American Drycleaner - July 2018

www.compassmax.com

“Compassmax nailed it again! With the new CRM and Texting features interacting with customers has never been easier.”

-Tonny Walden, Walden Cleaners

“The online user portal has simplified the pickup and delivery process for our customers. It is simple to use and manage, and has become a profit center.”

“The new scanning at the point of delivery feature is a prime example of less is more. It is simple enough that everybody can use and provides all the data we need to provide over the top service to our clients.”

-Jordan Wood, Davis Imperial Cleaners

“The new route prepay process that Maineline developed and just rolled out is outstanding! This saves us so much time each day as we can now batch and charge out all the route deliveries due for the next day at once. It has also saved us on collections situations. ”

-Jon Simon, Parkway Custom Drycleaning

“Compassmax made our switch to cloud based Microsoft Azure a dream come true. The conversion was extremely well-supported and we no longer have to manage a primary server and back-up server.”

-Dave Coyle, In the Bag Cleaners

Drycleaning Stain Removal Has Never Been So

Spray improved EasyGo onto soiled areas before drycleaning. Stains and soil disappear right in the wheel. For more difficult stains, use on the spotting board before or after cleaning. EasyGo is also an excellent leveling agent. EasyGo now flushes freely in all drycleaning solvents, including GreenEarth®, Perc, Hydrocarbon and K4.

And it's still eco-friendly...California compliant, chlorinated-solvent and NPE free, biodegradable and non-combustible. Drycleaning stain removal has never been so EASY!

drycleaner

July 2018

FEATURES

Vol. 85, No. 4

DEPARTMENTS

Pre-Inspection 4 Summer, My Buddy

Off the Cuff 28 Get to Know ... Bill Carli Industry Observations 30 Happy Cash-Out! Howard Scott

Plant Design Awards 34 Call for entries, now easier than ever Around the Industry 36 Classified Advertising 38 Advertiser Index 39

Red, White and Blue (and You)

Let’s share some great examples of how our fabricare industry supports our country’s veterans and service personnel with stories from you, our readers! Enjoy these stories of a patriotic nature that come to us from all around the USA about serving those in uniform who are always there to serve us. Have a safe and happy 4th! Tim Burke, Editor

6 Easy Rider

Ride along with the clothing through a Kentucky plant and find out where the bottlenecks are and where the trip can be improved for better workflow. It’s about making the ride easier. Tim Burke, Editor

23 Apps Approaching

App advice: “If you’re going to do it, go all in,” says one drycleaner owner who launched an app for his fabricare business. Hear more of his tips and listen to two software development companies serving our industry talk about what it takes to make a workable app for dry cleaning. Tim Burke, Editor

Wrinkle in Time 40 Giant Redwoods

NEED HELP FINDING THE HIDDEN HANGER?

Scan this QR Code for help in finding the hidden hanger on this month’s cover. Good luck!

(Photo: Tim Burke)

“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.”

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

Summer, My Buddy

Did you see who came in through your front door? Hiya there, Summer. Steady down a sec, relax, kick back, tell us about yourself...

“I’m lots of things. I’m the Fourth of July. Parades. Fireworks. Kids at the public pool or swimmin’ hole. BBQ smell in the air. Warm mornings. The unmistakable sound of sprinklers watering lawns. Crickets calling at night.

“I let you relax in your lounge chair under the stars, enjoying my nighttime breeze. Hear those fat sounds of motorcycles ridin’ the slab? That’s me. See convertible cars cruising on by? Yep, me. Ice cream melting faster than you can lick it? Uh-huh. “And you bop around town doing errands in sandals, carrying stuff from your hardware store or your garden center. And your dry-cleaned clothes you picked up are hung on those little hooks in your car’s back seat. Me. Yep. All me.”

Alright, Summer, yes, that is you. Very nice, and nice of you to include cleaners in your panorama. Well done!

Dry cleaners are embedded, lo, pressed, into their communities’ very fabric. (Pun intended.) You owners respond to all your customers’ needs. Heck, they’re your neighbors! And now more than ever, you see technology, such as the app, arriving. What is an app, exactly? And how do you, the drycleaning owner, make use of it in your business? That’s the theme of our Apps Approaching feature this issue. There’s also a feature called Easy Rider that looks at workflow through the plant.

But we also have our yearly reader favorite—and the cover story—Red, White and Blue (and You), full of great shared stories of a patriotic nature from the garment care industry, all examples of ways you support our country’s veterans and service personnel. Plus, there’s other “fireworks” like Off the Cuff

One other special item to note: Our 58th Plant Design Awards “call for entries” is here. Entering is easier than ever. Just e-mail me a few photos of your new plant, redesign or renovation to tburke@atmags.com. And you’re in!

Okay, Summer, thanks for blowin’ in, but we have things to do. See ya, buddy! 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 4. 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, July 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

EASY RIDER

By Tim Burke, Editor

This article asks the burning question: How easy does your customers’ clothing ride through your plant?

Humor us: You are a piece of clothing entering your own plant. Describe your trip...

“Clothes at Highland,” says Michael Jones, owner and CEO of Highland Cleaners in Louisville, Ky., “are like in the Dr. Seuss book, Oh, the Places You’ll Go. They travel a long way at my facility.”

Gary McCracken, owner, Clothesline Cleaners, Boise, Idaho, notes, “The building our plant sits in has been expanded three times to accommodate our growth,” and points out further, “we have now filled up all of the available space on the property, and it is ‘chunky,’ to say the least.”

Those are the views from two drycleaning owners. But how easy, really, is the ride for the clothing they clean? We’re about to find out. Easy Rider today means efficient and, hopefully, cost-effective.

Before we ask for further workflow observations by

At

in

our dry cleaners, let’s get some other perspectives.

Rick Rome is founder and president of WashClub in New York City, a full-service laundry and drycleaning pickup and delivery company that operates across the United States, and also licenses a full suite of software services. He shares his view of what he sees in plant workflow:

“Generally, what I see in plants is traditional operating models with some automation. The plants with the most automation are the biggest operators out there. They have maximized their design and workflow to create tremendous operating efficiencies. I strive to emulate them!”

