American Drycleaner - October 2019

© Copyright 2019 American Trade Magazines All rights reserved.

® October 2019

■ HIKE-HIKE, RENT-RENT ■ ROLL BRAND ROLL

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drycleaner drycleaner A M E R I C A N

®

October 2019

Vol. 86, No. 7

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS Pre-Inspection Shine On!

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(Photo: Ablitt’s Fine Cleaners)

6

Time To Connect Do you believe in an atmosphere of fun, trust, and appreciation for your customers at the front counter?

Ablitt’s Fine Cleaners, in Santa Barbara, Calif., has a front counter team (shown above) that does. They love people, they’re great at small talk, and they hang together for the sake of their community in good times and tough times. Jess, Mari, Victoria, Norma, and Mila the dog — and owner, Sasha Ablitt, recognize just how vital it is to genuinely connect with customers when they walk in that front door. Read their story of caring and friendships.

Tim Burke, Editor Hike-Hike, Rent-Rent Joe Hebeka owns the Belding Group in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. He owns two building and rents a third. He knows both sides of the equation, ownership and rental. Ownership, he notes, means one big thing: maintenance. While rental all depends on the type of lease you sign and the terms of the rent. Hear first-hand from Joe all about the challenges and rewards of both sides of the coin. Rent hike is a big issue, and must be managed wisely.

Tim Burke, Editor

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American Drycleaner, October 2019

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Special Feature Roll Brand Roll, Kim Loderbauer

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Management Strategies Boomers, Diana Vollmer

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Product Showcase: Drycleaning Machinery: Alternative Solvents

32

Cuppa Joe NEW Joe Giaramita’s Unique Cleaners Tim Burke

36

Off The Cuff Get to Know ... Ian Noble

39

Owner’s Office Better To Give, Dan Miller

40

Spotting Tips Smiles Replace Stains, Martin Young

42

Around the Industry

44

Yarns Spun Here Fall Wedding

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Classified Ads / Ad Index Wrinkle in Time “After-Victory” Fabrics

46-47 48

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P RE - I N SP E CT I O N

Shine On! Once upon a time we were met by friendly storekeepers who knew us by first names, knew our families, and we knew all about them too.

This pre-dated apps, cell phones and computers. What we shared was the common ground of conversation and we let our personalities shine.

And this made for good business as well.

Then, a few decades ago, the world went and got itself all in a hurry, created an “information superhighway,” and we began to drift apart into our own anonymous digital worlds.

The ringing of telephones went silent. The chatty, talky, store visits were replaced by faces staring downward at their electronic devices instead of looking you in the eye, smiling and relating.

While we were busy “connecting” electronically, we forgot the importance of connecting in the good ol’ fashioned way — person to person.

Tim Burke In the feature: Time To Connect, we hear from Ablitt’s Fine Cleaners in Santa Barbara, California, about their caring relationships with clients at the front counter and how those connections help nurture a successful business.

Also, our second feature, Hike-Hike, Rent-Rent, looks at the unique experience of Joe Hebeka who is the owner of the Belding Group dry cleaners and has two buildings he owns and another he is a tenant in and pays rent. Get his unique perspective.

Our three columnists are back again with more great ideas for you; we have a Product Showcase: Drycleaning Machinery: Alternative Solvents; we have a special feature about billboards on wheels, Roll Brand Roll, among other fun specials you’ll enjoy.

The smiling faces on the front cover from the team at Ablitt’s are contagious. Remember: Let your love flow; recognize your clients by name when they walk in; and always treat them great. That’s not just good business, it’s good ol’ fashion human warmth and personality shining thru. Let it shine! Happy October! Happy Halloween!

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, 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 Drycleaner, Subscription Dept., 440 Quadrangle Drive, Suite E, Bolingbrook, IL 60440. Volume 86, number 7. Editorial, executive and advertising offices are at 650 West Lake Street, Suite 320, 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, 2019. 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.

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American Drycleaner, October 2019

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 Dan Miller Diana Vollmer Martin Young Office Information Main: 312-361-1700 Subscriptions 630-739-0900 x100 www.american drycleaner.com

www.americandrycleaner.com

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11/24/14 12:33 2:25 PM 11/26/14 PM

Customer Connections At Your Front Counter Make All The Difference

By Tim Burke, Editor

A few of Ablitt’s Fine Cleaners’ gracious CSRs: From left under the clock: Jess Roblado, Mari Vasquez, Victoria Aguirre and Norma Escargeda, and Mila the dog. They are at the front counter at the cleaners. Anytime is the right time to recognize and greet customers coming in thru the front door with warm smiling faces like these of the team members. (Photos: Ablitt’s Fine Cleaners)

S

asha Ablitt, owner of Santa Barbara, Californiabased Ablitt’s Fine Cleaners, believes a dry cleaner is most effective and successful if there is, “trust between us and our clients. That means constantly building relationships.”

Ablitt continues: “That requires creating an atmosphere of both appreciation and fun at the counter. An attitude of listening and understanding people’s needs and wants. As 6

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an owner its my job to listen to my people and support their needs and wants, and in turn, my people will take care of the customer!”

Ablitt describes her business as a full-service dry cleaner serving Santa Barbara, Goleta, Carpinteria and the Santa Ynez Valley.

“It is a family-owned and operated business since 1984,” she relates. “We offer free pickup (continued on page 10) www.americandrycleaner.com

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Owner Sasha Ablitt describes the photo: “On the hill is a mix of family and employees participating in the Santa Barbara, California, Cancer Walk/Run For The Cure. We had a Clean For The Cure Ablitt’s event in conjunction.”

(continued from page 6) and delivery service on every single order. We have been voted Santa Barbara’s best dry cleaner for over 20 years!”

The connection between the client coming in the store’s front doors and the counter team member is part of the whole picture of a healthy business.

Sean Nguyen, Ablitt’s customer service manager in charge of customer communications, concierge (delivery) and front counter customer service says, “I think it’s important to first have positive chemistry between the CSRs. If they’re happy working with each other, it will reflect on how they interact with customers.

“When customers walk into a place with a great atmosphere and employees are happy, they will naturally be happy. We have a lot of fun together, and that’s what makes them love coming to work. We are a family.”

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Nguyen relates: “We have some CSRs that are great at small talk also. They’ll talk about the clothes customers bring in, the style of clothes, what they like and love. We also have a lot of talking points around the counter, like recycling, photos on the wall, which help create a common denominator for people.”

The key component of making a natural and healthy customer connection at the front counter is hiring the right person for that job with an outgoing personality.

Ablitt points out: “Hiring people that like people is the first step. After that, getting our people the training and practice necessary for them to gain confidence is key. And the last step is that their managers, including me, have to support them and treat our CSRs as well as we want the CSRs to treat our customers.” (continued) She says, “The hardest parts for me as an www.americandrycleaner.com

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owner are realizing, and acting on these two things: One, good judgement comes from experience that most likely came from bad judgement.

“So we have to allow people to make the wrong decisions sometimes. Mistakes are part of the process and no one is perfect. An atmosphere of support helps encourage creativity and problem solving.

“And Number Two, if someone can do something 80% as well as I can, let them do it.”

An almost unspoken part of that customer connection is just being a neighbor, part of the life of the town, and a piece of the very fabric of the community itself.

Sasha Ablitt relates this: “On January 10, 2018, there was a mudslide in Santa Barbara that cut us off from Los Angeles for almost three weeks by turning our freeway into a river and took the lives of 24 people very suddenly, in the middle of the night, because their homes were just washed away.

“It was a devastating thing for our community and we are only now feeling somewhat recovered. We still have evacuations every time it rains. The mudslide was due to an unusually hard downpour of rain within a few months of the Thomas Fire. At the time, the Thomas Fire was the largest wildfire in California’s history.

