American Drycleaner - June 2015

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Final numbers illustrate why organizers, exhibitors were enthusiastic about Atlanta return; also, a sampling of some of the exhibiting companies and the products they showed off Bruce Beggs

“Business has never been better.”

“The support from CBS was great. Even before we signed up, they were responsive and flexible in their approach. They have helped our team become more efficient.”

Since 2003, CBS has given me consistent updates and easy to understand tech support, all at a price that our industry can afford. I would recommend CBS, and I have, to anyone who is still wasting their time and money on those over priced POS systems.

Enthusiastic and Upbeat

Sometimes during the first day of a Clean Show, it’s not unusual to hear grumbles from certain exhibitors if the event doesn’t seem to be going well.

At Clean 2015 in Atlanta, there was no grumbling to be heard. But I saw plenty of smiles.

For at least the first two full days, the staffs working many of the booths barely had time to grab a bite to eat or even take a bathroom break. It was that busy.

Companies told tales of running out of brochures, special-ordering more, then running out of them

Sure, by the afternoon of the third day, things had slowed measurably, and the final day was predictably sparsely attended. No matter, because the show’s performance had

Publisher

Charles Thompson 312-361-1680 cthompson@ATMags.com

Editorial Director

Bruce Beggs 312-361-1683 bbeggs@ATMags.com

Production Manager

Roger Napiwocki

National Sales Director

Donald Feinstein 312-361-1682 dfeinstein@ATMags.com

Digital Media Director

Nathan Frerichs 312-361-1681 nfrerichs@ATMags.com

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

already guaranteed that Clean will return to Atlanta in 2021.

Why was the atmosphere so upbeat? Columnist Diana Vollmer attributes it not only to the “refinements” that have been made to existing products, services and equipment, but to the anticipation that the current upturn in the industry will continue into a better, brighter future.

You can read more about her impressions of the show beginning on page 20.

Our staff criss-crossed the Georgia World Congress Center, grabbing a few minutes with an exhibitor in this aisle before shuffling off to meet someone else in that one. From these Hall B travels comes our Clean Show Report, which opens on page 10.

While reading, if you’re quiet, you just may be able to hear the echoes of sales made, leads collected, and a service industry hard at work.

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 82, number 3. Editorial, executive and advertising 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. The publisher reserves the right to reject any advertising for any reason.

© Copyright AMERICAN TRADE MAGAZINES LLC, 2015. 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 Drycleaner 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 Drycleaner 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.

American Drycleaner, June 2015

Bruce Beggs

Survey: Dry cleaners sometimes find that unique items remain in customers’ pockets

Dry cleaners often find items that a customer has left behind in their garments. That isn’t surprising. What can be surprising is the nature of some of these found items.

What forgotten or abandoned items do you see most often in your plant? May’s American Drycleaner Your Views survey asked respondents to choose up to three item categories from a group of six. Atop the list of items that dry cleaners find most often is paper currency or coins (59.1%), followed by pens or pencils (52.3%). Candy, gum or food (45.5%) is also discovered frequently, according to the survey results.

Other items of note are “other” (25%, of which receipts and tissues were mentioned most frequently) and lipstick/lip balm (20.5%). No one who took the survey mentioned finding lighters or matchbooks.

The average cleaner has a policy regarding return of such items, although guidelines vary from business to business. Some cleaners return absolutely everything— even used tissues—while others return everything except “garbage.”

Many dry cleaners say their staff is instructed to call a customer whenever they find a credit card, driver’s license, etc. For other items, it’s routine to record them on the order invoice, bag them, and attach the bag to the drycleaning order for customer pickup. Illegal drugs are turned over to local police or flushed down the toilet.

On average, dry cleaners believe they successfully remove 96% of abandoned or forgotten items from customer pockets before processing garments.

Here are some of the more interesting finds reported by respondents:

• “Ladies undergarments—in a man’s pants pocket.”

• “Condoms and $1,200—self-explanatory.”

• “We found rosary beads in a jacket pocket. We put it in a baggy and attached to the invoice. Days later, the wife of the man who dropped off the jacket came in and asked why we put the rosary in the bag as they were not Catholic. We apologized. The next day, the husband came in and complained that we sent the rosary to him. He explained that the rosary was his girlfriend’s, who was Catholic.”

• “A gun.”

• “Crack cocaine in a county judge’s coat pocket.”

• “Small glass vial of white powder with a rolled-up dollar bill.”

• “One-karat cut diamond left ... by a local jeweler.”

• “We have a three-way tie: Condoms, and the spouse didn’t know her husband had them. A hash pipe, and the customer refused to accept it and accused us of planting it in their pocket. A $6,500 cocktail ring; our employee refused a reward, so the customer sent a huge bouquet of flowers.”

While the Your Views survey presents a snapshot of readers’ viewpoints, it should not be considered scientific. Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

Subscribers to American Drycleaner e-mails are invited each month to take a brief industry survey they can complete anonymously. The entire trade audience is encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define owner/operator opinions and industry trends.

NCA prepares for biennial TexCare Show in New Jersey

As the National Cleaners Association (NCA) contin ues planning for its biennial TexCare Dry Cleaning & Laundry Show slated for Oct. 17-18, more than half of the booth space in the Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, N.J., has already been reserved, says Ann Hargrove, NCA’s special projects director

“TexCare has always been a very well-attended event,” Hargrove says. “In 2013, we had over 3,000 cleaners come through our doors, and the feedback we received from the exhibitors was that the show was a great success for almost all of them.”

Part of the reason that TexCare consistently draws good attendance, according to Hargrove, is there is no charge for professional cleaners to visit the show floor. That policy will continue with this year’s event.

“It’s just one more reason there is so much enthusiasm and support for TexCare from both the drycleaning and exhibiting allied trade communities, and we’re not about to change that,” she says.

But she warns that the free-admission policy doesn’t apply to allied tradespeople who are not exhibiting.

TexCare is also known for its educational seminars. This year, programs in English and Korean will be of fered, plus a limited number of cleaners will have the op portunity to take part in an “UBER Conference on World Class Customer Service.”

“With midtown Manhattan just minutes away from the Meadowlands convention center where the [show] is being held, and virtually every major player in the dry cleaning industry being represented on the show floor, TexCare is a wonderful opportunity for cleaners who missed the Clean Show to get up to speed, and for clean ers who attended the show to follow up on things that caught their eye there,” Hargrove says.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Ontario Fabricare Association. 2015 Conference, to be held June 5-6 in Port Credit, Ontario. Call 416-573-1929 or visit www.fabricare. org.

Rocky Mountain Fabricare Association. Dry Cleaning Alternatives Industry Trade Fair (co-sponsored by the Colorado Department of Health and Environment), to be held June 14 in Denver. Attendee info: call 303-692-3175. Vendor info: call 303-810-3508.

Wisconsin Fabricare Institute. State Conference and Fitzgerald Scholarship Golf Outing, to be held June 23-24 in Mequon, Wis. Call 414529-4722.

Textile Care Allied Trades Association. Annual Conference, to be held July 29-Aug. 1 in Napa, Calif. Call 973-244-1790.

