American Drycleaner - June 2018

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FEATURES

Surfin’ USA

Our imaginations are captivated by the surfing lifestyle. The Beach Boys helped immortalize the beach vibe and its sun, surf, songs and bikinis. In the beach communities — from Florida to California and everywhere in between — dry cleaners serve their clients by cleaning boat covers, cushions, and delicate beachwear; doing bathing suit repairs; and dealing with odors and mildew caused by the ocean, the marine life, and even bonfires. When you picture summertime, and beach towns everywhere, part of that view includes cleaners who “hang ten” in the beach culture. Hear from three drycleaning owners who work, play and live it! Tim Burke, Editor

Beyond the Bubbles

Joe from Michigan, Brad from Washington state, and Richard in Illinois are drycleaning operators who share two keys to getting away successfully on their much-needed vacations: they trust their teams, and they don’t worry. Tim Burke, Editor

(Photo: Frank Mckenna/Unsplash)

“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.”

“I don’t have to rely on anybody for information. I can see immediately what I have for inventory, orders and accounts receivable.”

Price and Priceless

The art of pricing — and don’t think for a moment that it isn’t an art — can make you more profits and give your customers the feeling that your quality is worth every “scent.”

A very polite drycleaning owner noticed me in a far corner of a big trade show floor, detoxing with a cup of coffee after a talk I gave, and asked if he could chat just a moment and share an observation with me. Sure thing, I said.

He said he’d be brief, and told me, “It’s good you didn’t get into stats and rates and pricing because we’re all so different and unique, and it just opens up a million opinions. I like that you talked about personality and individualism in our drycleaning world. Right on the money. No pun intended. But it was stellar. Thank you.”

We shook hands and he drifted off. Personality = stellar, I remember thinking. It stayed with me.

It describes, for me, what you folks do so well, and customers are glad to pay for that great service you provide. As consumers ourselves, we also have a mindset of appreciating high quality, and we’ll pay for what we believe is “the best” in service.

In my travels and talks with many of you, that proud feeling of always doing your best in providing quality and service comes right through in all that you do.

You are some of the straightest-shooters I’ve ever met and that makes me proud to report on the fabricare industry and be a part, in my own small way, of helping you make people look and feel good in their finery. Well done, dry cleaners, well done! Stellar, even!

In this issue, relax and enjoy our summer features: one about servicing beach communities in Surfin’ USA, the other about owners and operators taking time off, trusting their team, and getting Beyond the Bubbles. Our columnists are here, there’s a special feature called Cash Free and Loving It, another titled Canada Wet, and more. The price of my message? you ask. Shucks, you know it ... priceless! ADC

American Drycleaner (ISSN 0002-8258) is published monthly except Nov/Dec combined. Subscription prices, payment in advance: U.S., 1 year $46.00; 2 years $92.00. Foreign, 1 year $109.00; 2 years $218.00. Single copies $9.00 for U.S., $18.00 for all other countries. Published by American Trade Magazines LLC, 566 West Lake Street, Suite 420, Chicago, IL 60661. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER, Send changes of address and form 3579 to American Drycleaner, Subscription Dept., 440 Quadrangle Drive, Suite E, Bolingbrook, IL 60440. Volume 85, 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, 2018. 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 2018

Publisher

Charles Thompson

312-361-1680 cthompson@ATMags.com

Associate Publisher/ National Sales Director

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

Editorial Director

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

Editor

Tim Burke 312-361-1684 tburke@ATMags.com

Digital Media Director

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

Production Manager

Roger Napiwocki

Advisory Board

Mike Bleier

Steven Dubinski

John-Claude Hallak Mike Nesbit Herron Rowland Fred Schwarzmann Beth Shader Ellen Tuchman Rothmann

Contributing Editors

Howard Scott Diana Vollmer Martin Young

Office Information

Main: 312-361-1700

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

Tim Burke

Beyond THE Bubbles

By Tim Burke, Editor

See that bubble?

Don’t worry. It won’t burst. It’s the sign of peaceful relaxation and fun in the sun. Ahhhh, vacayyy!

See the smile reflected back?

Those are the grins that come from knowing the managers and team back at the store can run the drycleaning operation smoothly while you are relaxing and recharging. Mmmm, vacayyy!

Three operators share their getaway experiences of leaving their plants behind to get some needed vacation. How do they do it with a worry-free “bon voyage” and a knowing grin? Let’s find out.

Joe in Michigan, Brad in Washington state, and Richard in Illinois, three drycleaning operators all share two key factors to a worry-free vacation: they trust their team and they let go. They’ll explain ...

“I’m Joe Hebeka, owner, Belding Cleaners, in Detroit, founded here in 1918,

and relocated to Grosse Pointe Park, Mich., in 1929, where it currently operates as the first and largest dry cleaners in Grosse Pointe.

“I oversee all the day-to day-operations. Two years ago, I purchased our competitor, converted it into a drop store and added a delivery route. We pride ourselves on a commitment to quality and service for 100 years, while maintaining a presence throughout the community as well.”

In regards to vacation time, Hebeka relates that he typically spreads his time off into a few small getaways throughout the year. “This gives me something to look forward to every few months or so,” he says.

“We usually head to downtown Chicago or Sanibel Island, Fla., where my wife and I got married, for a few days. It’s a great feeling getting on the airplane knowing you can detach from the business, even when you realize you’re, ironically, probably seated next to a few of your regular customers.” (continued)

(Photo: Matthew Fassnacht/Unsplash)

He continues: “I really enjoy spending time with my wife and kids and being able to let loose a little. Having three small kids means we spend a lot of our time at the beach and the pool. We also enjoy sightseeing and shopping as well, with my occasional evening cigar and drinks with my wife.

“It’s a great reward to have some time off to recharge and have fun. It also tells me, as an owner, if my operation is running smooth while I’m away, then I’m doing my job training people in procedures and organizational management.”

When Hebeka is away, he notes, his business is fully operational as if he were there. Employees pretty much follow the same daily tasks they normally would. Technology also plays a part.

“I can check my cameras from my phone anytime and anywhere,” he points out. “I also get alerts from our security system right to my phone when each store is opened and closed with each employee’s accountability. We have a sophisticated alarm system that alerts me and can be controlled from my phone.”

Most importantly, he relates, having a trustworthy and educated staff is the biggest part. He has a lot of confidence in his staff.

“Each employee has their own daily tasks from pressers to drivers and counter help. All of that comes together, creating the final product, almost like connect the dots. My manager makes sure things flow smoothly and communication between the staff is very important as well. In the rare event that there is a major issue that can’t be resolved

by my staff or manager, I just handle it when I return.”

Hebeka insists it might take some effort and preparation but it’s important to have some vacation time for yourself and your staff as well.

“My employees take some time off, too, throughout the year and they cover for each other. I believe it’s healthy for the business, too.”

Healthy is vacation time. Sometimes you have to build up that trust. You can then let yourself get away.

BUBBLE ON

“This is Brad Pickett, owner, Modern Cleaners, in Washington state. We were established in 1946. My wife and I purchased the cleaners in 1989. We are located 60 miles north of Seattle in a farming community.

“Being of a smaller population area, we do a little of everything, from wash and fold for hotels to wedding gowns. We have increased our business by offering a pickup and delivery service for homes, business and commercial accounts. My main job is billing, payroll, and to fill in when someone is sick.”

Pickett has a timeshare in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and tries to travel there once a year. “My wife would read a book by the pool and I would join her, when not golfing. Besides going to Mexico, we have traveled to Europe and been on Caribbean cruises.”

These vacations, he confides, lets him and his wife recharge and come back re-energized.

“I think to find the right team to run the operation while you are gone, start out small,” he advises.

“Start out by taking five days off with only five phone calls to see how things are going. Move up to 18 days with no phone calls at all. The goal is to let your team know you have the confidence in them to run the shop while you are gone.”

Pickett relates a recent story of something that happened at his store while he was on vacation: “A downspout at our main location was plugged and water was coming through the ceiling. Our manager was freaking out and not sure what to do. She phoned a roofing company that never showed up to help.

“She grabbed a ladder, went up on the roof and unplugged the downspout—mission accomplished. The job was done and we did not know until we arrived home that there was a problem.”