“I get a story every time I meet someone new in Santa Barbara, outside of the business, and the stories are often years old. During the tragedy of 2018, I had lots of stories of hugs and tears that people gave our staff for restoring precious items.

“When our trucks rolled back into Montecito after almost a month of the area being off limits, one customer near tears said, ‘Ablitt’s is back, we are finally getting back to normal,’ and gave Chris, our then Montecito concierge a big hug.

“We had a man come in wearing pants made out of the Ablitt flower. A pattern created by a local artist for my family and available online. We go out of our way to do things the way the customer wants, special hangers, tissue, collar stays, hangers facing the opposite direction.”

Sasha’s words tell a tale of a community pulling together, and pulling each other along for the betterment of all.

If there is a better example of making connections, we’ve never heard it.

“As for the Ablitt house flower,” she tells, “Neil Ablitt, who is my dad, built a house on a 20 ft. by 20 ft. lot 15 years ago. It was kind of a project to keep him busy while I took over the business. Imagine two parking spaces and then building a five-story building straight up.

“The architect, Jeff Shelton, a local artist, designs in a gaudy style, think Dr. Seuss. There are tens of thousands of tiles in the house — there are several tours on youtube if you are interested — and it has been highlighted on more 12

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than one home and garden tv show.

“Anyway, Jeff designed the Ablitt flower on tile and then made it is available for purchase on Jeff Shelton’s website. We were unaware of the existence of such material until a customer came in to have his Ablitt’s flower pants cleaned! It was quite comical!”

Trust, and a community feeling of everyone pulling together, are two key components that make for the best kind of connections when your customer —your friend and neighbor — comes through your front door.

Those times are what makes your drycleaning business more than a business. You are a trusted friend caring for your clients’ clothing and their well-being, and that makes the ties that bind!

ADC

An Ablitt’s concierge, Chris, got a big hug from a customer when their trucks rolled back into Montecito after a month of the area being off limits. The community was devastated by a fire and a mudslide in 2018. The area is coming back; it’s a story of, “a community pulling together,” relates Sasha Ablitt, owner.

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At Belding Cleaners, part of the Belding Group, Joe Hebeka, owner, shown in center, and team, pose in front of the building his company owns along with one other location, and he rents from a third location.

(Photos: Belding Group)

By Tim Burke, Editor This drycleaning owner has experience as both a renter and a landlord

H

ow do you deal with rents? Are you a landlord? A renter?

Let’s hear today firsthand from a drycleaning owner who is both.

“My name is Joe Hebeka and I own the Belding Group, which consists of Belding Cleaners and two other previously competing dry cleaners that I have acquired in the last few years.

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“We were founded in Detroit in 1918, and are now relocated in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, and have been in business for over 100 years.” he relates.

Hebeka says: “We currently own two of the three buildings we operate in, and rent space in the third.

“It’s interesting to be on both sides of the equation between renting and owning. Each has their pros and cons. (continued) “Owning your own building can be very www.americandrycleaner.com

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rewarding and a great asset, however, with that comes maintenance.... major maintenance,” he points out.

“Roof, parking lot, structural, grass and snow maintenance, HVAC maintenance, all can be very expensive and completely your responsibility,” Hebeka says.

“Not only can this be expensive,” he continues “it is time-consuming, taking time from your already hectic day. However, owning a building can be an asset because you can use it as collateral to acquire a line of credit and purchase more equipment or open more stores. Also, mortgage payments are usually less than rent and the interest is tax deductible.”

He relates that renting space on the other hand has many variables all depending on the type of lease you negotiate with your landlord.

Often times, Hebeka notes, new shopping centers will offer the first three months free to entice tenants and fill the spaces and sometimes even build the space out to suit your needs and layout.

“There is often less maintenance when renting, like snow and grass maintenance.

Also, any issues with your space, exteriorwise or structurally, can just be forwarded to the landlord.

It’s also significantly less of an investment when starting a dry cleaners to lease your space as opposed to buying a building.

“However, rent can be expensive and if things don’t go as planned, you’re usually on the hook for the remainder of the lease, whether your store is out of business or not,” he warns.

Some leases will allow you to sublet to someone else, he relates, but that’s only if the landlord approves it.

“I believe each scenario is unique and should be handled with caution. I would definitely have an attorney read over your lease agreement before signing,” Hebeka advises.

“I have a lease set up where, in fact, I am still responsible for my HVAC system even though it’s not mine, but I get free water instead,” he points this out as an example of how each rental agreement is unique.

“The landlord doesn’t want the annoying phone calls that ‘the A/C is down’ for example, so I handle it myself because I have the resources and experience and in ex16

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change, I never have to worry about my water bill. It’s a prime location and for me it’s worth the responsibility,” acknowledges Hebeka.

Tip from Hebeka: If your facing a rent increase, its not the end of the world, almost all things increase in price at some point. It may very well be justified.

Consider the cost of relocating to a cheaper space and potentially losing your customers, he adds, it could be fatal to your business and the rent increase won’t seem so bad after all.

Hebeka says: “You can simply avoid most major rent hikes by communicating your needs and wants with your landlord before you sign the lease. If you have a great track record in business and payment history, you’ll be an asset because the landlord knows there is less of a risk and you can use that to your advantage when negotiating terms.

“The lease can be written in a way that forecasts the rate increases in the next five or even 10 years and gives you the first option to stay longer at a reasonably higher rate, or leave altogether.

(Image licensed by: Ingram Publishing) “This is where a lawyer comes in. Trust me, the landlord has a lawyer, and you should to.”

Sounds words coming from experience.

“I view a busy dry cleaners as an asset to most landlords,” Hebeka notes, “especially with multi-space properties such as a plaza or strip mall shopping center.

“Almost all drycleaning transactions cause two visits from the consumer, the drop-off, and the pickup. Often times, within a three-day period of time. That’s valuable traffic and exposure for the other neighboring tenants as well as the landlord,” he points out.

The message here today is that rent hikes don’t have to be frightening if there is planning and communication.

Just because Halloween is coming soon doesn’t mean you’ll be scared by the next knock on the door!

“Bottom line,” Hebeka concludes: “There are endless variables and options when renting space and they should be handled professionally and cautiously.

“Take your time in finding just the right one that suits your specific needs!”

ADC www.americandrycleaner.com

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SPECIAL FEATURE

Billboards on wheels: Get your message on the road, to where your audience rolls

By Kim Loderbauer

O

ne of my favorite ways to market both drycleaning and wetcleaning plants is via the moving billboard.

MOVING BILLBOARDS — on buses, trucks, delivery vans and taxis — can advertise in places where stationary billboards can’t. However, similar to stationary billboards, moving ads can extend for a few days, weeks or months, and target a specific geographic area.

Typically, the vehicles that carry these ads tend to follow specific routes and offer strategic placement either outside or inside the vehicles to capture the attention of passengers, other drivers and pedestrians along the street.

They can also deliver your message in the same neighborhood or proximity as your competition; in and around busy city centers or shopping malls; and at special events.

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Transit advertising exposures can serve multiple goals such as short-term, special-event promotions and long-term brand awareness. Broad market coverage results in relatively low-cost ad repetition and lots of daily impressions!

Remember that good negotiation can bring extra value.

Often times, newbie advertisers can procure special deals, rates or packages and with them more bang for their advertising buck!

Here are some tips for transit advertising: LOCATION There are different placements for ads depending on who you want to target. Do you want to target the people getting on a bus, driving in traffic by the bus, or pedestrians on the street? If you want to target traffic, advertise on the driver’s side or tail of the vehicle. If (continued) www.americandrycleaner.com

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you wish to target passengers, advertise near the exterior passenger door or inside.

