garment to sit for a few minutes while the leveling agent penetrates, to encapsulate any residual moisture left behind by wet-side spotting.

Redeposition remains the No. 1 cleaner error. Exposing moist garments to a drycleaning system is the primary cause of redeposition. There may be a few wet-side stain-removal tools that are incompatible with one of the newer alternative systems, but I have not yet found that to be true.

Unfortunately, dry-side stainremoval tools and procedures are dependent upon the system you are using. The two predominant dry-

Martin Young

cleaning systems, perc and hydrocarbon, have an established track record and a multitude of chemical tools that have been developed and refined over the years. The various alternatives that have come to market and gained traction in the cleaning industry still suffer from a comparatively small level of complementary chemistry.

Some of the older dry-side stainremoval tools are only marginally acceptable with an alternative, or contribute to the waste stream, therefore defeating the purpose of using that alternative process.

You should question the manufacturer’s representative for any alternative process on the accepted procedures and tools recommended to properly remove stains such as latex paint, nail polish, caulking, oxidized grease, Wite-Out and meat sauce. These stains make up the majority of solvent-soluble and chemically soluble stains that cleaners face on a daily basis.

Just as some stains in the drycleaning system should be treated before cleaning (pre-spotting), some stains that are to be wet-cleaned can and should be treated before wet cleaning. It is amazing how much can be accomplished with a laundry POG, steam, and 15 seconds.

Experience will guide you to recognize that a tannin stain (red wine or mustard) will most likely not be removed in wet cleaning. Experience will guide you to recognize that a protein stain (blood or perspiration) could use some assistance in removal the first time through the wetcleaning process.

The great thing about pre-spotting a stain on the wet side is that you do not have to dry the area after flushing the stain-removal chemical with steam. Wet cleaning will flush out any remaining

stain, along with any remaining spotting chemical, and will not leave a ring. But you should make it a policy to dry-clean all garments that have been spotted on the dry side.

Cleaners have always struggled with water-soluble stain removal, until recently. Knowledge and experience, combined with wetcleaning protocols, can open up opportunities to improve quality and save time and effort.

Removing large areas of water-soluble stain in a garment that already has some form of a water-based care instruction is simple and effective when using basic water treatment protocols and chemical tools. These fall into the category of fine washables and do not appear to threaten current care labeling regulations.

But, under current care labeling regulations, when you choose to use water on a “dry-clean only” garment, the risk falls on the cleaner. Knowledge and confidence are required to immerse a “dryclean only” garment in water, and a signed “hold harmless” document gives a great deal of leverage in avoiding a claim.

Improving your service quality is never a bad investment. The boll weevil that stubbornly hangs to the top of the cotton plant dies with the first frost. The boll weevil that moves lower to take advantage of the ground’s warmth survives the first frost to dig into the soil until spring.

Sometimes, it only requires a little change to ensure prosperity. O

Martin L. Young Jr. has been an industry consultant and trainer for almost 20 years, and a member of various stakeholder groups on environmental issues. He grew up in his parents’ plant in Con cord, N.C., Young Cleaners, which he operates to this day. Contact him by phone at 704-786-3011, e-mail mayoung@vnet.net.

American Drycleaner, October 2014 www.americandrycleaner.com

Man does not live by print alone.

(Nor woman either.) American Drycleaner can now be viewed on tablets and other mobile devices – great ways to stay on top of the latest industry news and updates. www.americandrycleaner.com

Product N ews

Flexing New Muscle

The new G-Flex Washer-Extractors from Continental Girbau generate extract speeds up to 200 G-force, offer the highly programmable ProfitPlus™ Control, and deliver superior results using less water and energy, the company says. Available in 40- and 55-pound capacities, G-Flex washers also deliver the flexibility of six programmable extract speeds.

“G-force extract speeds on the G-Flex washer can also be adjusted to meet most coin laundries’ specific infrastructure limitations,” says Joel Jorgensen, Continental’s vice president of sales and customer services. “Not all vended laundries have the 8-inch concrete foundation required to operate a 200 G-force hard-mount washer. The G-Flex can operate on a lesser foundation by adjusting G-force extract accordingly.”

Continental’s ProfitPlus Control flexibility allows multi-level vend pricing on the same machine depending on the wash program selected, time of day, or day of the week. 800-256-1073 | www.continentalgirbau.com

Fresh Faced and r eady

UniMac has given its cabinet hardmount washer-extractors and tumble dryers a “facelift” for a more consistent look, plus unveiled newly redesigned hardmount washer-extractors.

The cabinet hardmount washer-extractors and dryers (stack and single pocket) now come stan dard with gray two-toned control panel overlays, plus carry a new metal nameplate with the UniMac logo in gray.

The washer-extractors are equipped with a gray door handle with a roll pin/cam lock system. A re designed stationary door handle comes standard on dryers, which are now available in gray or white for all capacities. Also, the dryer is updated with a gray lint door and gray kickplate.

