American Coin-Op - December 2023 by American Trade Magazines

Improving the Industry Roundtable Experts ID opportunities to keep laundries progressing, profitable INSIDE: DECEMBER 2023 FROM STORE TO DOOR: CHOOSING RIGHT DELIVERY VEHICLE FOR YOU

STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH PROBLEM CUSTOMERS

DRAWING RENTERS FROM THEIR APARTMENT LAUNDRIES

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CONTENTS DECEMBER 2023 VOLUME 64 ISSUE 12

COVER STORY

IMPROVING THE INDUSTRY ROUNDTABLE Representatives from laundry equipment manufacturers and distributors identify opportunities for improvement to keep self-service laundries progressing and profitable.

(Cover image: © Khakimullin/Depositphotos)

INSIDE

COLUMNS

18 CHOOSING THE RIGHT

22 POINTERS FROM PAULIE B: STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH PROBLEM CUSTOMERS

DELIVERY VEHICLE FOR YOU

When you’re in the market for a delivery vehicle, any number of factors can draw you to one. But take care not to allow a glitzy new van with all the bells and whistles to distract you from the specific needs of your laundry operation. We check in with a couple of launderers to learn how they approached choosing the right delivery vehicle for them.

Because laundromats deal with the public, any type of personality can come into your store. Some are wonderful, some cause problems, and some actively want to be a pain in the neck. Retired multi-store owner Paul Russo shares some strategies for handling your problem customers.

26 SEVEN TIPS FOR DRAWING RENTERS INTO YOUR LAUNDRY

Not all multi-housing laundries are dingy and ill-equipped, writes guest columnist Tod Sorensen. Smart landlords are investing in quality apartment laundries to keep their tenants on-site. Sorensen offers seven ways to draw renters out of their apartment laundries and into yours!

DEPARTMENTS 4 VIEWPOINT 25 WEB UPDATE 28 PRODUCT NEWS

30 CLASSIFIEDS 31 AD INDEX 32 NEWSMAKERS

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DID YOU KNOW... American Coin-Op has released podcast episodes on a variety of industry-related topics? Give one a listen at AmericanCoinOp. com/podcasts.

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VIEWPOINT Charles Thompson, President Donald Feinstein, Publisher E-mail: dfeinstein@ATMags.com Phone: 312-361-1682

Bruce Beggs, Editorial Director

ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

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

Mathew Pawlak, Production Manager Nathan Frerichs, Digital Media Director E-mail: nfrerichs@ATMags.com Phone: 312-361-1681

ADVISORY BOARD

Bruce Beggs

This issue marks my 24th anniversary serving as editor of a textile care industry trade publication. So each year at this time, when the calendar flips to December, I take stock of my career to date and identify opportunities for improvement, both personally and within the pages of the publication for which I’m responsible. My cover story, “Improving the Industry Roundtable,” brings together some laundry equipment manufacturers and distributor representatives for a conversation of sorts. In response to a series of questions from me, each rep recommends ways that a self-service laundry could work to improve certain key areas, such as equipment, store condition, customer service and relations, and planning/preparing for growth. Beyond that, they suggest how laundry owners might boost their results in hiring and retaining good attendants; describe how a manufacturer and its distributors can best help owners succeed; and predict how our industry will continue to evolve over the remainder of this decade. The article covers several pages, starting on page 6, but truly doesn’t end in this issue. Because the experts offered so much more information than I could squeeze in this month, you can look for additional “Roundtable” content appearing throughout December at AmericanCoinOp.com. Elsewhere in this final issue for 2023, you’ll find “Choosing the Right Delivery Vehicle for You,” a feature examining the primary factors that go into making this selection and why matching your choice to your PUD needs is so important (page 18). Paul “Paulie B” Russo pens his monthly column, this time on “Strategies for Dealing with Problem Customers” (page 22), and guest columnist Tod Sorensen shares “Seven Tips for Drawing Renters into Your Laundry” (page 26). It’s been my pleasure writing and editing American Coin-Op for another year. I wish you and your family a happy, healthy holiday season, and will see you again in 2024! Bruce Beggs Editorial Director

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Douglas Pratt Tony Regan Sharon Sager

Michael Schantz Matt Simmons

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American Coin-Op (ISSN 0092-2811) is published monthly. Subscription prices, payment in advance: U.S., 1 year $50.00; 2 years $100.00. Single copies $10.00 for U.S. Published by American Trade Magazines LLC, 650 West Lake Street, Suite 320, Chicago, IL 60661. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER, Send changes of address and form 3579 to American Coin-Op, Subscription Dept., 125 Schelter Rd., #350, Lincolnshire, IL 60069-3666. Volume 64, number 12. Editorial, executive and advertising offices are at 650 West Lake Street, Suite 320, Chicago, IL 60661. Charles Thompson, President and Publisher. American Coin-Op is distributed selectively to owners, operators and managers of chain and individually owned coin-operated laundry establishments in the United States. The publisher reserves the right to reject any advertising for any reason. © Copyright AMERICAN TRADE MAGAZINES LLC, 2023. Printed in U.S.A. No part of this publication may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher or his representative. American Coin-Op does not endorse, recommend or guarantee any article, product, service or information found within. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of American Coin-Op or its staff. While precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the magazine’s contents at time of publication, neither the editors, publishers nor its agents can accept responsibility for damages or injury which may arise therefrom.

www.americancoinop.com

11/13/23

Peace on Earth

Happy Holidays from your friends at Vend-Rite

In observance of the Holiday Season we will be closed on Friday the 22nd thru Tuesday the 26th and Friday the 29th thru Tuesday the 2nd

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Improving the Industry ROUNDTABLE

(Photo: © Khakimullin/Depositphotos)

Experts ID opportunities to keep laundries progressing, profitable Compiled by Bruce Beggs, Editorial Director

athered at the roundtable of self-service laundry industry expertise, a group of seasoned professionals engages in a virtual conversation that delves into the heart of current industry trends and future forecasts. In this exclusive assembly of minds, American Coin-Op brings you a front-row seat to insights, analyses and predictions that may shape the trajectory of your business realms; responses were edited for style and length. From cutting-edge technologies to capitalizing on shifts in consumer behavior, thought leaders from some of our industry’s equipment manufacturers and distributors offer a kaleidoscope of ideas and concepts, providing you with a compass to navigate the uncharted waters of tomorrow’s marketplace.

■ Q: For each of the following key aspects of a self-service laundry, a) kindly name at least one way that any store owner can seek improvement, and b) offer a general plan or course of action for them to achieve it:

EQUIPMENT Al Adcock, B&C Technologies: Ensure equipment is well-maintained and spotlessly clean. No one will be impressed by a filthy laundry with broken-down equipment.