Another viewpoint comes from Judith Stone, half of the husband-and-wife team, with husband Richard, of the consulting business Dry Cleaning Plus. Her thoughts:

“Take some time to actually observe the flow to see where the bottlenecks are. Get rid of dead inventory, unused equipment and accumulated junk. There will be more room to work with.

“Think about your operational needs.

Flow with the work through your plant to find better efficiencies

Highland Cleaners

Louisville, Ky., a pair of trousers take a pit stop for some needlework repair during their long ride through a building that owner Michael Jones lovingly refers to as “Frankenstein.” (Photos: Highland Cleaners)

SPOT

SPOT Business Systems is the most

Features:

Features:

• ra ded as o r o pa P l s ed as o r o pa

• Update Profiles

• ra ded as o r o pa P l s ed as o r o pa

• a reta l p p lo

• Update Profiles

• e a d a d e l ro te p p re est

• a reta l p p lo

• e a d a d e l ro te p p re est

• Pr e

• tore o ator

• Pr e

• te rated o po lo

• tore o ator

• te rated sto er eed a

• te rated o po lo

• te rated sto er eed a

Features:

• le tro a est

Features:

• o ate t o r dr ers a d sto ers real t e • ra o r r ers

• le tro a est

• o ate t o r dr ers a d sto ers real t e • ra o r r ers

• Par a a est lo s pports lt ple a est s o a s le de e

• Par a a est lo s pports lt ple a est s o a s le de e • lt sto er top e a ed a s a lo

• lt sto er top e a ed a s a lo

Team members in the finishing area of Highland Cleaners handle pressing and hanging of garments as the items wind along on a 19,000-square-foot ride. “They travel a long way at my facility,” proclaims owner Michael Jones about the goods.

Having a route, with orders leaving the premises within one to three days, is different than over-the-counter inventory, which must have a place while awaiting pickup by the customer.

“Before making changes, consider if your budget can afford automation and learn how the automation will contribute to eliminating those bottlenecks. Hire an expert.”

Now back to Jones at Highland, who describes his operation as a high-quality, full-service dry cleaner, a two-generation, family-owned business with 13 branches and a central processing facility.

“Our plant is almost 19,000 square feet, which sounds like a ton of space to most fellow dry cleaners, but the building is a real Frankenstein of construction over the past 75 years. There are many small rooms, small connecting doorways, different levels, and irregular spaces,” he explains.

“It has been very difficult to get a good workflow with these constraints. We utilize lots of screw rails, carts and one amazing new rope rail, to move the clothing through the facility. I feel we are about as efficient as we can be with the constraints of our space.”

Have you ever reconfigured your plant setup?

“Our last major reconfiguration was in 1997, and we have stayed with the same basic setup, with tweaks, ever since,” Jones says. “A change in assembly, namely automation, was the last big workflow change that required reconfiguring and adding some space.”

Have you toured other plants or talked with consultants or peers, and has that given you ideas for better ways to arrange your machines and employees?

Jones relates: “I have toured a lot of facilities with my cost group, Tuchman Systems. I have made countless small, and not so small, changes to my operation because of what I have seen in other places.

“The most recent was the addition of a homemade rope rail system to replace a very long and troublesome rail. The new rope rail cuts a full 24 minutes of travel time for my garments from the pressing room to the inspection and assembly department.”

Jones, who points out he is “ultimately responsible for the whole dang circus,” shares this simple yet profound tip based on what he’s learned about better plant workflow: “If your building will allow it, linear movement of the clothing is best. The less distance the clothing moves between processes, the better.”

(continued)

With plenty of light filtering in from the street outside, a piece of clothing at Highland Cleaners nears the end of the workflow through the plant and might at last be called an Easy Rider.

Back out to Boise, where McCracken shares these brief thoughts about workflow taking an easy ride—or not—at his plant: “I sure wish we had a nice, big plant with easy flow patterns, but we don’t. We get a lot done every day, but it isn’t pretty.”

Workflow can be a challenge. Owners must examine their own situations and decide where they can afford to make realistic changes.

Look at personnel and where they are positioned. Look for places to improve the linear flow of clothing. Look for bottlenecks. Some of these areas you may be able to fix, some not, but there are certainly opportunities if you look at them as the clothing riding through your plant would.

As a shirt or pair of pants, where do you get hung up for time most often? How long do you spend moving through a Dr. Seuss-land, wasting resources?

Making sound workflow decisions, where possible, could smooth the long road traveled for garments moving through your plant, and ultimately turn the next piece into an efficiently flowing Easy Rider! ADC

This Highland Cleaners team photo shows the personalities and teamwork, all part of the flow of a plant, and a key reason a garment can go from taking a tough trip to being an Easy Rider!

Strive for “linear movement of clothing,” says Michael Jones of Highland Cleaners. His plant’s workflow must negotiate turns and corners. Jones compares the journey the clothing takes to the Dr. Seuss book title, Oh, the Places You’ll Go.

American Drycleaner, July 2018

By Tim Burke, Editor

Happy Fourth of July!

Let’s celebrate once again at this time of year with parades, fireworks, friends and family, and with shared stories from you of a patriotic nature from the fabricare industry. So many of you do things for our service personnel and veterans, including cleaning flags, uniforms and much more. Following are just a few stories that represent all that you do. Enjoy these, and have a fun, exciting, patriotic and safe 4th!

(Photo: Tim Burke)

Dave Wood, owner of Lapels in Littleton, Colo., and his team, stand out in their parking lot to hold up high the giant American Flag they cleaned for a local college’s Veterans Association. He tells us the flag flies over their campus. (Photo: Dave Wood)

GIANT AMERICAN FLAG

Dave Wood, owner, Lapels, located in Littleton, Colo., shares this: “Our team members are holding up a 12-by-18-foot American flag brought in by a local college’s veterans association. We cleaned and pressed it, no charge. Don’t remember the guy’s name but it was for the Arapahoe Community College Veterans Association,” he relates.

“It flies over their campus.”

MILITARY MUSEUM CLEANING

Matthew Porche, owner of Uneeda Cleaners Dry Cleaning and Restoration in Houma, La., shares this special story: “I sit on the board of directors at the Regional Military Museum here in Houma. Our drycleaning plant does most of the textile cleaning and restoration for the museum. Our little museum is very unique in that we are a hands-on museum. We keep all of our vehicles in operational order, and we will take museum visitors for a ride in a jeep, upon request.”

