American Drycleaner - August 2023

© Copyright 2023 American Trade Magazines All rights reserved.

® AUGUST 2023

Building Value Into Your Supply Chain Exploring the benefits of supplier partnerships

CHARITY, PHILANTHROPY AND MARKETING U.S. DRY CLEANERS HOST JAPANESE CONTINGENT FOR INFO EXCHANGE

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drycleaner drycleaner A M E R I C A N

© Copyright 2023 A

August 2023

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Vol. 90, No. 5

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

Pre-Inspection We Are Not Alone

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AUGUST Special 2023 Feature

U.S. Dry Cleaners Host Japanese Contingent for Info Exchange

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(Photo: iStock.com/Violka08)

Building Value Int Your Supply Chain Around the Industry

20-21

Classified Ads / Ad Index

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Wrinkle in Time 24 Marches, Retiring Rooms and Convention Costs

Exploring the benefits of supplier partnerships

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Building Value Into Your Supply Chain

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Charity, Philanthropy and Marketing

While business relationships are sometimes neglected when things are running smoothly, those dry cleaners who have cultivated a partnership with manufacturers and suppliers are better equipped to survive when challenges arise. We explore what goes into building positive rapports and crucial alliances.

Dry cleaners are often in a unique position to lend their talents, facilities and workforce to helping those in need throughout their neighborhoods. We look at what charitable activities can mean to the community, to the cleaner’s team and for the cleaner’s outreach to both current and future customers.

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PRE-INSPECTION

We Are Not Alone As an owner or manager of a drycleaning company, it’s easy to feel like you are the only person in the world facing the challenges you face. Leadership can be a lonely experience, because without peers, there often is no one to bounce ideas off of or share your concerns.

The truth, however, is that we are not alone — all we have to do is look outside the walls of our own domain and see that there are people in our industry across the country, and around the world, with whom we can build a network to share our thoughts and search for solutions. There are also people in our community outside of our industry who can help us, and who we can help in return. We just have to make the effort to look.

Dave Davis Our first feature of this issue, “Building Value Into Your Supply Chain,” focuses on the added worth that manufactures, suppliers and dry cleaners can find in their business-to-business interactions when they view them as partnerships, rather than just as transactions. While things are good, transactional relationships can work, but when the going gets tough — as the pandemic showed us — those with personal relationships were better able to ride out the storm.

Our other feature for this month, “Charity, Philanthropy and Marketing,” showcases some of the work cleaners do for their community, ranging from clothing drives to a 5K run fundraiser. These efforts not only help those who could most use the aid but also shine the dry cleaner’s business in a positive light that is difficult to top. When the public already has a positive view of a business, it’s an easy decision when those customers need that company’s services.

We also have a story in this issue about dry cleaners from Japan touring U.S. cleaning companies to share ideas and compare notes about best practices. Seeing how companies from a different culture operate can sometimes generate ideas that would have never come to life without the change in perspective.

No matter what you are going through at this moment, you are not alone. Sometimes, you just have to take a look around and introduce yourself.

American Drycleaner (ISSN 0002-8258) is published monthly except Nov/Dec combined. 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 Drycleaner, Subscription Dept., 125 Schelter Rd., #350, Lincolnshire, IL 60069-3666. Volume 90, number 5. 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, 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 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, August 2023

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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 Dave Davis

312-361-1685 ddavis@ATMags.com

Digital Media Director Nathan Frerichs 312-361-1681

nfrerichs@ATMags.com

Production Manager Mathew Pawlak Advisory Board Jan Barlow Mike Bleier John-Claude Hallak Monika Manter Wesley Nelson Kyle Nesbit Fred Schwarzmann Vic Williams Wayne Wudyka Contributing Editors Dan Miller Diana Vollmer Martin Young Office Information Main: 312-361-1700

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(Photo: iStock.com/Olivier Le Moal)

Building Value Into Your Supply Chain Exploring the benefits of supplier partnerships

By Dave Davis, Editor

I

t’s been said that, when disaster strikes, you find out who your true friends are. The same can be said for the quality of business relationships — a fact Carlyn Parker has firsthand knowledge about.