■ Al Adcock

■ Joe Fleming

vice president of sales and marketing, manufacturer B&C Technologies

national sales manager, manufacturer Yamamoto North America

Adcock

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Joe Fleming, Yamamoto North America: Think of it like our professional athletes. For conversation’s sake, how many sports records have been broken in the last 5-10 years? It would be naïve to think it doesn’t have to do with equipment advances. To think better equipment doesn’t correlate to a better business is just silly. Gary Gauthier, Pellerin Milnor Corp.: Just like your vehicle, preventive maintenance is critical to a well-functioning store. My best store owners know their machines well and — if they haven’t learned how to work on the units themselves via dealer seminars — they have good, reliable service a quick phone call away. Mike Hand, Alliance Laundry Systems: User-friendly controls. You need to only look at the device in your hand for how to achieve this. Touch screens are what your customers are interacting with throughout the day. Offering that same experience on your washers and dryers makes sense. David Hoffman, Gold Coin Laundry Equipment: Install larger-capacity washers and dryers and offer multiple payment options.

■ Gary Gauthier

Fleming

national sales manager, Vended Laundries, manufacturer Pellerin Milnor

Gauthier

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Improving the Industry ROUNDTABLE Removing some of your smaller-capacity washers and dryers and replacing them with largercapacity machines will help to increase customers and profits. Also, try moving away from coinbased equipment and offering your customers different payment options such as card and mobile payments. Joel Jorgensen, Girbau North America: Analyze and document true costs to run a single cycle of each capacity of machines and ensure your vend prices are in line. Analyze which machines get the most and least volume. Consider price adjustments, improved marketing or replacement of less productive and profitable machines to address customer preference and profit contribution. King Lee, Dexter Laundry: People want bigger, more efficient machines. Large-capacity washers (60 pounds and larger) will make the store owner more money over top loaders and 20-pound washers. With data now available through card systems and network-capable machines, it clearly shows that the ROI on largercapacity washers far exceeds those of smaller machines. Matt Miller, Coin-O-Matic: Equipment older than five years costs you twice the amount to run (as far as utility consumption) than equipment that is available today from some manufacturers. Combine this with revenue opportunities that come with a fresh look at your equipment mix and you are talking about a serious increase in revenue. Yes, a proper equipment retool is a “win big” scenario for long-term profits. Don Tomasian Jr., DT Equipment Co.: A store owner can achieve improvement by capitalizing on the cost-saving advantages of new equip-

ment. One key aspect we emphasize is assisting customers in maximizing sales per square foot through the right equipment mix tailored to their location. This includes maintaining proper dryer-to-wash ratios; integrating high-capacity, double-stacked reversing dryers; and incorporating high-capacity washers, in order to optimize the maximum income potential of the laundromat and to reduce costs. STORE CONDITION Fleming: The condition of the facility embodies the heart of the customer experience. The time they spend breaking a bill, depositing quarters/ credit cards, and touching buttons on a machine is but a small fraction of the time that they’ll sit to wait while the load processes. You could have the best location in town, but if the store is not well-kept, you could ruin it. Gauthier: Cleanliness and lighting are a onetwo punch that can make any laundry a champ or be knocked down. Cleanliness is based on habits. Regular walk-throughs will always result in something that needs to be cleaned or picked up. Lighting, particularly LED systems, can be a capital investment with a demonstrated payback. Hand: Keep it clean. Obviously, having an attended store makes it easier to do this. Setting a regular cleaning schedule for attendants to follow helps ensure your laundromat makes a good first impression every time. Hoffman: Keep your laundry updated and always make sure it looks fresh, clean and inviting. It is always a good idea to stand at the entrance of your store and really take a good look at what your customer sees when they enter. Are the lights all on and working? Are there ceiling tiles missing or broken? Does your signage look

■ Mike Hand

■ David

vice president, North America Commercial Sales, manufacturer Alliance Laundry Systems

Hoffman

Hand

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sales manager, distributor Gold Coin Laundry Equipment

outdated? Improvements in areas like these will make your store stand out over the competition. Jorgensen: Keep it clean, safe and operable. This sounds obvious yet thousands of stores don’t do it. Record customer movement during peak business and eliminate bottlenecks caused by obstructions. Lee: Customers will not drive by your store because it is a quarter or two higher in price, but they will drive by if it is dirty and unsafe. You have to remember who your core customer is: people looking to do a mundane chore in a place that feels welcoming. Miller: In simple terms, why would one go to a horrible and dirty place to get your clothes clean? Only if it’s their only option, and there are far too many stores out there that fit this bill. Yes, a laundromat must be clean, well-lit, safe, and inviting … period. Start with clean windows, fresh paint, LED lighting, updated flooring, and a neat parking lot. We’re not talking about a major spend here. Tomasian: The condition of the laundry is the very first thing that your customers will see when they walk in your doors. In addition to the proper equipment mix, aesthetically speaking, we always emphasize to owners to remodel the store with a modern, clean, and inviting look; maintain clean and sanitary restrooms; keep the equipment maintained and operational; and stock up on commonly used parts for quick repairs. Adcock: Lighting improvements, paint and flooring are relatively inexpensive ways to greatly improve the look of the interior of the store. Cleaning the windows and making sure signage is in good repair will help to attract customers. Landscaping plus a clean and well-lit parking

■ Joel Jorgensen

Hoffman

vice president of sales, manufacturer Girbau North America

Jorgensen

www.americancoinop.com

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CMY

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Improving the Industry ROUNDTABLE lot will also help your business stand out. CUSTOMER SERVICE & RELATIONS Gauthier: The customer might not always be right, but they are always the customer. Having well-priced machines that are available at peak times with enough space to move around in the store are the best ways to keep 90% of customers in our self-service businesses happy. That other 10% needs to know how to contact someone with your team. And, that person needs to communicate with diplomacy and tact. Hand: (You can seek improvement by employing a) well-trained attendant. Setting a laundromat apart in this area is all about setting expectations with staff and ensuring they follow through. Seemingly “little things” like opening doors, helping carry baskets, walking (customers) through controls/apps, etc., can pay big dividends in building loyalty. Hoffman: Spend some time getting to know your customers and your neighborhood. Be part of the community and get involved in local events. Also, if a customer posts a positive or negative review about their experience at your laundry, you should respond to the post, as this shows that you care about what they have to say, and keeps you informed of what your customers are saying about your business. Jorgensen: Prompt, immediate attention to customers is the cornerstone of great customer service. Having a positive attendant onboard at all times will go a long way in pleasing customers. Lee: Even if you run an unattended laundromat, we are still in the customer service industry. So, if some of your machines are out-of-order, or your store hasn’t been cleaned regularly, what is