Porche says: “We hope to give our visitors a real sense of what it was like to serve in the military. We keep a Higgins Boat LVCP Landing

“The veteran in uniform with the Marilyn Monroe look-alike is Melvin Hebert, from Pecan Island, La. He was stationed in Houma, La., with the U.S. Coast Guard during WWII,” relates Matthew Porche, owner of Uneeda Cleaners Dry Cleaning and Restoration in Houma. Porche sits on the board of directors at the Regional Military Museum there, and his drycleaning plant does most of the textile cleaning and restoration for the museum. He continues: “After the war, he (Hebert) was a teacher and principal in local schools. I know he is around 90 years young, and he still likes to go dancing every Friday night. The Marilyn look-alike is Courtney Boe Anderson. She was working at the WWII Museum in New Orleans at the time of the photo. This picture was taken at our museum’s USO Dance, where we honored Mr. Hebert for his service.” (Photo: Uneeda Cleaners)

MAKING CENTS THE DOLLARS COMPARING WET CLEANING &

DRY CLEANING

COSTS

New technologies allow wet cleaning to significantly improve throughput production over traditional dry cleaning. This makes a strong case for the eco-friendly wet cleaning process. But what about the costs associated with wet cleaning versus dry cleaning? When compared — dollar for dollar — wet cleaning is thousands less.

INITIAL INVESTMENT

First, let’s evaluate the initial cost of each system. This is the amount required to purchase new alternative-solvent dry cleaning machines versus similarly sized Poseidon wet cleaning systems.

When the numbers are crunched, there’s a $67,000-$72,000 cost differential in favor of Poseidon wet cleaning. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Let’s dig deeper.

1)

Additional Capital Expenditures

Often, there are additional costs associated with operating a new dry cleaning machine, including upgrading boilers, chillers, air compressors and electrical. If you have to upgrade any of these because of your new dry cleaning machine, you’ll fork out considerably more. Whereas, if you go with a wet cleaning system, you won’t.

For example, a customer is installing an 80-pound capacity dry cleaning machine at a cost north of $100,000 list price. It’s going into an existing facility. To operate correctly, the dry cleaning machine will require the purchase of another chiller ($16,000) and an 80 amp breaker. Additionally, the new chiller will require another 70 amp breaker. In the end, the new dry cleaning machine not only requires a new chiller, it demands a costly electrical upgrade. All this adds up.

By comparison, an 80-pound capacity Poseidon wet cleaning system, which operates on 15 amp breakers, doesn’t require anything extra. So, if you add a wet cleaning system, you’ll likely not have to purchase or upgrade anything else.

2) Operational Costs

We know now that the minimal initial investment of a 60-pound capacity dry cleaning machine is at least $67,000 greater than that of a similarly sized wet cleaning system. We also know other capital expenditures and upgrades are also part of the installation and operational equation. Now, let’s compare labor, chemistry/solvent, regulatory/licensing fees and utility costs.

Chemistry — Initial start-up costs for chemistry for a 60-pound wet cleaning machine is around $2,000. It’s $6,000 for a 60-pound dry cleaning

OFmachine. From there on, there is not a huge difference. Water — Water usage can vary. On the dry cleaning side, when a chiller is utilized to recycle water through a dry cleaning machine, very little water is used. But, a chiller costs between $15,000 and $30,000.

In general, a 60-pound wet cleaning machine uses 40 gallons of water per load, and over the course of a year, would go through as much water as a dry cleaning machine hooked to a water tower. A dry cleaning machine hooked to a chiller is the most water efficient. The only problem is that this scenario requires a costly initial investment.

Electricity — When it comes to electricity, wet cleaning comes out ahead. This is because a dry cleaning machine requires 60-90 amps to operate, whereas a wet cleaning system requires just 15.

Natural Gas — The boiler needed to operate a dry cleaning machine uses 670,000 BTUs, which dwarfs the wet cleaning requirement of 118,000 BTUs. Plus, a boiler will run until all plant production is completed for the day. A wet cleaning system dryer operates in 15-20 minute increments a dozen times a day. Again, wet cleaning wins.

Labor — When compared, labor costs are very similar in both dry cleaning and wet cleaning.

3) Regulatory & Waste Disposal Fees

Finally, regulatory fees and waste disposal costs are not uniform across the country because each state has its own set of laws. Typically, it costs hundreds per drum for removal of dry cleaning still-bottom-solvent wastes. On the flip side, there are never disposal or regulatory costs for wet cleaning.

WET CLEANING — A THIRD OF THE COST OF DRY CLEANING

At the end of the day – when all factors are considered – wet cleaning costs are thousands less than those of dry cleaning. Plus, wet cleaning delivers 50 percent more throughput. That’s a one-two punch that’s hard to reckon with. Please contact Jeff Quail at jquail@poseidonwetcleaning.com with any questions.

Craft in the water, ready to take groups for a cruise. Someone can even schedule an opportunity to shoot a Browning M2 ‘Ma Deuce’ 50-caliber machine gun. Blanks, of course!”

He relates that “at the museum’s last official count, they have at least 998 uniforms in their collection, which runs the gamut of all military branches,” including but not limited to German, Russian, Swiss, Polish, and an American-trained Korean soldier, and two U.S. generals.

“Our oldest is a Red Cross uniform from WWI. Quite a few Merchant Marine and Coast Guard uniforms are also included,” Porche notes.

His cleaners restored most of these garments in an effort to ensure long-term preservation. “We have also worked on a few WWII throw pillows. One of the more unique projects was a silk parachute. We have the utmost respect for our vets, so we do all of the work pro bono,” Porche points out.

“If possible,” he adds, “I would like to thank my crew for helping me do this work: Balinda Fitch, Percy Calahan, Darlene Jackson, Elaine Brunet, Jessica Bertinot, Barbara Porche, Marvin Porche, Chris Porche, Debbie Porche, Chad Falgout.”