Midwest Drycleaning and Laundry Association. Annual Convention, to be held Aug. 7-9 in French Lick, Ind. Call 765-939-6630.

Textile Rental Services Association. Annual Conference, to be held Sept. 9-11 in Isle of Palms, S.C. Call 877-770-9274.

International Drycleaners Congress. 2015 Convention, to be held Sept. 14-15 in Osaka, Japan. Call 403-685-4755.

Independent Textile Rental Association. 2015 Annual Convention, to be held Sept. 27-29 in San Diego. Call 706-637-6552.

ADC

To learn more, contact her at 800-888-1622 or ann@ nca-i.com.

National Cleaners Association. TexCare 2015, to be held Oct. 17-18 in Secaucus, N.J. Call 800-888-1622.

Texcare Asia: International Trade Fair for Modern Textile Care. To be held Nov. 25-27 in Shanghai, China. Visit www.texcare-asia.com.

Drycleaner,

Clean Show Report

Final numbers illustrate why organizers, exhibitors were enthusiastic about Atlanta return

By Bruce Beggs, Editorial Director

Midway through Clean 2015 in Atlanta, event organizers and exhibitors were oh-sopleased with the show’s performance. Now, the official final report from Riddle & Associates confirms the reason for their enthusiasm.

The World Educational Congress for Laundering and Drycleaning, as it’s officially known, attracts every facet of the textile care industry—retail, commercial, coin/ card, industrial and institutional laundering, and dry cleaning.

Registration for the April 16-19 show in the Georgia World Congress Center was up more than 9% from Clean 2013 in New Orleans (only a three-day show, it should be noted). It drew 11,264 people, including attendees from all 50 states and from 88 foreign countries.

Who did all those people come to see? There were 437 exhibitors covering 195,400 net square feet of booth space, which was a 6% increase from the 2011 Las Vegas show.

“Clean 2015 exceeded our expectations with huge crowds, dynamic exhibits and the kind of education and networking that may only be found at the Clean Show,” says Brian Wallace, chair of Clean 2015 and president/ CEO of the Coin Laundry Association, one of Clean’s five sponsoring associations. “Judging by the positive energy in the hall, the garment and textile care industry is thriving in 2015.”

During the show, it was announced that because the Atlanta event had met certain criteria related to registrations and exhibit space sold, the Clean Executive Committee had already arranged to bring the show back there again in 2021. But before then, Clean will return to Las Vegas in June 2017 and New Orleans in June 2019.

Many companies took advantage of Clean 2015 to introduce brand-new products, roll out newly improved products or exhibit well-established product lines. Still others exhibited at the biennial show for the first time.

American Drycleaner presents this (continued)

Attendees gather as they await entry onto the Clean Show floor on the event’s opening day. (Photos: Nathan Frerichs; Riddle & Associates)

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report describing just some of the companies and products they exhibited in Atlanta. With such a large number of companies having exhibited, this article isn’t intended to be all encompassing.

Readers are encouraged to follow American Drycleaner in the coming months for product announcements from these companies and others.

CLEANER’S SUPPLY

The distributor announced the launch of a new reusable eco-friendly line of garment-packaging products for dry cleaners. Known as the eco2go™ brand, the product line will include items such as 100% recycled paper shoulder guards, shirt carrying bags, tie boards and reusable garment bags. The company has established a consumer website, www.ecotwogo.com, to promote its efforts.

UNION DRYCLEANING PRODUCTS

New from the drycleaning machine manufacturer is the Cloud, a machine that requires some water and laundry-based detergent but no solvent. Its cleaning process uses a cloud of detergent and water to coat the garments in the drum, then dry steam to flush the detergent, water and dirt, Union says. A small amount of non-toxic waste is drained from a conventional drain, then the garments are dried using warm air and a fan motor.

The machine can clean virtually anything, Union says, including shoes, wools, silks, dresses, suits and any normal dry-clean-only garments. The process used eliminates the need for tensioning equipment, the company adds.

SANKOSHA USA

The finishing equipment manufacturer’s booth featured new and improved products, including the SDP-880U Double Legger as well as bagging equipment for both the laundry and drycleaning markets. Bill Odorizzi, vice president of marketing, says the company considers Clean 2015 to have been “an unbelievable success.”

“The attendance was not only up in total numbers but the quality of the customers was extremely high,” he says. “We were confident that Atlanta would attract companies who are looking to improve their operations.”

MAINELINE COMPUTER SYSTEMS

The software developer introduced its newest offering, Compassmax 2015 Acadia. There are many new features with the latest version that will help both protect and

American Drycleaner, June 2015

grow a drycleaning business, the company says.

Users now have the ability to add customized, automated graphics and feature-rich mailings using HTMLbased e-mail templates for birthdays, anniversaries, new customers, etc. E-mails can also be sent automatically when customer orders are complete for that day.

Acadia offers secure hosting, with data being replicated on up to six servers in different geographic areas, Maineline says. Database replication is available for customers that self-host.

R&B WIRE PRODUCTS

The cart manufacturer unleashed its 200H “Big Dog” model, which has a 6-bushel capacity, and comes standard in blue, gray or chrome (continued)

Looking over a drycleaning machine in the Union booth.

Making an impression with Sankosha.

then

basket color options.

The company also promoted its new raceway guard on all of its laundry carts, which Frank Rowe, vice president of sales and marketing, says protects against detergents and other debris dripping down into the raceway system, or clogging up the casters.

Among other additions is the new, “enhanced” bumper on its carts.

“We saw a lot of our distributors get some fairly large orders,” Rowe says of the show. “We sell through distributors, and for us to be here to support them … is really important.”

PONY

Assisted by the company’s U.S. and Italian teams, visitors to the PONY booth were treated to the introductions of the TWINS, a new rotary double buck shirt press unit featuring a compact design, and the QUAD, a quadruple collar and cuff press capable of finishing four shirts at a time.

Also garnering attention were the Angel, a single buck body press with sleeve tensioning devices, and the Eagle, an air-blown finisher that combines tensioning and pressing with an energy-efficient hot-air recovery system.

EUROPEAN FINISHING EQUIPMENT

Three new Hi-Steam shirt finishing machines were introduced by European Finishing Equipment: the Turbo-Jr., a compact model designed to produce 60-plus shirts per hour with one operator; the Turbo-Jr. (E), the electric version of this model; and the CB-520 (E), an electrically powered collar and cuff machine.

A.L. WILSON CHEMICAL CO.

A “wizard” at the A.L. Wilson booth showed the folks at Clean how the company’s products help remove soils from fabrics. Attendees saw how the company’s line of products— TarGo, YellowGo, RustGo, EasyGo, QwikGo, BonGo, SpotsGo and SoGo—do their job as stain removers.

Company representatives used a three-legged stool as an analogy for laundry. The first leg of the stool represents proper cleaning, the second leg represents correct finishing and the third leg represents complete and safe stain removal. If any one of these legs is missing, the stool will topple.