the message you are conveying to your prospective customers? Your attendants also become the face of your business. I know of a multi-store operator who refers to their attendants as managers because what they actually do is manage their stores. I always felt that was a great empowerment tool. Even a self-service industry will thrive with great customer service. Miller: Clearly, customer service has taken a massive downturn since the pandemic. Only staff your laundromat with people who genuinely appreciate people and demonstrate kindness toward others. They are out there, and you can find such staff. One more thing: Demonstrate the same from yourself, as it’s contagious. Tomasian: One of the best ways a store owner can seek improvement is training staff to provide excellent customer service and address customer concerns promptly. Implementing feedback such as suggestion boxes, your contact information and/or online surveys is a nice way to give your customers a voice. Adcock: If you’d like to keep customers coming back to your store, treat them well and help them when they ask. Keeping your store and equipment in good shape shows that you are interested in creating a safe, comfortable space. Fleming: Let’s face it, you’re bound to have your fill of overloaded equipment, underperforming staff, and way-too-much soap. How you handle these types of situations almost always sheds light on the long-term success of your business. Owner/operators who face these troubles with solution-oriented minds (and patience) almost always win. The latter … well, they eventually get bought out.

■ King Lee

■ Matt Miller

senior regional sales manager, manufacturer Dexter Laundry

president, distributor Coin-O-Matic

Lee

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PLANNING / PREPARING FOR GROWTH Hand: Build in systems first. Growing a business requires the ability to scale, and owners can’t be in multiple places at once. Thus, planning for growth necessitates leveraging management systems/apps to stay up to date on all operations and ease scaling to multiple locations. Hoffman: Many people mistakenly wait until they have little to no time left on their lease before having a conversation with their landlord regarding extending it. If you are considering making improvements in the laundry, that is a good time to contact the landlord and start having the conversation. Let them know you’re looking to improve on the business, change out equipment, or possibly expand the store. Jorgensen: Get with your distributor early on for assistance with laundry and growth planning. Always consider new equipment technology, customer flow, aisle clearances, and bulkhead utility and maintenance access. Machines and customer loads are getting larger, so your aisles should, too. Lee: When designing a new store, one must plan to accommodate your customers on the busiest days. I like when I see a layout that already prepares for future growth, i.e., a bulkhead of washers on one side and the other side is for folding that can add more washers with ease, as all of the plumbing and electrical is already in place, and there is a blank wall where more dryers can be inserted at a later date. I like store owners who control their market before moving onto the next market. Miller: Have a separate checking account for your business and keep your little fingers off the profits. Be honest with yourself on your plans

■ Don Tomasian Jr. vice president, distributor DT Equipment Co.

Miller

Tomasian www.americancoinop.com

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Improving the Industry ROUNDTABLE and timelines. Seek somebody you can trust to help you set up a plan to meet those goals. Laundry equipment distributors can be very good at this. Tomasian: Do your homework and thoroughly research commercial laundry equipment brands. Work with a distributor who has decades of qualified experience building mega-laundromats, and ask them to show you stores they’ve built, and talk with their customers. Check their reputation. Meet with a distributor who can assist you with assessing the competition, market conditions, demographics, present store condition and financials, and obtain their expert advice on recommendations, along with estimated returnon-investment reports. Adcock: Once you’ve found your recipe for success, you can now replicate it in other locations or, if space is available in your current location, expand when it becomes necessary. Adding larger machines has proven to be a winner in today’s marketplace, so perhaps that is what growing can mean to your store. Nonetheless, creating a warm and welcoming space will go far in boosting the business. Fleming: If you’re not planning and moving toward the business of tomorrow, you are losing parts of your business today. Technology and culture move faster than our checking account could ever keep up, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be actively trying. I’m not suggesting you buy new equipment every year, or buy your competitors down the street just because you’ve got the extra capital. But recognize that, in this competition that is business ownership, someone is always trying to outperform you. What are you doing to keep up? Gauthier: I’ve always encouraged store owners to consider larger machines for higher vend prices if additional floorspace isn’t an option. It’s often a fast way to (enable) a store to bring in additional volume.

■ Q: The hiring and retention of attendants has become a tremendous challenge for laundromat owners everywhere. How can an owner successfully hire and retain good personnel, especially when competing with other businesses that are able to offer higher starting wages? Hoffman: If you have good attendants, then

you need to pay them good wages to keep them. Many laundry owners have increased vend prices several times in the past few years, which should help them be able to offer higher hourly wages to valuable employees. In this industry, there are mostly female attendants, so owners should try working with their schedules a bit to maybe help with child care. It is also helpful to promote tipping for good service for wash/dry/fold, as this will make the job more appealing. If you want good employees, then be a better boss. Get to know your employees and see how you can make the job more appealing to them. Jorgensen: They might present growth and profit-sharing opportunities to the employee. So, as the business grows, they can be part of it. Or an owner might offer the employee a piece of a revenue segment like wash/dry/fold or pickup and delivery. Owners might also offer flexibility with hours and days worked, as well as time off and vacation. Lee: We talked about customer service and how that translates into loyal customers. The same can be said about your employees. Are you looking to hire someone to just give out change and clean up, or employees who are an extension of your vision and work ethic? Good customer service can lead to loyalty, and the same can be said for good employee service. A good employee and a bad employee both become the face of your business. Miller: Spread the word via social media, trusted friends, and customers. Hire the good ones and treat them like family. A positive work environment is very attractive these days. Compensate based on attitude and performance. Communication is important, so be involved in your business. Tomasian: Employee retention is easily supported by partnering with them on your wash/ dry/fold service. By sharing the revenue of the WDF ticket, at a minimal cost of 10 cents per pound of clothes, your employee will have a vested interest not only in their employment but the services that you offer. Adcock: People love to be able to pay their bills and be a part of a successful team. If employees are treated well, paid reasonably, and treated like part of the team, they tend to stay. For the younger generations entering the workforce, work/life balance is extremely important. This

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can be accomplished through more flexible and forgiving schedules as well as things like support for parents, allowing volunteering time, and, most importantly, leading by example. Fleming: I don’t have a one-size-fits-all answer for this question. But I would argue that an updated store that is in good condition, markets itself well to the community, provides quality customer service, and has plans for growth and opportunities is much more likely to hire staff, even while competing with the other businesses around. Gauthier: There’s more to keeping employees than just wages … but money is pretty darn important! Wages have to be competitive, but hiring someone from the local area who knows the customer base well is a good way to get a person in your laundry that might hang around for a while. Life is too short for bad jobs, so getting a person who wants to be in your store and enjoy what they do is the real trick. Hand: Unfortunately, there’s no panacea for this. Owners can build in incentives for attendants to grow wash/dry/fold business or signing up customers for rewards/apps programs. The incentives can be a win-win for owners and attendants. In addition, little things can go a long way toward feeling appreciated. Rewards like a coffee, gas card, or a dinner can all be used when you see an employee going the extra mile.