QUICK READ Less is more, especially when it comes to transit advertising. Moving ads are a quick read so keep the message simple, short and sweet. Your message should be clear, easy to read from near and far, and most importantly, easy to remember.

COLORFUL The ad should pop off the vehicle! Don’t design an ad that’s the same color as the vehicle itself. Know the colors of the vehicles you are advertising on and design your graphic and message accordingly.

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WOW ‘EM Make your design memorable by using graphics that wow the viewers. Use more graphic elements and less words. Incorporate elements of the vehicle into your design or, go to the extreme, and extend your design outside the standard advertising space!

SIZE MATTERS Deliver maximum exposure with your transit ad.

Remember that your ad needs to be visible to drivers and pedestrians so make sure to size it appropriately.

Command your audience’s attention with large, creative ad elements.

MOBILE ADS VS. WRAPS Mobile billboards are large flat surfaces,

(continued)

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like traditional billboards, that adhere to vehicles and can be changed out as necessary. Wrap advertising is different. Wraps differ from mobile billboards because wrap advertisements typically envelope all of the vehicle, or a large portion of it. Many drycleaning facilities with pickup and delivery services will use a full van wrap to advertise those services.

ROLL FRESH Determine the length of time your ad is to run based on your goals. If you’re advertising a promotion, it might only run a few weeks. If you’re advertising your drop-off and pickup service, it can run for months or years. Just be sure to continuously freshen up your message so it doesn’t get stagnant!

ADC

QUALITY Don’t go price-shopping on the internet and choose a random vendor to design your drycleaner’s transit ad.

And don’t do it yourself. Choose a qualified, local vendor who can design and install the ad on your behalf.

Kim Loderbauer is a 20-year marketing veteran who works closely with distributors and drycleaning and wetcleaning plant owners helping them cost-effectively promote their plants. She manages Continental Creative Services (CCS), an advertising and marketing firm serving the laundry industry. CCS is a division of Girbau North America.

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At SMRT systems

We Get it At the heart of SMRT, we are a dry cleaner. It’s the reason we created our software in the first place: To solve the everyday problems we ran into at our own business.

We’ve stood in your shoes -- pressing, cleaning the button trap, filling in when the driver is sick, making payroll, and replacing equipment.

And with a dry cleaner’s perspective, we’ve built, from the ground up, the best dry cleaning software in the marketplace.

We understand that dry cleaners are dynamic, high-performing entrepreneurs. It’s no small feat to run both the factory and the dealership every damn day.

You deserve a software partner that knows your business and is there for you 24/7.

You deserve SMRT. SMRT Systems • (415) 612-9885 • SMRTSystems.com • sales@smrtsystems.com • 1844 Belles St. San Francisco, CA 94129

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SMRT is t e com lete ac a e. T e eo le, t e ro ct, t eir ri e an t eir oc s ma e my siness etter an my li e easier.

- at y Ben in er,

ner Ben in er s Cleaners

There’s never been a better time to

Get SMRT

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Next-level customer service to match their next-level technology. The SMRT team is passionate about solving problems and supporting their users.

SMRT is light years ahead of the competition!

We’ve never been so on top of our business and in tune with our customers.

Wayne Edelman Owner: Meurice Garment Care

Jason Yerby Vice President: Crest Advanced Dry Cleaners

There’s more to SMRT than great software. They really know the business, bringing a new dimension to customer support.

Daniel Cha Owner: Orchid Dry Cleaners

Robust KPI’s, easy customer access, instant Metalprogetti integration, text messaging... in one simple-to-use package. All I can say is, get SMRT! Richard Aviles Owner: Bridge Cleaners & Tailors, King Garment Care

CALL SMRT Today AT 415•612•9885 AND LET’S EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITIES

SMRT Systems • (415) 612-9885 • SMRTSystems.com • sales@smrtsystems.com • 1844 Belles St. San Francisco, CA 94129

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M A N A G E M E N T ST RAT E G I E S

Boomers Don’t Let The Baby Boomers Forget You

BABY BOOMERS

WERE BORN BETWEEN 1944 AND 1964.

THEY’RE CURRENTLY BETWEEN 55-75 YEARS OLD (76 MILLION IN U.S.)

W

here do you focus your sales and marketing efforts? What percentage of your business-building budget is allocated to generations who are less than 55 years old versus 55+?

Most dry cleaners are rightly reaching out to GenXers, Millennials (also known as Gen Y), and now even Gen Z upon their career entry, but Boomers are viewed as old news and retiring out of the market.

Don’t let that conventional wisdom mislead you into taking them for granted. Their egos are still alive and well, whatever their current Diana Vollmer lifestyle.

MY GENERATION “As of 2019, the breakdown by age looks like this: • Baby Boomers: Baby Boomers were born between 1944 and 1964. They’re currently between 55-75 years old (76 million in U.S.) • Gen X: Gen X was born between 1965 - 1979 and are currently between 40-54 years old (82 million people in U.S.) • Gen Y: Gen Y, or Millennials, were born between 1980 and 1994. They are currently between 25-39 years old.

• Gen Y.1 = 25-29 years old (31 million people in U.S.) • Gen Y.2 = 29-39 (42 million people in U.S.) • Gen Z: Gen Z is the newest generation to be named and were born between 1995 and 2015. They are currently between 4-24 years old (nearly 74 million in U.S.)” (https://communityrising.kasasa.com/gen-x-gen-y-gen-z/) Targeting younger generations is essential to the continuation of the fabricare business.

However, the following statistics warn against ignoring the generation that has made the business profitable for most of their lives. Boomers control the money!

To appreciate just how much they control the money, run the sales of your top 50 customers and count how many of them are Baby Boomers. www.americandrycleaner.com

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(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

IMPACT “Baby Boomers control more than two-thirds of the disposable income in the U.S. According to a recent survey, Baby Boomers are projected to have 70% of all U.S. disposable income over the next five years. Not only that, but baby boomers will inherit about $15 trillion in the next 20 years. Surprisingly, AARP finds that this group is targeted by just 5%-10% of all marketing efforts.” (https://www.fool.com/retirement/2017/07/29/9-babyboomer-statistics-that-will-blow-you-away.aspx) “Spending by individuals in the 50+ demographic is expected to rise to $4.74 trillion over the next 20 years, which represents a 58 percent increase, according to AARP’s Venture Capital Review in 2013. By comparison, the spending by Americans ages 25-50 is only expected to grow by 24 percent over the same timeframe.” (https://www.wisebread.com/15-financial-facts-aboutbaby-boomers-that-will-shock-you) “Almost from the time they were conceived, Boomers were dissected, analyzed, and pitched-to by modern marketers, who reinforced a sense of generational distinctiveness.”

(Gillon, Steve (‘04) Boomer Nation: The Largest and Richest Generation Ever, and How It Changed America, Free Press, (continued) “Introduction” ISBN 0-7432-2947-9) American Drycleaner, October 2019

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M A N A G E M E N T ST RAT E G I ES

• They are helping to support their adult children.

BOOMER$ • They make up over 41 percent of consumer spending.”

“Each generation has been in the workforce for differ(https://www.wisebread.com/15-financial-facts-aboutent lengths of time and accumulated varying degrees of baby-boomers-that-will-shock-you) wealth.

• Baby Boomers have an average net worth of $1,066,000 SO WHAT? and a median net worth of $224,000.

If 70% of all disposable income is controlled by this • GenXers average net worth is around $288,700, but the group, it is good for business to know what they are about median is $59,800. now.

A few of their psychographic characteristics include: • Millennials have an average net worth around $76,200, “Media consumption: Highest consumers of traditional but their median net worth is only $11,100. media like television, radio, magazines, and newspaper.

• Gen Z’s average net worth is difficult to report on since However, 90% have a Facebook account. so much of the generation has no net worth or career.”