“As I was growing up, I never appreciated why we stayed with the same vendors all the time,” says Parker, director of operations at Dependable Cleaners, based in the greater Boston area. “Then, in 2013, we had a fire.

Our mother plant in Quincy that serviced eight stores burned, along with our laundromat and a dry store.”

During this time of crisis, Parker and her team had to figure out a way to get their remaining locations back up and running as quickly as possible. This is when she found the value of the relationships her company had built with its suppliers and equipment manufacturers.

“The fire happened on a Saturday,” she says. “On Sunday, Compassmax — now part of Xplor Spot — sent two techs, who were at a show in California, on a red-eye flight 6

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to here to have us up and running by Monday at noon.

AristoCraft, who was our main vendor for supplies, had a truckload of supplies to our other plants on Monday morning so we could keep the rest of the company running.”

The lesson Parker learned from this experience?

“That’s why you have a relationship with your vendor,” she says. “Because I have such a close relationship with our vendors, we’re able to talk through issues and they can help resolve problems. We work on that and try to think outside the box together. When you have that relationship, you actually get more out of your vendors, and your vendors get more out of you.”

RELATIONSHIPS VS. TRANSACTIONS

Forging closer bonds in the supply chain can benefit everyone involved, says Fred Schwarzmann, CEO of A.L. Wilson Chemical Co. “We win by having our interest aligned,” Schwarzmann says. “It’s not a zero-sum game. The distributor, the manufacturer and the customer all have a common interest, and that is to put out the best garment possible and to succeed in business so that we can continue to do business over time.”

Schwarzmann likens a simple transactional relationship to that of someone buying a used car — the type of www.americandrycleaner.com

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GETTING THROUGH TOUGH TIMES

While the fire at Dependable Cleaners was an extreme situation that tested the bonds of business partnerships, the entire industry is just emerging out of one that strained the global supply chains.

“I think everyone learned the importance of relationships during COVID,” says Monika Manter, owner of Balfurd Dry Cleaning, located in State College, Pennsylvania.

“Having a close bond means you have each other’s best interests in mind,” she says. “A close bond helps the cleaner get serviced quickly, gets them products they need when they need them and has someone to connect them with their extensive network. Distributors have vast networks, and they can leverage those by connecting cleaners to each other or other non-competing distributors.”

The pandemic brought these partnerships into a new light for many cleaners.

“I heard about a lot of dry cleaners who were having trouble getting hangers and other supplies because they didn’t have a relationship with the vendor,” Parker says.

“The vendors were holding supplies for their clients who they had the relationships with, or who were regular customers. That makes a difference.”

Communication is essential, Parker says, even if — and perhaps especially if — there’s bad news.

“During COVID, we’d had all kinds of service issues with getting products,” she says. “I don’t want it to be hidden. I’d rather have an upfront conversation with them about that so we’re both in the know, and we can try to work out the problem together.” www.americandrycleaner.com

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“Many people came to the realization that we are all in this together,” Schwarzmann says. “Ours is a relatively small industry — it’s a small community. We’re not all out to crush one another. I think more of us recognize that there is a commonality of interest — that we can all win together if we keep the best interests of our customers and their customers in mind.”

Schwarzmann believes that manufacturers certainly learned a valuable lesson over the past couple of years.

“I think that the focus on the customer has intensified, and people are more aware of how fragile things can be,” he says. “It was certainly a wake-up call, and we can help our customers become less fragile by doing whatever we can to help them in their businesses.”

RELATIONSHIP RED FLAGS

A part of nurturing a relationship is recognizing the signs that indicate that it might be in trouble. Certain red flags can signal that something is getting out of balance and should be addressed.

“A red flag for the relationship would be if they can’t help you when you’re down,” Parker says.

“When an emergency happens, how they react is huge,” she says. “After the fire, we had suppliers who got us presses and other equipment as quickly as they could when we were rebuilding — we didn’t have to wait very long.”

Manter believes that the supplier needs to keep her drycleaning company’s needs in mind — otherwise, it’s a sign of a potential problem.