The design of UniMac’s UW45 and 65 hardmount washer-extractors has been extended to complete the series and meet the demand for larger capacities.

800-587-5458 | www.unimac.com

Hot on the Presses

Sankosha USA has released two new hot head drycleaning presses to the North American marketplace.

“Many of our loyal customers requested a hot head dry cleaning press that would incorporate Sankosha’s proven pressing technology and provide superior finishing quality with incomparable reliability,” says Ken Uchikoshi, president of Sankosha USA. “Through extensive research and field testing, we are now excited to release our two new models.”

Precision-milled and laser-cut press heads, along with built-in safety features such as head guards and two-hand operation, are just a few of the many benefits of these newly designed products, the company reports.

“Just like our pressing and bagging equipment, these hot head presses will be available through our very capable and excellent distribu tor network,” Uchikoshi says. 847-427-9120 | www.sankosha-inc.com

(Photo: © iStockphoto/digitalgenetics)

Successful Management Strategies 101

Industry consultant fires off bullet points for better profitability

By Bruce Beggs, Editorial Director

Make no mistake about it, the premise of Diana Vollmer’s Successful Management Strategies 101 presentation during the South Eastern Fabricare Association conference earlier this year was based on profitability.

“How many of you do this just for the fun of it?” she quipped, smiling.

Vollmer is managing director of Methods for Management, an independent

small-business consulting firm that specializes in serving the laundry and drycleaning industry. The company also coordinates and facilitates management bureaus in which participating companies freely share information, issues and concerns with fellow cleaners.

Diana Vollmer

“We track a lot of dry cleaners, not only in North America but around the world,” says Vollmer. “We get very detailed reports on the profitability of companies, and that is the basis for which I’m going to give you

some numbers.”

She broke her presentation into two parts. The opening related to the “front of the house,” or customer contact, the finish covered the “back of the house,” or produc tion and strategic management.

Key strategy points for customer contact include:

MASTER THE BASICS. Be on time, and be right, Vollmer says, adding, “Underpromise to your customers and prospects, then over-deliver and shine.” There is a broad opportunity to shine, she adds, be cause the industry, on average, has left the public with low expectations.

“When you get a complaint, or any kind of feedback, welcome it as a gift,” she says. “Otherwise, if they just vote with their feet, you’ll never know why they left and why they’re not coming back.”

Schedule experienced CSRs at all times, because “filling in weekends and evenings with your least-experienced people is one of the most dangerous things that you can do as a cleaner.”

BE CONVENIENT. If you offer the convenience of 24/7 service or accessibility, shout it out. Make your dry cleaner the most convenient in your local market, so your customers never have to think of dry cleaning as be ing a nuisance errand. If stores are your only business outlet, then you’re limited by the hours they are open; timing is ir relevant where routes are concerned. If you offer 24/7 kiosks or lockers, customers still have to make the trip but can do so on their schedule.

EASY TO DO BUSINESS WITH. Utilizing the Internet and social media and offering route

www.americandrycleaner.com

service are examples of making it easy for customers to do business with you. “The real goal here is to deliver the service when, where and how the customer chooses,” Vollmer says.

If American Express isn’t among the credit cards you accept, you should recon sider, she says. That card is “great on cus tomer profiling and targeting very specific customers … American Express customers will spend much more than VISA, Master Card, Discover, whatever.” Most companies issue American Express cards to their ex ecutives so they don’t have to worry about credit limits when entertaining clients, and these execs then use the card to charge their drycleaning to their company account.

BE SPECIAL, LOOK SPECIAL. Offer special services such as handbag cleaning and cus tom embroidery to set yourself apart from competitors. Clean-looking stores are doing well, Vollmer says; the closer they look like a retail environment, the more high-level customers they draw. Finally, enhance your packaging to present the best image and vis ibility while also providing the protection a customer expects with a freshly cleaned garment.

BE MARKETING SAVVY. Whatever your competitive advantages, make sure you broadcast them for maximum effect. While newspaper readership is down, the readers who remain are your drycleaning custom ers, according to Vollmer. The cost to run newspaper ads has plummeted, which pres ents a perfect opportunity to test a campaign in a specific market. Also, cable TV adver tising can be affordable, she says.

COMMUNITY CITIZEN. Outreach programs

American Drycleaner, October 2014

such as Dress for Success and Coats for Kids provide a wonderful way for dry cleaners to give back to their community, but they also offer opportunities to network with influential people in their marketplace.

BEST IN YOUR NICHE. All cleaners know about quality, but which can deliver the best price with the fastest speed and the lowest cost?

Once a business decides its market niche, it can then determine the appropriate pricing for relative item value while also covering costs, Vollmer says.

Customers understand that they get what they pay for, and a customer won’t believe that a cleaner can press their $400 Zegna

ing off-hours. While most stores tend to turn off their lights at closing time, leaving yours on will increase your visibility and definitely be worth the electricity bill con sidering the exposure you receive.