Banking habits: Prefer to go into a branch to do (https://communityrising.kasasa.com/gen-x-gen-y-gen-z/) transactions.

Boomers are acShaping events: Post customed to being WWII optimism, the cold the focus of attention war, and the hippie moveand don’t want to be ment. forgotten now, even as What’s next on their the generations behind financial horizon: Unexpectthem are catching up in edly, this generation is expesheer numbers. riencing the highest growth Remember, they are in student loan debt. They the first generation have a belief that you should to reach the 76 million BABY BOOMERS BABY BOOMERS take care of your children mark.

MEDIAN AVERAGE enough to set them on the They are also associNET WORTH NET WORTH right course but don’t plan ated with the spending on leaving any inheritance.” trends and narcissism (https://communityrising. of the “Me” generation (Image licensed by Ingram Publishing) kasasa.com/gen-x-gen-yand are known for the major impact they have gen-z/) had on the culture, the economy, ethical values, healthCH-CH-CH-CHANGES care, politics, real estate and history as referenced in the “Memorable events: the Cold War (and associated Red book, The Pig and the Python: How to Prosper from the Scare), the Cuban Missile Crisis, assassinations of JFK, Aging Baby Boom by David Cork.

Robert Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, Jr., political un• “Boomers are brand-loyal. rest, walk on the moon, risk of the draft into the Vietnam • They are responsible for 80 percent of all luxury travel.

War or actual military service during the Vietnam War, • They buy more new cars than other generations. anti-war protests, social experimentation, sexual freedom, • They hold 80 percent of all money in savings and loan drug experimentation, the Civil Rights movement, Enviassociations. ronmental movement, Women’s movement, protests and • They earn 47 percent of all income in America.

• Business owners are twice as likely to be Boomers than riots, and Woodstock. millennials.

“Key characteristics: experimental, individualism, free • Nearly two-thirds of Boomers expect to work spirited, social cause oriented. past 65.

“Boomers are often associated with the counterculture • They do not discuss finances with family. (continued) of the 1960s, the Civil Rights move-

$1,066,000

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$224,000

www.americandrycleaner.com

9/17/19 9:57 AM

Wet Cleaning is the New Dry Cleaning

“

Wet cleaning is better & faster than dry cleaning. We wet clean anything from wool suits to wedding gowns.

”

— Gary Heflin, Owner, Perfect Cleaners

Poseidon offers innovative programmability for complete control over every conditional aspect of the wet cleaning, drying and ironing process.

That’s why professional fabricare operations rely on Poseidon equipment to perfectly wet clean the most delicate items including tailored wool suits, cashmere sweaters, silk wedding dresses, and so much more!

CALL 800-482-3400 FOR A COST ANALYSIS OF DRY CLEANING VS. WET CLEANING IN YOUR FABRICARE BUSINESS!

POSEIDON TEXTILE

CARE

S Y S T E M S®

poseidonwetcleaning.com 800-482-3400 • 248-457-1140

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VISIT US AT CLEAN SHOW BOOTH #4557

4/9/19 6/17/19 4/9/19 2:14 3:27 9:37 PM PM AM

• Goal-centric; • Resourceful; Born between • Mentally focused; 1965 - 1979 • Team-oriented; Ages 40-54 • Disciplined.”

(82 million in U.S.) (https://elearningindustry. com/8-important-characFOREVER YOUNG teristics-baby-boomers“Baby Boomers are in elearning-professionalsa state of denial regard(Millennials) know) ing their own aging and Born between Of course, the data is death and are leaving an 1980 - 1994 generalized for an entire undue economic burden Ages 25-39 generation which is obvion their children for their (73 million in U.S.) ously made up of indiretirement and care. viduals. The good news is According to the 2011 that this target market has Associated Press and Born between been analyzed to such a LifeGoesStrong.com 1995 - 2015 degree that it is relatively surveys: Ages 4-24 easy to determine what • 60% lost value in in(74 million in U.S.) motivates them. vestments because of Keep them informed on the economic crisis; (Image licensed by Ingram Publishing) how you can help them • 42% are delaying retireand communicate regularly. Since, “Boomers spend 27 ment; hours a week on the internet,” (https://www.wisebread.

• 25% claim they will never retire (currently still working).” com/15-financial-facts-about-baby-boomers-that-will(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_boomers) shock-you) your messages can be delivered efficiently and ACTIVE inexpensively.

Three American presidents were born in 1946 (Year 1 Using the detailed psychographics of your Boomer of the Boomer births): Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and customers to craft communication that will keep them as Donald Trump. Observe footage of the current political active clients is good business practice. Whether they are marches and you will see Boomers in huge numbers. They professionals or as their lives transition from active career defy the “old codger” image. to semi or full-retirement, they still need you to maintain their self-image.

CHARITABLE Provide the convenience, choice and quality they appre“A third of Baby Boomer multimillionaires polled in the ciate. Keep them informed about your unique services and United States would prefer to pass on their inheritance to capabilities. Co-sponsor events of interest to them — such charities rather than pass it down to their children. Fiftyas charity, fashion, home care, travel, political, financial or seven percent of these boomers believed it was important estate planning — to reinforce your value as an important for each generation to earn their own money; 54 percent member of their support team. believed it was more important to invest in their children Perhaps they need you even more now than ever before while they were growing up.” and they can afford your services. Keep them actively (https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/2012/06/half-ofadding to your bottom line. baby-boomers-to-leave-inheritance-to-kids) Don’t forget the Boomers and they won’t forget how important you are to them, their families, friends and lifeGAP styles. Everyone wins.

ADC The need to compete to excel in their large peer population probably influenced the following traits, which they Diana Vollmer is a managing director for Methods for Manalso expect in others. This expectation often creates a gap agement, which has served dry cleaners and launderers in understanding subsequent generational work habits. with affordable management expertise and improved profit• “Strong work ethic; ability since 1953. For assistance connecting with Boomers • Self-assured; (or other generations), contact her at dvollmer@mfmi.com or call 415-577-6544.

• Competitive; ment, and the ‘secondwave feminist cause,’ of the 1970s.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Baby_boomers)

Gen X

Gen Y

Gen Z

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www.americandrycleaner.com

9/17/19 9:57 AM

www.greenearthcleaning.com

What does it mean to be a

GreenEarth Member?

It means... being a Member of a network of over 2,000 sustainable dry cleaners around the globe... representing a brand that is recognized by landlords, garment manufacturers, and retailers as the only environmentally non-toxic way to dry clean... having all of the marketing tools necessary to grow your businss at your fingertips... having immediate technical operations support at your disposal... having a complete system: optimized concentrated detergent, moisture carrying pre-spotter, low utility filtration medium—delivering low operating cost. having on-call consultants for every facet of your business.

Your GreenEarth Team always has your back.

Contact: Joe Blaha Phone: 816-944-3445 Email: jblaha@greenearthcleaning.com WhatYouGetAd.indd 1

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8/27/19 9:09 AM

P RO D U C T S H OW C AS E

DRYCLEANING MACHINERY: ALTERNATIVE SOLVENTS

Columbia/Ilsa At the Clean’19 show this past summer, Columbia notes, its booth had 12 machines, two actually running live cycles. Back at the 2017 Clean Show in Las Vegas, it relates, the firm introduced to the North American market a fairly new solvent from Europe, trade name SENSENE®. By now most everyone has heard something about it. From its debut, there are now more than 100 of the company’s machines running the solvent in the U.S. and Canada. The number is even much larger when you add in the machines sold in Europe, it adds.