48-STAR FLAG

Jim Falkowski, owner, La Mar Dry Cleaners,

Miramar, Fla., shares this story: “This flag [pictured at left] was brought to me to dry-clean a few years ago. It has 48 stars! The person had family from Alaska

“The World War II veteran sitting in the front seat of the jeep is Sgt. Robert VanDorp, U.S. Army 341st, 86th Infantry Division, WWII, Philippines, who came into Houma and wanted to visit our Regional Military Museum,” says Matthew Porche, owner of Uneeda Cleaners Dry Cleaning and Restoration in Houma. “So I met him, his son, and grandson at their hotel with the jeep. We gave them a ride to the museum, then I provided them an after-hours tour. The highlight of the day was letting them shoot the Browning 50-caliber ‘Ma-Deuce’—blanks, of course—that we have mounted, as you can see, on the jeep.” (Photo: Uneeda Cleaners)

Jim Falkowski, owner of La Mar Dry Cleaners in Miramar, Fla., sent this photo taken of the 48-star American flag he cleaned for a person who had family in Alaska. It’s folded for the photo to show clearly how the field has six straight rows of eight stars each. (Photo: La Mar Dry Cleaners)

How Many Coin Laundries Has Your Insurance Agent Handled?

How Many Drycleaners Has Your Insurance Agent

One or Two? Three?

We’ve personally handled insurance for thousands of drycleaners! We’ve already dealt with most any issue your business is likely to face. If you have any questions about insuring drycleaners, we can and will give you a prompt, clear answer. Skeptical? Call us with a question and find out for yourself.

and they had the flag before Alaska became a state. They think it’s from the 1930s. It had some moth holes and very weak spots. We were honored to clean it! Of course, it came out great!”

Editor’s note: About our 48-star American flag from the website, usflag.org: “On July 4, 1912, the U.S. flag grew to 48 stars with the addition of New Mexico (Jan. 6, 1912) and Arizona (Feb. 14, 1912). An executive order by President Taft, dated June 24, 1912, established the proportions of the flag and provided for arrangement of the stars in six horizontal rows of eight each, a single point of each star to be upward. This flag was official for 47 years, longer than any other flag, through two World Wars.”

DRESS UNIFORM RUSH

Lane Clark, president of Amityville, N.Y.-based It’s A Wash USA, an executive laundry service, shares this story: “There was once an officer who was notified late on a Sunday evening of a detail the next day, requiring him to wear his dress uniform. Unfortunately for him, it was located in his house 45 miles away from work, in a wrinkled ball. Being that it was 8 p.m., he was in a bind.

“The officer found us online and asked if our store was open 24/7. Understanding the situation he was in, we sent a driver to his house at 11 p.m. that same night, and made sure his uniform was cleaned and pressed, to be delivered first thing next morning,” Clark says.

“We were able to deliver it directly to his assignment, allowing him to be on point, looking proper, and serving the public. As per our promise, the cost to him was nothing. It was truly our pleasure to serve those who serve us.”

He also adds that, “Our Laundromat has a specially programmed machine allowing firefighters to clean

American Drycleaner, July 2018

their turnout gear, eliminating cancer-causing smoke debris embedded in their gear after fighting a fire.”

Clark notes: “Rather than having to send it out and wait weeks, often at their own expense, we strive to continue to take care of everyone, and especially those who take care of us.”

PRESSING MILITARY SERVICE

Russell M. “Rusty” Smith, president and CEO of Forenta, shares this story: “Since we are an equipment manufacturer, we don’t directly clean anything for service personnel or veterans. However, we have supplied pressing equipment for the United States military for many years. The company from which we descended, Forse Corp., originally started making presses for the U.S. Navy in 1941, a few months before the United States entered World War II. When we secured their intellectual property in the early 1970s, we also secured their government contracts.

“Our installations include Army bases, aircraft carriers, and battleships. Installations we are extremely proud of are the 40 presses we supplied a few years ago to Fort Myer, Va., near Arlington National Cemetery, to be used to press the uniforms of the soldiers who guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and also for taking care of other military uniforms, including the military band.

“More recently, we supplied the presses for the USS New York, whose hull was partially made from recycled steel from the World Trade Center remains. As you can see, we have a rich and patriotic history in garment care for the military.”

50-YEAR UNIFORM

Joseph D. Gagliostro, owner, Muldoon Dry Cleaners Inc., Auburn, N.Y., shares this: “Cool gift of this photo [above] that this veteran made up for me. He has been bringing his uniform in for over 50 years on a yearly basis for the Memorial Day parade, going back to (the days of) my grandparents. We’ve never charged him a dime. He tears up every time he comes in.” ADC

Joseph D. Gagliostro, owner, Muldoon Dry Cleaners Inc., Auburn, N.Y., shares this photo, a gift from his customer (pictured), a veteran who has been bringing in his uniform to be cleaned for the Memorial Day parade every year for 50 years. (Photo: Muldoon Dry Cleaners)

BE th e Baddes t Get SM RT

yo a ay do at yo e a ay do e o a ay et at yo e a ay ot - e y o d

At SMRT, we never stop innovating to improve your business. We are fiercely committed to providing you the tools you need to be mobile, look forward, and get ahead. (And still get a good night’s sleep.)

e Ma a e

- -o e So t o

R T

Don’t worry – SMRT knows where everything is. SMRT will tell you if you’re good to go or when you need to crank it up.

Se ty

Keep your data safe with industry leading security encryption, threat monitoring and detection.

Ma et

Understand, serve, keep, and grow your customers with powerful behavioral marketing, real-time stats and seamlessly integrated communication tools.

Re o t a d

SMRT invented reports for every deciding factor in your business. Get the numbers you want, in real time, whenever you want!

ty

“God views,” machine learning and cash box security root out employee theft and drive accountability.

to e o e t

Your customers can track orders, schedule pickup and deliveries, see their online wardrobe, make payments, update personal info and communicate with you directly.

By Tim Burke, Editor

We use our app to give our clients the most convenient drycleaning and laundry experience possible. With our app, you can find your nearest store, order ahead, schedule a pickup, track your order, and even pay your bill with the touch of a button.”

That’s Dan Miller, the president of Minneapolis, Minn.based Mulberrys Garment Care, who describes his company as a premium, toxin-free drycleaning and laundry company with locations also in San Francisco and, coming soon, Dallas.

“We reach thousands of our customers via our app. Our younger customers particularly like the fact that they can order a one-hour pickup and then check the status of their order at any time.”