PROACTIVE OUTREACH. This applies to ev eryone who can possibly help you in any way, Vollmer says, such as developing joint ventures with textile retailers and other companies. For example, offering to clean a garment newly purchased from a local bou tique could be the start of a long-standing customer relationship.

PROFESSIONAL TEAM. “They need to look, act and be professional,” Vollmer says. “I can’t stress that enough.”

“The difference between success and failure right now is really proactive sales.”

shirt for 99 cents or $1.99. “They don’t want to risk that high-value, high-quality shirt to someone who also doesn’t recognize the high value and high quality,” she says.

EASE OF ACCESS. Drive-thrus appeal to cus tomers seeking the convenience factor, or whose circumstances (having young chil dren, dealing with disability, etc.) make that accessibility a key to their continued patron age. Expansion into new areas of residential growth and proximity to surrounding busi nesses and institutions also deserve regular scrutiny.

MOST VISIBLE AMONG COMPETITORS. Do you have all of your locations listed on Google Maps? If not, do it immediately, Vollmer says. And leave your store’s lights on dur

SALES ORGANIZATION. “The difference be tween success and failure right now is really proactive sales,” says Vollmer, “and the best sales are consultative, which means that it’s meeting the customer’s needs.” Sell with professionally produced messages, customer care, attractive packaging, novelty displays, and by creating entertainment.

Key strategy points for production and strategic management include:

TRACK KEY PRODUCTION ELEMENTS. “However you track them, whether it’s electronic or manual, it’s very important that your people know what’s expected of them, how much they achieved, and what the impact of that (achievement) is.”

Vollmer’s company has learned over the years that tracking such information will boost productivity by 10%, posting produc tion numbers in “real time” will boost output by 20%, and incentivizing success will increase production by 30%.

DELEGATE PROJECTS. Everyone is capable of doing a good job “on something,” she says; social media posting is a common area for delegation. “Look for something that (your employees) do well and delegate something that you can take off your plate. It’s a good way to test people’s commit ment and potential.”

DELEGATE AUTHORITY. When giving someone added responsibility, a manager must also delegate authority, Vollmer says, because the worker will fail without it.

MANAGE THE PROGRESS. But don’t manage the project, manage the worker.

CONTINUALLY TRAIN. Everyone in your orga nization should receive ongoing training. “If

you think someone has management poten tial, send them to a Management 101 class at the local junior college.”

BE INNOVATIVE. Equipment can pay for itself by cutting labor and improving quality. “Don’t delay buying equipment because you don’t have the cash flow. The cash flow it creates can pay for itself.”

SEEK OPPORTUNITIES. Acquire good compa nies that are temporarily weakened, i.e. the owner is burned out or the local market is in a temporary slump. “It sounds bad to take advantage of someone when they’re down but maybe you could salvage their life. Some of them are so desperate that anything that they can get (for their business) will be better, will be an improvement for them.” O

Behind the

Beads

to

By Richard Merli

Abrand-new technology designed to drastically reduce the use of water and energy is being introduced for commercial, institutional and industrial laundry operations, and one of the first to try out the system is a dry cleaner.

The new laundering system, manu-

Above: The polymer beads at the heart of the new Xeros laundering system. (Photo: Xeros Inc.)

factured by Xeros Inc., has recently been installed in several sites in the United States, including at Crest Advanced Dry Cleaners, a retail drycleaning and laundry operation with 10 plants in Virginia and four in Maryland.

The Xeros system uses a proprietary polymer bead technology to achieve mechanical action, and the manufacturer claims it has already reduced water consumption by 80% and virtually eliminated the use of energy in the wash process in these first U.S. installations.

The new technology is generating savings at three plants for Crest. Earlier this year, a representative of American Laundry News—a sister publication of American Drycleaner—toured the company’s new plant and laundering system in Germantown, Md., some 30 miles north of Washington, D.C.

“Water and energy costs are three ▲

David Slan (right), president/CEO of Crest Advanced Dry Cleaners, stands in front of a Xeros laundry system installed at his company’s Germantown, Md., location. (Photo: Richard Merli)

Technology offers new approach

wash process at Crest Advanced Dry Cleaners

DON’T MISS OUT

312-361-1683

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

Feature: Fashion & Fabricare Our annual year-end issue hits the runways to discover the styles and constructions that dry cleaners will see in the months to come.

Editorial Submission Deadline — October 15

JANUARY

Features: Plant Design Awards The 54th annual edition of our competition spotlights the best new plants and renovations completed in 2014. How to Avoid OSHA Fines Ensuring plants are up to standards and dodging pitfalls that can cost operators big.

Editorial Submission Deadline — November 15

FEBRUARY

Feature: Buyer’s Guide This annual directory of manufacturers and unique suppliers is a dry cleaner’s go-to resource anytime they’re looking to buy.