“I think that, if there’s a major lack of communication, it’s an issue,” she says. “People can feel when someone is just there to upsell them or trying to get a bigger commission. I understand upselling is part of their job, but it’s also vital to make sure it’s something the cleaner needs.”

On the supplier side, a lack of communication can signal that something needs to be repaired in the relationship.

“When the decision-maker won’t meet with you, that’s never a good sign,” Schwarzmann says. “If the customer feels as though you don’t have his best interests at heart, then they might be civil but they will not give you their business because you lacked that alignment that you need in order to really prosper together.”

TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION

Communication is the lifeblood of a relationship. This requires asking the right questions and listening to the responses.

To feel valued as a partner, Manter says, “it’s knowing that your rep has your best interests in mind. They’re not blindly pushing their products and services before they fully understand your business and what your pain points are. We want someone to listen to our issues and find

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experience that doesn’t work well in relationships between suppliers and dry cleaners.

“In a transactional relationship, I’m going to sell you a car one time, and then I’ll never see you again. If I burn you in the process, so be it. I win, you lose,” he says. “In our industry, it’s much more of a relational sale, where you want to cultivate a relationship, and where you’re working for a win-win-win relationship, where everyone is going to come out ahead over time.”

Schwarzmann describes it as “a win-win-win relationship” because there are multiple parties in relationship within the drycleaning industry.

“You’ve got tiers of people participating,” he says.

“You’ve got the manufacturer, which is the tier I’m on, and we sell through a network of distributors, who are also engaged in satisfying the dry cleaner. And then, the dry cleaner ultimately needs to satisfy his customer.

There are four tiers here of individuals who are engaged in each of these transactions, and whether they actively participated or not, it impacts all of them. They’re all going to win — or they’re not going to win — together.”

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solutions to our issues, not simply push products onto us.”

“I want it to be a two-way street,” Parker agrees. “I want (my vendor representatives) to be helpful to me.

When they see a store is ordering more supplies than usual, I want them to notice that and tell me.”

“The experts know that it’s more important that you listen rather than you speak,” Schwarzmann says. “I think that is certainly a key when you’re trying to develop a new relationship with a customer. You’ve got to find out where this person is and where they stand.

Do they understand what their competitors are doing?

Do they understand how to put out a good garment? Are they a businessperson, or are they just a tradesman?”

Manter feels that this “getting to know you” phase is crucial in building a partnership.

“It’s important for either a new cleaner or a new rep to have an onboarding experience,” she says. “When it’s a new relationship, the rep needs to check-in with the cleaner more frequently, either in person or by calling. They need to be reasonably accessible and call you back.”

These communication efforts are the foundation for future success.

first thing to do is to go in and figure out where they’re coming from, where they are, and where they want to go.”

Parker says that, while local suppliers should get a tour of their clients’ businesses to get a better feel for their needs, it’s still important to keep the lines of communication open with out-of-area representatives.

“Through emails or on the phone, let them know your goals,” she says. “Let them know who you are and what you’re going to be doing.”

Also, Parker has found it’s getting easier to meet with these suppliers now that shows are underway again.

“During events like The Clean Show or regional exhibitions, you can often meet them face-to-face,” she says.

“Even though we speak between events, we always search out our vendors to say hi and build that relationship.”

Industry groups provide excellent ways to connect with customers and understand their needs, as well, suggests Schwarzmann.

“Trade associations like the National Cleaners Association (NCA) or the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute (DLI) really give manufacturers an opportunity to engage with their customers in a deeper way than the transactional way of coming into your store every two weeks and seeing if you need another box of struts,” he says.

Schwarzmann believes that both those who are new to the drycleaning industry and those who are experienced should take advantage of every opportunity to connect.

“I would absolutely encourage them to consider going to a meeting of the local drycleaners’ association — it’s the gateway into the community,” he says. “There are also trade shows where you can connect, and for that matter, read the trade journals. It’s this communication and education that ties us all together.”

EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY (Photo: © alphaspirit/Depositphotos)

“It’s not rocket science,” Manter says. “It’s treating people how you want to be treated in that situation. It’s taking time to be in-house and train a cleaner on the best way to use a product or troubleshoot a service. It’s asking for feedback after the onboarding to see what could have been better.”

Schwarzmann says this process is crucial to forging long-term bonds and strengthening them over the years.

“You really need to go in and investigate before you try to counsel the dry cleaner,” he says. “If we’re all consultants, how are you going to consult with somebody until you figure out what they already know? You can’t, and you’re going to look foolish trying to do so. So, I think the 8

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To fully realize a true partnership, it takes work on both ends. While the reps can call on their drycleaning clients, those cleaners also need to make the effort to communicate their needs.

“If you want to have that good relationship, communication has to go both ways,” Parker says. “Each of the vendors has to be doing it, and we have to be doing it as dry cleaners. If you can build that relationship, you can have more success.”

And, Schwarzmann says, this should be an ongoing effort — not something to be undertaken only during emergencies.

“Everybody can get complacent when things are going well,” he says. “You do have to stay engaged, ultimately, because if you’re not engaged — if you’re not on that listening tour — you can miss out on opportunities to continue to help your customers.” www.americandrycleaner.com

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U.S. Dry Cleaners Host Japanese Contingent As part of an “International Idea Exchange” sponsored by Sankosha Manufacturing, members of the Japanese contingent review some of the capabilities of the POS system in use at Zengeler Cleaners’ Northbrook, Ill., store.

The visiting dry cleaners wore earpieces so they could hear the explanations in their own language. (Photo by Bruce Beggs)

Sankosha organizes info exchange via Illinois, Indiana visits.

By Bruce Beggs, Editorial Director

A

fter arriving in Chicagoland, a group of nearly 30 dry cleaners from Japan wasted no time in embarking on its tour of four U.S. businesses to gain insight into U.S. drycleaning procedures and operations.

The “2023 International Idea Exchange” was sponsored by laundry and drycleaning equipment maker Sankosha Manufacturing, which is headquartered in Nagoya, Japan, and has U.S. operations in the Chicago suburb of Elk Grove Village.

Executive Vice President Keisuke (Ken) Uchikoshi coordinated the trip and traveled from Japan with the contingent.

The group spent the afternoon of June 21 bussing to four of the seven Zengeler Cleaners stores.

The fifth-generation drycleaning 10

business dates back to 1857. President Tom Zengeler accompanied the group to stores and plants in Long Grove, Libertyville and Northbrook, Illinois. As he shared facts about each site, Sankosha USA President Wesley Nelson—with some help from Uchikoshi—translated for the Japanese contingent.

“It’s an honor to be able to host them like this,” Zengeler says of Sankosha and the visiting dry cleaners. “They’ve reciprocated with me.

I’ve been to Japan two times. Some of the people here today, I’ve been with over there.”

The group paused briefly when passing drop stores but stopped to tour two plants inside and out: Zengeler’s Park Avenue facility in central Libertyville that was built in 1928, and a modern, sleek package

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plant on Northbrook’s Skokie Boulevard that opened several years ago.

While the Libertyville facility is in the process of being renovated and installing new equipment, the Northbrook facility had the Japanese contingent commenting how much it reminded them of a store in their country, according to Nelson.

Zengeler had it designed to approximate stores in Japan after visiting there during a similar international tour. It earned an American Drycleaner Plant Design Award for “Outstanding Strip Location” in 2016.

“This is what a Japanese drycleaner’s location looks like,” he says.

“It’s very tight, very small, and I’m able to produce all these pieces in a small space, whereas the concept in the U.S. is ‘larger is better.’ This is just the opposite.”

During a Q-and-A session after the day’s tour, the Japanese dry cleaners asked Zengeler about things like his management team selections, staffing, payroll, and route operations.

In the days that followed, the group visited Indiana-based Peerless Cleaners (Fort Wayne) and Ziker Cleaners (Mishawaka) before returning to Chicagoland to visit CD One Price Cleaners. www.americandrycleaner.com

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Charity, Philanthropy and Marketing

Dry cleaners weaving into the fabric of the communities they serve

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By Dave Davis, Editor

O

ne of the hallmarks of the drycleaning industry is that cleaners have the opportunity to build close relationships with their clients.