American Drycleaner, June 2015

GREENEARTH CLEANING

Atlanta was the backdrop for GreenEarth’s Affiliate Meeting, which drew more than 120 Affiliates to learn more about the company’s latest advances in providing sustainable garment care; an all-industry reception drew 360 attendees from six continents.

The cleaning system maker’s booth highlighted garments from fashion brands around the world that recommend the GreenEarth cleaning process. At the same time, eight drycleaning machine manufacturers located elsewhere on the show floor displayed GreenEarthspecific machine configurations that are (continued)

A launderer or dry cleaner who fails to remove stains fails his customer as surely as a two-legged stool falls over, A.L. Wilson asserts.

removal through the use of its products.

Hamilton Engineering’s primary product line is its EVO family of high-efficiency condensing water heaters and boilers.

optimized for sustainability as well.

SONICAIRE ® BY IES

Things were moving at the SonicAire® booth, where Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES) representatives showed off their newest product: the SonicAire 1.5 fan. Every SonicAire fan is engineered to prevent the accumulation of combustible fiber on overhead ductwork, structures and equipment.

SonicAire 1.5 is named for its 1.5 HP TEAO motor. This smaller motor is said to deliver new benefits, including energy cost savings and being quieter to allow employees to have a more pleasant “white noise” when the fans are close to their workstations.

IES President Brad Carr says, “Our clients asked for the same high levels of clean, but they wanted a lower noise level. This clean fan is our answer to their request.”

Within SonicAire 1.5 is the iDrive, a completely enclosed drive system that allows operators to automate fan direction.

COLUMBIA/ILSA

The drycleaning equipment maker promoted its “Evolution of Clean,” represented in its model lineups that were on display. From its Professional Series line was the TL HCS N2 and its solvent heating system. Columbia’s best-selling IPURA model was also there, as was equipment from its industrial line, plus its Tandem models.

By introducing its two newest GreenEarth models, Columbia/ILSA demonstrates its ability to feature “unlimited solutions for today’s garment care professionals,” the company says.

EZPRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL

Additional software features on the company’s line of heat seal presses now allows an owner to change the press setting from their computer instead of tapping keys on the machine display.

For dry cleaners and laundries that want to eliminate paper tags but aren’t ready for POS software, bar-code labels and scanners, there is the new EzLabel app. With an Android tablet running the app, a wireless printer, and the company’s permanent clothing text labels in cartridges, a business can print a customer’s name and permanent finishing information.

A machine called HangerMagic™ allows dry cleaners and laundries to make their own hangers in a variety of wire gauges and sizes. By inserting a large roll of wire

American Drycleaner, June 2015

Getting reacquainted at the American Chillers booth.

into the machine, and using software to enter certain information, HangerMagic will automatically produce one to 1,000 hangers without operator intervention, the company says.

FIRBIMATIC

New from Firbimatic was I-Connect, a full-access remote computer controller. It offers operators the possibility of controlling the computer on one of its drycleaning machines from a PC or tablet.

The company showed off its new machine wrap designs. Customers can choose from a variety of images, including their own designs using logos, business names, and pictures.

Showcased was Firbimatic’s Eco Green line with standard solvent-heating technology, and jet spray for superior cleaning. Its latest sensation, the (continued)

company says, is the F Series Saver Edition “SE,” an alternative solvent machine that requires no steam or water.

QUICKSORT

QuickSort is the premier brand of Garment Management Systems (GMS), offering automated assembly systems to dry cleaners. In Atlanta, the company demonstrated how the QuickSort automated assembly conveyor can help cleaners maximize profitability and eliminate assembly headaches by increasing efficiency, reducing errors, simplifying end-of-day reconciliation, and cutting labor costs.

RENNCO

Rennco, a brand of Pro Mach, exhibited its Model VerticL-PP (pouch pack) packager with load hopper infeed. The system was in operation running hand towels by piece count.

“The attendance at the Clean Show was a high caliber of personnel that were very interested in the equipment we have to offer,” says Eric Vorm, Rennco’s general manager. “We look forward to working further with the laundry industry to satisfy their needs to bag towels, linens, shop rags, etc.”

PARKER BOILER

Parker Boiler debuted its new cellular-based alarm system.

The ParkerView—Alarm (PV— A) is simple to set up, use, and maintain for use on boilers or other devices, the company says. It allows the owner or operator of the boiler or other device who is off-site to be alerted when an alarm condition is detected, cleared, or when there is a power loss.

When an alarm condition is detected, PV—A will text up to three phone numbers to indicate there is a problem. If the alarm is cleared, an additional text is sent to let an offsite owner or operator know.

FABRICARE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Marcelo Rangel, president of Fabricare Management Systems, expressed great satisfaction with his team’s participation in Clean, staged “just down the road” from its headquarters in Acworth, Ga.

“Our booth had a busy turnout of visitors looking for touch-screen point of sales systems, as we demonstrated our latest Fabricare Manager release,” Rangel says. “We were also happy to have the opportunity to present our innovative Fabricare Piece Manager and Fabricare Assembly Manager to both new and existing customers.”

XEROS

Xeros, which is gaining interest for its polymer bead cleaning system, unveiled high-performance 80- and 120-pound dryers.

Company representatives say that both provide industry-leading efficiencies; optimized energy use; shorter dry times; and safer, more reliable operation.

American Drycleaner, June 2015

Features that were highlighted include an inverter system to ensure “soft” starts with less wear on the motor and belts; a fire-suppression system built inside the dryer; and an all-stainless-steel basket and front panels for long-lasting durability. ADC

Carlo Calma, American Coin-Op, and Matt Poe, American Laundry News, contributed to this report.

Attendees

learn

about Parker Boiler’s ParkerView—Alarm that

can

alert a boiler owner or operator who is off-site

when

an alarm condition is detected.

Xeros says its polymer bead cleaning technology allows dry cleaners to be more enviromentally friendly.

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To try our Drapery Strut, go to www.mbhangers.com to find your local distributor, or call 888-699-5644 to speak with one of our customer service representatives.

MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

CLEAN 2015:

R efinements G enerate E nthusiasm

Excitement is the word that best describes Clean 2015 just completed in Atlanta. The excitement wasn’t generated by the innovation or the creativity, but emanated from the participants, both exhibitors and attendees alike.

The enthusiasm for the refinements that have been made to existing products, services and equipment was a large part of the upbeat atmosphere. But more importantly, the anticipation that the current upturn in the industry will continue into an even brighter future was prevalent and pervasive.

Past “lookers” placed orders. Education sessions were packed and directed at profitable expansion. In particular, the seminars targeted capturing the next generations that outnumber the aging baby boomers that the industry has relied on for so long. Many examples were highlighted describing successful forays into new areas of development. Most of the sessions were made available for review online through the sponsoring organization, so if you missed the original presentation, it may not be too late to access the material.

On the show floor, exhibitors showed that they had made strong efforts to improve your operations by presenting well-thought-out additions to their offerings.

INNOVATI ON IN RE F INEMENTS

One of the best aspects of the show was that the innovation presented there was through refinement of proven equipment and

processes rather than dramatic leaps into the unknown that require a huge leap of faith and even greater investment risk. Small innovations are safer and far less risky to embrace.