Healthy is trusting your team. You’ll know how things went if you know your people. Trust. Relax.

“Richard Atack here, vice president and

Joe Hebeka (back, left), owner of Belding Cleaners in Detroit, poses with his family during a recent Florida vacation. (Photo: Joe Hebeka)

general manager, Barry-Regent Cleaners in Chicago. This is a family dry cleaner, founded in 1950. We focus on offering superior-quality cleaning and customer service to our diverse client base in our Lakeview and Lincoln Park neighborhoods and beyond. I just celebrated 25 years with the company.

“I think it is extremely important for owners and managers, and indeed all employees, to get away from the business. It enables you to decompress and relax, but it also helps refocus the mind on what is important, both personally and professionally.

“As a manager, it is easy to fall into a routine of running the business. Having to plan for being away forces you to consider the work that you do, and how you delegate it. And then being away removes the day-to-day stresses that clutter the mind, and allows you to look at the bigger picture and make longer-term plans.”

As a husband and father, Atack says that getting away is all about spending quality time with his family. “I am originally from the UK, so we try to visit family in England, and then travel somewhere else in Europe in the summer.

“Recently, we rented a beautiful Airbnb house in the hills above Florence, Italy. This summer, we are planning a week exploring Iceland. We’ve also done a couple of road trips out west to New Mexico, Arizona and Utah.”

He says that during spring break, he tries to pick a great city to visit. These have included San Francisco, New Orleans, Austin and New York. “It’s hard to beat Chicago, though. Allowing my children to experience other cultures and discovering new places with them is the ultimate reward.”

“I can only get away, and honestly forget about the business, for a few days,” Atack admits. “I have faith in my management team. Any business must be able to operate without key personnel in an emergency, so everyone knows how to step in and get the job done.”

Technology, he points out, also makes it much easier to be away from the plant. He can schedule bill payments in advance, and can log in from anywhere to check on things if absolutely necessary.

“As for an anecdote,” he thinks out loud, “of something that happened at work while I was on vacation, my answer is that I don’t want to know what happens at work while I’m away!

“It’s easy enough to tell when I get back if things went well and if everyone did their job. Thankfully, that has always been the case so far.”

If you don’t yet feel confident going, let their words help you plan your next getaway. Trust in your strong team, but mostly trust in yourself. Start now. Summer’s here. Get Beyond the Bubbles! ADC

American Drycleaner,

Brad Pickett (left), owner, Modern Cleaners, located 60 miles north of Seattle in a small Washington community, poses with his family; they like to visit Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. (Photo: Brad Pickett)

Richard Atack, vice president and general manager, Barry-Regent Cleaners, Chicago, poses with his daughter while on vacation in Sedona, Ariz. (Photo: Richard Atack)

Treat of a Retreat

Summertime, take your team, and away you go

Summertime leads to visions of getting away from the daily predictability of work and the probably of relaxing mind and body with family and friends.

These daydreams are most likely vacation-inspired, but the importance of a break from work routine is also valuable for making a company revive and recharge. Those longing brainwaves that cannot all be directed to paid time off can be positively redirected to a reenergizing company management retreat.

The echoes of “waste of time and money” are coming through loud and clear as you read this introduction. But please have a little forbearance and reconsider the benefits to you of a well-planned and -executed retreat.

They need not be extravagant, rowdy or expensive, and can be tremendously beneficial to making your business and people thrive.

Benefits include increased productivity as a team; improved morale; better understanding and cooperation between departments; integrating remote workers into the team; and comfortable interaction between associates.

GOAL

As in most endeavors, clearly thought-out goals add to the ultimate success, and the scheduling should be far enough in advance to let everyone plan for the time away. Consider both business and personal needs before choosing weekdays or weekends.

Although they have many things in common, “reward” retreats are very different from “planning” or “project specific” off-site getaways.

Commonalities include a change of venue removed from the daily business environment of ringing phones, on-call texts, customer demands, etc. The environmental change alone provides a fresh perspective that can make room for innovative ideas to apply to opportunities and creativity to find better solutions to issues and challenges.

It can also reinvigorate the body and psyche and generally boost morale. Another important unifying factor is to relax

and have some fun, so participants enjoy the experience and come away with positive memories of the time away.

Specifics that will likely differ by retreat type are venue; agenda; working/relaxing ratio; focus of group sessions; and depth of commitment to participant contribution in time, preparation and interactive energy. The group composition will also vary depending upon the getaway purpose.

A team-building activity may be different than a reward for best performers. A planning session will be more focused and preparation-intense than a companywide field trip to an amusement park.

Rewards are more likely to include non-associate guests, but warm weather retreats may have simultaneous working sessions and entertainment for non-associates with the two merging for social events.

Since mid-year is a good time to assess progress on current business goals and refine them to get ahead of the rushed planning cycle for the next year, summer is appro priate timing for your planning off-site.

BUDGE T

Low-cost alternatives include public spaces that can be reserved for privacy, such as a park

Diana Vollmer

(Photo: Steven Pahel/Unsplash)

MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

pavilion, school gymnasium or cafeteria, movie theater, and temporary office-sharing spaces. Use your imagination to make it memorable and unique.

The other end of the cost spectrum is easier to plan but be certain it provides the components that will meet the needs of your business purpose. For example, if videos are a necessary element, the great outdoors are less likely to be appropriate.

A mid-range alternative could be a short, all-inclusive cruise if you are near a port. This option offers built-in meals, and entertainment and can be surprisingly affordable.

Food trucks are a relatively inexpensive alternative for catering and add a component of fun. A group “cook” like a chili cook-off or “build the best taco” contest can satisfy hunger, build teamwork, create competition and bring out creativity and personality.

VENUE

A relaxing warm-weather location can be perfect for either process if it has a mix of quiet working space that incorporates the physical benefits of the locale and business tools to make your time together productive.

For example, a pool deck can be great for social events and breaks, but the working sessions need more solitude and less distraction. Always provide for food, fun and creativity to invigorate the participation.

Local sites are convenient and less expensive for travel but need to be isolated enough that participants don’t travel back and forth to the plant or stores during the event.

TIMING

If your goal is intensive planning and social interaction, the combination takes more time commitment than a very dedicated, intense, single project session. Accomplishing the combination of social interaction and a business purpose ideally takes a minimum of three days, not including travel time, especially if non-associate guests are included. For multi-day events, schedule some personal, quiet recharge time since a 24/7 group can be overwhelming.

Any off-site event should have at least one day away to accomplish even the most rudimentary plan.

American Drycleaner, June 2018

ACTIVITIES

Key activities should be built around the primary purpose of the event. If multiple agenda items might be misinterpreted, make it clear which activities are voluntary and which are mandatory.

If the goal is celebration and team-building for the entire company, mix associates from different departments so they don’t stay in their own daily peer group.

Combine simple, proven, interactive casual groupappropriate activities like hamburger grilling, Frisbee, softball, bowling, or trivia, with more directed activities such as simple personality tests and group discussions about the results; for examples of ideas, see www. proformative.com/career-insights.

CAUTION

Unless your entire team is physically fit and oriented to extreme sports, exceptionally physical activities, such as trust falls from a high platform, can be highly intimidating and possibly result in unwanted outcomes like alienation from the team and/or departure from the company.

TALK IT

Keep everyone informed and updated before, during, and after the event. If you don’t already use an intercompany communication app, try one for this purpose. Set expectations that reduce the fear of the unknown that often accompanies unfamiliar activities.

Always avoid shutting down ideas with comments like, “We tried that, and it didn’t work.” Maybe the concept can be successful with minor tweaks, revisions, or just the passage of time.

A successful retreat can provide you a happier, more cooperative, supportive, and effective team that is better prepared to make your company succeed. ADC

Diana Vollmer is a managing director for Methods for Management, which has served dry cleaners and launderers with affordable management expertise and improved profitability since 1953. For assistance with your team retreat, contact her at dvollmer@mfmi.com or call 415-577-6544.

“

A successful retreat can provide you a happier, more cooperative, supportive, and effective team that is better prepared to make your company succeed.”