Cleaners are paid, after all, to care for their customers’ personal clothing and items that often hold great sentimental value. Many cleaners go further, choosing to strengthen their ties to their customers and communities at large by offering their skills and services to those who need it most.

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While some of these charitable efforts may include activities such as making donations or sponsoring youth athletics, some cleaners have made philanthropy part of their company’s DNA and include the entire staff in providing help to their community.

HELPING THOSE AROUND YOU

In addition to providing services and support to youth groups, senior facilities and churches and synagogues in the area, Zengeler Cleaners, headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Elk Grove Village, partners with volunteer groups annually for two major clothing drives. Coats for Vets provides winter clothing to veterans in November, and the Prom Dress Collection allows high school students who wouldn’t otherwise afford dresses and accessories to look great on their special spring night.

“It’s part of the culture of our company,” says Tom Zengeler, president of Zengeler Cleaners. “The company’s 166 years old this year, and it goes back to my grandfather and my dad. As far as I can recall, they were always involved in the community. I hung onto their coattails. They were a good example — that’s what they taught me.”

Kimberly Wilkinson, owner of four Lapels Dry Cleaning locations in the Marshfield and Hanover, Mass., area, also has made charity work a cornerstone of her company’s culture. She gives to fundraisers and other events and provides cleaning services and storage to area choirs and sports teams. Wilkinson also has partnered with a local food pantry to gather items and raise donations, as well as working with nonprofits to gather winter coats for area children.

“The ability to own a business in the communities in which I live struck a chord with me,” Wilkinson says, “and I’ve always had a desire to help those less fortunate, and especially children.”

She believes that owning a drycleaning company allows her a greater degree of contact with customers than is available in almost any other type of retail business.

“My profession was in the investment management space prior to dry cleaning,” she says. “In that profession, I never had an opportunity to work directly in my community, and philanthropic work has always been a passion of mine. I was able to do charity work corporately, but never locally.”

For Ken Sandy, managing partner of Dryy Garment Care in the Washington, D.C., area, working to provide opportunities for his neighborhoods is simply part of doing business.

“We have a core culture of charity and philanthropic work, so it doesn’t take much for us to get inspired,” he says. “The communities were so welcoming to us, and it spoke to us profoundly.”

Dryy also works with area volunteer groups to gather materials for those who need it, including a program called Dress for Success.

“It is a global woman’s group, and they have a D.C. chapter,” Sandy says. “They help battered woman who are returning to work and regaining their lives leaving abusive situations. Once per quarter, we do a call to action for gently used clothing. We clean them, sanitize them and categorize them by color and size. And then we set up a place where (these women) can actually have a shopping experience.”

The company also has sponsored an event called the “Dryy Run,” a 5K running event that raises money for various charities. Last year, the event benefitted an area woman who helped homeless children. This year, proceeds went to helping area children attend summer camp.

“We support community outreach,” Sandy says. “If there is an organization that needs help, whether we help with marketing, or just co-brand and support financially, we’re there. We do a ton of stuff.”

A CARING CULTURE

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In addition to helping those in need, charitable work also helps improve the morale of the drycleaning team when they see the work they do translated into muchappreciated aid.

“It creates an opportunity for both the employees and the customers to work together and to get behind some great community efforts,” Zengeler says. “It’s a combination of employees and customers. And then, people hear about events like our prom dress drive, for instance.

People send dresses to us from Florida and Canada and Texas and Arizona. The team members really get excited about the efforts.” www.americandrycleaner.com

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“It used to be much more difficult, before we had an all-enrolled culture,” he says. “Our employees now enjoy it, but they used to fight me on merging charity work in.

They now see it, and they feel good about themselves.”

GETTING THE WORD OUT

While doing work that benefits the surrounding community feels good, it can also bring business benefits.

While marketing isn’t the goal of Zengeler’s charitable efforts, it does provide a boost.