Interactive Computer Screens on Equipment

Most of the equipment manufacturers have upgraded or added interactive computer screens that serve multiple purposes in addition to the previous program control.

The possibilities include:

• Troubleshooting

• Identified problem-solving alternatives

• Maintenance schedules and monitoring

• Training instructions

• Specification and operating reference documents

Labor-Savings and -Management Tools — Although add-on productivity modules have been available from third-party sources for several years, one of the newest additions at this show was the factoryinstalled, built-in version. These monitors provide builtin productivity counters, which have been expanded to include reporting, charts and historical tracking of productivity by operator for comparison against goals, averages and benchmarks. They are user-friendly, and therefore the equipment requires less skill and less training for optimum quality and productivity from the unit.

Automation Expansion

Additional processes have been automated to remove the risks of:

• Unpredictable employee attendance due to illness, other obligations or lack of desire to show up;

• Reduced skilled and dedicated employee

Diana Vollmer

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

availability due to the new, more dynamic economy and expanded employment opportunities; and

• Ever-increasing cost of labor force through wage and benefits expense.

Equipment, by comparison, has a more predictable cost of acquisition and operation and a higher probability of being there whenever you need it to work.

Plug and Play — The equipment offerings that are available to smaller retail plants had been expanded even more than at past shows with:

• Boiler-less alternatives that meet landlord requirements

• Design that accommodates installation through standard doors with specifications that provide dimensions that are less than 36 inches wide

Alternative Solvents Expansion — More suppliers have added alternative solvents to their product lines.

Expansion of Heated Solvents — Solvents that had not provided for heated alternatives in the past have added that capability due to the positive reports from operators applying heat in their cleaning processes.

Sales and Marketing — Although the sales and marketing offerings outside the point-of-sale (POS) systems were limited, additions have been made to programs offered by suppliers in conjunction with their products, including:

• Prompting sales and service staff to cross-sell, primarily with badges that suggest ideas

• Prompting customers to ask questions with visual prompts

• Providing on-site cross-sell ideas with targeted posters, videos and hang tags

• Providing content for electronic messages and social media

Customer Relationship Management — The specialized marketing companies and the POS systems have developed programs for customer relationship management that are ever more customized to customer needs and media preferences. Be sure you are utilizing yours to maximum benefit and effect. If you don’t have a program, it is overdue for acquisition.

Reputation Management — Reputation management of ratings on Yelp and other rating services is proven to have a direct and positive correlation on sales growth. If you have no knowledge of how to do this or no time and/or desire to do it yourself, find someone who can manage this program for you. One example provided at Clean 2015 documented a 21% increase in sales over 11 months that mirrored the efforts of the reputation management program.

Environmental Advances — Almost everyone has adopted some form of green initiative, and most continue to increase those efforts.

Most notably, water (continued)

American Drycleaner, June 2015

reduction and recycling efforts have taken center stage, especially with the continued drought in California reemphasizing the issue in the daily news. One expert provided the following guideline relative to calculating return on investment on their water recycling system: “If the water and/or sewer bill is more than $7 per 1,000 gallons or the energy bill is over 70 cents per therm, the ROI should be two years or less based on the number of gallons of water used per month.”

Other ecology advances continue to proliferate in:

• Packaging

• Resource minimization

• Health and safety

• Recycling

Fashion Manufacturer Relationships — Working and partnering with the fashion industry and manufacturers is critical to cleaners that want to have raving fans as clients. Having access to the unique accessories from the designers is crucial for replacements when necessary, and mutual referrals of customers is beneficial to both cleaner and fashion house. More of these partnerships were visible at Clean, including:

• Designer trim and button availability

• Specified processes on care labels

• Specified solvent brands on care labels

Practical Applications — There was an array of highly practical solutions to challenges faced by cleaners and their staffs. Some of these solutions included:

• A mini-box truck that bridges the size gap between a delivery van and a full-size box truck

• A manual, one-person sweeper (with a design based on street sweepers) to keep plant and exteriors debris-free

• LED lights that attach to equipment using magnets for focused and concentrated light

• Snag-proof polos for staff uniforms

• Multi-size, alternative-stitch button machines

Employee Comfort and Safety — Especially as the labor market heats up and as workers’ compensation rates increase, don’t forget team comfort, health and safety. Some of the offerings in this category included:

• Anti-fatigue mats

• Portable and fixed fans for temperature control

• Recirculating fans built into the equipment that draw heat away from the operator and recycle the heated air to reduce energy needs of the unit

• Ecological chemicals and materials that provide for a healthier air quality and safer handling

• Foot massage units that can be mounted under breakroom tables

Diversification — Diversification continues to differentiate cleaners in their markets. Some operators have

“The array of offerings in the Georgia World Congress Center was extensive and designed with you, the operators, in mind.”

demonstrated success in the areas where opportunities were offered in the show, including:

• Household linens, rugs, and pillows

• Medical office services

• Salon services

• Embroidery, especially for company logo items and monograms

• Handbag cleaning and repair

• Shoe care and repair

• Ever more advanced delivery alternatives for home and business route, lockers, mail, and 24/7 kiosks

Outsourcing — For those of you with no interest or facility for diversification internally, outsourcing is available for all of the services mentioned.

Supplier Consolidation — Distributor and supplier consolidation continues in the industry, leaving the combined companies stronger than the individual predecessors.

Just-in-Time Delivery — Finally, there is an ever stronger emphasis on managing the inventories to provide only what is needed for the immediate future. This is being addressed by:

• Same-day delivery guarantees

• Hanger assembly on site via a hanger-making machine

The array of offerings in the Georgia World Congress Center was extensive and designed with you, the operators, in mind.

If you were unable to attend Clean 2015, it isn’t too late to benefit from the offerings made available there, but I highly recommend that you plan now to attend the next industry show available to you.

The news, the networking, and the in-person exposure to the suppliers and their offerings is invaluable—even if you don’t need anything at the moment.

ADC

Diana Vollmer is managing director at Methods for Man agement (MfM) Inc., which has served the drycleaning and laundry industry with affordable management expertise for improved profitability since 1953. For assistance with your purchasing decisions, contact Vollmer at dvollmer@mfmi. com or 415-577-6544.

Press and Pad:

What’s ne Without the ther?

Understanding their relationship and how they work together in producing quality finished garments

By Bruce Beggs, Editorial Director

Perhaps Wes Nelson, who heads the sales and service efforts of finishing equipment manufacturer Sankosha USA, described the relationship between a traditional drycleaning or laundry press and its padding the best: “They are like tires to an automobile.”

Equip your automobile with a good set of tires, then properly maintain them, and you can drive tens of thousands of miles on good roads without incident. Fail to keep them in good condition and it won’t matter what your ride looks like or how powerful its engine is—the road ahead will eventually be a bumpy one.

This month, American Drycleaner reached out to representatives from various finishing equipment manufacturers, as well as press pad makers, and asked them to analyze the relationship between press and pad, and how they work together in producing quality finished garments.