■ Q: How can a manufacturer and/or their distributors best help self-service laundry owners succeed? Jorgensen: GNA distributors work closely with laundry owners on every aspect of laundry development/improvement. They assist with equipment selection, laundry design, marketing, financing and service after the sale. They also perform competitive analyses, demographic studies and create pro formas to help secure financing on behalf of customers. Lee: Distributors and manufacturers benefit when all store owners succeed, not just the ones they sold equipment to. A good salesperson is not afraid to tell the customer no if they feel a location is not right. The best companies look to become partners with laundromat owners … for the long haul. Miller: Coin-O-Matic partners with vendors that concentrate on quality and innovation, www.americancoinop.com

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Improving the Industry ROUNDTABLE and we focus on our providing quality services that help laundromat owners build wealth. Tomasian: Dexter Laundry provides their customers with a lifetime of support on all their products. At distribution level, DT Equipment Co. offers industry events and service schools to help ensure our customers’ success. Additionally, we support store owners with a full range of services such as equipment and parts sales, installation and financing. Another way that we support our customers is to engage with them on feasibility studies and location viability to help them realize their highest success rate. Adcock: Manufacturers, distributors and store owners must work together for mutual success. Ultimately, the individual store owners will require support. With the increasing technology and systems in place in a vended laundry, other companies (internet, payment/merchant services, payment technologies provided by third parties) are involved as well, creating the possibility of finger-pointing when problems occur. The best way to avoid problems when multiple vendors are involved is through documentation and communication. Make sure that communications are in writing, and if a phone call or meeting occurs, summarize and distribute notes so that all parties are on the same page. Fleming: We’re blessed to see this from a wide range of angles and challenge the success of different ideas in new markets. Owners that often trust manufacturer/distributor recommendations get to take advantage of the experience that comes from 75-plus-year-old companies having countless other laundries operating around the globe. By trusting and testing new concepts, we jointly learn the best ways to innovate and support our industry. In doing so, the customer experience often improves and the profitability of stores follow. Gauthier: I’m a big believer in service seminars and equipment shows. Anytime we can hold hands with our local dealers to share value with our customers is valuable beyond words. Hand: At their best, distributors and manufacturers are an owner’s trusted resources. We are all in this together. So, our goal is always our customers’ success. We do that through being there for customers well after the sale to help with

questions, marketing advice, training, whatever. Hoffman: Manufacturers have been helping laundry owners succeed by offering (more) largercapacity equipment than in the past. These newer, larger machines are more profitable as well, helping to reduce operating expenses with more energy efficiency. Also, many newer machines have different ways of “up-selling” the end-user. Distributors can help laundry owners by making sure they have the latest and most energyefficient equipment, as well as educating the store owner to make sure they are offering all the options that they can. A distributor can also help to make sure the owner is charging the best vend prices that the store and the neighborhood can demand.

■ Q: How might the self-service vended laundry industry continue to evolve over the remainder of this decade? Lee: Evolution or progress is always a good thing. The days of the wringer-washers and the backyard clotheslines have given way to 100-pound-plus high-extract washers and reversing dryers that can complete an entire load in under an hour. However, as the world progresses, things also tend to be cyclical. With the drycleaning industry shrinking, could the vended drycleaning machine make a comeback? In the 1970s, the first coin-operated drycleaning machines made a short-lived appearance, primarily because they did not do a very good job of cleaning and the garments came out unpressed. But if they built a better “mousetrap” for dry cleaning where garments came out cleaned and pressed using minimal manpower, who knows? Miller: Very hard to predict, but I see a lot of laundries changing hands to a new era of ambitious investors—some with deep pockets and lofty goals—in the near term. Laundry equipment technology, AI, and additional revenue streams will grow exponentially. At the end of the day, those that deliver exceptional customer experiences will be the big winners. Tomasian: The industry may evolve by continuing to offer customers the ability to get in and out of a laundromat quickly, by having highcapacity equipment and the latest technologies while providing a positive customer experience.

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Adcock: In the short term, growth in vended laundries will make it more convenient to help people clean their personal goods. This trend will generate reactions in the marketplace: potentially higher impact fees from municipalities; higher real estate and investment costs; and increased competition as more and more vended laundries appear, potentially impacting predicted profitability. Fleming: Equipment is getting better, but so are the operators. For lack of a better term, “records” in some things we use to measure a store’s success will be broken by the constant pursuit of innovation and the continued practice by the owner/operators of the day. Gauthier: Evolving payment options are probably one of the biggest changes to hit our market in decades. It’s helped modernize a “mature” industry while also allowing skilled owners to invest in and manage multiple locations. We need to continue to evolve with these new technologies to keep customer satisfaction rates high. Hand: We are going to see technology continue to evolve and make operations easier. At Alliance, we are accelerating work on new innovations to solve problems. Hoffman: I think you are going to see more multi-store owners and investors owning bigger, better stores that are more creative regarding the look of their laundromats. You are going to see much more larger-capacity equipment and fewer small machines in the stores. As technology continues to advance, you will see fewer and fewer coin-operated stores, and more stores with several payment options, as well as washers and dryers offering more cycle options similar to a homestyle machine. Jorgensen: Vended laundries will continue to move toward the “laundry center” concept: places that offer a full suite of laundry-related services designed to capture more market share. Efficiencies will grow, as will market acceptance of full store provisions for cleaning products and sanitation additives with the wash cycles for an affordable price or convenience and quality. Watch for much more “Improving the Industry Roundtable” content during the month of December exclusively at AmericanCoinOp.com! www.americancoinop.com

11/12/23 1 :12 M

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Jim Pedrick, Owner Laundry Magic, New Britain, CT www.laundrymagicne.com

11/9/23 9:5 AM

Choosing the

Right Delivery Vehicle for you Integrate into larger operation, don’t tailor your op to fit the four wheels by Bruce Beggs, Editorial Director

hen you’re in the market for a delivery vehicle, there are any number of factors that can draw you to one. Things like load capacity, fuel efficiency, or its size and shape. Don’t forget about maneuverability, maintenance or safety. And if you’re thinking solely about dollar signs, the ownership costs (purchase price, fuel, insurance, etc.) and resale value have to be front and center. It can be argued that considering these factors plus others is important when trying to choose a vehicle that’s likely to support your laundry pickup and delivery business for years. But don’t allow a glitzy new van with all the bells and whistles to distract you from the specific needs of your laundry operation. What, where and how you deliver should dictate your means of delivery. It’s about integrating a vehicle into your larger operation, not tailoring your operation to fit the four wheels. Let’s visit a couple of launderers to see how 18 AMERICAN COINOP DECEMBER 2023

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(Photo: © alphaspirit/Depositphotos)

they approached choosing the right delivery vehicle.