“It creates earned media for us, and obviously in a positive way,” he says “It identifies us as a partner in the community, and we become considered as part of the fabric of the community. A lot of times, we don’t even know about all the earned media it creates. It’s a very nice opportunity for us.”

Sandy agrees with this assessment: “I think that it shows the community we really care, and that we care about adding value. I don’t think you’ll ever be able to quantify this particular metric about how outreach drives numbers.

People have tried to do it, but I think it’s impossible. I’m confident, though, that it creates more business for us.”

Raising the visibility of her business, Wilkinson says, is a major benefit of her charitable work.

▼

“It feels good to help,” Wilkinson says. “Some days, we can think, ‘We are just a drycleaning company — what’s the big deal?’ But when you can help an organization, whether it’s through doing some cleaning or transportation, it does feel good. It brightens the day.”

For Sandy’s team, doing charitable work actually helped the business during a slow — and scary — time.

“We went into overdrive during the pandemic,” Sandy says. “I had 52 employees standing around. We had some resources, we had our facility, we had PPP [Paycheck Protection Program] money that we used properly, and our communities were really, really hurting.”

Sandy first put the company’s delivery vans to work.

“The vans are a resource. They’re mobile, they can transport anything you choose, as long as it’s safe,” he says. “We gathered gently used clothing and perishables for food outposts and set up these outposts in the community. We had ready-made meals that people could come and get. We met them where they were at, and it’s important to meet them where they are at, so they don’t feel judged. As we started to come out of the pandemic, we learned that we were really onto something.”

It’s important to get buy-in from your staff before starting on any charitable endeavor, according to Sandy.

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“It’s an opportunity to get our name out among large groups at one time,” she says. “During the coat drive, we reached more than 5,000 families. The visibility is huge.

Where we do uniform cleaning for high school teams, that’s 50 families that we can directly impact. They put our logo on the website and in the program, as someone who contributes to the team or to the organization.”

This visibility not only bolsters her standing with existing customers but also allows her business to rise above the noise of competition in seeking new potential clients.

“One of our questions we ask a new customer is what brought them in, and they’ll say, ‘My son plays on the hockey team,’ or ‘I was at such-and-such event, and I won the raffle,’” she says. “It’s hard to quantify, but I know from talking with our customers, especially our new ones, that there is a direct correlation. It’s a win-win situation.”

WORKING IT IN

While doing pro bono work for the community brings benefits, it can’t come at the cost of profitability. Sandy believes that part of this balancing act comes in taking an honest look at the company’s capabilities and capacities.

“Of course, it’s a priority to make money and be able to keep the doors open,” he says. “There are times when

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the charity volume just has to take a second seat. I communicate that to our organizations. I don’t overcommit on deadlines when I can’t do them.”

Another part of the ability to do charity work is to simply factor it into the total workload of the business.

“It’s not really a challenge,” Wilkinson says. “Lapels has created such a workable system operationally, that when we have large pieces of business that come in, such as something of a charity nature, we’re able to prioritize it, and put it where it needs to be.”

Determining what is urgent and what can wait is key to this prioritization.

“An organization needing costumes or uniforms cleaned, for instance, generally knows their needs well in advance, so we’ll have the opportunity to have their things cleaned and ready to go,” Wilkinson says. “Those things come with a manageable timetable. For uniform cleaning and storage at the end of a season, they don’t need it for another six months, so we’ve got time. It doesn’t really put any strain on our production schedule.”

After doing programs for years, Zengeler says, there’s no substitute for experience.

“We’ve been doing those two major programs for so long that it’s very well-managed, and we just have to tweak it

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every year,” he says. “We’ve got specific schedules with high schools that are collecting dresses, and we’ll pick them up on one of the drivers’ slower days, when we have an opportunity where we’re not overburdening the staff.”

LISTEN TO YOUR COMMUNITY

So, for cleaners who want to get involved with their communities, where’s the best place to start?

Wilkinson says it all starts with simply listening: “Get to know your customers. Start talking to them in short bursts — two- or three-minute conversations — and you can learn a lot. Get to know them and listen and the opportunities will present themselves.”