QFor what specific types of presses are pads made?

Does every drycleaning, laundry or garment press have a pad or pads?

Richard Greco, national sales manager, HoffmanNew Yorker, press manufacturer: Every press requires a pad, from the basic utility and legger shape, to the chest and side and back press used in garment manufacturing. The

drycleaning and laundry press use a ready-made pad, while all of the garment presses require special padding determined by the actual shape of the head and buck.

Brent McWilliams, regional sales manager, FH Bonn, press pad/cover manufacturer: All equipment require pads/covers. If you do not use the recommended padding, or do not change the padding from time to time, the cleaner cannot finish a garment professionally. Customers can try and clean garments at home, but they can never duplicate the finishing that a plant is able to do.

Wes Nelson, head of sales and service, Sankosha USA, press manufacturer: In our current lineup of laundry and drycleaning pressing equipment, all models use various covers and pads.

John Rizzuto, vice president, Air World, press pad/ cover manufacturer: Generally, most machine manufacturers equip all their machines with press pads and covers.

(Photo: ©iStockphoto/alxpin)

“Every press requires a pad, from the basic utility and legger shape, to the chest and side and back press used in garment manufacturing.”

Richard Greco, Hoffman-New Yorker

Yuriko Tanabe, vice president, European Finishing Equipment Corp. (Hi-Steam), tensioning equipment and press manufacturer: As we specialize in European tensioning machines (to finish garments by blowing steam and hot air into the garment while holding the garment under tension), our machines have very few pads and covers.

QHow would you describe the relationship between a dry cleaning press and its pads? Can one really work without the other?

Nelson: Covers and pads play an integral part for achieving the best possible finished garments. They are like tires to an automobile.

Rizzuto: When pressing garments on drycleaning presses, it’s very important to change those pads routinely. When pads are left on the press too long, they become hard and they don’t provide enough cushion for the best-quality press. Also, steam flow and vacuum strength are restricted, which degrades pressing quality.

Greco: Both are integral to one another. The press will not work properly without the correct padding.

QWhen a properly padded press is working perfectly, what should be the result?

Greco: A high-quality finish with no seam impressions, no button impressions, and no ‘leave off’ marks. Also, sharp creases.

Rizzuto: Garments should be free of any moisture, wrinkles, and any unpressed areas. They should also have sharp creases where required.

Nelson: It allows for operators to produce professionally pressed clothing at a high rate of productivity.

QUnder normal conditions, how often should press pads be changed?

McWilliams: Padding is to be changed as it wears down. As a rule of thumb, drycleaning pads about two to three times per year, head pads about once a year, and with other equipment, it is dependent on just how many garments are processed.

Any good presser can tell when it is about time to change. Some of the newer equipment in the market have counters on them, so the finisher can simply follow the manufacturer’s suggestions on changes.

Nelson: The best operations set up a maintenance schedule and, most importantly, they follow it. Currently, our shirt equipment has the capability to let the cleaner know when their covers and pads should be changed.

Rizzuto: It depends mainly on the volume of the store.

American Drycleaner, June 2015

In an average store, prior to six months, pads should be changed. With shirt units especially, it is important to have backup covers, pads and air bags.

Greco: This has to be based on the combination of the number of garments being produced and the length of time the pad is on the machine. A pad sitting idle will dry out in time. Also, if laundered items are pressed with excessive moisture, the pad will wear out faster.

QWhat does changing press pads involve? Is it difficult?

Rizzuto: Drycleaning pads and top plates are fairly simple to change, while certain shirt unit covers and pads require more time and skill to change properly.

Greco: Most pads are held in place with a drawstring and springs. Changing is not difficult.

Nelson: It’s not rocket science, but it is important they are installed properly to not only produce the best possible quality but also provide optimum longevity.

McWilliams: Changing press pads does not have to be difficult. With proper planning, it should be done at downtimes of the day, or on the weekend. Although some of the newer shirt equipment does take more time to change, for the most part, the majority of the equipment does not require a lot of time.

The key is to take off all of the old padding and to install securely the new. And to plan your changes and not have to do it on an emergency basis when you may be busy and may not have the proper padding in stock.

What are some signs that a cleaner’s press pads need to be changed?

McWilliams: Operators need to keep an eye on their presses. Be it a shirt unit, an automatic pant topper, a steam air finisher, or whatever, they need to ‘eyeball’ them regularly in order to get maximum efficiency.

Torn covers, hard padding, worn-out steel base padding, leaking valves, and even dirty, stained covering can all lead to poor finishing.

Remember, the typical consumer understands the basics of stain removal and cleaning, but they go to the cleaners

Q

“The best operations set up a maintenance schedule and, most importantly, they follow it.”

Wes Nelson, Sankosha USA

because of the finishing. The first thing that they notice upon coming back to pick up their clothes is how nicely (or not) their garments have been finished.

Greco: Broken buttons, ripples in the fabric, seam im pressions, creases that are not sharp.

Tanabe: If the covers placed on the tensioning finishers get dirty or starchy, they can be washed and placed back on the machine. Some cleaners replace these covers with a generic version available in the market, but those do not of fer the finely calibrated level of air blowing and result in the garment not drying properly.

Rizzuto: With heat and pressure, pads can become hard. When you push your hand down on the press pad with no indentation, it probably needs to be changed. Also, when steam and vacuum is restricted, it’s time to change. A good tip is to write the date the pad is changed right on the pad.

Nelson: The most obvious are showing of excess dirt or the cover is torn or ripped.

QWhat are some signs, apart from pad condition, that indicate a press isn’t working properly?

Nelson: In most cases, an operator will notice additional touch-ups being required.

Greco: Poor quality. Having to re-press an area several times. Not able to lock.

QHow much can a damaged or aging pad on a drycleaning press affect the quality of finished garments produced by that press?

Greco: Poor pad equals poor quality equals higher pro duction cost.

Rizzuto: Garments pressed on a newer pad are sig nificantly better than those pressed on a worn pad. When cleaners have a routine schedule on changing their pads, they maintain the most consistent pressing quality.

Nelson: Not only will quality suffer but additional labor costs will be incurred to fix this problem. Even the most skilled operator needs the proper tools that will allow them to do their job.

McWilliams: Worn-out pads and covers will not yield the best finishing and could be the reason that your cus tomer will soon or has already left the cleaner to ‘test the waters’ elsewhere. ADC

“Garments pressed on a newer pad are significantly better than those pressed on a worn pad.”

John Rizzuto, Air World

Do Not Discount These Wal-Mart Lessons

Irecently read Sam Walton’s autobiography titled Sam Walton: Made in America. The book was written by the Wal-Mart founder with John Huey, then an editor for the Wall Street Journal, and came out a few months before Walton’s death in 1992.

Now, the Wal-Mart story is a familiar one, but Walton’s career offers not only examples of business success but is inspiring and uplifting. Everyone can learn from the book.

Born in lower-middle-class circumstances in rural Oklahoma, Walton exhibited a strong work ethic and business savvy from a young age, once winning a contest by selling the most newspaper subscriptions.