Editorial Submission Deadline — December 15

MARCH

Feature: Clean ’15 Show Guide Complete listings of the exhibitors, educational seminars and events that make Clean the industry’s can’t-miss show.

Editorial Submission Deadline —January 15

APRIL

Features: Atlas of Atlanta Here’s what to see and do while in ‘Hotlanta’ for Clean ’15. Coin-Op Laundry A self-service laundry could make a plant a comprehensive fabricare center.

Showcase: Point-of-Sale Systems

Editorial Submission Deadline — February 15

times higher in Maryland than they are in Virginia, so it was really a no-brainer for us to install the Xeros technology at our highvolume plants,” says David Slan, president and CEO of Crest Advanced Dry Cleaners.

HOW IT WORKS. The system can process table linen, uniforms, clothing and other goods with municipal water at ambient temperatures of 60 to 70 F. Approximately 1.3 million polymer beads are introduced into a wash cycle—typically for less than an hour—along with the company’s propri etary detergent. The beads work to release and absorb soil from the goods.

When a wash cycle is finished, the beads exit through perforations in the drum of the washer and are stored in a bead sump. They can be reused up to 500 times in wash cycles, according to Jonathan Benjamin, president of Xeros Inc. It is unusual to find more than one or two stray beads in the pockets of shirts at the end of a wash cycle, according to the company.

The system also reduces labor costs because goods do not have to be bagged before they are thrown in the washer, says Jack Culotta, vice president of Crest Ad vanced Dry Cleaners. “This type of change in technology is revolutionary, not evolu tionary,” he adds. “It just blows the tradi tional wash process right out of the water.”

The scrubbing action and the beads’ soil-attracting properties enable the plant to replace the method used for traditional laundering, according to Culotta.

Most clean items go directly from the Xeros laundry system to finishing. Shirts and other pressed items need to have some moisture in them to be pressed effectively. Heavier items, such as comforters, are dried traditionally.

INCORPORATING NEW TECHNOLOGY. Crest wants to be on “the bleeding edge of tech nology” in the race to remain ahead of its competitors, says Slan. However, the company prefers to take “educated, calcu lated risks.” Its first Xeros system has been operating for a year at another company plant and yielding superior quality results, according to Slan.

Xeros partnered closely with Crest to generate monthly reports demonstrating savings and efficiencies. “It’s been a mar riage of companies,” Slan says. “From the installation to the operation to the mainte nance of this system, what has made this re lationship wonderful is that there is so much synergy between our companies.”

Crest is “extremely happy” with the results and quality of goods washed in the Xeros laundry system, including table linen, uniforms and shirts, Culotta says.

The plant now processes slightly up wards of 50% of its goods and pieces through the Xeros laundering system, which has a 60-pound capacity. As the system continues to demonstrate superior results, that percentage will increase, says Slan,

American Drycleaner, October 2014 www.americandrycleaner.com

The beads in action during a wash cycle. (Photo: Xeros Inc.)

who describes it as “a main staple” of the operation.

“As we build new stores, the most significant change is that we will build them around the Xeros system,” says Slan. “It will be the first piece of equipment in the plant. It will be an integral part of our operations.”

Improved laundering efficiency repre sents a major component of Crest’s drive to become good stewards of their corner of the environment, the company says. Crest also insulates all of its steam pipes with PVC, not only to prevent injuries to employees but to reduce the temperatures in its plant and to reclaim steam so that it can be used to heat water.

“Everything we’ve done here in our new plant is designed to use as little energy as possible and to reclaim as much energy as

possible,” Culotta explains.

GREEK FOR ‘DRY.’ The technology for the Xeros laundry system—Xeros means “dry” in Greek—grew out of research at the Uni versity of Leeds in Great Britain in 2007, according to Benjamin. The system began trials in 2009.

In addition to its U.S. installations, the company has installed the system in plants in Germany, Belgium, Great Britain and Poland.

The company’s laundering system is currently contract-manufactured in the United States; Sheffield, Great Britain; and China. The technology can be purchased or leased from the company. O

Richard Merli, who resides in Brooklyn, N.Y., is a former editor of American Laundry News

Setting Dollars Aside for Healthcare

If you’re like most businesspeople and professionals, you’re fighting what seems like a losing battle against the onrushing tide of rising healthcare costs—and the battle in Washington over healthcare reform is ratcheting up the tension higher than ever. In the meantime, there’s no end in sight. Double-digit increases in healthcare pre miums have become the norm.

While this problem isn’t likely to dis appear entirely, the changes in Health Savings Account (HSA) legislation signed into law more than 10 years ago offer you the possibility of making a dramatic reduction in the costs for keeping you, your family, and/or your employees healthy no matter how the skirmish in Washington turns out.

The 2003 law made HSAs perma nent and available to professionals, business owners and employees pro vided they are not covered by another health plan.

WHAT ARE HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS?

HSAs are federal programs designed to help individuals save for future qualified medical health expenses on a tax-free basis.