“Just look around — it’s there. It’s there,” Sandy says.

“Start from within first. Create some culture in your business. You can start with a smaller interdisciplinary team and go do small things. Show up at a golf tournament. Sponsor a highway. Just get your brand out there and demonstrate that’s what you’re built on. And then, opportunities will just start showing up.”

This outreach will not only help the community now, Sandy says, but will enable the neighborhood to become healthier, which helps both business and citizens.

“I think, in the future, all truly successful companies

will have to have some sort of philanthropic component,” he says. “Vibrant communities create happiness. It helps people find their identity.”

“There are larger needs than I ever really thought there were out there,” Wilkinson says, “so there are larger opportunities to help.”

LOOKING FORWARD

Wilkinson says that dry cleaners’ initial effort to start a philanthropic program will be rewarded in time.

“Don’t be afraid to give away service,” she says. “It always comes back to you in full, and you will make it up in the long run. I think it’s one of the fastest ways to grow your business, in terms of visibility and marketing, and it comes at a low cost. Dry cleaning is about service, and if you keep that as your focal point, the rest will come.”

Zengeler notes that these efforts have rewards for the dry cleaner’s team and those around them. He has four children, now in their 20s, who all donate their time and efforts for various needs.

“Getting involved with these programs is rewarding for my employees, for my family, and for the whole company,” he says. “It makes your culture so much stronger when you are able to do that.”

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AROUND THE INDUSTRY

In Memoriam: Joseph A. Petrozzi, Coats for Kids Founder

Longtime dry cleaner dies at age 95

N

IAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — Joseph A. Petrozzi, a longtime dry cleaner in Niagara Falls, New York, and the founder of the nationwide charity Coats for Kids, passed away on June 6, 2023, at the age of 95.

After serving in the U.S. Army from 1946 until his honorable discharge in 1947, Petrozzi began operating his businesses, Capitol Cleaners and Feldman Furs, in 1948. He operated it together with his wife, Grace, and son, Russell.

Petrozzi founded Coats for Kids 54 years ago, which is now a nationwide charity accepting, cleaning and donating coats for children in need.

Joe was involved with the Better Business Bureau, serving as a Board Member and also had the distincPetrozzi tion of being their longest tenured member. He was a member of the National Cleaners Association, and the longest standing board member of Health Association of Niagara County (HANCI).

“Despite all he gave to his family, his business and his association, his heart and spirit knew boundless empathy and generosity for the world around him,” says Dawn Hargrove-Avery, digital marketing manager for the National Cleaners Association (NCA). “Everyone he touched, regardless of age, gender, status, race or religion was treated with respect and honored as a valued human being. He was the founding father of the Coats for Kids initiative and was fully committed to it for decades, during good times and bad.”

Hargrove-Avery believes that Petrozzi’s example of helping those in need is one that should be taken to heart by everyone in the industry, both for those who they help and for the rewards it brings.

“I once asked Joe about that dedication and his eyes misted up as he told story after story of helping children

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of all shapes and sizes find ‘their’ coat,” she says. “The one that was going to make them feel, not only warm on a cold, western New York day, but special, valued, and proud of themselves. Over the years, Joe spearheaded the collection, cleaning, and distribution of untold thousands of coats, and with each one made a difference in the life of a child.”

If desired, memorial offerings may be made to Niagara Hospice.

“The world is less with his passing,” Hargrove-Avery says, “but also so much greater for the life he led.”

Amazon Looking to Partner with Business for Deliveries Program could offer new stream of income for small businesses

S

EATTLE — Because of a new program unveiled by Amazon, companies that make deliveries, including dry cleaners, could soon have a new stream of income.

Called Amazon Hub Partners, the new initiative would have companies deliver Amazon packages to its customers. Amazon describes the program as a three-step process: It will deliver packages to the business, the business will deliver the packages to their final destination during the day when the business has time, and Amazon will pay for each package delivered.

Amazon says it is looking for its partners to commit to delivery 20-50 packages per day, depending on the area and the capacity of the business, and wants participants to commit to deliver packages 7 days a week.

