American Drycleaner - March 2024

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® MARCH 2024

Redundancy in Your

Plant CARING FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS’ COUTURE CLOTHING AROUND THE INDUSTRY

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drycleaner drycleaner A M E R I C A N

March 2024

®

Vol. 90, No. 11

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

Pre-Inspection Planning Ahead

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Around the Industry

20

Classified Ads / Ad Index

22-23

Wrinkle in Time 24 Strategies, Crackdowns and Minimum Wages

(Photo: © IgorVetushko/Depositphotos)

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MARCH 2024 Redundancy in Your Plant

Cleaners are only as effective as their equipment allows them to be, so when it comes to making sure everything stays up and running, having redundancy is a game changer. What should cleaners be looking for, and how can they enjoy redundancy they can afford?

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Caring for Your Customer’s Couture Clothing

It’s one of the fastest-growing segments of many dry cleaners’ businesses, but caring for couture clothing can require a shift in mindset, training and equipment. What steps should cleaners take to enter this field of customer care?

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HUNG UP ON THE HIDDEN HANGER? If you need a little help finding this month’s hanger hidden on our cover, here’s a clue.

Good luck!

Redundancy

American Drycleaner, March 2024

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PRE-INSPECTION

Planning Ahead “Beginning with the end in mind” is Habit No. 2 in Stephen R. Covey’s book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” and it’s one that dry cleaners should heed both in their business plans and their daily activities. Without a clear picture of what the future should look like, it’s much more difficult to achieve positive results. Those with this preparation mindset, however, will know what success really is and have a better idea of which path to take to reach their goals.

This month’s issue of American Drycleaner examines this “look ahead” attitude from a couple of different perspectives.

At first glance, these topics might not look like they are all that related, but both demonstrate how being prepared can bring sucDave Davis cess for cleaners.

The first feature this month is “Redundancy in Your Plant.” The old saying that it’s when — not if — a machine will fail is nowhere as true as it is in a drycleaning plant. In an industry as dependent on its equipment as this one, having plans to deal with gear that won’t go, either because it’s worn out or an inexpensive part gives out at the worst moment, is essential to keep things up and running. We ask industry experts for their advice on what cleaners’ “Plan B” should be before it’s needed.

Our second feature, “Caring for Your Customers’ Couture Clothing,” examines one of the fastest growing segments in the drycleaning industry — high-end clothing. Entering into this field might not take new equipment — if the equipment you have is fully functional, up to date, well-maintained and clean — but it takes a lot of planning, careful consideration and understanding what goes into creating garments that cost thousands of dollars. In an field where there is no margin for error, knowing what the next step should be is crucial for achieving an outcome that will delight the customer and turn a profit.

Starting with the end in mind not only gives better end results, but can also alleviate some of the stress involved with performing activities “on the fly,” without a safety net. Many times, it’s just a matter of knowing what should come next.

Publisher Charles Thompson 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 Office Information Main: 312-361-1700

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 11. 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, 2024. 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, March 2024

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REDUNDANCY REDUNDANCY Multiple options allow dry cleaners to get back up and running

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By Dave Davis, Editor

n our equipment-dependent industry, there are several single points of failure that can sideline a plant.

Even a fuse that costs less than a buck can take down a vital machine and leave workers idle — and customers waiting for their garments.

In a perfect world, cleaners would have multiple levels of redundancy. But since money, space and other realworld conditions are limiting factors, how can owners find that balance to keep their plant running with machines that, on a long enough timeline, will ultimately fail?

THE REDUNDANCY FACTOR

“Dry cleaners run a complicated business with a lot of moving parts,” says Jerry Moore, owner of equipment supplier Moore Services, Cleveland, “and anybody who’s been in our trade for any length of time knows that there’s an inevitable breakdown coming at the worst possible time. So, having a Plan B could be considered a luxury, but operationally? It can be an absolute game changer.”

“It’s a hard situation with a dry cleaner because all

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ncy Redundancy Re plant is a lot of what my company is working on now.”

However, even if the prices and availability are good, there are other factors to consider.

“You have to weigh the additional cost of maintenance against the labor savings and the potential for breakdowns,” Moore says. “Also, real estate is one of our biggest expenses as an industry, so careful planning is essential for the return on that investment. Safety codes also have to be a major part of planning, because the days of pouring machinery into a cramped space are behind us.