HOW DO THEY WORK? HSAs come in two parts. First, you purchase a low-cost,

high-deductible health insurance policy available through providers that include such giants as Aetna, UnitedHealth Group, Blue Cross, Golden Rule Insur ance, and many others.

In conjunction with the insurance policy, you must open a dedicated savings account in which you make tax-deductible deposits to pay for your medical care. Each year, you may de posit up to the amount of the deductible on your insurance policy. The amount of the maximum deductible varies an nually. For 2014, the maximum annual HSA contribution for an individual is $3,300; the maximum for family cover age is $6,550. People older than age 55 are eligible to contribute an additional $1,000 in their HSA under what is called the “catch-up” rule.

You then use the money in the ac count to pay for your medical care.

Once your total expenses reach the amount of your deductible—if it does— the insurance policy kicks in.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY? In general, any person who is not covered by Medi care or another health plan and who is not listed as a dependent of another tax payer may apply for an HSA.

NO REFERRALS ARE REQUIRED. The tax advantages of Health Savings Accounts, along with control over choice of doc

Bill Lynott

tors, makes them appealing to small-business owners and the self-employed as well as the uninsured. In addition to the tax incentives, HSAs offer complete control over choice of doctors and eliminate the unpopular referral requirements of some health plans.

“Nearly all of the policies I sell now are HSAs,” says Tom Rogala, Custom Benefit Solutions, Northville, Mich. “All of my plans provide 100% coverage after the deductible. I can’t imagine why any business owner or individual would want to go any other route.”

Rogala, an independent health insur ance broker, says that many of his clients are small-business owners and profession als who need coverage for themselves and

HSAs are federal programs designed to help individuals save for future qualified medical health expenses on a tax-free basis.

would like to make coverage available to their employees at little or no cost to them

selves. HSAs make that possible.

“A business owner can sign up for an HSA for himself and make them available to any employee on a voluntary basis,” says Rogala. “That way, the employee deals di rectly with the provider. The employer is not involved and makes no contribution.

EMPLOYERS MAY SET UP GROUP PLANS. A pro fessional or business owner with employees can also sign up for a group plan in which the company pays a portion of the cost for each covered employee. The required em ployer contribution for group plans varies by state. In Michigan, for example, employers are required to contribute a minimum of

American Drycleaner, October 2014

(Photo: © iStockphoto/Gunnar Pippel)

25% of the cost of the high-deductible insurance policy. “That’s still a lot less than it would cost the employer for any other type of plan,” says Rogala.

Rogala tells of one of his clients, a small-business owner who was paying $900 per month for coverage for himself and his family.

“With his HSA, his cost is $250 per month for the highdeductible insurance policy. Plus, he deposits $295 tax-deductible dollars in his Health Savings Account to pay for medical care as needed. If his costs for the year exceed the amount of his deposits, the insurance kicks in with 100% coverage. If his costs are less than his deposits for any year, the balance will roll over, accumulating a kitty to pay for future care.”

NOT EVERYONE AGREES. Of course, not ev eryone is enthusiastic about Health Savings Accounts. Skeptics argue that the highdeductible policies will deter some from buy ing an HSA plan, and others will be reluctant to dip into their HSA savings to pay for medical care with what amounts to their own money. At a congressional hearing in 2004, Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) said he believed that high-deductible plans simply shift costs to so-called consumers who pay more out of pocket.

Rogala disagrees. “My files are full of examples of individuals who are thrilled with the savings and the service they’re getting

through their HSAs.”

Despite the reluctance of some to jump on the HSA bandwagon, there is no denying the rapidly growing popularity of this ap proach to healthcare insurance. Employees like the way HSAs give them more choices and more control over their healthcare. Selfemployed individuals and small-business owners say they like HSAs because they help to control spiraling healthcare costs, putting more money on their bottom lines.

The rules, exceptions and restrictions involving HSAs are relatively complicated, so you should not attempt to set up one with out the help of a tax professional. For more detailed information about HSAs, visit www. irs.gov and search for “Publication 969.” O

Information in this article is provided for educational and reference purposes only. It is not intended to provide specific advice or individual recommenda tions. Consult an accountant or tax adviser for advice regarding your particular situation.

Bill Lynott is a freelance writer whose work appears in leading trade publications and newspapers, as well as consumer magazines including Reader’s Digest and Family Circle. Visit his website at www. blynott.com or e-mail blynott@comcast.net.

50 American Drycleaner, October 2014 www.americandrycleaner.com

(Photo: © iStockphoto/GrenouilleFilms)

Education & t raining

Marketing & Promoting Your Business with Constant Contact. Minnesota Cleaners Association course, to be held Oct. 9 at a location to be announced. Call 763-213-3231 or e-mail drenda. wendell@minnesotadrycleaners.org.

Introduction to Drycleaning. DLI course, to be held Oct. 13-17 in Laurel, Md. Call 800-638-2627 or visit www. dlionline.org.