He’s asked to give advice to other drycleaning owners and operators considering adding an app.

On the corner of Filbert and Steiner! With this app, customers can order ahead, track an order or, like this person enjoying their coffee, simply find their dry cleaner’s nearest store in San Francisco.

“My advice would be if you’re going to do it, go all in. If not, don’t waste your time and energy. There are so many apps competing for people’s attention right now that only the truly well-designed apps will capture customers in the drycleaning and laundry space. If you’re not committed to that, don’t bother. You’re better off just focusing on providing a great core service.”

He shares a tip based on what he’s learned from offering apps at his fabricare business: “Be prepared to spend some money.

“People like to think of developing an app as though it’s a single project. However, making an app that really resonates with customers takes constant tweaking and improvement. To deliver on that improvement, you really have to commit your budget to building your app on an ongoing basis.”

Enter Rick Mugno, who is president of (continued)

(Photo: Mulberrys Garment Care)

Drycleaning owners use apps, and software, in their business

Liberty Computer Systems, Holly Springs, N.C., a software development company servicing and providing technology solutions to over 1,500 drycleaning and laundry operations worldwide for over 30 years.

“We were the first drycleaning software company to introduce an integrated app for iPhone users back in 2009,” he says.

He has some thoughts to share, based on his real-world experience, about how drycleaning owners are using apps today: “Apps can’t be developed in a vacuum. It’s important to have a bird’s-eye view of the end-to-end customer experience with the product or service before determining the role the app will play in making that experience as good as it can be.

“Apps are an important touch point that supports what’s unique, different and useful about our customer’s brand,” Mugno adds.

“It’s obvious through the lenses of our customers, we see the mobility of technology playing an increasingly critical role in maintaining and creating new opportunities for our customers,” he shares.

“In order to attract and maintain customers, and in particular the evolving millennial patron, we must provide our firm’s users with a way for these customers to connect to the services they provide, relying less on traditional brick-and-mortar avenues and more on smart device interaction.”

Mugno explains that his company’s app development and software enhancements are an integral part of a continued commitment and investment it makes in its customers, “where R&D dollars and resources are applied based upon customer feedback” and how and where its custom-

ers can improve upon their bottom line.

“In fact,” he notes, “we have recently hired a programmer specifically dedicated to app development. We engage our customers in the early development stages of features, design, feel, deployment, and how best to market the app to their customers.”

He gives as an example: “Our newest product and app is called iDryClean Pro and is creating quite the industry buzz. It’s designed to give our users a mobile way for their customers to connect to their store. And now in a branded version, it has given new meaning to customer interaction with drycleaning services, new revenue opportunities and brand loyalty.”

Mugno points outs that apps are more than the way of the future: “Apps are now. The future is here. Great apps help consumers find information and do tasks more quickly and easily. If you think that mobile apps are solely for big name brands, you are wrong.”

He indicates that more and more small and mid-size businesses are following the mobile trend, understanding that an effective mobile strategy involves more than just a mobile-friendly website.

“These days, you’ll notice that many small businesses you interact with in your everyday life have their own dedicated mobile app,” Mugno says. “These companies are ahead of the game when it comes to taking their marketing to the next level.”

Being ahead of the game seems to be the tech mantra here, for sure.

Many in the fabricare field want to be players in that “game,” as evidenced by the overflowing crowd that came to hear a new speaker at last summer’s Clean Show, Nick Chapleau, who is the co-founder and CEO of Starchup, located in Chicago.

His firm was started in 2016 to give garment care professionals modern technology tools to acquire customers and operate an efficient delivery service, he says.

“We’ve since expanded into a full marketing, website, and operations platform,” he points out, “so I manage our team, guide the development of the product, and work on solutions with our customers.”

His firm, as he explains, gets involved with operators from their first contact, “when we analyze their current software usage and marketing techniques to see where we can add value before they are even a customer.”

Chapleau says, “We tailor our app to the specific operator’s needs. Do they need help with digital marketing or phone outreach to new sign-ups? An updated website? A mobile app for delivery service?”

His company also determines if the drycleaner client requires software to track production and garments in the store. Or perhaps text-message and e-mail

App advice: “if you’re going to do it, go all in,” says Minneapolis, Minn.-based Mulberrys Garment Care President Dan Miller, shown at his South Beach San Francisco store. Drycleaning owners collaborate with their app/software partner to offer a real-world product. (Photo: Mulberrys Garment Care)

notifications to customers.

“We work with the operator to customize a package that fits their needs and budget, always focusing on how we can drive value.”

Who does this drycleaning app reach, and what feed back does Chapleau hear?

“We offer four different apps: One mobile app for driv ers to better manage the delivery process; one mobile app for in-store detailing, order tracking, and garment manage ment; one web and mobile app for customer acquisition and engagement; and one web app for managing your gar ment care business.”

He notes that, “The customer-facing app is probably our ‘sexiest’ app offering. Basically, dry cleaners love it be cause their customers love it. They can sign up for service, order pickup and delivery, and pay for it all in a matter of a few taps, and they receive order updates and key infor mation through e-mail and text messaging.”

He says it’s the difference between a 20th-century and 21st-century customer experience, and that customers love the updates.

From his experience, there are tips he offers drycleaning owners and operators.

“Our first lesson,” Chapleau relates, “was that this isn’t an ‘If you build it, they will come’ situation. The app is an amazing tool, but we all still have to put in the work to acquire customers and orders.

“That’s why we have added website-building, a digital marketing package, and customer outreach via phone. We have found that the most successful operators on our plat form are the ones that put the most effort out — and we are right there with you working to acquire more custom ers for your business!”

There’s a theme shaping up here, in case you haven’t already noticed. It’s taking a new view of customer con venience and a team approach to working together — the drycleaning owner and the app/software partner — to shape a real-world product that gives customers exactly what they need.

As Mugno sees it, “We have taken on the responsibility of helping our fabricare owners generate app awareness and convincing consumers they’re worth downloading.”

Showing support for growth in this area, he adds, “We have created awareness through creative marketing con tent, web integration and in-house CSR reward programs where our owner’s counter staff accumulate points for every customer sign-up.”

Chapleau also attests to the training and support provid ed by his company: “We start with a kickoff call to work with the cleaner on expectations for the relationship and a road map for launching the new service.