Inspectors and/or local regulators don’t allow it.”

Tungesvick believes cleaners often overlook one element of redundancy — one that generally costs nothing extra and takes up no added space.

“What also speaks to redundancy is having crosstrained employees,” he says. “When I have a presser who doesn’t show up, if the person who’s doing shirts today is also a presser, you can still get the job done. If you’ve got your team able to jump in and let you move along, that’s just as important as having extra parts and extra pieces of equipment. If you’re keeping up on maintenance and your plant is modern, your machines are more reliable than your human element.”

REDUNDANCY REDUNDANCY

NCY REDUNDANCY RED the pieces have to work together — if there’s a problem, there’s a trickle-down effect.” says Vic Williams, Eastern sales manager of equipment manufacturer Union Dry Cleaning, as well as the owner of Impressive Cleaners and Formal Wear in McDonough, Georgia.

“Our business is so different from everybody else’s. A laundromat will just put an ‘out of order’ sign on one of their washers if it goes out. You’ve got 40 more of them.

But in a drycleaning plant, especially a small one, you’re trying to get by with all your equipment running.”

So, where should cleaners focus when it comes to ensuring redundancy?

“Start with the ones that are keeping all the other machines running — the boiler and air compressor,” says Mike Tungesvick, national sales manager for equipment manufacturer Sankosha USA. “Your other giant piece of equipment is your drycleaning machine, unless you are primarily a wet cleaner. If your drycleaning machine goes down, you’re in trouble.”

Moore agrees with Tungesvick’s assessment.

“Having a secondary boiler for a dry cleaner as a backup for what many people in the drycleaning industry call the heart of the plant is probably high on a lot of people’s wish lists,” he says. “Having redundancy for the lungs of the plant — the air compressor — is probably even more common. Many places will have an older air compressor that serves as a backup or, in some cases, twin aircompressor systems that automatically alternate to even out wear and tear.”

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NCY REDUNDANCY RED AVOIDING THE ISSUE

When it comes to keeping machinery up and running, lessening the need for redundancy, Williams says that there’s no substitute for taking good care of the equipment you rely on.

“Don’t lag on doing maintenance or making repairs, because it’s going to break when you when you need it the most and you least expect it to,” he says. “Have the necessary, basic parts for repair, and sometimes you have to be creative. If you needed a compressor to run just the drycleaning machine or a few presses, you can probably get a portable air compressor to run items like that. It might not run your shirt units, but it could be a way to get by and run some equipment if you needed to.”

“Maintenance is key to everything,” Tungesvick agrees.

“Keep your machine clean because a cleaning plant is a lint factory. That lint gets oily and dirty and collects on the equipment, and then you’re behind the eight ball.”

Making maintenance an integral part of their processes is critical, Tungesvick believes, but that might require some research and training for owners, especially in small plants.

“Most equipment is fairly easy to maintain, and some plants are lucky in that they do have a handyman who can maintain every machine, but most don’t,” he says.

“And in most of the country, there’s no one anymore to

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REDUNDANCY REDUNDANCY

NCY REDUNDANCY RED COSTS VS. BENEFITS

While expense is a major element in deciding what, if any, equipment to buy to achieve a level of redundancy, dry cleaners who have closed or consolidated have increased the options available to other cleaners.

“There’s a ton of used stuff out there that can make this idea really work well,” Moore says. “These days, we’re seeing many large, multi-store drycleaning chains merge or consolidate stores to increase efficiency and reduce overall operating costs, so the redundancy thing is kind of happening. Merging two or three stores to one

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www.americandrycleaner.com

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ncy Redundancy REDUNDANCYRe RED time that it goes bad. Then, your conveyor is down and you’re trying to find that special belt. You want belts for any of the machines that use them — conveyor, washer, dryer, and so on — because these days often it’s not something that you’re going to be able to go down to the hardware store and get a replacement. Belts usually aren’t that expensive, but it’s something you’re going to have to research, and if it breaks, you’ll be down until you can find another one.”

These specialized parts might be inexpensive, Williams says, but having them on hand when needed can be tricky.