Professional Development Seminar. Southwest Drycleaners Association event, to be held Oct. 18 in Oklahoma City. Call 512-873-8195 or visit www.sda-dryclean. com.

Advanced Drycleaning. DLI course, to be held Oct. 20-31 in Laurel, Md. Call 800638-2627 or visit www.dlionline.org.

Wet Cleaning. NCA course, to be held Oct. 26 in New York City. Call 212-9673002 or e-mail ncaiclean@aol.com.

Basic Pressing & Finishing. NCA course, to be held Nov. 8-9 in Bronx, N.Y.

Call 212-967-3002 or e-mail ncaiclean@ aol.com.

NY State DEC Certification. Two-day NCA course, to be held Nov. 9 and Nov. 16 in Nanuet, N.Y. Call 212-967-3002 or e-mail ncaiclean@aol.com.

Avoiding Claims: What You Need to Know About Fabrics & Stain Removal. NCA course, to be held Nov. 23 in New York City. Call 212-967-3002 or e-mail ncaiclean@aol.com.

Basic Spotting 101. NCA course, to be held Dec. 7 in Bronx, N.Y. Call 212967-3002 or e-mail ncaiclean@aol.com.

Stain Removal Seminar. SEFA event, to be held Jan. 31 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Call 877-707-7332 or visit www.sefa.org.

Shirt Laundry and Drycleaning

Finishing Seminar. SEFA event, to be held Feb. 1 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Call 877-707-7332 or visit www.sefa.org.

www.americandrycleaner.com

American Drycleaner, October 2014

GreenEarth silicone now ASTM-recognized garment care option

Silicone is now an official recom mendation for the cleaning of textile products according to ASTM D3136, Standard Terminology Relating to Care Labeling for Apparel, Textile, Home Furnishing, and Leather Prod ucts, reports GreenEarth Cleaning, which markets a silicone-based system to dry cleaners.

The ruling comes after GreenEarth, a voting member of ASTM Commit tee D13 on Textiles, proposed amend ments to the care labeling standards with the goal of improving profession al garment care.

It makes GreenEarth silicone the first new drycleaning solvent specifi cally referenced for care labeling by ASTM International since fluorocar bon in 1996, the company says.

Formerl y known as the Ameri can Society for Testing and Materi als, ASTM International is one of the world’s largest development and de livery systems of standards and related products and services. Some 12,000 ASTM standards are used around the world today to improve product qual ity, enhance safety, facilitate trade, and build consumer confidence.

ASTM’s new definition of dry c leaning is now “in the care of tex tile products, a cleaning process using

solvents such as perchloroethylene, a petroleum, or a silicone,” GreenEarth says.

“We believe that the inclusion of the silicone option by ASTM will as sist garment manufacturers to address the increasing regulation of perc and hydrocarbons in the drycleaning industry,” says Tim Maxwell, GreenEarth Cleaning president. “GreenEarth’s sili cone process provides an alternative that is gentler for garments and the planet. We believe our alternative is good for everybody.”

FRSTeam names Broad VP of operations

Fabric Restoration Service Team Inc. (FRSTeam), a national provid er of fabric restoration services with more than 56 licensee locations in the United States and Canada, has named Si mon Broad its new vice president of operations.

Broad, who bri ngs more than 25 years of successful franchise support and multiindustry experience, joins the com pany’s executive team at corporate headquarters in Hayward, Calif.

Broad is tasked with ensuring effi cient and high-quality management of operations, focusing on unit growth of the franchise as a whole, sales growth

Simon Broad

of each location, and franchisee relation ships and satisfaction. He will be in charge of managing the franchise support team, system accountability and system perfor mance.

“Si mon’s experience with franchise operational issues and small-business con sulting will enhance our insight and exper tise as our franchise continues to grow,” says FRSTeam President Jim Nicholas. “We have expanded our team with several new licensees in recent months and are proud to be recognized as a leader in our industry.”

Previously, Broad held positions as vice president of business development and vice president of franchise operations during his eight years at Banfield Pet Hos pital in Portland, Ore., where he formu lated and executed strategies for growing the hospital’s network and oversaw all franchise sales. In his most recent role as principal of an independent consulting business, he focused on franchise opera tional issues, start-ups and small-business consulting.

Broad has a master’s degree in business administration from Framingham State College and a bachelor’s degree in law and economics from Bournemouth University in England.

CD One Price Cleaners creates flag mosaic honoring U.S. military

Suburban Chicago-based drycleaning fran chise CD One Price Cleaners recently part nered with the non-profit Fisher House Foundation for its Flag Mosaic Project honoring active and veteran military ser vice members, the company reports.

CD One Price Cleaners invited its cus tomers across Chicago and Minneapolis to donate $5 to Fisher House Foundation and upload a photo of their “favorite ac tive or veteran U.S. military soldier” for posting to a website “containing real-time interactive streaming,” and inclusion in its 9,000-photo flag mosaic.