At Clean ’19, the firm describes, it ran a 40-lb., three-tank, two-filtered machine with full loads. The consecutive cycles had hundreds of pounds of garments being cleaned right in front of spectators. Stephen Langiulli, company president, notes that, “This particular solvent is what the industry has been searching for. With the sunset now here on Perc, the wait is over. This solvent puts you back on the path of doing business.” www.columbiailsa.com | 800-446-5634

Union Drycleaning Products Union drycleaning machines are environmentally friendly, the firm notes. No matter which solvent you choose, it continues, there is a size and model in the lineup that will be the ideal drycleaning system for you. “We offer models with distillation and without, easy access to components for maintenance, and various filter configurations.”

The firm notes: “Since our inception in 1976, Union has been the benchmark by which all other drycleaning systems are measured. We lead the field in high-quality design and construction, incorporating continual advances in technology made possible by the industry’s most creative and visionary research team.” www.uniondc.com | 800-433-9401 32

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www.americandrycleaner.com

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Realstar KT03 KM03.indd 1

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P RO D U C T S H OW C AS E

Realstar USA Realstar’s KM Series is its most popular line of alternative solvent machines, the firm notes, and is available in 40- to 90-pound capacities. This series offers three solvent tanks, distillation, and various filter configurations. “Professional dry cleaners know they can count on the company’s technology and design to produce the finest possible cleaning results utilizing alternative solvents,” it relates.

The firm describes itself as: “An established company that has earned a reputation as one of the highest quality manufacturers of drycleaning machines. Our company boasts a complete range of solutions for the most demanding of dry cleaners. You will find Realstar machines versatile, practical, and economical,” it adds.” www.realstarusa.com | 888-822-7827

Renzacci SPA

Italclean

From Dott. Marco Niccolini, general sales and marketing director, Renzacci SPA: “In the drycleaning field a prominent place has been given to the new range of bio drycleaning machines using natural solvents. Among the most important ones worth mentioning are the new generation of machines EXCELLENCE 2.0 and NEBULA 2.0, which are available in models from 15 to 90 kg. of loading capacity. They also work best with solvents such as: SENSENE®, Intense®, Solvon K4®, GreenEarth® Cleaning, HIGlo, and others.”

“Our DRYTEC, hard- or soft-mounted, with and without distillation, and are the most requested machines in the avantgarde markets,” the firm notes, calling them, “Versatile machines with the ability to exploit, in the best way, all solvents on the market today, including Hydrocarbon, GreenEarth®, K4®, Intense®, SENSENE®, HiGlo, etc., and to adapt to the new solvents that the market will offer in the future, given the extraordinary efficiency it has shown.”

In fact, it suggests, “The soft-mounted machines can complete a washing cycle in less than 45 minutes, while for the hard mounted we are around the hour.”

The model without distillation is now the most requested, thanks not only to its purchase cost, but also thanks to the low consumption of solvent, water and electricity, it adds.

Renzacci-USA www.renzacci-usa.com parts/service: 877-872-7369 cell: 561-644-5517 Renzacci Italy www.renzacci.com 39-075-862-961 34

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www.italclean.com | 39-051-663-0468

www.americandrycleaner.com

9/17/19 9:44 AM

Huge Selection of Parts for Most Brands of Equipment

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Serving the industry for 32 years!

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Monthly Specials Online: MustangEnterprises.com 2019adc_Mustang master.indd 1

9/16/19 3:34 PM

CUPPA JOE

WHAT MAKES JOE GIARAMITA’S CLEANERS UNIQUE?

By Tim Burke, Editor

I

n this, the first of our new special called “Cuppa Joe,” you can get a taste of how a fellow owner does business in your drycleaning world. Today, meet drycleaning owner Joe Giaramita, sharing how he learned cleaning and spotting; how he bought the business from his father; and about cleaning, “mail-in items from clothiers all over his state.”

“I started to build a reputation for cleaning items that no one else would touch.” — Joe. “At work, I practiced spotting and pressing clothes until I mastered my trade and as I learned fabrics I became more daring in my spotting techniques. I took risks that most wouldn’t dare to try, and I learned trial by error.” — Joe. “If something didn’t work I went back to the drawing board and tried again until it worked.” — Joe. These are, for lack of a better word, “Joe-isms,” quotes from one drycleaning owner you should really get to know.

The “Joe” is Joe Giaramita.

His White Dove Cleaners was established in Red Bank, N.J. in 1996, he tells me.

“It was started by my father, Phil Giaramita,”

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A look at the drive-thru, at left, at White Dove Cleaners. This is our first Cuppa Joe special, with owner Joe Giaramita, in the inset photo above. He says clothiers from all over New Jersey mail him items to clean. (Photos by: White Dove Cleaners)

Joe explains. “He was in the business for over 15 years and decided to retire and sell the store.”

First gulp: Joe tells how he started: “I was tired of working in NYC so I told him maybe I’ll come work here. So in 2000, I did not know anything about the drycleaning business, and went to the National Cleaners Association (NCA) in New York. Dan Eisen was my teacher for spotting. Worked open-to-close everyday and went to school at night for six months. I grouped all my classes together so I could get done as fast as I could; spotting was two times a week and pressing was two times a week. I come from an operations background, so making things more efficient and productive was my thing.... so I did it here.”

Joe on modernizing: “I upgraded our POS system, which made us more efficient. Our system sends out email tickets, which saves us 50% on paper. Our customers get an e-mail or text notification when their orders are ready.

“We also have an app that allows our customers to manage their drycleaning account at their fingertips.

Also, we bar-coded the entire store which makes us inventory-efficient.”

Sips: “You’re not making any money waiting for (continued) customer to come to you so I really www.americandrycleaner.com

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L TIONA EXCEP ILEAGE!!!

ENT M SOLV UP TO RUM!!!

S/D 00 LB 0 , 0 0 1

NEW YOR STAT K E APPR OVED !!!

READ WHAT OUR SATISFIED CUSTOMERS HAVE TO SAY: When I found out I had to change from perc after 14 years, I was very concerned that I would have to deal with the “alternative solvent” headaches I had heard so much about. To my surprise, since switching to intense® I have had none of the issues I was worried about. My cleaning results have been nothing short of amazing. My customers have noticed that there is no chemical smell on their garments anymore and are pleased with the feel and cleanliness of their clothes, as well as the idea that we are more environmentally responsible now. intense® was the right move for us.

A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE SOLVENT FOR STATE-OF-THE-ART TEXTILE CLEANING.

Bob Hamila (Lighthouse Cleaners | Palm Beach Gardens, FL)

intense®

Finally, a solvent that is comparable to perc in cleaning strength, but gentle enough to handle all of the beads, sequins and faux finishes that adorn today's clothing. intense® is clean smelling, incredibly reclaimable and easy to use. We are 10 weeks+ in a new Union hydrocarbon machine with intense® solvent and extremely satisfied with the results. We still haven't had to change the filters or have the waste picked up because there is so little of it, but we look forward to the savings there as well. Probably the wisest decision we've made yet. Thanks Ken for all your help.

• is intensive, efficient and effective • has a high cleaning effect • ensures smooth goods and reduces the ironing effort • ensures exceptional cleanliness

Stephanie Barrero (Door2Door Drycleaners | Bluffton, SC)

• is odorless and pleasant to handle

I've been waiting for a solvent alternative to PERC. I look for companies that have a proven track record of longevity. What's important to me is to partner with a company that believes in constant innovation, technology advances and unparalleled support. I have always found this with SEITZ, which gave me the confidence to embrace and convert to their new solvent. It is performing fabulously and will allow me to make the necessary changes to continue to improve my service and my business.