“There are small little fuses that we sell here — these fuses are 10 or 20 cents — but you can’t go down to Home Depot and get them,” he says. “With things like that, you don’t need them until you need them. I would recommend calling up the manufacturer and asking what parts they recommend having on hand that are not very expensive. Then, just have it on the shelf as an investment.”

It’s also helpful to look at the cleaning plant as a whole, because there might be savings to be found.

“In a lot of cases, where you have numerous pieces of one brand of machine, it’s pretty easy to take the manuals for those machines and pare down a list of common parts that are universal to that brand’s equipment,” Moore says.

“That will save you some money and give you backups, not just for one unit, but for perhaps several.”

And, while having the spare parts that might be necessary to get a plant back up and running can give a cleaner peace of mind, Tungesvick knows that not being able to find them — or the tools needed to install them — in an emergency can be nothing short of infuriating.

“You want to keep them organized,” he says. “Have a place that serves as a workshop for tools and spare parts.

That saves a lot of headaches. A cleaner might order parts, and the parts will come in, but then I get a call asking why they haven’t received them yet. We’ll do the research and see that they were shipped and signed for, but they just get lost in the shuffle at the plant. Having an organized place for that sort of thing, where you can find everything when you need to make a repair, is very important.”

“You have to stay on top of your machinery,” Moore says. “Have a couple of spare relays for your boiler or a handful of common spare parts for your presses. It might cost some money, but considering the cost of downtime, it’s a no-brainer. As the saying goes, hope for the best and plan for the worst.”

REDUNDANC REDUNDANCY REDUNDANCY

RedundancyRED Red NCY REDUNDANCY come and fix a piece of equipment, so a lot of owners are getting very mechanical, where they can take care of their machines themselves. Companies like ours offer a lot of support, but the key is that you want to keep on top of your weekly, monthly and yearly maintenance.”

Part of this upkeep, Tungesvick says, is making sure the elements that the cleaner knows will have to be replaced from time to time are properly addressed and aren’t allowed to fail.

“It’s mainly the wearable parts, like belts for your dryers and your washers, drain valves and solenoid valves for your air-operated equipment,” he says. “If you got a cylinder that’s on its last leg, it’s still going to operate.

It’ll leak and won’t operate as well as it should, but it’s still going to move, and you’ve got a little more time. If a belt breaks, you’re down.”

“Stay up on your boiler inspections,” Williams says.

“It’s usually done every year, and if you replace the ‘wear’ parts, you might not have a problem. For me, I really never went a day at my plant without a boiler. We stayed up on the maintenance every year. If you’re not going to have two of each, then take very good care of the one you have.”

Also, when it comes to maintenance, having employees who are engaged in the business is valuable — they will recognize when equipment needs repair sooner because they are the one using it.

“If you have the staff with this mindset, you can give them ownership of that machine,” Tungesvick says. “If you’ve bought a new shirt machine or new press, you can tell them, ‘This is yours. When you’re done, just wipe it down and keep it clean.’ Get them involved in it.

That helps tremendously.”

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Having redundant parts available for repairs is a great middle-ground alternative to having multiple pieces of equipment, Williams says. Having the right part for the moment you need it, however, might take a bit of planning.

“Think about things like a belt for the conveyor, for example,” he says. “You never think to check it until the

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Caring for Your Customers’ Couture Clothing

(Photo: © konradbak/Depositphotos)

By Dave Davis, Editor

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ry cleaners looking to increase their piece count while maintaining — and increasing — their pricing may want to set their sights to higher fashion.

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Couture clothing presents a major opportunity for dry cleaners who are willing to take the steps necessary to care for the high-end garments, says Jason Loeb, owner of the South Florida-based Sudsies Garment Care, which began caring for couture items more than 15 years ago.

“It’s a growth area,” Loeb says. “There are 56 Prada stores in the United States, for instance, which means there are 56 designated market areas (DMAs) for Prada.

And that doesn’t include sales from department stores. If there’s a Saks or a Neiman Marcus, that’s a DMA, and there’s a need for cleaners in those markets. Put yourself near those locations.”

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Growing market demands special treatment from dry cleaners

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MARKET PRESSURES

Michael Harris, owner of Oceanside Cleaners, headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, says this growth potential is what compelled him to offer couture services at his business beginning in January 2023.