The program is now available in 24 states including Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin.

Amazon currently has an on-demand webinar to offer an overview and information about the Hub Delivery program, and is scheduling in-person and virtual events to discuss the program with interested business owners.

For more information, visit https://logistics.amazon. com/hubdelivery.

www.americandrycleaner.com

7/14/23 2:19 PM

Report: Small-Business Owners Planning for More Hiring, Higher Revenue

U.S. Chamber of Commerce releases Small Business Index findings

W

ASHINGTON — Small businesses are feeling better about the future, according to the latest MetLife & U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Index, released June 28, 2023. Both hiring plans and revenue expectations for the next year reached the highest level ever recorded in the Index (started in Q2 2017), driving the overall score higher.

The Index rose to 63.1 this quarter, a slight increase from last quarter (60.0) and near findings in Q4 2022 (62.1). Overall, small businesses continue to feel good about the day-to-day operations of their business, including business health and cash flow, despite continued macroeconomic mixed signals.

However, most small-business owners continue to see inflation as their biggest challenge by far. More than half (54%) say inflation is their top challenge. This has remained consistent since Q3 2022 and represents a 35-percentage point increase since Q3 2021.

This sentiment is widespread, and inflation is the top concern for small businesses regardless of their region, number of employees, or sector.

The index also found that hiring expectations reached the highest ever recorded for the Index (started Q2 2017). Nearly half (47%) of small businesses report that they anticipate increasing staff in the next year, up 10 percentage points since last quarter.

Revenue expectations also reached the highest ever recorded for the Index (started Q2 2017), with 71% of owners saying they expect next year’s revenue to increase, up by seven percentage points since Q1 2023.

Competition is also getting fiercer, with 36% of small businesses saying that competition has increased compared to six months ago, a nine-percentage point jump from Q1 2023 (27%).

Small businesses say they are changing their behavior in response to interest rate hikes and have more concern about rising rates. Three in four (76%) smallbusiness owners say rising interest rates are limiting their ability to raise capital or financing for their business, a 10-percentage point increase since last quarter and a 16-percentage point increase since first asked one year ago.

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WRINKLE IN TIME

Marches, Retiring Rooms and Convention Costs 10 YEARS AGO. Familiarity Breeds Business — Many dry cleaners who attended The Clean Show 2013 in New Orleans reported that they were more likely to do business with a certain company based on the information they received there, according to the American Drycleaner Wire survey. Eighty percent of respondents said they were more likely to do business with a certain manufacturer, distributor or supplier based on their show experience. Ten percent rejected that notion, and the remaining 10% were not sure.

Approximately 41% of respondents had attended the show in 2013, with 59% staying home.

25 YEARS AGO. Time for a March — With the number of co-sponsors of the Small Business Remediation Act — also known as the Barton Bill in honor of its author, Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) — at 83, the MidAtlantic Cleaners and Launderers Association said it would act as host organization for an Oct. 1 march on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. “We are just so close to having the 100 co-sponsors Congressman Joe Barton says he needs to make this thing happen, that we simply cannot leave any stone unturned to get them,” said Earl Knight, legislative chairman for Mid-Atlantic.

50 YEARS AGO. The Retiring Room

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— A standard that required at least one “retiring room” for female employees was revoked as “not related directly to employee safety and health on the job.” This reversal was announced by Chain Robbins, deputy assistant secretary of labor and administrator of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). “We decided the basic issue was whether retiring rooms for any employee, male or female, are necessary or appropriate in providing a safe and healthful place of employment. We concluded that they are not, so we revoked the standard.”

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75 YEARS AGO. The Costs of Conventions — The Convention and Tourist Bureau of San Francisco reported the expense figures for the National Institute of Cleaning & Dyeing’s (NICD) convention in March 1948. Registered delegates spent $251,667.58 during the fiveday convention, which averaged $141.70 per person. Delegates averaged $6 for hotels, $6.07 for restaurants, $1.75 for beverages, $0.25 for theaters, $1.33 for local transportation and $3.49 for night clubs.

— Compiled by Dave Davis, Editor

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