• is excellent in removing water soluble stains

• can be used in any multi-solvent machine

Bill Wright (Royal Fine Cleaners | Northport, AL)

• can be disposed of the same as any hydrocarbon

For as long as I've been in dry cleaning, I've been using Seitz products. From their spotting chemicals to dry cleaning detergents, all performed beyond my expectations. So when it came time to make the switch from Perc to an environmentally friendly solvent, I turned to SEITZ. Their answer was intense®. It's cleaning and grease cutting ability made my transition from Perc very easy. I'm glad I chose SEITZ. Thank you for another quality product!

• does not contain CMR substances

Julian Bulsara (Prestige Cleaners | Lauderhill, FL)

• is gentle to fabrics • reduces the need for pre-spotting

• reduces the effort when finishing This new Solution is a real alternative in Textile Cleaning. intense® has an outstanding cleaning effect, but is also suitable for sensitive, high-quality textiles with delicate, decorative trim.

Please contact us soon to learn more about intense ! ®

SEITZ, Inc. • 5101 Tampa West Blvd., Suite 300 • Tampa, FL 33634 • phone: 813-886-2700 • mail: seitz_inc.office@seitz24.com • www.seitz24.com

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Double-decker conveyors operate inside the White Dove Cleaners plant. Joe says he took spotting risks that most wouldn’t dare try.

focused on pickup and delivery. We started with about 75 customers and one route in the year 2000. We now have five routes with over 1,200 customers.

“We also made payments easy with our e-mail statements and automatic credit card processing. Making things easy, reliable, good quality and convenient are all things customers are looking for in a dry cleaners.”

Joe talks about location, location, location: “We then focused on building a location — to accommodate our drop stores, routes and over the counter customers — that was state-of the-art in New Jersey.

“So we built a 10,000 sq. ft. drive-thru plant. We carefully designed this plant with everything in mind.

Roomy, plenty of space behind equipment for easy repairs, high ceilings, storage loft for storing seasonal items and larger jobs, an upscale lobby for greeting our customers, and of course the first drive-thru in our area.”

Joe got with the times: “On our app, we have a feature that allows our customers to ping us when they are on their way and prepay. So when they pull up to the drive-thru, we put the clothes in the car and they are on their way in 10 seconds.”

More sips: “We cater to a high-end clientele, offering VIP hand-pressed garments. When you receive it back it is flawless! So it is important to have the expertise to handle those items.”

Mail it in: “We service a lot of custom clothiers and high-end clothing stores all over the state and they mail us items that customers cannot get cleaned by their local cleaner, or our customers just trust us so much, they would rather just deal with us no matter where they live.

“The most expensive garment I have handled was a $55,000 wedding gown. So they mail us a box of their clothes and schedule a day for pickup or we ship it back out to them. The items range from $5,000 Brioni suits and $500 Kiton shirts to a range of designer jeans, 38

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Valentino dresses and fancy gowns.”

Joe says he emailed a few of his customers for thoughts and here is what was replied back to him: From a customer named Chris: “Joe, anything for you!

I send you my clothes all the way from Charleston, S.C., because I spend a fortune on my clothes and you’re the only one I can trust. Always consistent, always perfect and always on time! The way you package it, gets back to me like I picked it up at your store an hour ago! I do miss seeing you guys every week!”

From a customer named Scott who says Joe has been his dry cleaner for 25 years: “I moved to Boston five years ago. You told me about the mail-in option. After the first few times, I was hooked. Definitely something Joe has perfected and it amazes me how good everything looks when I get it back.... where I couldn’t get a shirt down the street to look like that.” From a customer named Valerie: “I live in Northern New Jersey, I travel to the Shore every weekend. I do not trust anyone to clean all my St. John Knits but you. I mail my clothes out on Thursday morning, Saturday morning I pick them up at your store. Love you guys.” Final taste: When asked what makes his store unique, here are Joe’s concluding words: “What makes us unique?.... hmmm. I guess we all have our niches: price, quality, convenient. We were voted #1 in Monmouth and Ocean counties six years in a row. I never say we are the best, our customers do.”

That was your first Cuppa Joe special from this owner, who shared his business experiences in the drycleaning ADC industry first-hand. Thanks Joe Giaramita!

(Drycleaning Owners: Do you have a story, with photos, to share about how you began, learned, and flourished in your drycleaning business? E-mail me at: tburke@atmags.com. Your drycleaning business could be the next “Cuppa Joe” special that readers will drink in!) www.americandrycleaner.com

9/17/19 9:40 AM

O F F THE C U F F

Get to Know ...

Ian Noble Owner, Rick’s Cleaners

T

ell us where you were born, grew up, and reside today?

“Born, raised, and reside in Austin, Texas.”

Hobbies (that you’ll admit to)?

“Travel, running, scuba, photography.”

What gets you excited at work?

“Seeing my team take charge and make great, and smart, decisions. I used to have to control everything 100%. But that is not the case anymore. I’m very fortunate to have a strong support group and upper management that is top notch. Also I like to turn small changes into big savings.”

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Ian Noble and his wife.

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

“My secret is that I’m extremely frugal. I rarely go out to eat, cook a lot to save money, and always bring my ADC lunch to work.”

(Do you want to take part in an Off the Cuff, or know someone who does? Email tburke@atmags.com.)

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O W N E R’ S OF F I CE

Better To Give Sharing means caring and giving means better living; so turn loose those company metrics, and start engaging your people now

A

couple of columns ago I discussed the staffing challenge that all of us as drycleaning owners have. However, finding great employees is just one part of the staffing challenge.

Another major challenge that owners face is how to keep people engaged and excited about their drycleaning and laundry company.

When discussing employee engagement most consultants focus on the recognition side of the equation.

Recognition, whether in the form of employee awards like employee of Dan Miller the month or employee events like pizza parties, is certainly a great way to make your staff feel appreciated.

I strongly encourage recognition at drycleaning companies. However, I’ve found that these serve more as sugary desserts, providing a short-term sugar rush of motivation, but not the long-term sustained engagement for which all of us hope as owners.

Real, long-term employee engagement is much harder because it forces us as owners to do something that we’re often uncomfortable doing: sharing information. As the old expression goes, “information is power.”

As such, we as owners often like to think that it’s critical for us to retain all of the key information regarding performance metrics, financial results and employee compensation. But by doing that, we empower ourselves at the expense of our staff.

As anyone who has been in the drycleaning industry will tell you, there’s no secret sauce in this business.

It’s all about execution. So you have to ask yourself: Why are you keeping information from the people best equipped to help you, your employees?

HOW TO SHARE Unquestionably, the best way to share information with your staff is through the use of daily, weekly, and monthly scorecards. These scorecards should feature 40

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(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

Key Performance Indicators or KPIs that give a snapshot of how your business is performing in key areas of the business.

This can take the form of a simple excel spreadsheet or dynamic chart. Sharing this data with employees accomplishes two important objectives: 1) It gives employees a transparent look into the key metrics that drive the business’s success; and 2) It gives them ownership over the business’s success.

As Lyndon Johnson said, “the best way to get someone’s vote is to ask for their help.” At my company we review scorecards on a daily basis all the way up and down the organization.

Knowing that the CEO is looking at these scorecards shows our employees that their work matters and has real impact on our company and our customers.

WHAT TO SHARE Obviously, you should share only as much data with your staff as you feel comfortable. However, my advice would be to share as much as you possibly can.

At my company, we are an open book. At our recent annual meeting, I shared full data on revenue and profitability with my staff as well as the data that drove changes in those indicators. www.americandrycleaner.com

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By doing this, I believe we showed employees the respect that they deserve and showed them that they are key players in our success.

More specifically, I recommend sharing the most important metrics to measure success in the major functions of the company, such as finance, marketing, operations, stores and route.

In determining these metrics I always ask myself the question: “If all of these metrics were above goal would I be fully confident that this section of the business was doing well?”

PREPARE TO SHARE Many owners I talk to say they would love to share more with their employees, but are concerned about some of the fallout that could be caused when data is shared.