RECOVERY CLEANERS BLENDS CARING CULTURE WITH POSEIDON WET CLEANING SYSTEM — REALIZES QUALITY RESULTS AND BOOSTED PROFITS

The female-driven Recovery Cleaners makes a business of helping others by carefully recovering and restoring garments damaged by fires and floods. President and founder Jacqui Schaefer, who started the business 24 years ago as a one-woman operation, has since grown Recovery Cleaners into a company with 29 employees and a 14,700-square-foot textile restoration facility. The Poseidon Textile Care System handles 70 percent of the collected items and restores them via wet cleaning only. The remaining items are processed via dry cleaning.

“We are almost all women here, with an average tenure of 17 years,” said Schaefer. “We go into homes that have been significantly damaged due to fires or floods, compassionately sort through the affected garments and linens, which are then brought back to our facility to restore. Our positive company culture enables us to go above and beyond on each and every claim. We truly have the greatest service team in the industry. That’s what sets us apart.”

“Here at Recovery Cleaners, we are always staying ahead with leading edge technology,” added Schaefer. “Our commitment to quality and earth-friendly processing is what brought us to the Poseidon Textile Care System. Wet cleaning is often more effective than dry cleaning when it comes to removing soot, odors and fire pollutants.”

Poseidon Textile Care System Boosts Productivity

Recovery Cleaners recently added new wet cleaning machines and dryers from

the Poseidon Textile Care System. “With these new machines we are able to increase productivity, cut utility costs and become more efficient. We estimate that we will add an additional 52,000 pounds of laundry in one year alone,” said Schaefer. Mike “Stucky” Szczotka, of Poseidon, in Troy, Mich., worked with Schaefer to retool her plant with appropriately sized Poseidon equipment. He recommended and installed one 90- and two 55-pound capacity soft-mount Poseidon Wetcleaning Machines and two 80-pound capacity Poseidon Dryers.

“Poseidon machines supply us with the tools to make the wet cleaning process quick, efficient and profitable,” said Schaefer. “There are many companies that cherry pick only the items they think they can salvage. We process it all and are able to maintain a 95 percent

poseidonwetcleaning.com 800-482-3400

salvage rate from wet cleaning and dry cleaning combined.”

“Prior to the company’s Poseidon Dryers, more items required air drying, which slowed production. Now, items are quickly dried with less wrinkling,” said Schaefer, “reducing the time needed to finish them.” “There are several companies in the textile restoration business,” added Schaefer. “While our Poseidon machines make it more profitable and efficient, it is our caring staff and amazing company culture that completes the circle.”

Poseidon machines supply us with the tools to make the wet cleaning process quick, efficient and profitable.

- Jacqui Schaefer, Owner Recovery Cleaners

SPECIAL FEATURE

By Tim Burke, Editor

“C

ash is king!”

Or so the saying goes. But perhaps the saying itself is the one that has to go.

Cash-free businesses are a reality and growing. And the cashless system of doing business has now arrived in our drycleaning world.

“We took the first two pilot stores cash-free in November of 2017. The rest followed after New Year’s Day 2018. Our cash, as a type of tender, businesswide, was 1.8% of sales.”

Meet Brian Butler, president and CEO of Dublin Cleaners, located in the greater Columbus, Ohio, area.

Some drycleaning businesses may have much higher cash sales percentages, he points out, saying, “I’ve heard as much as 25%. If that were my case, I’d never have done this because clearly cash is important to that customer base.

“My personal feeling is that anything under 10% is within range of making this change, and anything under 5% for sure.”

Butler runs the three-generation company that recently turned 84 years old and relates that it has “a great bridal and specialty business along with our six stores and 14

routes throughout the area.”

His operation, he indicates, was “Counting, combining, and reconciling 36 deposits per week. That’s six stores times six days a week, and the nearly 25 change orders per week to support those drawers, which was costing about 8% of the cash sales.

“It was a bunch of non-value-added work to the client at four times the cost of accepting a credit card, given the cash totals were so low.

“My administrative assistant had a family emergency and couldn’t come in to do the deposits for about two weeks and I was helping and observing the bookkeeper and CSR manager struggle with this and took a few days and decided this had to end,” Butler explains.

As much as he didn’t want to frustrate any clients or, as he puts it, “have them feel we are anything less than accommodating, we simply can’t afford to keep doing this.”

Once you made the change in your operation, how did customers react?

“There was no major opposition from customers,” Butler says. “The most common thing we heard was the few people paying cash were trying to be (continued)

Dry cleaner in Ohio goes cashless, lowers labor cost and stress, and greatly saves time

(Photo: Jomar Thomas/Unsplash)

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helpful to us and save us the credit card fees. When we told them cash cost us four times as much to process, nearly all were pleased to use plastic and get their points, rewards, or miles.”

A few cash holdouts that he encountered were solved by accepting cash with no change toward gift card sales. His customers “just reload their gift cards whenever they get low with some more cash as needed,” he explains.

“No change is kept or given and the cash goes one-way to the office to be deposited, and it’s all been large bills, so quite easy to count.”

In a change such as this, there can be surprises. But apart from an attempted robbery that failed miserably, as the robber wearing a ski mask failed to see the “CashLess Store” sign in the window and was later arrested, Butler says there really wasn’t much to surprise him.

It seemed to be a smooth transition to the new way.

He relates that his drycleaning business had such a low percentage of cash sales that if the cash-only customers left, it’d hardly feel it. “We wanted to retain them, so we were careful to only stop keeping change in just a couple stores for six weeks,” Butler notes.

He and his team learned the right ways to express why they were doing this, so that when they rolled it out to every store, the others could be prepared.

“I put my personal desk phone number on a note on all the store counters so the CSRs could tell them I was happy to hear their feelings if they were upset,” he says. To date, Butler says he’s spoken with about five customers, and the gift card idea was just fine with all of them.

For drycleaning owners and operators who might be thinking of going this cash-free route, Butler has a few tips.

He thinks it’s important to be prepared with a script so your message is clear to customers.

He says to have contact information available if customers want to express their feelings.

“Many simply pulled out a credit card and just got with the program,” he says.

“A few let me know they didn’t like it, but nothing we ever change will please 100%. We have to make the changes that reduce costs and mistakes in our business. A few holdouts just can’t stand in the way of that.”

So you’re cash-free now. It’s been a few months. Anything to share? If cash is no longer gonna be king, what is?

“The silver lining is that the CSR error and occasional temptation of cash theft is now also eliminated, but the savings of time is the greatest,” Butler says.

“Opening and closing is substantially faster and less stressful from when they had to worry about getting it to balance before they could go home.

“The CSRs love the cash being gone; it was a stress and hassle to them and a labor cost to the business.”

For one drycleaning operation in Ohio, labor cost and stress are much lower today and the savings of time is the greatest thing of all, now that cash-free reigns! ADC

Brian Butler (right), president/CEO of Columbus, Ohio-based Dublin Cleaners, with his parents. (Photo: Dublin Cleaners)

Cleaners ‘hang ten’ in the beach culture

By Tim Burke, Editor

American Drycleaner, June 2018

—

They sang it. Popularized it. Made it sooo cool.

Our imaginations were captivated by the surfing lifestyle, and we’ve never let it go. The words conjure a sort of magical feeling of an endless summer. You can almost smell the Coppertone.

But wherever sun worshippers hang out at their beach communities, cleaners are there, too, making them look rad. Hey, even surfers and beachgoers get dirty, big daddy, and they need their rags, like, cleaned, man; be it summerwear, beach attire, bikinis, or all the other what-have-you.

Let’s go hang ten and ride the curl with Tommy Goulla, the owner of Ogden’s Cleaners in Pacific Palisades, Calif., who is in charge of day-to-day operations there and oversees 16 employees.

“We are located about one mile away from the Pacific Ocean and we see lots of cabana covers, outside furniture and, of course, bathing suits,” he explains. “The challenges we face are mostly with yellowing of clothes left in plastic bags and also lots of mildew due to the humidity.

“Depending on how bad the mildew is, it can be difficult to address. Our team is ready, and has experience, to handle these situations as they come, and our clients are very happy, as we have saved lots of garments that customers thought were damaged beyond repair.”