“Rachel, our head of customer success, walks the new

customer and their employees through the product and how to implement it. We help the new customer run some test orders and then launch! But it doesn’t stop there: We pride ourselves on our customer support.”

Are apps and software going to be a flash in the pan or is this truly the way of the future?

“Using technology to improve your business is defi nitely going to be the key to success in this industry going forward,” says Chapleau. “Apps are one part of that, but our company is not an app company: we are a technology company.”

He points out: “For instance, many customers wanted the convenience of the app without having to open it every time they want to place an order. So we added the abil ity for customer to simply text-message ‘pickup’ to the cleaner to schedule a new pickup.

“The bottom line for us is that if there is a technology that can improve your garment care business, we are either offering it, building it, or planning it,” Chapleau says.

Can any of us claim to predict the future? No. But Miller says this: “I would say having an app is A way of the future, but not the way. At the end of the day, the most important thing in dry cleaning and laundry is providing great cleaning quality in a timely manner.”

The owner concludes: “I believe you can still be very successful without an app, particularly if you have a strong website. The app just allows you to provide an extra service for a certain segment of your customers.”

Some cleaners are using apps. Others want to. Which are you? Think about your goals. There are many software companies you can check out. It might be time to go all in on a total software/app approach for your business!

“Employee Peyton Lee (on left) at Pressed Dry Cleaners in Wichita Falls, Kan., shows their app to Stephen Santellana, the mayor of Wichita Falls,” notes Nick Chapleau, co-founder and CEO of Starchup, located in Chicago. (Photo: Pressed Dry Cleaners)

White Conveyors’ SUV-OAS is the perfect solution to boost your productivity, improve customer service and increase your profits while reducing your operating costs. The system is delivered fully assembled, and can be operational in less than two hours. As an option, it can be mounted on wheels for mobility or storage. Simply set it up on its supports, plug in the power, connect the computer, and link the system to an Internet connection. It’s time to begin realizing remarkable time and money savings.

Easy to use

Reduces labor costs

Increases productivity

Assembles over 2000 pieces per shift

Interfaces with all major POS systems

Can utilize a bar-code or RFID chip system

Easy-to-read computer touch screen

Highly accurate and reliable

Fast return on investment

Proudly made in the USA with fast support

Get to Know ... Bill Carli

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

“I was born and raised in Rich mond, Va., and, other than four years of college, I have lived here all my life. Richmond is a great city and getting better all the time.”

Hobbies (that you’ll admit to)?

“I enjoy playing tennis and going to live sporting events, especially college football games.”

What gets you excited at work?

“I enjoy when a customer tries one of our products for the first time and reaches out to tell me

how it solved a problem. I know at that point I have another loyal cus tomer. It makes it so much easier to talk about Kleerwite’s products when I hear good things about our products from customers who are using them every day to make their jobs easier.”

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

“I am pretty much an open book. Early in my career as a distributor rep, I always wanted to own a clean ers, but every time I was close to buying a plant, I would get cold feet.

Guess it all worked out because I am still in the industry after 33 years. Thirty as a distributor rep and three as the owner of Kleerwite Chemical, so I did finally end up owning my own business after all.” ADC (Do you want to take part in an Off the Cuff, or know someone who does? E-mail tburke@atmags.com.)

Owner, Kleerwite Chemical

Bill Carli and son Will.

Happy Cash-Out!

Every so often, I get a call that goes something like this: “I’m about to sell my business and my accountant says I will owe $150,000 in taxes. How can I avoid paying such an outrageous amount?”

I realize that you’ve worked hard all your life and plotted and crimped to build up a solid equity base, something you can count on for retirement.

I also understand that you hope to obtain a large amount of money when you finally sell your business. Having said that, you also drew a comfortable salary for most of those years and afforded your family a decent lifestyle.

Along the way, there have been some ownership benefits. Your car paid for through the business? A petty cash account to spend at your discretion? Most of the restaurant meals you and your wife enjoy through the business?

So, you’ve haven’t exactly been undercompensated all these years.

The thing to realize is, taxes are a fact of life. Taxes have been withdrawn (to mitigate the pain) from your wages all the years of working. Every purchase you make has a 5-7% sales tax added to the bill.

You pay quite a bit of property tax just to live on a plot of land you purchased years ago. When you and your spouse die, a chunk of taxes could be pulled out to pay estate taxes. So when you sell your business, you should not be surprised that taxes are due.

Say you started a business with $50,000 capital. Thirty years later, you sell it for $1 million. Since you depreciated the capital, that’s a capital gain of $1 million.

Depending on the transaction and the state you do business in, you pay taxes anywhere from 20% to 35%, between federal and state taxes. The exact amount is a complicated formula.

First, divide the sale amount into assets, depreciation recapture, and goodwill. This is an important breakdown because assets are taxed as ordinary income; deprecia-

tion recapture is taxed at 25%; and goodwill is taxed as capital gains.

While goodwill gains max out at 15%, depreciation recapture is usually 25%, and ordinary income maxes out at 39.6%.

The problem with ordinary income-taxing is that a one-time sales raises your income into the higher brackets quickly. Another issue is the buyer benefits from a greater goodwill allocation while the seller benefits from a greater asset allocation.

So, the exact division is a compromise. Once you’ve assigned the allocation, you compute the federal taxes. Finally, state taxes have to be computed. The bottom line is that you might pay anywhere from 20% to 35% to the government.

Having said all of this, there is one way

Howard Scott

Expect taxes to come with selling, as they’re part of our very fabric

(Photo: Lotte-Meijer/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

to reduce your tax liability. That is selling the business over time, which is called selling on the installment plan.

In the example I cited, the business that sold for $1 million results in a $100,000 annual payment for 10 years. That’s an installment sale. Under this method, your tax liability would be quite reduced.

Maybe you might pay 15% to 20% in taxes. But I would not recommend this method. Let me repeat louder: “I would not recommend selling your business through the installment plan!” Your risk of not getting paid the full amount is very high.

Even more, the pressure on the buyers is lessened so that they might not do their very best, which further erodes the business’ chances of success. It’s quite different when buyers plunk down the full investment.

For all of these reasons, there are many possibilities for things not working out. Maybe the buyers don’t adapt to the business. Or perhaps the employees don’t like their new bosses.