After graduating from the University of Arkansas and doing military service, he went to work for the Ben Franklin Variety Stores. After a few years, he became a franchiser. With his brother Bud, his retail shop grew, and before long, he was running a multi-store chain. But he disagreed with Franklin management about the future of retailing. He believed the focus should be small-town locations and extreme discounting. He opened the first Wal-Mart store in Rogers, Ark.

In time, Walton had 15 stores. It soon became apparent that he needed a distribution system to expand. In fits and starts, and ultimately aided by operations guru David Glass, he developed a warehouse distribution system cluster approach that has enabled the company to grow.

The dollars-and-cents results over the years speak for themselves:

• 1960 — 9 stores; $1.4 million in sales; $112,000 in profits.

• 1970 — 32 stores; $31 million in sales; $1.2 million in profits.

• 1980 — 276 stores; $1.2 billion in sales; $41 million in profits.

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

• 1990 — 1,528 stores; $26 billion in sales; $1 billion in profits.

Of course, today, Wal-Mart is the largest company in America. Its sales figures are really beyond our comprehension. But let’s see what small businesses can learn from this remarkable businessman and his amazing success story.

Walton was energetic, hungry, always wanting more. He started work at 5:30 each morning. His energy level was non-stop, peripatetic. Whenever he found a great bargain, he would make the purchase, and put it out in bins in front of the stores. Increasing sales was his lifeblood. He never stopped trying to get bigger, and he was never satisfied.

Most of us, after a point, become complaisant. I know when I owned my business, years and years ago, I was driven to succeed. I hungered after sales, because every sale was necessary for survival. After a while, every sale was necessary for success. But, at a certain point, I became prideful. I had a good business. I lived a good life. I wanted to increase sales, sure, but I wasn’t hungry for the increase.

LESSON: In your drycleaning business, never rest on your laurels. Always go for more. If you have a busy plant, open a second one, and make that operation successful. When that is successful, build up a specialty such as commercial volume, and add a third plant.

Walton was unfailingly polite to employees. He was not a yeller and screamer. But he was a tight coil of ener gy, which kept him always on the go and his employees perpetually busy.

For instance, when he set up buyer visits to New York City, Walton and his eight buyers would all sleep in one hotel room to keep costs down.

Howard Scott

“...(Sam) Walton’s career offers not only examples of business success but is inspiring and uplifting. Everyone can learn from the book.”

He scheduled both early-morning and after-hours visits with vendors to keep everybody busy from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. His buyers must have come home quite exhausted but filled with pride in all the consummated deals.

LESSON A: Eliminate every unnecessary expense, and always try to get costs down. For instance, if your residential route driver has a cell phone that carries $100 monthly charges, seek out less expensive options. Or even better, get a prepaid cell phone at $100 a year.

LESSON B: There is no 9 to 5 for dry cleaners. Your people can work more hours. If there’s work to be done, they can do it. Figure out a way to pay them without creating an elaborate overtime system.

When I owned my business, three or four of us would typically be there until 7 nightly. These weren’t executives, but order processors and salesmen. Since everyone was on salary, I would go around giving a crisp $20 (remember, this was the 1970s) to everyone who worked overtime. Sometimes we went out to share a pizza afterward. My people lived this existence because they were rewarded and knew they were appreciated.

Walton was not an organized person. Rather, he was a man in perpetual motion. With enormous growth—often 30-40% annually—Wal-Mart suffered organizational pains. In time, Walton hired Glass and gave him carte blanche to do whatever was needed.

LESSON: Know that you can’t do everything, and that you have weaknesses. Hire good people who complement you (your weaknesses are their strengths and vice versa) and let them run free. If they disappoint you, replace them with another competent manager and give him/her full responsibility. In that way, you’ll wind up with a competent team.

Wal-Mart’s focus was 100% price. The formula never varied. In the early days, the company’s procedure was to mark up everything by 30%. In effect, the company was working on a 22% profit margin. When Walton purchased items at a super-low price, he used the same price formula—30% markup. His co-executives argued with him that he could get a higher margin, but Walton stuck with the formula—mark it up the same 30% and give the customer a super bargain.

LESSON: Know your focus and don’t deviate from

it. Most likely, your focus will not be price. Rather, you are providing a service. The customer wants reliability, consistent quality, and minimum fuss rather than price, so stay focused on those matrixes. Never stop trying to improve your service. Is it possible that adding the ability to e-mail notifications of ready orders would make it easier on some of your clients? Never stop trying to provide high quality. If a cardboard insert gives a shirt body, provide it.

Walton always kept track of the bottom line. Those figures I listed earlier, he kept them in his desk and pulled them out from time to time. Now, it wasn’t a long list of figures, but rather the essential statistics. Sometimes, a few figures better describe a situation than a long column of stats. Walton looked at these figures and instantly knew how his company was doing. From them, he intuited that individual-store sales had gone from $115,000 in 1960 to $1.7 million in 1990 and that the profit percentage had risen from .08% in 1960 to 3.9% in 1990. All good improvements.

LESSON: Keep your important figures on a chart in your desk like Walton did, and examine it frequently. This chart will remind you of your progress and provide motivation to improve.

In the early days, Walton would do anything to draw attention to his company. He stood outside stores in a grass hula skirt during sales. He walked through stores in costume on Halloween. He was always coming up with silly promotions with which he could be personally involved. The goal of these activities was always to call attention to Wal-Mart.

LESSON: Go out there and make a spectacle of yourself. Don’t be afraid to appear foolish in the pursuit of your business success.

Walton never stopped thinking about his company. Yes, he played tennis, and went bird hunting, and cared for his family. But Wal-Mart was never very far from his mind. He always carried a notebook in which he’d jot down thoughts or ideas whenever they struck him. When he spoke to someone, he peppered the individual with questions (about anything having to do

with the subject of Wal-Mart), and often scribbled down something he picked up from the conversation. In other words, he was always, always trying to improve his company.

LESSON: Live life, but devote yourself to your busi ness. Even if it is not a giant like Wal-Mart, it is your baby, and it can be improved. And carry around something you can use to record your thoughts.

Walton started workers at minimum wage, then rewarded those who proved themselves. These days, the conventional belief is that Wal-Mart pays minimum wage to its people and denies them health insurance, but this is inaccurate. It is true that all employees start at minimum wage (or so), but once they prove themselves, Wal-Mart rewards them with full-time jobs that includes medical insurance. All managers have salaried positions with a full benefits package, including profit sharing. Perhaps Wal-Mart’s pay scale is lower than other national retailers, but it still manages to retain help at a pretty good rate. Walton established this policy at the beginning, and it still exists today.

LESSON: Low pay is the norm in the drycleaning in dustry. Continue to maintain your low-wages policy for hourly employees, but give preference to trusted and loyal full-time staffers. If there are raises or bonuses to be

had, give them the lion’s share. At the same time, work hard to treat all hourly employees with respect and to compensate them in other ways. For example, offer them an option to obtain a pay advance. Or lend them a vehicle if theirs is broken down. If you can’t give them adequate pay, there must be other ways to obtain their allegiance.