There are particular cleaning challenges that come with doing business in a surfing and sun-loving community.

“One interesting memory I can share was about a client who walked in and asked me if we clean out-

side furniture. I said, ‘Yes, we do.’ He replied, ‘But it’s real bad.’ I asked to see it.”

Describing the scene in the parking lot in front of his store, Goulla says, “He literally had his SUV filled with white outdoor couch covers that were completely affected by the sun and moisture.”

This dry cleaner had a challenge before him, like a surfer deciding whether to grab the next big wave rolling toward him. But he went for it! Cowabunga dude!

“After a few days,” Goulla continues, “he came to pick up his order, and we were pulling his orders and he exclaimed, ‘Those are not mine!’

“I looked at the ticket, just to make sure we had the right order, and said, ‘Yes, they are.’ He looked again and went through the covers, and was like, ‘Wow,’ and was very happy.

“He told me I saved him over three thousand dollars of having to buy new covers, and he is now a very good client of ours.”

(continued)

If everybody had an ocean

Across the U.S.A. Then everybody’d be surfin’... Surfin’ U.S.A.

The Beach Boys

(Photo: Frank Mckenna/Unsplash)

Tommy GOULLA

Tommy Goulla, owner of his store Ogden’s Cleaners in Pacific Palisades Calif., located one mile from the beach. The nice weather, he says, helps staff productivity. (Photo: Ogdens Cleaners)

Goulla says that being in a beach community has one excellent benefit: the weather. “We always have a breeze and the temperature doesn’t reach past the 80s, so it helps our staff and our productivity.”

From all along the West Coast, and in California beach towns like Pacific Palisades, across the Gulf Coast, the East Coast, and down to Florida, there are cleaners who must ride and conquer the big “waves” — waves being the particular challenges their beach town residents bring to their counters.

One such operation located down in the Sunshine State is Hollywood, Fla.-based OXXO Care Cleaners, a franchise founded in 2000 with the phrase “We Care,” for its environmentally responsible dry cleaning.

Salomon Mishaan, company founder and CEO, has a lot to say about cleaning clothes unique to the surf, water sports and beach crowd.

“As a quality-conscious cleaner, we do a lot of work for yachts and mega yachts,” Mishaan explains. “They bring us everything from captain and crew uniforms to bedding, dining clothes and many cushion covers.”

This is important, he says, because it is repeat business. “The purser on these yachts trusts he will have the quality he needs, especially when he is away from port,” indicating that he must rely on complete quality for his yachting clients.

“Our everyday customers,” Mishaan continues, “bring their work outfits, but also their golf and beach shirts

such as Tommy Bahama, made with delicate materials.

“Many clients wear a lot of linen garments and they have seen that, as in Europe where they are manufactured, these should not be starched or pressed but handironed with little starch so when they are worn, they fall graciously on their bodies.”

American Drycleaner asks him to share specific challenges the beach clothes-wearing customers might present to his operation and machines: “How do you deal with things like sand in clothes; tar from beach; seaweed; shells; suntan lotions?”

“As mentioned, we care about the garments we clean and the quality we give our customers,” Mishaan says. “Our processes include hand-ironing for drycleaned gar ments, and shirts are blow-dried on a special mannequin, not steam-pressed, a practice done by traditional cleaners.”

He adds, “We have trained personnel who know how to remove spots without damaging garments. They are also trained on inspecting all garments as they come into the store. This way, we can inform the client from the outset if we are unable to remove a stain.”

As a follow-up, American Drycleaner asks why he located his business in a region of water sports lovers, swimmers and surfers. We all know the song Surfin’ USA, but what drew you to hang ten, so to speak, in this specific market?

“We chose Hollywood, Fla., for our first store because it’s near the beach and there are many homes as well as condos near us,” he answers. “We saw that despite it being in a beach area, many people are quite environmentally conscious and are also hard workers that need our services.”

Then Mishaan adds playfully, “So like another song, R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A., by John Mellencamp, we sing, ‘O.X.X.O. in the U.S.A.’ Hah!”

With a real ‘chill’ surfer vibe going, Mishaan is asked if he can share a story about any of his laid-back surferpersonality customers.

“We have a customer who works during the day but loves to go to the beach as soon as he gets off work,” Mishaan says. “One day, he found out about our environmentally friendly products used to clean and he brought some clothes in.

“He came in right as we opened one Saturday morning, and he was clearly thinking out loud, ‘Why do I have to be at the cleaners when I could be at the beach?’ so when we told him he didn’t, he couldn’t understand,” Mishaan says.

The owner of Hollywood, Fla.-based OXXO Care Cleaners, Salomon Mishaan, lives, works and plays right in the beach and boating community he serves. (Photo: OXXO Care Cleaners)

“We explained that all he had to do was register with us. We gave him two bags and showed him how, from now on, all he had to do was drop the bags after dark when the beach was closed and pick up his clean clothes from us anytime, day or night,” he says.

“He was the happiest person in the world. He has referred so many people, it’s great, and the only time I see him is when I go down to Hollywood Beach — and he is usually there!”

Let’s paddle back across the waving wheat fields, mountains and prairies of our country, and go from sea to shining sea to arrive at the epicenter of the surfing world, none other than “Surf City,” aka Huntington Beach, Calif.

One mile from the Pacific Ocean, on Huntington Harbour, rests Harbour Cleaners. The business was founded in 1973.

“For our Surf City USA clients, we help them look sharp in their Tommy Bahama and Reyn Spooner silks, and the ladies in their summer dresses,” explains owner Saro Semercian.

“We do get unique repair and alteration items that most of the city cleaners won’t see, such as taking in board shorts to bikinis and putting new hooks for bikini tops and restringing swim bottoms and wetsuit repairs and patches,” he points out.

“Huntington Harbour also has its fair share of boaters, so we do get a lot of covers to clean throughout the year,” he notes, adding, “And by the way, Huntington Beach is officially recognized as Surf City USA!”

There can be unique difficulties with being a beachside cleaners, as he relates: “We receive clothes that have strong bonfire odor or a lot of sand. These items are first air-flushed outside to get the sand off and then cleaned in a separate load so as to not contaminate other garments with the smell. And we use products to remove the odors.”

The cleaner specializes in wedding dress cleaning and restoration, and everyday garments such as dresses, slacks and shirts. Harbour also does rugs and outdoor patio furniture for its clients.

This Surf City cleaner has his own story to share:

“This is a romantic story. A young surfer customer in his late 20s wanted to plan a sunset proposal so he asked us to sew onto a large beach towel the wording, ‘Will you marry me?’

“His plan to open up the towel to sit on at sunset worked. They are happily married for over two years now. And we’re not outright saying we had anything to do with her saying yes — but we did!”

The owner actually grew up in Huntington Beach, so, he relates, “When this location was for sale, it was a no-brainer. Knowing most of the history of my beautiful city, it’s easy to talk to other locals and welcome newcomers to this gorgeous beach-side haven.”

He ends with this sentiment that nicely captures the mood of probably all beach community cleaners every where: “Most of our customers have grown up here, and have surfed all their lives, and being successful business men and women hasn’t stopped them from enjoying a nice wave or two in the mornings before heading to work.”

You caught the wave with these three cleaners. There are many more stories out there for sure. But for now, let’s let the Beach Boys ride us out into the warm summer sunset:

We’ll all be gone for the summer

We’re on surfari to stay Tell the teacher we’re surfin’ Surfin’ U.S.A.

The owner of Harbour Cleaners, Saro Semercian (at right), and his family enjoy a sunny weekend in his hometown of Huntington Beach, Calif., known as Surf City USA. (Photo: Harbour Cleaners)

ADC

SET, GET WET (Wet Cleaning Series Continues)

Canada

Wet

By Haley Jorgensen

Using water and biodegradable chemicals to clean virtually any garment or fabric, TSC Wetclean is unique in Mississauga, Ontario Canada.

The family-owned business operated as a traditional dry cleaner for 20 years before flipping operations upside down and embracing water. Today, a decade since the switch, the company say it is more profitable and environmentally friendly than ever.

“We go after a lot of items other cleaners don’t because they don’t have the capability to do it,” says owner Dino Kantzavelos. “Water can clean almost anything so we have multiple revenue streams. We aren’t just limited to garments.”