The company was to construct two ▲

American Drycleaner, October 2014

4-by-6-foot American flag mosaics that would be presented to Fisher House loca tions in Hines, Ill., and Minneapolis.

All collected funds and the mosaic flags were to be presented at a ceremony at both locations on, or around, Veteran’s Day.

The project is part of the company’s “Heroes of the Neighborhood” program, a collaboration between CD One Price Cleaners and its customers to raise support and awareness for Fisher House Foun dation, a program that provides a “home away from home” for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and VA medical centers.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Fisher House Foundation, an inspiring organization that creates a home for mili tary families who are undergoing serious medical treatments and therapy,” says John Morocco, vice president of CD One Price Cleaners.

To view the mosaic, visit the website www.cdonepriceheroflagmosaic.com.

Engh joins Methods for Management team

Kermit Engh has become a managing di rector at San Francisco-based Methods for Management (MfM), the consulting firm reports.

Engh entered the drycleaning industry 22 years ago in Omaha, Neb. A member of MfM for 18 years, the new position will allow him to share his extensive back ground creating, acquiring and merging businesses, in addition to his expertise in plant design and layout. One of his dry cleaning companies, Fashion Cleaners, earned an Outstanding Renovation award

in American Drycleaner’s 53rd Annual Plant Design Awards competition.

Engh is also a member of numerous industry or ganizations, including the Drycleaning & Laundry In stitute, and he has served as president of the Association of Wed ding Gown Specialists for the past seven years. He sits on the Advisory Board of the University of Nebraska at Omaha Col lege of Business, as well as several Omaha charities.

Engh’s drycleaning companies, Fash ion Cleaners, Omaha Lace Cleaners and FRSTeam by Fashion Cleaners, provide care for retail, route, hotel valet, commer cial, fire restoration and bridal services.

Kreussler’s SYSTEMK4 receives U.S. patent approval

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded patent number 8,801,807 to Kreussler GmbH for SYSTEMK4 after several years of hard work, the company reports.

The pa tent protects Kreussler as the only drycleaning chemical company that can provide SOLVONK4, its base compo nent, for the cleaning of textiles, furs and leathers, Kreussler says. Further, it pro tects the entire suite of SYSTEMK4 dry cleaning products, including SOLVONK4, CLIPK4, PRENETTK4 and VINOYK4.

SOLVONK4 is the only form of Dibu toxymethane that can be sold or marketed for textile cleaning, Kreussler reports.

The U.S. follows Australia and New Zealand in the awarding of patents for ▲

American Drycleaner, October 2014 www.americandrycleaner.com

Kermit Engh

SOMETHING there is big coming

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SYSTEMK4, which Kreussler describes as an “earth-friendly alternative to traditional drycleaning solvents.”

“This was a challenging ordeal but we’re pleased to receive patent approval,” says Kreussler Inc. Vice President Rich ard Fitzpatrick. “We have over 350 dry cleaning companies in (the) U.S. who have invested in the system so we know it’s accepted in the marketplace. The patent validates our work and desire to be the best partner we can to our clients.”

EJ Thomas Co. acquires M&L’s supply business

The EJ Thomas Co., New Albany, Ohio, has acquired the laundry and dryclean ing supply business of M&L Supply Co., Akron, Ohio, the companies announced jointly via press release.

M&L, which has served customers with a full line of laundry and drycleaning sup plies since 1937, will continue to offer equipment sales, parts and repairs.

Terms of the acquisition were not an nounced.

EJ Thomas will continue to operate the supply business out of M&L’s Akron warehouse, and will also serve customers in Western Pennsylvania from a Glenshaw, Penn., warehouse.

The transaction expands EJ Thomas’ e xperienced sales force by adding four new members, and also expands the com pany’s warehouse and driver teams.

“We are excited to have such strong new members join our team,” says Randy Zim merman, president of EJ Thomas. “There is a strong cultural fit, with both companies and their people being very focused on pro

viding outstanding service to their custom ers, and doing the right things each day that lead to long-standing relationships with customers, employees and vendors.”

“We truly appreciate the many wonder ful relationships that were created through the years with both our customers and ven dors,” says Steve Michalec, president of M&L Supply. “We are excited to continue many of these as we grow our existing equipment, parts and service business as The M&L Equipment Co.”

QuickSort systems now part of Martinizing new-plant designs

Martinizing® Dry Cleaning has partnered with QuickSort to include the company’s automated assembly systems and bar-code technology in its new-plant designs.

Martin Franchises Inc., with a history of franchise development and support, pro vides its franchisees with a time-tested business model. QuickSort provides a space-efficient solution that incorporates the latest technology.