It could happen that the buyers are dishonorable, and try to get out of their obligations. They could stop paying and argue that the seller did not disclose all the information of the sale. Then you would take the buyers to court.

The point is, when it comes to money obligations, anything can happen, and it often does.

SELLER BE WARY

I have personal experience. In 1979, I sold a business for $350,000, to be paid $35,000 a year for 10 years. I did this because the buyer had owned a successful business and had a lot of money in the bank. Furthermore, I didn’t need the money, and believed that the installment sale, offering lower tax liability, would be preferable.

I thought it would be a perfect fit. Except it wasn’t.

The employees didn’t take to the new owner. Mutiny occurred. Four key staffers quit. In retaliation, the new owner fired a few more staffers. Then trying to rebuild the business, he suffered an emotional collapse.

At that point, my options according the drawn-up contract were to take over the business, as is, or settle for a flat payment of $175,000. I chose the latter. Bingo — I lost half my gains.

Also, it is prudent to speak to your accountant before the sale.

Arnold Schaffer, CPA and an adviser to drycleaning organizations for 45 years, says, “Planning is important in selling a business. It can alter your bottom line. For in-

stance, it might be better to wait until the following year, on Jan. 1, to do the sale. Or you could alter the allocation of assets, by working with the buyer. Still, there will be taxes to pay.”

Let’s say that this $1 million sale results in a tax liability of $250,000. That’s a lot of money. Receiving $750,000 is not as good as $1 million, but it is not chump change, either.

A reasonable person could manage fine on $750,000 for many years. Figuring 4% interest, a reasonable person could pull out $50,000 a year for 21 years. Most retirees receive Social Security, so that adds another $30,000 in total for him and her to the mix.

Any retiree who can’t manage on $80,000 a year ($50,000 plus $30,000) needs a better financial adviser. Or perhaps a therapist.

But if receiving a net benefit of $750,000 isn’t good enough, then keep working. Build the business up to where it’s worth $1.2 million, and then you’ll have more of what you want.

Or work four more years and build up your personal capital account. This isn’t the answer you want to hear, but this is the only reasonable response to those who shout, “Not enough.”

To those who protest that it is double-taxing, since you already paid taxes on your profit, I must point out that a good portion of your sale price is goodwill and no taxes have been paid on goodwill. Nor did you pay taxes on accumulated depreciation, because they were expenses. Anyway, many of the taxes you pay — sales, property, state, estate — is double taxation.

Finally, taxes help society. It’s not just money out the window. Taxes pay for good roads so customers can drive to your store easily and without much thought.

Also, taxes educate the young, maintain law and order, and help keep the food safe and the water drinkable. Taxes enables society to function. As a consumer, you also benefit from these aspects.

So, yes, you do have to pay a good percentage of the sale price when you sell your business. But, at the same time, you’ll do fine. And some of that is due to the fact that you live in a prosperous, well-taxed country. ADC

This is Howard Scott’s final column for American Drycleaner, as he has announced he will retire. We thank him for his 26 years of service as a contributing writer sharing his wonderful knowledge of the fabricare industry with our readers. We will miss him and wish him all the happiness in his retirement.

„SENSENE continues to prove itself effective and efficient. This is an amazing product with a high cleaning power combined with excellent material compatibility. Finally, it‘s what we all have been waiting for.“

Jan Barlow, owner of Jan‘s Professional Dry Cleaners and former president of DLI (Dry Cleaning and Laundry Institute)

It’s time again to start collecting entries from you, drycleaning own ers, for the American Drycleaner 58th Annual Plant Design Awards.

Do you have a newly built dry cleaning plant or newly redesigned store? To enter, just e-mail a few photos of your project to Editor Tim Burke at tburke@atmags.com. That’s it! You’re in!

We have made the Plant Design Awards as easy as possible to enter. Perhaps you have equipment upgrades or renovations?

E-mail us some photos. Maybe you have relaunched your operation?

E-mail us some photos. Do you have a new buildout? E-mail us some photos. Put your best foot forward for

our fabricare industry by showing us your latest, greatest, newest plant design. All you do is e-mail photos and you’re entered. We’ll get back to you to gather your project details. It’s all about being part of the tradition of plant design standouts started in 1961 and continuing today. We’ve made it as easy as possible to enter. Just a few photos attached to an e-mail starts the ball rolling.

Entry deadline is October 1, but don’t wait. Send your photos as soon as you can. Send right now. Why not? Remember, e-mail the photos to Tim Burke at tburke@atmags.com

Let’s make this another terrific showcase highlighting the dryclean ing industry’s best plant designs! E-mail us your great photos. Thanks for your help! ADC

This operation’s new customerfriendly coffee station was part of the redesign at CD One Price Cleaners, located in Illinois, named last year for Outstanding Renovation in the American Drycleaner Plant Design Awards. To enter this year’s contest, just e-mail a few photos of your new plant, renovation, or redesign to tburke@ atmags.com. And you’re in! (Photo: CD One Price Cleaners)

Carrying hope to women facing cancer treatments

In a 6-year-old partnership with an organization that provides free head scarves to women facing cancer treat ments, Highland Cleaners says it has cleaned more than 8,000 scarves, which have been shipped to cancer pa tients in all 50 states and 16 foreign countries.

Louisville, Ky.-based Hope Scarves collects donated head scarves and sends them to women who have re cently been diagnosed with cancer.

“I was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was 30 years old and seven months pregnant,” says Lara Mac Gregor, founder of Hope Scarves. “A stranger — a friend of a friend — sent me her head scarves with a simple note: ‘You can do this.’

“That simple act of compassion gave me strength and

(From left) Sharon McKenna, Highland Cleaners manager; Anne Nash, Highland Cleaners president; Lara MacGregor, Hope Scarves founder; Katie Windham, Hope Scarves program and volunteer coordinator; Tonya Carman, Highland Cleaners spotting manager; and Erica Bricking, Hope Scarves program director. (Photo: Highland Cleaners)

hope at a key moment in my life. That moment was the inspiration for Hope Scarves.”

Every week, Hope Scarves staff take donated scarves

into the Louisville business, where they are cleaned free of charge.