Since inception, the company has served Toronto’s film and television industry, the third-largest screenbased production center in North America. In doing so, the company wet-cleans loads of costumes, gowns and suits.

Of course, it also serves area residents and businesses, wet-cleaning everything from bed linens, comforters and drapes to bulk laundry, shoes, silks, wools, cashmeres, leathers and suedes.

It’s all processed using a new Poseidon Textile Care

System®, which recently replaced older-technology wetcleaning machines and tumble dryers. The new system was introduced to Kantzavelos and installed by Bruce Miller of Sparkle Solutions, a laundry equipment distributor in Concord, Ontario.

It consists of two 60-pound-capacity wetcleaning machines and two 60-pound dryers. While Kantzavelos has utilized programmable wetcleaning machines for years, they haven’t been utilized to their fullest potential because their partner dryers were seriously lacking, he says.

“Traditional tumble dryers made it difficult to dry delicate items, such as silks, wools and linens, without damaging them,” says Kantzavelos. “So, delicate items coming in the door were air-dried, which took a lot of time and space.

“New dryer technology has made wet cleaning a viable processing option for virtually any garment or fabric type,” he continues. “Plus, it’s great for boosting production. We can wet-clean and finish a men’s twopiece suit from beginning to end in less than an hour. The same holds true for cashmere sweaters.”

COST BENEFITS

There are cost benefits to wet cleaning, according to Kantzavelos. “Our initial investment was

TSC Wetclean in Ontario chooses water, rides profit wave

(Photo: Cia Gould/Unsplash)

SHOPPING CENTER SUSTAINABILITY THE LEADER IN

BY WAY of GREENEARTH CLEANING

For property owners concerned about perc and other potentially hazardous dry cleaning chemicals, GreenEarth Cleaning doesn’t just solve the problem, it creates opportunities. Kimco Realty, one of North America’s largest publicly traded owners and operators of open-air shopping centers, is a leader in sustainable real estate practices. As part of their corporate responsibility and sustainability

program, Kimco educates its tenants on the advantages of GreenEarth cleaning, and several years ago chose to require that any tenant performing on site dry cleaning at its shopping centers use GreenEarth. Kimco’s decision helped to ensure the safety of its tenants, neighbors and shoppers.

SCOTT GERBER / VICE PRESIDENT RISK / KIMCO REALTY

70% less than the cost of a similarly sized drycleaning machine,” relates Kantzavelos. “Plus, wet cleaning cuts operational costs in half and drastically improves pro duction.”

For example, he notes, a 60-pound-capacity dryclean ing machine takes 75 minutes to process one load of dry cleaning. Whereas, Kantzavelos says, it takes 48 minutes to wet-clean and dry the same-sized load using the new system.

How much can a 60-pound wetcleaning machine take on?

“One load might hold 30 wool trousers or 12 suit jackets,” says Kantzavelos. “Wet cleaning is more ef ficient, and it gives you the capability to process a lot more in the same time frame. Results are phenomenal.”

Through wet cleaning, Kantzavelos notes he has eliminated several costly hassles, including sludge and waste separation and disposal, purchasing solvent, and compliance and fees associated with legislative require ments.

Kantzavelos appreciates the new wetcleaning sys tem’s programmability and maintains it is simple to create new programs to cater to customer needs. The Poseidon wetcleaning machines allow for complete cus tomization, offering 20 pre-programmed cycles and up to 79 individually modifiable cycles.

All variables are programmable, according to Kantza velos, including water temperature by degree; wash ro tation speed and duration; wash rotation combinations; water levels; bath cool-down by degree; and extract speeds.

If needed, Kantzavelos can set up a wash cycle of as little as three minutes or one lasting for hours. Au tomatic chemical injection, delayed start and optional overnight soak are icing on the cake, he says.

Once items are wet-cleaned, they are transferred into the dryer and, finally, to finishing, according to Kantzavelos. The dryer offers moisture-sensing tech nology, smooth stainless drums, drum-rotation control and timed reversing to safely dry virtually any item type, including wedding gowns, coats, dresses and sweaters.

“Items dry faster, the heat control is incredible, and you can control the rotation and direction of the drum so it eliminates tangling,” he says.

“I run everything through the dryer except gowns with beads,” Kantzavelos adds. “I have confidence that nothing will go wrong with even my most expensive garments.”

ADC

June 8-10

SEFA Southern Drycleaners and Launderers Show Birmingham, Ala. 877-707-7332 or www.sefa.org.

June 19

WFI Fitzgerald Scholarship Classic Golf Outing 15th Annual Fitzgerald Scholarship and Education outing. Mequon, Wis. 608-743-9696 or www.wiscleaners.com.

June 24

NCA Basic Spotting 101 with Alternative Solvents Bronx, N.Y. 212-967-3002 or visit www.nca-i.com.

July 15

NCA Stain Removal and Bleaching N. Miami Beach, Fla. 212-967-3002 or visit www.nca-i.com.

July 16-20

DLI Introduction to Drycleaning Laurel, Md. 800-638-2627 or visit www.dlionline.org.

July 23-Aug. 3

DLI Advanced Drycleaning Laurel, Md. 800-638-2627 or visit www.dlionline.org.

July 30-August 3

NCA Radical Drycleaning Bronx, N.Y. 212-967-3002 or visit www.nca-i.com.

August 17-19

Fabricare 2018 Hosted by the California Cleaners Association (CCA). Long Beach, Calif. 916-239-4070 or www.fabricareshow.com

October 10

WFI Fall Conference Hosted by the Wiscon sin Fabricare Institute (WFI). Milwaukee, Wis. 608-743-9696 or www.wiscleaners.com.

October 12-13

Canadian Fabricare Association Educational Conference Toronto, Canada. 416-573-1929 or www.fabricare.org.

October 19-22

EXPOdetergo International Milan, Italy. +39 024997 6214 or www.expodetergo.com.

ADC

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

American Drycleaner, June 2018

Haley Jorgensen is a public relations writer for Poseidon Textile Care Systems ®

Let Your Alterations Flourish

Put your alterations dept. right up front and let visibility (and revenue) grow

Observe the alterations expert at work. Watch a pair of pants being altered. The expert lays the pants out, folding on the crease, ironing the garment, turning the garment inside out and measuring the inseam, measuring again, and creating cuffs.

The expert, often a seamstress, smooths the cuffs into perfect rectangles. Irons the rectangles. Places each leg under the sewing machine and pushes the pant leg segment through. Reverses the pants and smooths them out. Then irons again.

The hands move confidently. The fingertips gain purchase easily. The focus is intense. Pure poetry in motion.

So why is the alterations department so often shrouded in the back room? Or hidden by a curtain? Or put off to the side, where you can barely see the work being done? Or in another location altogether?

Some dry cleaners may think of the alterations department as an adjunct business, and not the main focus. At any rate, rarely is the alterations department front and center, where it should be.

My advice is to put the alterations department in the front counter area. If you have foot traffic in an urban location, place the operation in the front window. If you’re in a suburban business, at least maintain the operation in the front of the store.

Why? Because it is the most interesting visual thing you have. Because it shows that you are a full-service dry cleaner. Because it reminds customers that the company does such work.

Customers might see an operation being done and realize that a worn garment could be repaired. Alterations demonstrate quiet competence.

Observing this work is fascinating for many of us who have never operated a sewing machine or even for those who have. The seamstress displays skill, dexterity, understanding of material, and speed.

This alterations expert shows knowledge of different fabrics. After watching a tailor or seamstress at work, you feel confident that this firm is competent. Furthermore, for many of us, it’s mesmerizing, even hypnotic.

SEW MAKE ROOM

There’s no room up front, some say. I answer: make room.

Rearrange your front space so that if you have foot traffic, the alterations work occurs in full view of passersby. If you don’t have passersby, place the alterations work in plain sight of anyone coming in to drop off or pick up an order.

Move the counter around in a kitty-corner arrangement to accommodate the alterations department. Push back the dividing wall between plant and front.