“We are excited about uniting with QuickSort because we recognize the ad vantages of automated assembly and want to give our franchise community the tools to succeed,” says Jeff Crittenden of Martin Franchises. “While we will recommend the QuickSort system to existing franchisees, it is especially beneficial for our new fran chisees to begin with an automated assem bly system, because the assembly area can be optimized and many of the headaches associated with production can be elimi nated, which will allow the new owner to concentrate on their business.” O

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into carpet cleaning and then upholstery cleaning, and the new business had surpassed the gross volume of its predecessor.

50 YEARS AGO. As a partner in Tremont Cleaners and Shirt Launderers, Upper Arlington, Ohio, Don Frye had seen his plant win the grand prize in the first American Drycleaner Plant Design Awards Program as well as the top Prestige Builders Award from NID. The partnership in a growing package plant might seem an ideal spot but Frye sought a personal challenge. He sold his share in the company and moved with his family to Arizona. After working as general manager for a multi-plant Phoenix operation, he had his chance. He took out a lease on a 2,500-square-foot store in the new Camelback Mall in Scottsdale. Despite there being five other dry cleaners competing for a share of the market, Frye reasoned that the plant would be a prime location. Directly across the street was Fashion Square, another shopping center containing some of the finest clothing stores in the Southwest—and no cleaners. Every aspect of Frye’s Prestige Cleaners was carefully planned, with some ideas adapted from those used in award-winning Tremont Cleaners. … Shirt laundering is a must for today’s drycleaning operation. That’s the consensus of 17 leading plant

owners who recently pooled their knowledge of shirts and came up with some interesting conclusions. Shirt laundering averaged 30% of total sales for the group. Average selling price was 27.5 cents. But only one-sixth of the owners had ever calculated the total cost for laundering a shirt. Of those, the high was 21.6 cents and the low was 16 cents.

75 YEARS AGO. The scream of air-raid sirens and roar of enemy bombers have not yet sent Britons scurrying to their bombproof shelters, but they have been facing this prospect for more than a year. Behind the sandbags piled high around the Houses of Parliament is the story of how they are prepared. Unless specially treated, sandbags rot quickly. The government learned this when it piled millions around important buildings, then watched bad weather rot the bags and spill their sand. But this rot meant revenue for Achille Serre Ltd., London. With an estimated 1,600 employees and a plant occupying 42 acres, the company is treating 350,000 bags a week under contract with municipal authorities, railway companies, schools and other organizations. It uses the well-known Cuprinol process that leaves 0.5% metallic copper in the fibers. … Schudels’ Inc., Decatur, Ill., offered eight different services, ranging from hat blocking to rug and furniture renovation. Then, it installed the slide fastener department. In the first seven months, Schudels’ has made hundreds of slide fastener replacements in addition to several hundred repair jobs. Route men frequently leave customers’ homes with garments to be cleaned in addition to other garments that need fastener repair work. O

— Compiled by Bruce Beggs

Combatting Sandbag Rot

10 YEARS AGO. The International Fabricare Institute (IFI) is hosting a grand-opening celebration at its new headquarters facility in Laurel, Md., next month, followed by a Fall Conference, to be held in conjunction with the IFI Alumni Society. “This is the most important thing to happen to IFI in the past 30 years,” says CEO Bill Fisher. “We are creating the most advanced school anyone has ever seen, and it’s going to double as a showcase for new equipment.” … The California Cleaners Association (CCA) hosted its Fabricare 2004 show in August. More than 100 exhibitors set up shop for the three-day event. Equipment manufacturers showed in force, angling to target buyers in the nation’s most populous (and regulated) state. In addition, many California-based distributors set up booths with extensive selections of equipment and supplies. … There is no “standard” mix of equipment to pick when starting up a coin laundry, Paul Partyka writes, but the right blend can be crucial to its success. Some think that the equipment mix is determined solely by store size, others think it’s all about demographics. Before you make any decision, check out the competition’s equipment mix and machine count—the number of washers you go with may be influenced by how many they’re supporting.

25 YEARS AGO. The cleaner in North Carolina whose illegal dumping of hazardous waste was widely reported well over a year ago is still feeling the consequences. According to the Neighborhood Cleaners Association, the company has laid off 70 of its 120 employees; management has left and a stockholder is running the company. Many branch stores have been sold, and the commercial laundry division and coin-op laundries have been closed. NCA says the lesson is simple: “Don’t contaminate on purpose or by carelessness, or be prepared to pay the consequences.” … Two events helped to shape the future of Vernon Walker, Eldon Drapery Cleaners. In 1962, he purchased a horizontal drapery pleating machine and received extensive training in how to make the best use of it. In 1974, the city of Tucson, Ariz., changed the traffic flow away from his parents’ Pioneer Laundry and Dry Cleaning, effectively killing its laundry and drycleaning drop-off business. So, he decided to specialize in drapery cleaning, taking on a franchise to give himself the support and knowledge needed to specialize. He advertised consistently in the local newspaper and called on all decorators, managers of commercial buildings, and housekeepers of institutions to build the business. Soon, he had diversified