For example, if we show that the company is really profitable, will every employee want more money? If we show that the company is struggling, will people want to leave? If we show that people make more money than others, will that cause problems?

These are legitimate concerns and it’s absolutely true that sharing information can cause problems. However, in my experience sharing information only causes problems if you aren’t prepared to explain your choices.

For example, employees understand that not everyone

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makes the same wage, and will accept it if there is a logical explanation or system behind it. However, if pay gaps are arbitrary than you will have issues.

Likewise, if your company is profitable, it’s important to explain that those profits need to be reinvested in the business or used as compensation for your work and financial risk.

As an example, at my company, we have a profit percentage we need to meet to fund growth. Profits above that mark can be distributed in raises and bonuses.

This centers everyone around the key goal of increasing profitability. These are just examples, but whatever you decide to share, make sure that it can be clearly explained by a logical, rule-based system, not the whims of the owner.

In summary, implementing a company-wide, ongoing information-sharing program driven by daily, weekly, and monthly scorecards and regular review of those scorecards will empower and engage your employees.

You’ll find that this newfound employee engagement will enhance their quality of life as well as the health of the ADC business. Giving is indeed better than receiving!

Dan Miller is the chief executive officer of Mulberrys Garment Care, a premium drycleaning and laundry business with 17 locations in Minneapolis, San Francisco, and Dallas.

You may contact him at dmiller@mulberryscleaners.com or 866-473-0798.

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S P OT T I N G T I PS

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

Smiles Replace Stains Your chemical tools are critical for professional restoration, make use of them

W

hen one markets ones services as professional, it requires the use of professional tools. Garment care specialists have a multitude of tools at their disposal.

Although they are often taken for granted or even overlooked, your chemical tools are critical to giving the best in professional restoration of everything entrusted to you for care.

This is an overview of the wellstocked cleaning department. Decide now to do it right.

The first necessity is a good detergent. In dry cleaning you have Martin Young two choices. The most popular is a detergent that is injected with each load. The other is one that “charges” the system (base tank and all) to a pre-determined percentage.

I usually recommend a charge detergent for hydrocarbon systems, to take advantage of the bactericide for the filtration and the base tank. Sour solvent gives poor cleaning.

The detergent will control the water in the basket, much of which is carried by items placed in the machine. This will noticeably increase water soluble stain removal in the machine, giving better cleaning and reducing post spotting.

Water is a liability when it is not strictly controlled in a drycleaning system. The detergent will minimize or eliminate static in a drycleaning machine that has a properly grounded shaft on the basket.

Solvent soluble stains are stains that normally are removed in the drycleaning machine. There is a category of dryside stains that require additional help for proper removal. These are the chemically soluble stains.

At your spotting board you should have a general preemptor/leveling agent.

A general prespotter is effective on stains you feel might need a little help to remove and a leveling agent

is effective in removing rain spots in the wheel and as insurance against redeposition on items that have been spotted wetside and are going to be re-run in the drycleaning machine.

Use a paint, oil and grease remover that is effective and that makes you feel comfortable. Lipstick and nail polish removal requires something more than just immersion.

While a paint, oil, and grease remover is necessary, a wise purchase would be amyl acetate which, in many cases, will act as a catalyst/booster for the paint, oil, and grease remover used at the spotting board.

The EPA has returned to a “holding pattern” when it comes to trichloroethylene, if you wish to continue using it. It is effective on latex paint, liquid paper, and glue, but does contribute to your waste stream from the still, when it is flushed out by the drycleaning system.

A sub-category on the dryside is insoluble stains.

Stains such as carbon (car exhaust), do not break down and must be flushed away with lubrication and mechanical action. This is only partially accomplished in the drycleaning machine. I recommend an oily type paint remover, which can serve as your primary chemical tool for paint, oil and grease.

Most wetside stains can be classified as either animal or plant. Animal stains are called protein stains and plant stains are called tannin stains. If the stain has a solid “crust,” try to break it up by tamping with your brush.

Over the years, I have found that the most effective way to address all wetside stains is to start by flushing them with steam over the nose of the board. This re-hydrates the stain, removes any loose material, and heats the area to accelerate the chemical action.

To find past Spotting Tips columns or share this month’s with your colleagues, visit AmericanDrycleaner.com.

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You need to include neutral synthetic detergent as a chemical tool. It has been ignored recently in the name of speed, but the few seconds it takes makes stain removal safer and more effective.

There are many stain-specific chemical tools available to the garment care professional formulated to remove protein stains. A few drops on the stain, a moments hesitation while it penetrates, some light mechanical action and you are well on your way to exceeding the customer’s expectations.

When you feel that you are facing a tough protein stain, you can apply an enzyme digester to “soften” the stain. A digester will take time to be effective, but it is well worth the effort on tough/old protein stains.

There are also many choices of stain-specific chemical tools available formulated to remove tannin stains. Tannin stains can be difficult if not treated in a timely manner.

A tannin stain that is only ten days old can take additional effort that would not have been necessary if the customer had brought it in after only 48 hours. You must have a tannin-specific chemical tool at your board, nothing else will effectively remove the stain.

Fortunately, you have choices. Don’t get impatient, tannin stains take time and require repeated application.

You have job-specific tools throughout your plant. You

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must have, at a minimum, the same type of stain-specific chemical tools at your spotting board.

On the dryside: have a general prespotter that also serves as a leveling agent; a paint, oil, and grease remover; and a lubricating agent for insoluble stains. In addition, you may want amyl acetate as a booster to the effectiveness of the paint, oil, and grease remover.

On the wetside: have a neutral synthetic detergent; a protein-specific agent; and a tannin specific-agent. In addition, you may want an enzyme digester and a second, stronger, tannin agent.

The chemical tools are available. You have choices.

The one choice you should not make is to not take advantage of these chemical tools.

Find yourself chemical tools that are effective and with which you are comfortable, based upon your knowledge and experience.

You can get a “leg up” in the marketplace, just by offering better stain removal than the competition. The ADC investment is minimal, the benefit substantial.

Martin L. Young Jr. has been an industry consultant and trainer for 20 years, and a member of various stakeholder groups on environmental issues. He grew up in his parents’ plant in Concord, N.C., Young Cleaners, which he operates today. Phone: 704-786-3011, e-mail: mayoung@ctc.net.

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A R O U N D T H E I N D U S T RY

Carolinas, the Hustons have landed Lapels Dry Cleaning, which describes itself as “an innovative, environmentally-friendly drycleaning company,” from Hanover, Mass., recently opened a drycleaning plant at 855 Gold Hill Road, Suite 106, in Fort Mill, S.C.

Lapels Dry Cleaning of Fort Mill, S.C., owner Todd Huston and his wife Christine. Lapels Dry Cleaning of Fort Mill opened recently, as did their satellite store in Charlotte, N.C. (Photo: Lapels Dry Cleaning)

More recently, the franchise reports, it also opened a satellite store at 4815 Berewick Town Center Drive, Suite H in Charlotte, N.C. The plant and satellite store represent the first Lapels Dry Cleaning locations in the greater Charlotte area, the firm notes.

“The York County area is vastly underserved, so opening Lapels Dry Cleaning serves one need,” says Todd Huston, owner of the Lapels locations in both Fort Mill and Charlotte.

“Yet it’s how we clean clothes,” he adds, “our passion for customer service and the end result that residents of Fort Mill and the greater Charlotte area are going to love.”

“I have a degree in fashion design and had a long and successful management career in retail, specifically in apparel design, development and sourcing,” says Huston.

“The Lapels cleaning processes clean and extend the life of clothing like nothing else and do it in a truly environmentally friendly way.”