Howard Scott

(Photo: Zachariah Hagy/Unsplash)

“Not only did I reduce my assembly sta from 2 people to 1, I also noticed signi cant reduction in mark in labor costs as well.The opportunity for human error has been vastly reduced. I should have switched years ago when Brett rst spoke with me!!”

“I can honestly say that the QuickSort is the single best item I’ve ever purchased. The direct labor saving payback was less than one year. The increased e ciency from barcoding at the mark-in counter coupled with the complete elimination of assembly mistakes makes this the smartest business decision I’ve ever made, and one that is paying daily nancial dividends. “

Allan R Cripe CED,CPD

Brian Robertson

Owner, Valet Cleaners and Coin Laundry

Owner, Comet Cleaners of Corinth

INDUSTRY OBSERVATI O NS

Break through a wall and set up an alterations area in the small additional space.

Take out waiting chairs because few sit on them and set up at least a sewing machine and small table and chair. Reengineer your front to give yourself more footage.

Too much noise and hassle in front, some say. I respond that it is worth it.

Your front might be considered passive, dull, boring. No one does anything except the counterperson who stands behind the counter and presses buttons. That is no energetic activity.

In the old days, dry cleaners often had large windows showing the plant in motion. The practice has fallen out of favor. But I think it was a great advertisement, showing a clean cement-floor facility with newish machines and busy workers.

For many people who view this, it is the closest one will get to the factory experience. Having an alterations department in plain view allows for that “window” into the “back room” of operations.

It shows a hard-working expert tailor making pinpoint, precision moves, to turn out product as fast as possible. Most spectators are amazed at the skill and speed, just as the past-years spectators liked to watch the factory in motion.

To those dry cleaners who don’t want to show their alterations department because it is only staffed part-time, I say that part-time is better than nothing. Even equipment sitting in an organized workstation is a positive addition. It shows you run a neat, efficient operation. It shows that you do alterations. It leads to inquiries about jobs that could be done.

I know one dry cleaner who started with a part-time alterations department in the front which has led to a thriving suit-making trade in an upstairs office. A customer, seeing the seamstress’ skill, asked the dry cleaner if he would have his seamstress fabricate a suit. One job led to another and, before long, business blossomed.

If the dry cleaner dislikes the times of non-use, consider it as a form of advertising. Showing a clean, productive space is not wasted space.

Some owners may shroud their alterations operations because they don’t want customers to gain understanding of the process so they will do the task themselves. Never be afraid to boast of your skill. Such expertise does not come easily to most people.

Finally, for those dry cleaners who don’t do alterations at all, you should consider the sideline. It is a natural extension of dry cleaning. It adds completeness to the term “garment care.”

Alterations could lead to specialty niches such as repairing old wedding gowns, which can be lucrative.

The work requires minimal capital investment and only a small amount of space. The work can be done 10 hours a week or 60. In other words, any level of work can be accommodated. To put it another way, if you turn away the business, you lose revenue.

In that window, where your alterations department is visible, place a colorful, outrageous ensemble, preferably on a half-mannequin, for passersby to admire. The more over-the-top the garment is, the more visibility you’ll get.

If you don’t have foot traffic and your alterations department is in the front of the store, have a full-length mannequin dressed in that most outrageous outfit. Drape around the neck a sign that reads, “We made this here.” The customers will know your skill, and that knowledge will stick in their memory when they need alteration work done.

In one window I saw a multi-pocketed jacket, with different colors for each pocket, and a ruffled collar coming out of the jacket’s front. All I could think of was Lawrence Welk. Even though nobody under 40 knows who I am talking about, everybody over 60 has an engraved image of the accordionist’s outrageous costumery.

Opening an alterations department or making your operations more visible will make you a more successful dry cleaner. ADC

Howard Scott is a former business owner, longtime industry writer and drycleaning consultant. He can be reached by writing him at Dancing Hill, Pembroke, MA 02359, by calling 781-293-9027, or via e-mail at dancinghill@gmail.com.

(Photo: Tim Burke)

Red, Red Wine

I

t is red. It is a beverage. It is red, red wine.

Stain removal is more than putting a chemical tool on the stain and then blowing the stain away with steam.

Thought must be given to the fiber content and the stability of the dye or ornamental trim that could be damaged by the chemical or mechanical action. Taking one step at a time, in order, can change the outcome of your stain removal efforts.

A good example is red wine.

It is a red beverage. In most cases, the beverage is something diluted in, or at least containing, water. The stain most likely went on wet, so it should break down to water. The remainder of the stain is from a plant.

Stains that come from a plant are referred to as tannin stains. Now, we know we have a tannin stain that should begin to break down when exposed to water. We use water at the board, in the form of steam.

Let’s put the stain over the nose of the board and flush the area with steam to see how much of the stain comes out by this simple step, with a minimum of risk to the garment.

The characteristics of the fabric will affect some of the tools and procedures used, or not used, in the attempt to remove the remaining red wine stain.

A white garment of 65% cotton and 35% polyester can be subjected to stronger chemical tools and more aggressive mechanical action than a turquoise garment of 100% silk. Therefore, it is important to have at least a basic understanding of the things you should not do or should not use on various fabrics.

For example, silk fabric weakens when wet with water. Therefore, mechanical action should not be used on wet silk. If you must agitate wet silk, do so very gently. A medium- to dark-colored piece of silk can even chafe when repeatedly rubbed by another garment.

Some dyes are sensitive to the pH found in chemical

tools used in stain removal. Almost all tannin stain removers that are used in the removal of red wine are acetic in nature. This will react with some dyes and affect the dye in the area of the stain.

Let’s put the stain over the solid part of the board and apply some neutral synthetic detergent (NSD) and extremely light mechanical action, if the fabric can tolerate any mechanical action.

Now place the stain over the vacuum nose of the board and flush the stained area. By using a chemical tool with a neutral pH of 7 and using minimal mechanical action, you have eliminated the risk of color change, while removing more of the stain. Risk reduction is always a good thing.

A NAUGHTY RED

At this point, the red wine stain is smaller and less intense than it was when you started. But it is now that you must apply your knowledge and expertise. You must pay close attention to the fiber content.

Fibers from animals are adversely affected by an alkaline pH, while plant fibers are adversely affected by an acid pH.

Work quickly to flush a protein stain-removal tool from fibers like wool, silk and cashmere, as protein stain removers usually have an alkaline pH. Work quickly to flush a tannin stain-removal tool from fibers like cotton, linen and ramie, as tannin stain removers usually have an acidic pH.

The weave of the fabric is important during the stain removal process. A plain weave is reasonably stable

Martin Young

“Red, red wine, it’s up to you...”

sang Bob Marley

(Photo: Kelsey Chance/Unsplash)

when mechanical action is applied. A plain weave is 1 over, 1 under, with the yarns at a 90-degree angle.

A twill weave is also stable when mechanical action is applied. A twill weave is 1 over, 1 under, but with the yarns at a 45-degree angle, giving the weave a characteristic diagonal impression. All other weaves and knits should be approached with caution.

Special attention should be placed on a satin weave (yes, it is a weave, not a fabric), which is 1 over, 4+ under, and is easily distorted by yarn slippage. Satin should always be spotted with a pad, not a brush, and always tamped and never brushed.

A challenging red wine stain would be in an aquacolored silk blouse, with a satin weave.

Turn the blouse inside-out and flush the stain over the vacuum nose of the board, from the back side, holding the gun a little farther away from the garment than usual.

Pull the stained area over the solid portion of the board and apply a liberal amount of NSD. Apply light mechanical action with a padded “brush” or your regular brush wrapped in a cloth. Bristles are great for most fabrics, but fragile items like silk fiber and satin weave require a less aggressive approach.

Pull the stained area back over the vacuum nose of the board and flush again with steam, using the same extra

distance as a margin of safety. By removing much of the stain with steam and NSD, you have made the rest of the job much safer and easier.

Place the stained area over the solid portion on the board and apply a mild tannin formula. Tamp the stain with your padded brush, then flush the area over the vacuum nose of the board.

Test a stronger tannin, then use that tannin the same way as before. Test general formula, then use that tannin the same as before. When the stain is gone, dry the area over the vacuum nose of the board using a circular motion and working from the outside to the center.