MULTIPURPOSE IN MOTION On any given day, residents and visitors of the beach resort community of Spring Lake, New Jersey, may see Thomas or Rebecca Healy behind the wheel of their respective vehicles delivering wash/dry/fold orders for their Laundry Express business, or they could just be running personal errands. You see, the Healys chose vehicles that double as personal vehicles for their family and delivery vehicles for their laundromat. Their business, Laundry Express, covers about 1,800 square feet and is equipped with 26 washers and dryers. Its services menu includes self-service, wash/dry/fold with pickup and delivery, and drop-off dry cleaning. The Healys bought the business in 2018. “They had pickup and delivery already and we

just continued and expanded it,” Thomas says. He drives a Toyota Sienna minivan and Rebecca drives a GMC Acadia SUV. So why the decision to use personal vehicles to provide delivery service? “Cost basis. It’s very expensive in New Jersey to insure and purchase vehicles. I bought these used,” Thomas says. At one point, he was considering turning his vehicle over to the business as a “company vehicle” but it would have cost an additional $150 a month to insure it under that arrangement. The Spring Lake community is “super busy in the summer” and “very dead in the winter,” he says. One attendant can handle the WDF orders in winter but the laundromat staffs up to a crew of five to handle the warm-weather workload. Thomas describes the laundromat’s service area as being a radius equal to a 20-minute drive one way. www.americancoinop.com

11/13/23 3:12 M

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DELIVERY VEHICLES

“Twenty minutes for us is probably a lot different than 20 minutes out in West Virginia or something, due to us being so crowded,” he says. Before their children left for college, there were times when it may have been necessary to schedule deliveries at specific times of day to maintain a business/personal transportation balance. Today, that’s no longer an issue: “Our time is our own at this point, so it’s not difficult to coordinate.” Thomas is hoping to reach a point where the laundry will have vehicles strictly dedicated to PUD. “I would love that, personally, if we can reduce wear and tear on our own cars.” Should he shop for a new delivery vehicle in the future, he expects to lean toward a minivan again due to the ease of getting in and out, good fuel economy, and its configurability. “I really have no regrets about the path that we took. Sure, when we first started out, we were small, so we had a small vehicle. And as we grew, we got to the point where we outgrew that vehicle and moved up into a larger vehicle. You know, it’s a matter of what vehicles are available, and I bought used vehicles. Again, because of the price point, yeah, I would do it again, similar path.”

THE VAN LIFE Since 1995, Thorpe’s Laundromat and Dry Cleaning has positioned itself as the “go-to source for expert laundry services for customers in West Warwick, Rhode Island, and beyond. The community isn’t metropolitan but it isn’t rural, either. “We service Kent County, Rhode Island. It’s probably 150,000 to 200,000 residents,” says owner Charlie Crosby. Aside from welcoming self-service customers, the business offers “complete” pickup and drop-off laundry services, including delivery to both residential and commercial customers, as well as drop-off dry cleaning (contracting with a cleaner that performs the actual work).

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Based in part on 16 years of driving a similar vehicle for his family, Charlie Crosby chose to purchase two used minivans for his Thorpe’s Laundromat and Dry Cleaning delivery service. (Photo: Thorpe’s Laundromat & Dry Cleaning) The retail side of the laundromat occupies 3,000 square feet, or roughly half of the building it’s located in. Thorpe’s employs five full-time employees and two part-timers. Its fleet, according to Crosby, consists of two used Dodge Caravans, Tradesman version. “So, your Caravan is their standard, ubiquitous minivan, right?” says Crosby. “And the Tradesman version was built in an identical shape but without any rear passenger seats. Both (of our vans) have no rear windows, just panels where the glass would be. That’s great for messaging, you know?” Crosby drove a Dodge Caravan passenger van for his family for 16 years, so he knew they were reliable. “We bought both of these vehicles for about the same price. They were around $5,100. They’re cheap to insure. You don’t need to put full coverage insurance on them. We put gas in them, change the oil, do the tires and brakes. They’s cheap to operate. That’s a big deal.” With 225,000 miles logged, the 2014 is get-

ting a little long in the tooth—“...runs fine but it sounds like there’s a dozen angry men inside the engine with hammers”—so Crosby recently bought a 2013 model with 150,000 miles on it. He knew what he was looking for and used websites like Craigslist and Cargurus to find one. If and when he performs the exercise again, he’ll be paying attention to certain attributes: “I guess to pick just two or three, they would have to be general cargo requirements, ease of access and probably relative safety. The vehicle is easy enough to operate. You don’t have to have any specialized skills. And it’s easy to train on.” While no vehicle is perfect, Crosby does believe one exists with no “cons.” “Insofar as the vehicles we’ve operated, my feelings haven’t changed at all,” he says. “The pros of the vehicles that we have far outweigh the cons but having said that, I believe a vehicle does exist that they would have no cons and that would be an electric vehicle with walk-in capability and a 250-mile charge range.”

www.americancoinop.com

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POINTERS FROM PAULIE B

STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH PROBLEM CUSTOMERS B

Paul Russo

ecause laundromats deal with the public, any type of personality can come into your store. Most are fine. Some are wonderful, some cause problems, and some actively want to be a pain in the neck. This column deals with strategies for handling the problem customers. Let’s face it, doing laundry is not most people’s favorite activity. In fact, some downright hate it. Therefore, if we want to diminish the overall odds of negative customer behavior, the mission should always be to make the laundry experience as pleasant as possible. If you can’t make them like doing laundry, at least you can make the task less unpleasant for them.

AVOID CONFRONTATIONS FROM THE START First things first: Avoid or prevent angry confrontations from the start. A busy mat raises tensions. Many problem customers will act only when your mat is busy with competition for machines, especially if some of the equipment is out of order. On days when you know your mat will be busy, it will help you to have some extra crew members on hand just to supervise and help customers find open, available machines. There were many times my crew would have to pause their drop-off work so customers could have a few more machines available. The best way to do this is to write up the drop-off orders’ pickup times while building in plenty of time to spare. Discount the drop-offs during slow times, if you must. This

gives the crew flexibility to release their equipment during these busy times.