Many women who receive the scarves return them once they are ready — and so some of the scarves have been handed from woman to woman. Each time, they are cleaned with care.

“Giving back to the community is a key part of our business mod el,” says Michael Jones, Highland Cleaners owner.

“We love working with Hope Scarves because the work we do for them is core to their mission. When women receive a lovely, wrapped scarf from Hope Scarves, they know that it was given in love, packed with hope and cleaned with care,” he says.

Banner year for prom dreams

MW Cleaners collected, cleaned and delivered 1,564 dresses for its fourth annual MW Cares Prom Dress Drive benefiting Giving Gown Foundation, a nonprofit community service or ganization that collects donations of new and like-new formal gowns.

“You could count special mo ments in a person’s lifetime on one or two hands; certainly, one of those has to be your high school prom,” says Mike Nesbit, president, MW Cleaners.

At the Giving Gown Founda tion’s event, held in the spring, high school juniors or seniors eligible to attend prom but who otherwise could not afford a dress are each paired with volunteer “Fairy God mothers” from the community who help them select a gown, shoes and accessories, MW Cleaners reports.

“One of my favorite things about Boutique Day is the transformation that we see in our princesses,” says Cassie Miller, co-director of Giving Gown Foundation.

www.americandrycleaner.com

Belle of the Ball beautiful

Anton’s Cleaners completed a won derful Belle of the Ball Boutique Day, it says. The April event moved to Boston’s Hynes Convention Cen ter where 1,000 girls were invited to participate who could not otherwise

Over 450 volunteers helped style the “Belles” into royalty for the day, helping them choose a free prom dress from the 7,000 dresses donat ed at 72 Anton’s Cleaners locations.

“Much like our successful Coats for Kids program, Belle of the Ball ensures no girl who needs a prom dress goes without one,” says Arthur Anton Jr., COO, Anton’s Cleaners, and a founder of Belle of

Owners - Retired Couple is selling a Dry Cleaners / Plant-Laundry w/Drop Off Store/ Alterations in South Tampa, Florida. Call Sally at : 813-254-8573

• artnership r anage ent uy uts

• usiness aluati n nalysis

• usiness trategic lanning

• etiring ner it pecialist

Richard Ehrenreich, CED, SBA, F-CBI Ehrenreich & Associates, LLC

Retiring Business Owners: Call to schedule a FREE initial telephone meeting. Review Richard’s credentials & references on Linkedin. (copy sent on request)

Richard@Ehrenassoc.com 301-924-9247

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:

• Proven Laundry Equipment

Salesman

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

REM EDIATION S ERVICES

Program

Our company is interested in offering a lowcost fixed price in-situ remediation program to qualified dry cleaning sites currently con taminated with TCE-Perc and its by-prod ucts in soil and groundwater. Our affordable system includes unique technology which is free of chemicals and is non-intrusive. We offer 100% financing and cleanup can be achieved between 12 to 18 months. Contact; Leo D Adames, 786-999-2846; E-Mail; Leonardo.Adames@yahoo.com

REWEAVING SERVICES

www.americandrycleaner.com

WITHOUT-A-TRACE WEAVERS—More than 60 years’ experience. We are the experts in silks, knits, French weaving and piece weaving. Reasonable prices. Send garments for estimate to: 3344 W. Bryn Mawr, Chicago, IL 60659; 800-475-4922; www.withoutatrace.com. www.AmericanDrycleaner.com

& LEATHER SERVICE

Giant Redwoods

10 YEARS AGO. More than half (51.7%) of dry cleaners say they have applied or will apply their tax rebate checks to personal bills, according to this month’s American Drycleaner Wire survey. Only 17.2% put the money into savings, while 13.8% said they put their stimulus checks toward the business. Even fewer respondents (10.3%) said they bought something for themselves or put the money toward a vacation fund (6.9%). Asked whether the government should issue stimulus checks for smallbusiness owners, four out of five (81.2%) cleaners answered “Yes.”

35 YEARS AGO. Students must wear clothes that are neat and pressed in a managerial economies class at the University of Wisconsin — Stevens Point. In forbidding jeans and sweatpants, the professor explains that he’s preparing the students for the real business world. … A fabricare company now reports it has three European drycleaning boutiques in operation — one in Colorado and two in Atlanta, with six more on the way. The boutiques, introduced to this country in early 1982, are designed to fit easily into small spaces in places that aren’t open to conventional cleaning plants.

50 YEARS AGO. Some months back, the official bulletin of an Eastern drycleaners association carried this intriguing headline: Last Call For

Buffalo Drycleaning Course. That’s news to us. We didn’t know that buffalos had to be dry-cleaned. We always thought that you simply hosed ’em down and then turned ’em out in a sunny field to dry. … As many employers have strongly suspected for a long time, the 20hour workweek is already with us. This was verified recently by a management consultant firm which found that the average clerk or stenographer works only 20 of the 37½ hours she spends at her desk. However, less than half the lost time (46%) is directly attributable to employees who willfully goofoff. (Goof-off activities specifically singled out were non-work functions such as personal telephone calls and girdle-adjusting.) The other 54% is blamed on employers who fail to use their employees’ time wisely!

75 YEARS AGO. Giant redwoods are transformed into blankets and other fabrics. A new fiber has been developed from the inner bark of the redwood by the Pacific Lumber Co. Originally, it was found that the fiber blended well with wool in fabrics and felts, and now it is expected to relieve “an impending shortage of cotton linters required in the making of gunpowder and explosives.” ... “Take it to the dry cleaners,” an article in the July issue of McCall’s magazine will point out to the magazine’s 3.5 million readers that consideration for the cleaner is

July 1943

all-important these days. “The first step in cooperating with the cleaner is to take clothes to him. If his truck must be sent for, always send several items at a time and never a single dress. All hangers should be returned to the cleaner. Don’t ask for rush service. Save the cleaner’s time for rush service on uniforms.” Many other good points are made in the article. ... A cleaner in Regina, Canada, recently went through a grueling experience. Two suits came in for cleaning, one from a Regina customer and one from a rural address. In returning the suits, the addresses were switched and the suits went to the wrong owners. “Please send it back!” went the plea from the cleaner to the rural address. “Can’t,” came the reply, “we buried the chap in it yesterday.” ADC

— 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