It would be nice if safe stain removal was simple, but it is not. It would be great if safe stain removal could be taught in an hour or two, but there are far too many variables.

Effective stain removal is far more than just squirting something on a red wine stain and hoping good things happen. Take the time to improve your odds of not having to use a “Sorry” tag.

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 today. Phone: 704-786-3011, e-mail: mayoung@ctc.net.

Palms up for peer review

Top dry cleaners from across the United States and Can ada recently gathered in Nassau, Bahamas, and San Fran cisco, Calif., to review and develop their management skills, the Methods for Management (MfM) group reports.

The group says its dry cleaners “gained skills in prob lem-solving strategies and contingency planning. Lana Lee-Brogdon of New Oriental Cleaners not only showed the group true strength and skill but also a wonderful time exploring the island from sun, sand, and a feast fit for kings.”

In San Francisco, the group visited Laundry Locker, which MFM described as a technology-forward company.

Local TV personalities and pageant winners from Omaha, Neb., and the surrounding communities volunteered to model some of the top donated dresses for the Ultra Chic Boutique Style Show. A chance to purchase each of the featured dresses was raffled off, with all proceeds benefitting the Alzheimer’s Association

sociation Nebraska Chapter. The proceeds will be used to further its mission of finding a cure for Alzheimer’s dis ease and other forms of dementia.

R oom with a view

The Methods for Management (MfM) group met in Nassau, Bahamas, to review New Oriental Clean ers, and members posed for this sunny photo at the beach. Shown, from left, are Rich Volk, Sharra Volk, Mike Harris, Kermit Engh, Dave Cass, Kelly Massey, Mary Cass, John Massey, Joe Hallak, Rhonda Wer nick, Alan Wernick, Janet Garman, John-Claude Hallak, Polly Nemec, Dave Nemec, Joe Lancaster, Christy Garman, Lana Lee-Brogdon, and Chris Brogdon. (Photo: Methods for Management)

Prom magic happens

The 11th Annual Max I. Walker Ultra Chic Boutique was a success again, the company reports, with both a new home and a new beneficiary of the funds raised.

The doors opened at 9 a.m. Feb. 3, in Omaha, Neb., the cleaners says, “at the event’s new home, A View on State Street, to a line of several hundred excited shoppers. More than 100 volunteers manned the dressing rooms, rehung dresses and cashed out shoppers.”

Throughout the sale, it says, $20,000 was raised for the Ultra Chic Boutique’s new partner, the Alzheimer’s As

Operating in what it calls a transparent environment, like in its Frisco, Texas, store, OXXO Care Cleaners® celebrat ed the 10-year anniversary of its location there.

“Marisol and Francesco Cerrito were very success ful restauranteurs in Venezuela, owning several familyservice businesses,” says Salomon Mishaan, franchisor. “They contributed these qualities to the Texas market when opening the store in Frisco.

OXXO Care Cleaners “operates within a transparent environment in which work, including hand ironing, is done in front of the customers,” the company says. OXXO recently celebrated the 10-year anniversary of its Frisco, Texas, store (pictured). (Photo: OXXO Care Cleaners)

Nebraska Chapter. (Photo: Max I. Walker)

Broadway honors cleaner

Ernest Winzer Cleaners, located in New York City, will receive the 2018 Tony Honors for Excellence in the The atre, owners Bruce and Sarah Barish report. The business is being recognized this year as one of three outstanding contributors to the Broadway industry.

In 1908, Ernest Winzer was the master dry cleaner and dyer to the Broadway productions of the day. Bruce Bar ish notes that “110 years of cleaning Broadway costumes is being recognized at the 72nd Tony Awards. Pretty safe to say we are the longest-running Broadway production.”

The 72nd Annual Tony Awards will be staged at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, hosted by Sara Ba reilles and Josh Groban, on Sunday, June 10, 8-11 p.m. Eastern. It will be televised by CBS.

In memoriam: Jim Isberg

Jim Isberg, technical service manager for R.R. Street & Co., died March 30 at his Albany, Ga., home while sur rounded by his family.

A native of Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, Isberg had over 45 years of experience in the drycleaning industry.

“What some in the industry may not know about Jim,”

his obituary says, “was that he was past director of the Alberta Quarter Horse Association and, at one point in his life, was active on the rodeo circuit, riding bulls and bareback horses, calf roping, and team roping, and even winning the All-Around Cowboy Championship in 1967 at a local rodeo.”

Isberg and his wife Sharon were married 35 years. He is survived by seven children and 13 grandchildren. ADC

Sarah and Bruce Barish, owners of Ernest Winzer Cleaners are encircled by (clockwise, from left) Charlotte St. Martin, president of The Broadway League; Thomas Schumacher, chairman of The Broadway League; William Ivey Long, immediate past chair of the American Theatre Wing; and Heather Hitchens, president and CEO of the American Theatre Wing. (Photo: Ernest Winzer Cleaners)

UL-approved fan fights dust New finishing cabinet

SonicAire Inc., a manufacturer of overhead dust control fans, has a new fan designed for operation in hazardous locations. The new SA XD2 is UL approved for Class II, Division 2 environments.

“We are pleased to offer the new fan to those facilities needing a solution to combustible dust accumulation in hazardous locations,” says John Sanders, VP of marketing and sales. “This fan continues our commitment to providing remarkable equipment and continued innovation.”

Along with reducing manual cleaning expenses for a facility, the new fan also helps facilities maintain compliance with relevant NFPA and OSHA regulations, the firm points out. Most importantly, “the SA XD2 and other fans help keep employees safe from combustible dust hazards,” it adds.

www.sonicaire.com | 336-712-2437

Garment sorting system

The S-200 garment sorting conveyor system from SRS Conveyors is a fast, flexible, efficient system available on the market with patent-pending manual push or fully automated feeding, the company says. It has the capacity of 5,000 garments per hour, with sorting capabilities of unlimited drops, and can be easily integrated into existing software.

Whether expanding an existing sorting system or planning a new system, “our experienced and knowledgeable team of engineers offers free, no-obligation

Leonard Automatics just introduced a new and upgraded steam-heated finishing cabinet that can reach production rates, depending on size of garment, in excess of 100 garments per hour, the company says.

“The Leonard SC-34 is perfect for removing wrinkles and refreshing garments or other products while on a hanger,” it relates. “A perfect fit for dry cleaners, retail distribution centers, department stores or any other facility that needs to remove wrinkles quickly and efficiently.”

The all-stainless steel construction will protect your investment for many years and includes the entire frame, floor, insulated panels, interior, and garment rod, the company says. The SC34 has a special base for easily maneuvering with a forklift or pallet jack.

www.leonardautomatics.com | 704-483-9316

consultation for a custom solution,” SRS says. www.srsconveyors.com | 905-475-7717

American Drycleaner, June 2018 www.americandrycleaner.com

Get to Know....

Henry W. D. Parker

Tell us where you were born, grew up, and reside today.

“Born in Coachella, Calif. Grew up in Perris, Calif.”

Hobbies (that you’ll admit to)?

“Car flipping. I have had 14 car flips.”

What gets you excited at work?

YARNS SPUN HERE

“Solving client problems that their employees create.”

Lastly, tell us a secret (keep it clean) nobody knows about you.

“I have driven a car in all but one state, Maine, and I am still trying to get there.”

How You Felt

By Tim Burke, Editor

Don’t go bounding down a sand dune unless you’re sure your feet are feeling comfy in those felt socks. (It worked for two saints long ago; more on that later). Try it. You’ll realize how they must have felt.

Consult the dictionary and you’ll find that felt is the past tense of feel.

Sometimes when you do something that excites you, puts you in the groove, you get “the feels.”

Songs like Journey’s Feeling That Way ask: “Are you feeling, feeling that way too, or am I just, am I just a fool?” Lots of “feels” there.

But consider, if you do acquire feelings, then realize what you feel, is a feeling very well-felt.

Felt, for us here today, is a textile made from compressed fibers. These fibers can be natural-made animal fur or synthetic, such as from a petroleum-based acrylic.

In feeling-out Wikipedia, it explains: “Felt from wool is considered to be the oldest known textile. Many cultures have legends as to the origins of felt-making.”