POST YOUR POLICIES PROMINENTLY You should display signs that clearly state your mat’s rules and policies. You can’t enforce rules that aren’t posted. I think you’ll find that many customers ignore your signs until they get into trouble for not following the posted rules. Therefore, the best use for a policy sign is that you can point to it when observing a customer violating a rule. Policy signs will greatly help your case if a customer takes you to court. For instance, let’s consider the policy that a “customer must be present in the store when their machine stops or their laundry will be removed for the next customer.” Without the signage, if you remove a person’s laundry without their knowledge or consent, they may become enraged that you touched their laundry. Even with the sign, they can blow up if they were not aware of it and you are pointing it out. They can feel humiliated on top of their anger because you moved their clothes. So, post a big sign, or multiple signs.

PROJECTING AUTHORITY BY P.A. Public address—P.A.—systems provide another tool to help avoid confrontations by announcing that a machine has stopped and asking the customer to remove their laundry. This projects a psychological impression of authority. Your mat is busy, and people are waiting. A couple of washers or dryers stop. Your worker gets on the P.A. and says, “Washers number 20, 21 and 22 just stopped. Please take your laundry out.” This serves to alert the user that it is time to empty the machines. (We routinely gave it three tries.) If the customer is not in the store, don’t let another customer take the laundry out. That’s what your crew is for. If the customer becomes angry that their clothes were removed, then it’s wise to point to the policy sign. If they won’t let up, then point to your security cameras and announce, “I’m sorry but you weren’t here. The cameras don’t lie.” The best thing is to help the agitated customer secure a dryer, or a folding table, since they lost their place in line. You don’t want to just win arguments – you want to make friends!

SOOTHING THE SAVAGE BEAST

(Photo: © SIphotography/Depositphotos) 22 AMERICAN COINOP DECEMBER 2023

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Your job, and the job of your employees, is to calmly listen to the customer sound off. Let them blow off steam without interrupting. It’s always best to be patient and try to de-escalate a www.americancoinop.com

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POINTERS FROM PAULIE B situation. Then you can offer solutions: another machine, or a refund if necessary. If it’s a drop-off order issue, you can always offer to redo it. Your cost is minimal. In cases where our machines inconvenienced a self-service customer, we offered to finish up their laundry for them at no charge and they could pick it up later. This really soothed the savage beast (so to speak). If you go this route, congratulations to you! You just turned an angry customer who would have bad-mouthed your mat into a sales rep for your business! Once tempers flared and people grew so unreasonable to the point they were on the cusp of violence, I found the best way to bring civility back was to fall back on the cameras and the story they told. Make sure you have a couple TV monitors that display what most of the cameras see. Having monitors in the store where customers can see themselves makes this doubly effective! But at that point, it’ll be up to you or your people to work out a peaceful solution. Another way to get angry, disrespectful customers to calm down is to tell them, in a calm, steady voice, that abusive language or behavior will not be tolerated. If they want to complain about a person, a machine, or anything else, you’ll only listen to them if they speak calmly and with respect … as you have shown them.

HIRE HAPPY WORKERS You need to have happy, patient people working for you who can handle a problem customer with grace and style. It’s not easy. The last thing you need is to hire a hothead who gets easily triggered by a rude customer. One person in these confrontations needs to be able to keep their cool, and that person is your employee. Also, they must understand the skills in defusing a problem customer. They need to stay positive and exhibit good listening skills. They must have a knack at communication and problem-solving.

THE HABITUAL COMPLAINER Some people complain every time they come to your mat. Some are just trying to get something for nothing, while others are just miserable, unhappy people who are plain nasty. Why put up with these chronic complainers if it’s been proven time and time again that you will never please them? As boss, you have the luxury of banning peo24 AMERICAN COINOP DECEMBER 2023

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ple … as long as you don’t discriminate against them. The ban must be due to their behavior, which you will have documented many times. I had a favorite reply for these types who would complain every time they came in: “We’ve tried to please you, yet you always find something wrong. So I ask you, why do you come here? There’s another mat on the next block. I suggest you go there from now on. I don’t want to see you here anymore.” Many times, they didn’t know how to reply. They never thought they would be banned, and some of them apologized. They were like children, testing our boundaries. The funny thing is, these types of people are hard to get rid of. They’ll sneak back in when they think you aren’t there, because you both know it is the best deal for them despite their chronic complaining. But now they will use your mat and leave without uttering a peep.

DROPOFF GRIPES Some drop-off customers will try to extort money from you by claiming something in their wash-and-fold order is damaged or missing. To protect yourself, you should weigh the laundry upon receipt and after processing. Ask them to please check again at home. This buys you time to trace your processing steps. If you did lose something, give them a credit. It’s a small price to pay to make them happy and to keep coming back.

LOITERERS, BE GONE Loiterers can really hurt your business. In my experience, they’re often drunk or stoned, which is a huge turnoff to customers who must sit alongside them. Loitering absolutely must be nipped in the bud. Once loiterers find there’s no resistance to them “staking a claim” in your mat, it will be twice as hard to get them to leave, or to stop coming back. Approaching these people respectfully and politely is the best way to start. Some may leave with no problem if you approach them within minutes of their arrival. For the more stubborn, it’s best to approach them in numbers. If you can muster two or three people to accompany you, it does help. If you have to call the police, do so discreetly so the loiterer doesn’t know who called. I hope your mat is in a community where the police are responsive to such calls. Some people simply refuse to be harmonious and will ignore your signs, your employees,

This unidentified customer of Russo’s, whom the author described as having been “stoned,” used one washer but then proceeded to occupy this position for several hours one day. (Photo courtesy Paul Russo) and even you, the owner. These are narcissistic people who don’t care about anyone but themselves. So why continue to allow this selfish and disruptive personality to stay?

DOCUMENT THE DETAILS Don’t forget to document encounters with the people you see as problem customers. Keeping a record of these events can help your case should the law get involved. Record the date, time, names of persons involved, names of witnesses, and a step-by-step description of the encounter. A small-business owner like you has enough to worry about without having to spend a lot of time and energy contending with difficult customers. By being prepared for how you’ll respond in a given situation, you and your staff can best deal with these challenges. Paul Russo owned and operated multiple laundromats in New York City for more than 40 years before retiring in 2018. You’re welcome to direct any questions or comments for Russo to Editor Bruce Beggs at bbeggs@atmags.com. www.americancoinop.com

11/1 /23 1 :5

WEB UPDATE

Most popular stories from AmericanCoinOp.com for the 30 days ending November 10 — (WE) denotes Web Exclusive

TOP FIVE NEWS STORIES

COLUMNISTS/FEATURES

• Alliance Laundry Systems Acquires Another Distributor

• Making Money in the Laundry Business (WE)

• It’s More Record Results for EVI Industries

• Pointers from Paulie B: Preventing Abuse of Laundry Equipment, Furnishings

• Clean Energy Project Expands Free Laundry Service

• Insurance: How Much Coverage is Enough?