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Using these kinds of solutions, Huston says, “Lapels Dry Cleaning has set itself apart with its customer service,” adding. “that’s another area where we are focused on delighting our customers.”

Huston spent nearly three decades in the fashion retail industry, Lapels writes, in nearly all facets of the business — sales, marketing, merchandising and operations.

Looking for a new challenge, the firm notes, Huston began researching franchise opportunities where he could best utilize his sales, marketing and organizational skills.

“Lapels Dry Cleaning has more than 80 locations nationwide and we’re delighted to be entering the Charlotte market,” says Kevin Dubois, CEO of the company.

“We care about the communities where we have our stores. That starts with going the extra mile to be sensitive to the environment. Yet it also has to do with being active participants in the local community and business community. We look forward to Todd and Christine accomplishing great things in their market,” says Dubois.

Married, Huston resides in Lake Wylie with his wife of 25 years Christine and their daughters Grace and Bella.

Colmac hires Lindgren Colmac Industries announced the addition of Eric Lindgren to its production team.

Lindgren is a carpentry professional with an extensive background in residential, commercial and industrial construction.

“He will be working with the Colmac quality control production team.” the company relates.

Colmac Industries describes Eric Lindgren itself as having, “A corporate office, manufacturing facility, and research and development campus located in Colville, Washington. Colmac Industries is the worldwide leader in garment finishing equipment, automated soil sorting and counting for the laundry industry,” it writes.

ADC www.americandrycleaner.com

9/16/19 3:04 PM

YARNS SPUN HERE

Fall Wedding

By Tim Burke, Editor

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

I

t’s turning to fall. Leaves changing. The early mornings have a little chill, and some silvery dew.

And some couples have their weddings planned for October.

Let’s hear from Norman Oehlke

about the topic of wedding attire, specifically the bride’s dress. He writes in the American Drycleaner’s Spotting Guide that: “Inspection at the counter is always important, but never more so than with delicate and expensive items such as wedding gowns.

“Remember,” Oehlke reminds, “that the gown has special memories for the bride. Nerves become frayed easily and emotions get out of control whenever anything goes wrong with this very special item.”

A lot rides on the moment coming off perfectly in the bride’s eye.

A beautiful wedding gown holds the cherished memory of that singular place in time and space for the married couple. Check-in at the dry-

cleaning counter is highly important.

Oehlke says: “Check the care label. If you don’t understand the label, get advice from your supervisor, the plant owner, or industry literature.

This is of prime importance if the article carries a label suggesting a care process you don’t have.”

Brides often choose a white wedding dress, notes Wikipedia. It also says wedding superstitions include: “A bride’s face should always be covered before she reaches the alter.”

Another popular superstition is for the bride to wear, “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” So her nicely-cleaned, beautiful gown means a ADC happy day indeed!

LISTEN

UP!

Hear-Here! American Drycleaner is turning up the volume on communicating to the drycleaning industry by podcasting with peers and experts. Join Editor Tim Burke as he talks with a special guest in one-on-one conversations about topics of the day. This free channel provides another convenient way to hear industry voices talk about what’s happening in your fabricare world right now. Listen from your home or office; on cell phone, tablet or laptop. C’mon and lend us an ear....

You should hear what you’re missing!

CHECK OUT WHAT YOU’VE MISSED: How to Buy a Drycleaning Business

From leases and locations to transitional costs and welcoming a new team into your operational family, Dan LaCarte, president of the drycleaning division of Model Cleaners, talks you through making a buy in the drycleaning market today.

Boiler Sizing and Selection for Dry Cleaners

NEW! Spotting: The How and Why

Learn practical tips on how to choose the right boiler capacity for your drycleaning operation from Mike Leeming, national sales manager with Parker Boiler Company.

Learn about the different spotting tools and types of garment stains, along with some “magic words” (tips for spotters) from the Stain Wizard himself Jeff Schwarz, regional vice president for A.L. Wilson Chemical Company.

Listen in at: americandrycleaner.com/podcasts 1019adc_House ADC Podcast half horiz.indd 1

www.americandrycleaner.com

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2019 RATES: One- to five-time rate: $2.15 per word, boldface $2.25 per word. Minimum charge: $25.00 per ad. Call or write for our three- and 12-time rates. If box number is used,

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9/17/19 12:14 PM

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SUEDE & LEATHER SERVICE LEATHER-RICH INC. • High quality cleaning, refinishing & repair Leather, Suede and Fur; • Free Inbound Shipping in USA FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.leatherrich.com E-mail: leatherrich@att.net Call 800-236-6996 Route Service in Upper Midwest

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A.L. Wilson Chemical Co. . . . . . . . . . 1

Mustang Enterprises. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Ally Equipment Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Newhouse Specialty Co. . . . . . . . . . . 47

BeCreative360 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Olin Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Cleaner Business Systems . . . . . . . . . . 3

Parker Boiler Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC

Cleaner’s Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Poseidon Textile Care Systems . . . . . 29

Columbia/ILSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC

Realstar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

EzProducts International . . . . . . . . . . 46

Royal Basket Trucks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Fabricare Systems, LLC. . . . . . . . . . 8-9

Seitz, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Firbimatic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

SMRT Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-26

Garment Management Systems . . . . . 19

SPOT Business Systems . . . . . . . . .IFC

Global Business Systems . . . . . . . . . . 41

Starchup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

GreenEarth Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Trevil America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Iowa Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Union Drycleaning Products . . . . . . . 13

Luetzow Industries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

White Conveyors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

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W R I N KL E I N T I M E

“After-Victory” Fabrics 10 YEARS AGO. The Worst Recession since the 1930s seems to be over, according to the Federal Reserve.

The Fed’s Beige Book — a snapshot of economic conditions throughout the country — backs Fed chief Ben Bernanke’s claim that the economy resumed growth in the current quarter. Economic activity was rated “stable,” showed “signs of stabilization” or had “firmed” in 11 out of 12 Fed districts.

35 YEARS AGO. A Woman In Los Angeles filed a $250 lawsuit against a cleaners for charging 40 cents more to do women’s shirts than men’s, and won an out-of-court settlement when the cleaners VP told the attorney he would eliminate the separate price lists. The attorney was quoted as saying: “Women have the right to go to the cleaners without losing their shirts.”

50 YEARS AGO. Constance The Countergirl. The cute but crafty, cunning and calculating countergirl, found out that the handsome, young and rich drycleaning customer was fond of hunting and told him she was game.

…. Button Lady Extraordinaire. Specialized — that’s the proper term to describe Julia who works for a drycleaning plant in West Virginia. For 23 years, Julia has been sewing on buttons at a rate of 40 an hour during peak seasons. All in all, Julia figures she sews on more than 27,000 buttons a year and has racked up an amazing lifetime record, to date, of over 620,000.

75 YEARS AGO. “After-Victory” Fabrics Of The Future!

Postwar developments may have a big effect upon dry cleaning! Along with all the other products to come, new fabrics and fabric processes have been reported looming on the post-war horizon. Alert cleaners have noted these and have wondered how they themselves will be affected. Some of these developments are fairly definite and should be reported to cleaners now. For example, textile chemists have developed a process to make woolens shrink-proof, wrinkle-resistant and more durable. This process will be known as ADC Reslooming.

— Compiled by Tim Burke, Editor The article continues for several pages talking about Nylon and Rayon, with accompanying pictures, and in this photo below of a model comparing stockings, the caption tells how stocking runs may be stopped with the application of new Syton compounds.

October 1944 American Drycleaner front cover below shows “AfterVictory” Fabrics and refers readers inside the issue to p. 28, where they can read all about Fabrics Of The Future.

This photo above shows Dr. Donald H. Powers, director of textile research at a chemical company, studying two swatches of wool and the article talks about new fabrics and processes to come post-World War II.

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

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