Now we come back to those saints, it continues: “The

ADC

(Do you want to take part, or know someone who does? E-mail tburke@ atmags.com.)

story of Saint Clement and Saint Christopher relates that the men packed their sandals with wool to prevent blisters while fleeing from persecution. At the end of their journey, movement and sweat had turned the wool into felt socks.”

As Norman Oehlke writes in his Complete Spotting Guide & More available at AmericanDrycleaner.com, “Felting is a compact material formed by submitting wool fibers, or wool in combination with other fibers, to chemical and mechanical action, moisture, pressure and heat so they tangle, shrink, and mat.”

It would seem then that the story about the sandals worn by the two sweaty-footed saints in the desert, padded with wool that turned into felt, is possible. Now that you know a little more about this fabric, do you feel the same? If you do, then I’m not going to argue it, because that’s simply what you felt.

Co-owner, with wife Jan, of Safety and Environmental Compliance Consultants Inc.

Henry and Jan Parker

(Photo: Remi Jacquaint/Unsplash)

2018 RATES: One- to five-time rate: $2.15 per word, boldface $2.25 per word. Minimum charge: $25.00 per ad. Call or write for our three- and 12-time rates. If box number is used,

add cost of 5 words. Display classified rates are available on request. All major credit cards are accepted. DEADLINE: Ads must be received by the 1st of the preceding month.

D RY CLEANERS FOR SALE

Albany, NY area Dry Cleaners. Well Established. Grossing $700K. Net $150K. Asking $749K (includes Real Estate) CBAI (518)459-9070

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

For example, for a June ad, the closing date is May 1st.

PLANTS FOR SALE

Dry cleaning plant for sale in Ossining, NY. For more info contact 301-820-5558 or nyca23@aol.com

POSITIONS AVAILABLE

SPOT Business Systems the leading pro vider of Point of Sale systems is looking for qualified individuals with industry experience. We have openings in our Tech Support, Sales Support, Implementation and Training departments. We offer competitive pay with full benefits including 401k. Please send your resume to resume@SPOTpos.com

Laundry Pro of Florida is the 2016 Dexter Distributor of the year. We are looking for new prospects to join our team. Come work where people vacation, in sunny Florida. We are seeking:

Great work environment, highly competitive compensation, paid relocation expenses. Please respond in confidence to: Rjansen@laundryequipment.com

Heard About Rubber Water?

10 YEARS AGO. The worst housing market since the Great Depression is encouraging Fannie Mae — the largest U.S. mortgage provider — to change its lending rules effective June 1. Fannie Mae has been tightening its standards since December to cut its losses, introducing new fees and raising credit requirements. Meanwhile bargain-hunters boosted home sales 22% in Southern California by snapping up homes threatened with foreclosure. Nearly 38% of homes sold in April had entered foreclosure in the last 12 months, compared to just 5% in April 2007.

35 YEARS AGO. Following a 90-day congressional review period, newly issued amendments to the Federal Trade Commission’s rule governing care labeling for apparel and textiles are expected to take effect next fall. The amendments to the 1971 rule, as published in the Federal Register on May 20, explicitly state what information must appear on care labels for washing, bleaching, dry cleaning, ironing and drying. First produced in 1976, in response to numerous questions from the public, the amendments are designed to help consumers compare the care requirements of products they are considering purchasing and to enable consumers and cleaners to avoid damaging clothing because of inconsistent or incomplete cleaning instructions.

50 YEARS AGO. Heard About Rubber Water? Water used to just dribble. Now, like a basketball, you can dribble water. A company in Louisiana says it has developed an additive that will solidify water to the consistency of stretchable water. … We’ve been very good about not passing along mother-in-law stories, but we can’t resist this one. Dial soap is offering a “one-week dream vacation with your mother-in-law” as second prize in its new sweepstakes contest. Third prize is a two-week vacation with the dear lady. … A formal invitation was mailed recently by a cleaner in California, to customers and prospects of its newly acquired cleaners. It invited recipients to bring in one garment for a free cleaning

and followed this with an announcement of the change of ownership. To control the free work, the owner sent out 10 announcements — designed and printed like a formal invitation — each day. The closing line said, “Because of scheduling, this card must be presented with the garment of your choice before ______.” The filled-in date helped to regulate the free work. The owner reports a “terrific response” to the promotion. Many prospects were impressed by the quality image of the announcement and brought work without realizing that they were being offered a free cleaning, too.

75 YEARS AGO. During the recent membership campaign, 877 new members came into the National Association of Dyers & Cleaners (NADC). The Laundry & Cleaners Allied Trades Association cooperated with the NADC in the campaign, and both organizations are delighted with the results. The largest gain in membership was in Illinois, where there was an increase of 126%. The increase for the entire country was 31%. Even though the campaign is over, new members are still coming into the association daily as a result of groundwork laid by allied trades representatives. ADC

June 1943

— Compiled by Tim Burke, Editor

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

4 REASONS TO CHOOSE PARKER BOILER BETTER ENGINEERED

1BetterEngineered

Since 1919 Parker boilers have been engineered for more efficient operation (whether gas, oil, or combination gas/oil fired)for delivery of hot, dry steam in less than 10 minutes. And Parker boil ers have a longer service life for a greater return on your investment.

3BetterDesigned

Parker boilers are designed for ease of routine maintenance, annual inspec tions, and on site repairs, so there is less down time, more reliability. Parker boilers also have extra heavy, insulat ed, double-wall steel cabinet construc tion (Stainless steel cabinet lids and/or sides available).

A S M E

S or H

Steam Boilers

From 1.5-150HP

Steam Boiler Accessories Feed Systems, Blow Off Tanks, Water Softeners and Chemical Feeders

2BetterPackaged

All Parker boilers are delivered complete, ready to connect to utilities. What’s more, every boiler is test fired before it leaves the factory so you can count on getting up and running as soon as possible.

mount

Kompact mounted return sys tems are avail able on 3 to 25 hp boilers to save on installation costs.

4Better Value

All of Parker’s superior quality boilers are available at competitive prices and have been distributed through our regional representatives for over 60 years.

Low NOx Models Are Certified SCAQMD Rule 1146.2

Indirect Water Heaters

From 288-2878 Gallons per hour 100° Rise

Thermal Liquid Heaters From 126,000 to 6,250,000 BTU

5930 Bandini Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90040

Tel: (323) 727-9800 Fax: (323) 722-2848

Never a Compromise for Quality or Safety sales@parkerboiler.com www.parkerboiler.com

The Evolution of Clean

Join these satisfied customers...

Hear what they have to say...

“ is is my third Columbia, they never cease to amaze me. Each generation gets better and better with their engineering design and maintenance. It puts this end of my business on cruise control!”

“Ten days ago we made the transition from a Columbia perc machine to a Columbia SENSENE machine. Having been a perc operator for so long, I was very nervous about making the move.

Fast forward 10 days, I can honestly say I am very happy with the purchase! e learning curve is minimal, the solvent does the job as advertised, we are down to 4 spotting chemicals, the running cycle is just a little bit longer than perc, the clothes come out soft and the colors are vibrant. And when you open the door at the end of the cycle, instead of getting a blast of perc, you get a pleasant and refreshing smell.”

~Craig Ford, Owner/Operator,

“I’ve been in the drycleaning business for 28 years, always using perc. I have been searching for an alternative solvent for the past two years. After researching Sensene, visiting plants running with Sensene for the past few months, it has been beyond my wildest expectations. It’s better than perc! As the owner of Ruthie’s Cleaners, Owasso, MI, I am a hands-on operator and the one that has always done the cleaning. is solvent is just phenomenal. is is my second Columbia machine. In 23 years Columbia has always been the leading company in technology and my new Columbia is a testament to that fact.”

~Robert Marks, Ruthy’s Cleaners

“Having nally bought my Columbia, I can honestly say I’ve entered the 21st Century. is machine produces exceptional cleaning and is e cient, whites are white and I don’t have to worry about anything after I hit Start. My only regret is having waited so long!”

The new solvent based on modified alcohols

~Mike Ingalls, Iron Mike’s Cleaners

~Kurt and Drew Skasik, Skasik’s Quality Dry Cleaners

SeaBreeze Cleaners