• HappyNest Continues to Add Partner Locations • Survey: Small-Business Owners Believe Economy on Upswing (WE)

• Survey: Competition Doesn’t Frighten Confident Owners

OUR SISTER WEBSITES

From AmericanLaundryNews.com: • Moving from Open-Pocket Washers to a Tunnel • Cintas Acquires Rental Uniform Service

From AmericanDrycleaner.com: • DLI Names 2023-2024 Board of Directors

• Is It Time for Capital Improvements?

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DECEMBER 2023 AMERICAN COINOP 25

11/1 /23 1 :3 AM

SEVEN TIPS FOR DRAWING RENTERS INTO YOUR LAUNDRY N

Tod Sorensen

ot all multi-housing laundries are dingy and illequipped. Many of today’s apartment laundries offer modern machines in capacities up to 40 pounds, free Wi-Fi, large-screen TVs and convenient payment systems, not to mention arcade games, sofas, folding tables and snack machines. Smart landlords are investing in quality apartment laundries to keep their tenants on-site. But as a public laundry owner, you can and should fight for their business. Here are seven ways to draw renters out of their apartment laundries and into yours! 1. Larger Machines, and More of Them — At a vended laundry, customers can bring large, bulky loads and get them done sooner using multiple machines or one or two large machines. That’s why 90- and 130-pound washers and complementary large-capacity dryers are a must. Most apartment laundries have single- and double-load machines

and can’t compete with the machine size or quantity of a vended laundry. Plus, on weekends, apartment laundries are usually packed and there aren’t enough machines available. So, bring apartment dwellers in the door with larger and more plentiful machines. 2. High-Speed Washers — A vended laundry with highspeed washers gets customers in and out sooner! The high extraction speeds (300-450 G-force) remove more moisture from laundry loads, reducing dry times by up to 60%. This allows customers to complete laundry in 60 minutes or less. Everyone wants to save time. High-speed machines will help distinguish your laundry from other vended laundries as well as apartment laundries. 3. Ozone Disinfection — Ozone is a huge differentiator because you just don’t see it offered in apartment laundries. It’s a gas that’s injected into the wash cycle and effectively

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www.americancoinop.com

11/1 /23 1 :3 AM

sanitizes laundry. If you have washers that are compatible with ozone, it’s simple to add it into your mix of offerings. You’ll stand out from your competition and draw customers away from their apartment laundries, plus bring homeowners in the door.

www.americancoinop.com

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4. Payment System — Vended laundries can bring in more apartment tenants by using a payment system that creates loyalty and allows people to pay using a credit card, debit card, cash, or payment app. Once in the door, offer customers an additional $5 for every $20 placed on their loyalty card. Use their contact information for follow-up emails and offers. Payment systems help get renters in the door and coming back. 5. Advertising — You won’t get apartment residents to visit your laundry without advertising your services and why you stand apart. Bring them in the door with exterior signage that markets a faster wash, larger machines, disinfection, and a $25-for-$20 promo offer. If you offer wash/dry/fold, advertise that, too. Invest in a website and get active on social media. Get the word out and entice customers in the door. If they come in once, most will come back repeatedly. 6. Wash/Dry/Fold — Some apartment residents won’t ever use your laundry for selfservice purposes, but they might use it for

full-service wash/dry/fold. Consider running a special on WDF services, including processing comforters and bags of laundry. Include coupons in packaged WDF for patrons to offer to other friends and family. 7. Safe, Bright, Clean and Attended — When it’s dark outside, apartment residents shouldn’t have to worry about leaving their apartment to come to your laundry. A security system and bright lights are critical. Having attendants on hand at all times during open hours also lends to safety and convenience. Unlike an apartment laundry, customers have someone to turn to if something goes wrong with their laundry. Tod Sorensen is a regional sales manager at Girbau North America and vice president of Continental Girbau West, a full-service distributorship serving the Southern California vended, on-premise and industrial laundry markets. He has more than 20 years of vended laundry development and market analysis experience. He can be reached at tsorensen@gnalaundry.com or 866-950-2449.

DECEMBER 2023 AMERICAN COINOP 27

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PRODUCT NEWS «

ALLIANCE LAUNDRY AIMS TO ELIMINATE LINTRELATED PROBLEMS

Alliance Laundry Systems introduces what it calls a “revolutionary” dryer feature designed to eliminate the problems caused by lint. ProCapture uses patent-pending cyclone technology to capture 98% of dryer lint — a significant increase over the lint screens used in most commercial tumble dryers, Alliance claims. (Results derived from internal lab testing environment produced 97.84% lint capture efficiency with bath towel loads dried at 185 F; no independent lab testing was conducted.) The technology brings a variety of advantages to laundromats, including reduced service and maintenance costs on everything from HVAC systems to water heaters, and other electronics/components. “ProCapture is more than just a tum-

ble dryer feature. As anyone in the laundry industry knows, lint causes a number of issues for operations,” says Craig Dakauskas, senior vice president, Americas Commercial, Alliance Laundry Systems. “Through this technology, we are virtually eliminating these problems.” Alliance believes it will drive improved tumbler performance, reduce staff time spent cleaning lint compartments, and reduce maintenance costs — all benefits that deliver real dollars in savings. “Ask any laundromat owner, who services their rooftop HVAC unit every few years, about the costly impact of lint in the environment,” Dakauskas says. “With ProCapture, Alliance Laundry Systems has effectively eliminated this cost for owners and, in the process, reaffirmed its industry

leader and innovator status.” The feature is available for order now on Alliance Laundry Systems-produced Huebsch and Speed Queen 75-poundcapacity tumblers. It will be available on 30-pound stacks in March 2024, and rolled out for additional capacities in the future.

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PRODUCT NEWS «

WASHDRYFOLD POS ADDS NEW SOFTWARE SUITE OF REPORTING CAPABILITIES

Wash-Dry-Fold POS says it is continuing its commitment to supporting laundromat owners through a new suite of reporting capabilities. The latest updates focus on precise tracking and allocation of credit card tips, addressing challenges highlighted by laundromat owners like Michael Lair, whose Harvey Washbangers in College Station, Texas, is pictured.