By putting these lessons to use, you probably won’t be one of the richest people in the world like Walton was, but you’ll be a more successful dry cleaner. ADC

Howard Scott is a longtime industry writer and drycleaning consultant, and an H&R Block tax preparer specializing in small businesses. He welcomes questions 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.

“

Know that you can’t do everything, and that you have weaknesses. Hire good people who complement you.”

Some Stains Follow a Family Tree

Over the years, I have covered the procedures for removing a multitude of garment stains. While I can’t cover every situation, the protocol for removing most stains can easily be transferred to the removal of “sister” stains. While walking the Clean Show floor recently, I found that many cleaners do not make the connection.

The fact that paint and nail polish are “sister” stains and therefore will respond to the same methods never occurs to them. Coffee and tea will respond to the same procedure, but it has never “clicked.” The fact that blood and milk can be removed using the very same process has always escaped their train of thought.

I cannot stress the basics of supplemental stain removal too much. With few exceptions, garment stains can be grouped into four categories: 1. Solvent-soluble, 2. Chemically soluble, 3. Water-soluble, and 4. Insoluble. Proper stain removal begins with these four categories and the individual protocols used for each category.

SOLVENT-SOLUBLE

natural or man-made mineral stains. In recent years, there has been a reduction in the use of aggressive grease-cutting chemicals in paint, oil and grease removers (POG). This circumstance has increased the need for time and for knowledge by the cleaner/spotter in order to remove this category of stains.

For every reduction in aggressiveness comes an increase in time and/or mechanical action. This increases the opportunity for overly aggressive mechanical action, which will result in damage to the fabric when applied. When given the choice, always choose time over mechanical action, assuming you can produce the same positive results using either option.

Most chemically soluble stains should be addressed on the dry side. Use wet-side protocols to remove the remnants of pigment, if necessary.

WATER-SOLUBLE

Water-soluble stains require the use of water to break down and flush them from the garment.

The first step is flushing the stain with steam over the vacuum nose of the spotting board. This will remove a portion of the staining material with little risk to the fabric or dye, break the surface tension to allow quicker penetration of additional chemical tools, and heat the stained area, thus enhancing the speed of said tools.

Martin Young

Solvent-soluble stains are the ones easily removed by your primary drycleaning solution. Cooking oil and petroleum jelly are two good examples of solvent-soluble stains. Most immersion cleaning solutions are more effective on oily stains than they are on stains that entered the garment under moist conditions.

The grease-cutting characteristics of the drycleaning solution make solvent-soluble stains disappear in the wheel. Unfortunately, far too many operators mistakenly believe that all garment stains are solvent-soluble. Only experience and training can allow a cleaner/spotter to reliably evaluate if a stain is solvent-soluble.

CHEMICALLY SOLUBLE

Chemically soluble stains are the ones that require additional chemical tools to break down and flush from the garment. These are characterized by paint, nail polish, and correction fluid such as Liquid Paper.

The vast majority of chemically soluble stains are

American Drycleaner, June 2015

This step is followed by the application of neutral synthetic detergent (NSD) and light mechanical action over the solid portion of the board. Since pH color change remains a major problem, the use of a pH-neutral chemical tool is a much safer way to remove water-soluble stains.

The garment is once again placed over the vacuum nose of the board and flushed with steam.

Most water-soluble stains originate from either plants or animals; plant stains are referred to as tannin stains and animal stains as protein stains.

After completing the steps that are common to the removal of all water-soluble stains, there is usually far less staining matter to be removed than if you do not use these basic steps.

Blood is an example of a protein stain. Blood and its “sister” stains can be removed by applying a pre-mixed protein formula over the solid portion of the board, then

applying light mechanical action. The older the stain, the darker the blood will appear.

When the blood shows little or no red appearance, I have gotten into the habit of fogging the stain to heat it, followed by using an enzyme digester. It is faster, easier and safer to allow the digester to break down this old blood while spotting other items.

When you get back to this old blood stain, place it over the vacuum nose of the board and flush away at least half of the blood. The rest can be removed by the pre-mixed protein chemical tool you keep on your spotting board.

Protein removal agents are alkaline and can be neutralized with a tannin (acid) spotting formula if there is any color change in the stained area.

Black coffee is an example of a tannin stain. Coffee and its “sister” stains can be removed by applying a premixed tannin formula over the solid portion of the board, then light mechanical action. Place the stain over the vacuum nose of the board and flush with steam.

The protocol is the same regardless of the tannin formula chemical tool. These include, but are not limited to, mild tannin, aggressive tannin, general formula and rust remover. That gives you four treatment options of varying strength before ever considering spot-bleaching.

Tannin formula can be neutralized by using protein

(alkaline) formula if there is any color change in the stained area.

INSOLUBLE

Carbon is an example of an insoluble stain, and can be found in car exhaust. Insoluble materials will not break down. Therefore, an insoluble stain can only be removed through lubrication and mechanical action on the dry side.

An oily type paint remover is an excellent tool choice, along with tamping with a spotting brush. The stain can then be flushed with normal dry cleaning. ADC

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

“

...the protocol for removing most stains can easily be transferred to the removal of ‘sister’ stains.”

Pariser Industries hires Scuola as regional sales manager

Pariser Industries, manufacturer of cleaning chemical specialties for the laundry and drycleaning industries, reports that it has hired John Scuola as regional sales manager for the Greater New York state region.

Scuola is a second-generation dry cleaner with eight years of handson experience in dry cleaning, wet cleaning and shirt laundering, Paris er says. He is a graduate of the Na tional Cleaners Association’s (NCA) Wet-Cleaning Education Program.

Scuola is working to hone his laundry experience serving on-prem ise and commercial laundry facili ties, including those featuring tunnel systems.

“John’s in-depth knowledge of drycleaning, wet cleaning and shirt laundry procedures, combined with his commitment to customer satisfaction, makes him a valuable asset to our sales and service team,” says Art Fatica, director of marketing and division manager for Pariser.

Davies joins America’s Best Cleaners team as technical trainer

America’s Best CleanersTM (ABC), an independent dry cleaning certification entity, reports that well-known drycleaning consultant Liz Davies has joined the organi zation as technical trainer.

“Liz is highly regarded in the industry, and bringing her into ABC is reflective of our goal of providing con tinuous value to our affiliates,” says Chris White, ABC partner and managing director. “Elite access to a dedi cated trainer of Liz’s [stature] gives our affiliates a leg up on their local competitor.”

Davies started in the drycleaning industry at age 15,

working the front counter of Humphrey’s Cleaners in Vancouver, Wash. She worked her way to equipment operator at 18, and eventually to plant owner at Market Place Cleaners. Since leaving Market Place, Davies has worked with owners and managers on everything from production and management to overall quality and CSR training.

Besides being in high demand for her business skills, Davies has been a contracted equipment demonstrator for Unipress at various industry trade shows for more 20 years. She is widely recognized for her shirt-pressing expertise, ABC says, and has also presented educational seminars to owners and managers.