“With our unique business, tracking tips is already challenging enough, spanning our restaurant operations, wash/dry/fold service, and self-service laundromat,” says Lair. “This update simplifies the process by keeping retail sales tips separate from WDF tips so we no longer have to go in and add those up one by one.” The newly introduced “Tips Report”

offers a comprehensive breakdown of credit card tips, distinguishing between laundry production tips and cashier tips, ensuring precise and fair payouts for all staff members, Wash-Dry-Fold POS says. The recently added “Time of Day Report” categorizes orders on an hourly basis, identifying peak and off-peak hours for each day. This empowers owners to make informed staffing decisions, optimizing operational hours and further enhancing overall efficiency within their laundromat. Wash-Dry-Fold POS remains committed to incorporating user feedback into its regular updates, continuously aiming to streamline daily operations and improve the overall functionality of laundromat management.

https://www.washdryfoldpos.com

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NEWSMAKERS ALLIANCE LAUNDRY SYSTEMS ACQUIRES STATEWIDE MACHINERY

HAPPYNEST CONTINUES TO ADD PARTNER LOCATIONS

Commercial laundry equipment maker Alliance Laundry Systems reports it has acquired the distribution assets of Batavia, New York-based Statewide Machinery Inc. Terms of the acquisition were not released. “As a family-owned company, Statewide Machinery has built a reputation for providing customers with value that extends well beyond the premier equipment brands they sell, and into excellent care well after the sale,” says Craig Dakauskas, senior vice president, Americas Commercial, Alliance Laundry Systems. “That shows in the volume of their loyal repeat customers.” Statewide will become part of the Alliance Laundry Systems Distribution East Region, while maintaining its Batavia office. Since its founding in 1954, Statewide Machinery has been a leader in providing solutions for on-premises laundries, laundromats and multihousing applications in Northern Pennsylvania and Hudson Valley, N.Y. (including Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester and Albany). “The entire Statewide organization has a passion for serving our customers and now, as a part of Alliance Laundry Systems, we will take it next-level,” says Jen Houseknecht, president of Statewide.

Tech-enabled laundry pickup and delivery service HappyNest continues to expand, adding more partner locations. Harbor Island Laundromat has brought the next-day service to Egg Harbor, New Jersey, and the cities of Atlantic City, Longport, Linwood and Northfield, among others. “HappyNest’s great reputation and outstanding marketing is what drew us to partner with them,” says Harbor Island’s Mark Glade, whose 2,100-square-foot laundromat is equipped with 20 washers and 26 dryers. Service availability has been expanded in Bronx, New York, via new partner Four Seasons Laundry and Cleaners. “We wanted to work with HappyNest to attract more customers and increase business volume,” says Yinsana Mok of Four Seasons, a 5,000-square-foot facility equipped with 150 high-efficiency machines and manned by an experienced staff. Colorado-based Coin & Card Laundromat is now bringing HappyNest service to residents and businesses in Fort Collins, Loveland, Wellington, Windsor and other cities. “I feel HappyNest offers a winning strategy to residential pickup and delivery,” says Mason Meyer of the 1,100-squarefoot facility with 16 washers and 14 dryers. In Clearwater, Florida, Drop N Go Laundry Xpress is now providing HappyNest service to residents and businesses in St. Petersburg, Largo, Seminole and other cities. “Partnering with HappyNest was imperative because they will be essential in achieving our goal of always providing a pleasant laundry experience,” says David Lynch of Drop N Go, a 1,000-square-foot facility equipped with 13 washers and 13 dryers.

CLEAN ENERGY PROJECT EXPANDS FREE LAUNDRY SERVICE Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) and non-profit Zone 126 have jointly announced the expansion of a free laundry service for Queens, New York, families in need, after the program’s initial three months showed a 12% increase in school attendance for those participating. SUDZ for School Success launched at 14th Street Laundry in Astoria, N.Y., in February, giving 30 families in Astoria and Long Island City free laundry services for a year so that their students could focus on going to school rather than worrying about their clothes. With the start of the initiative showing a clear benefit to participating families, program leaders announced plans to expand SUDZ to another 75 middle school and high school families. “We’re so proud to see the measurable positive results of students attending school more often after we launched the laundry program earlier this year,” says Serge Abergel, chief operating officer of Hydro-Quebec Energy Services (CHPE is a transmission line being built between the Canada-U.S. border and New York City). “We welcome Long Island City High School, with its vast history of academic excellence and community engagement, to the Zone 126/14th Laundry partnership,” says 14th Street Laundry owner Demetrios Vasiadis. “This will extend the program’s mission by ensuring that laundry is one less thing for their students to worry about. With the addition of Long Island City High School, Laundry Zone 126 is now serving an even broader and more diverse community, and we look forward to building lasting relationships with the students, staff, and families of this outstanding school.” The expansion was celebrated during a press conference at the school’s Family Night in September. Roughly one-quarter of its 2,000 students reside in NYC Housing Authority public housing or local shelters. “I cannot thank CHPE and Hydro-Quebec enough for their commitment to supporting our organization and our local schools in combating chronic absenteeism,” says Zone 126 Executive Director Dr. Anju J. Rupchandani. “To have these two groups see a challenge such as clean clothes being a barrier to student attendance and commit to being a partner in this work and look to expand what works, is the definition of partnership success.” 32 AMERICAN COINOP DECEMBER 2023

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IT’S MORE RECORD FINANCIAL RESULTS FOR EVI INDUSTRIES Distributor EVI Industries Inc., based in Miami, reports it achieved record results in key financial metrics for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended June 30 on 32% revenue growth. EVI trades publicly on the New York Stock Exchange and has gained notoriety for its many acquisitions of commercial laundry businesses over the last several years. Since 2016, EVI has, among other things, completed 25 company acquisitions, expanded into new geographies, retained and invested in additional sales and service personnel, broadened its OEM representations, and implemented advanced operating technologies. “Our achievements to date are the product of our entrepreneurial leadership team that is thoughtful, collaborative and committed in the pursuit of our goals,” says Chairman and CEO Henry M. Nahmad. “While we are still early in our long-term growth plans, the strength of our team and their successes as demonstrated by our company’s consistent growth, performance, and financial strength, provide great confidence in our ability to achieve our long-term growth and profitability goals.” For the fourth quarter ended June 30, compared to the same period in 2022, EVI saw increases in revenue (14% to a record $94.0 million), gross profit (25% to a record $27.8 million), gross margin (increased 270 basis points to a record 29.5%), operating income (57% to a record $4.0 million), net income (26% to $1.9 million) and adjusted EBITDA (39% to a record $6.4 million). For fiscal year 2023, compared to fiscal 2022, EVI saw increases in revenue (32% to a record $354.2 million), gross profit (41% to a record $103.7 million), gross margin (improved 170 basis points to a record 29.3%), operating income (158% to a record $16.5 million), net income (137% to a record $9.7 million) and adjusted EBITDA (80% to a record $25.6 million). www.americancoinop.com

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IT’S THE TITAN OF THE LAUNDRY ROOM The LG Titan can be powerful and influential in your laundromat too. And we have the reasons behind it.

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