Davies’ notoriety is an added benefit to ABC’s affili ates, according to White. “We have found that employees respond more readily to an external trainer with a strong brand” as compared to an in-house trainer, he says.

“In order to ensure that teams are learning the best new techniques and not backsliding into bad habits, busi ness owners should have Liz on-site at least every six months,” says Catherine McCann, ABC partner and op erations director. “Our arrangement with Liz makes that realistic and achievable.”

Distributor Minnesota Chemical Co. marks 100 years in business

The Minnesota Chemical Co. celebrated its 100th an niversary in June—a milestone made even more remark able by the fact the company is still owned and actively managed by the same family that established in 1915.

Today, the distributor provides a full range of equip ment and supplies to dry cleaners and commercial, in stitutional and coin-operated laundries throughout the Upper Midwest.

Family ownership began with R.P. Baker, who found ed the company in the Midway area of St. Paul with several other immigrants from Ireland. The company initially focused on supplying local customers with a va riety of soaps and cleaning compounds that the company made in a small building on Wycliff Avenue.

Company founders were originally attracted to the

Scuola

area for two reasons: proximity to the Minnesota Transfer Rail road’s hub, and the presence of meat processing plants; those plants provided beef tallow, a critical component in soap man ufacturing. At that point, The Minnesota Chemical Co. was manufacturing soap and distrib uting its products to creameries, laundries and dry cleaners.

Except for a move to a larger building a block away in 1937, the company has been in the “Midway Transfer” area for a century.

Increasing popularity in the company’s products fueled expansion. By the late 1920s, the company was selling cleaning compounds and soaps throughout an eight-state area in the Midwest.

Upon R.P. Baker’s death in 1943, the family’s second generation—sons Robert, Dan and John Baker—took over the company. The three had all been involved in key management roles—Dan as sales manager, John as plant manager, and Robert as a specialty salesman— prior to the outbreak of World War II.

Within a decade, the “Baker boys” had moved the company away from manufacturing soap and instead refocused it on dis tributing national brands of laun dry and drycleaning supplies and equipment.

In 1952, they opened a sales office and warehouse in Mil waukee, Wis. A decade later, an equipment sales and service of fice was added in Waverly, Iowa.

In 1985, the “Baker boys” re tired together, transitioning the company to their sons, Mike (John’s son), Steve and Dan (Robert’s two sons).

Now, a fourth generation of Bakers, Mike’s son, James, is working for the company.

Today, The Minnesota Chemical Co. provides laundry and drycleaning supplies and equipment to customers in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Its supply and equipment sales staff, and parts and service department, serve dry cleaners and industrial, institutional, commercial and coin-operated laundries. ADC

(From left) Dan, Mike and Steve Baker took over Minnesota Chemical Co. leadership in 1985 from the second generation of Bakers who had led the company for 40 years. (Photo: The Minnesota Chemical Co.)

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Imperial Industrial Technologies - Los Angeles based company, specializ es in cleaning chemicals for laundry, dry cleaning/uniform services in the cleaners’ industries. The company is under the umbrella of Franco American Textiles www.franco-american.com. Seeking Vice President of Sales with an exten sive sales and marketing experience and knowledge in chemicals and detergents for the laundry, dry cleaning, uniform,

In a Different Light

10 YEARS AGO. Some 85.9% of respondents to the most recent survey in the Wire, American Drycleaner’s e-mail dispatch, say they access the Internet at least once a day. Of all respondents, 56.4% said they log on from work and home, 30.8% said home only, and 12.8% said they only use the Internet at work. Work-related uses among dry cleaners include one or more of the following: “Keeping up on industry news and trends” (83.1%); “Looking for business tips, ideas and advice” (63.6%); “Shopping for parts, supplies and equipment” (61.0%); and “Advertising and marketing my business’ services” (26.0%). … Pennsylvania awarded 90 grants totaling $418,735 to help small businesses implement environmental initiatives in March, with more than 20 going to drycleaning and laundry operations. More than 150 grants have been awarded through the state’s Small Business Advantage Grant Program so far.

gram, is proof that a new look can be good for business. Bill and Gaybie Fortinberry say business has increased by about 25% since they opened their new 2,940-squarefoot plant. They also adopted a new art deco logo, started doing regular advertising, extended their hours, put their employees in attractive uniforms, and developed an express-bag service.

50 YEARS AGO. Sandy’s Cleaners, San Francisco, has equipped its fitting room with a lighting system that shows the customer how the garment will look on her under all types of lighting—from the dimly lit cocktail lounge to bright daylight. The lighting system has proved to be one of the most effective customer-building devices the cleaner has found, according to Leta Sanders. Matching the light to suit the occasion is particularly important when it comes to evening wear, she adds. … Manfred Wentz, one of Germany’s foremost textile chemists, has joined the NID Research Department, where he will conduct special detergent investigations and analysis, including color measurement. Wentz, a graduate of the college for Textile Chemists in Hohenstein, Germany, in 1959, worked as a laundry chemist and plant manager for one of the largest plants in Western Germany, Firma Bardusch.

June 1990

25 YEARS AGO. Soft business conditions have caused some dry cleaners to go out of business. The way they’ve done it in some cases has caused problems for the rest of us in reduced trust among consumers. In Seattle, the owners of a chain that offered discount cleaning and delivery to anyone who paid a $20 annual membership fee filed for bankruptcy protection and apparently skipped town without telling customers or returning their clothes. The action prompted a scathing Wall Street Journal report. In New York, the Neighborhood Cleaners Association said the problems of a failed drycleaning business owner just locking the door and walking away usually happens in poorer areas, but not always. Because it is happening more frequently, there is a movement starting to license dry cleaners there. … Nu-Way Dry Cleaning in Forest, Miss., which won this year’s Grand Prize in American Drycleaner’s 29th Annual Plant Design Awards Pro-

75 YEARS AGO. Something about the drycleaning and laundry fields seems to attract athletes. Well known as a cleaner in Chicago is Carl Stockholm, former six-day bike racer. The tennis stars Sidney Wood and Frank Shields are joint operators of an exclusive laundry in New York City, while the father of another tennis star, Donald Budge, is in the laundry business on the West Coast. Tuffy Leemans, New York Giants football star, spends his time out of season in the drycleaning plant of Rinaldi & Leemans, Washington, D.C., in which he is a partner with his father-in-law. Charlie Brookins, former hurdler and record-holder, has a cleaning plant in Iowa. ADC

— Compiled by Bruce Beggs

To read more of American Drycleaner’s chronicling of the industry over the years, visit www. americandrycleaner.com.

The Ev luti n of Clean

Compact Series

Compact Systems have always been a popular style and now with new larger capacity and availability in two foot prints, there is no need to squeeze a large foot print machine into a limited spaced shop.

Performance Series

Loaded with standard features, three working tanks and dual filter system operating in accordance to your needs has never been easier.

Performance Series Tandem

Limited space? High volume? No Problem – the Performance Series is available in Tandem configuration. Tandem systems can be configured in any capacity you require.

“ there is always ingenuity, passion and determination behind every great machine”