“We had always gotten designer garments, and we had processed them in the safest way,” he says. “We started realizing that at the end of 2022, we were getting several hundred a year. Now we are getting several hundred a month; in December, we were close to 700.”

Because so many were coming in, Harris knew Oceanside had to embrace this segment of their customer base.

“We realized that these garments take a special prequalifying, cleaning, finishing and packaging process,” he says. “That’s why we started offering more specialized services, to protect the garment. It’s all about the garment.” Charges for these services for couture garments, he says, run about twice of what is charged for regular items.

The Oceanside team received training from Loeb and the Sudsies staff to get this new segment of their operations up and running, says Elizabeth Cayer, lead trainer at Oceanside.

“We definitely use a lot of Jason’s knowledge and expertise with these couture brands and garments,” she says. “To help us understand, we did some on-site visits for our staff to look at these brands and learn about the construction of these garments. Jason has great relationships built up with some of these brands, and we were able to even go into their retail stores and meet with people who handle these pieces day to day. That helped us understand how they’re made and how they should be taken care of.”

DEFINING THE TERM

Couture clothing differs from more common garments because of the materials used and the skill of those who create them.

Materials that make up these garments can include exclusive fabrics such as lace; silk; feather; beads; silver and gold; cotton and linen; cashmere; and more.

In addition to these high-end fabrics, the care taken in creating couture clothing also sets it apart from more common apparel. Loeb says it takes an average of 150 hours to create a “simple” couture dress or suit, and it can take more than 1,000 hours to create a piece that involves fine embroidery or other embellishments.

For haute couture — the highest standard — the garments must be made by a design house that, among other requirements, creates made-to-order clothes for private 16

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clients in its workshop. These houses must also employ at least 15 people and present a collection of no less than 50 original designs to the public every season, in January and July.

Houses qualifying for this designation include Christian Dior, Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier and others, according to Loeb.

SPECIAL CARE FOR SPECIAL ITEMS

Not only does cleaning couture cleaning take special care, it takes a special mindset.

“How you do one thing is how you do everything,” Loeb says. “Couture starts at the initial discussion with the guest. It’s not about cleaning it — it’s about educating the consumer (on the process and the care we take).”

Then, decisions have to be made in how best to proceed with the cleaning process.

“You have to decide what type of cleaning is best for the garment,” Loeb says. “Should it be hand-cleaned, wet-cleaned, dry-cleaned, or disassembled, with each part cleaned differently and then reassembled? There are four different types of cleaning methods that can be done, and that has to be determined by the experience of your team.”

Communication is key to a successful outcome, Cayer says.

“We reach out to the customer to go over the process with them,” she says. “If we haven’t served them in the past, we do want to make them aware of the process we’re going to use, and ask for their approval before we proceed.”

After that, the work begins. “We then take it to our plant with our technicians,” Cayer says. “We only choose certain specialized technicians to work on these pieces — it’s not just going to just anybody — in order to get the proper care.”

While the garment is examined initially by the staff at the counter, who are trained to recognize these items, it’s then re-examined by the designer garment specialist.

“It gets an even more in-depth inspection, looking at it as closely as we possibly can for any potential damages, defects, stains and things of that nature,” Cayer says.

“We want to make sure we’re taking care of the customer, and that means getting really good pre-qualification before we ever actually do any cleaning. We also take pictures of all the garments, with close-up pictures of specialty buttons or other embellishments. We want to make sure we really take a good look at those beforehand so we know what it should look like at the end.”

“At Sudsies, we teach couture methods first by identification of the different fabrics, design materials, construcwww.americandrycleaner.com

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soft? Does your vacuum work? It’s also the area around the equipment.

Is the area clean? Take an $18,000 Oscar de la Renta dress and put on the press. If there are dust bunnies around, which carry grease, and they get on the dress, it damages it. The environment has to be clean to per-

form the services that are needed.”

Prepping the garments before using the equipment is also vital, Harris says.

“You need to have nice, updated and well-maintained equipment … but it boils down to the handling,” he says. “Half the items, if not

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tion of the materials, and the type of appointments on every piece of material,” Loeb says. “That means material could have gold buttons, for instance. We just did a pair of $5,000 pants that had gold-plated buttons.

Do they have sequins? Do they have bugle beads? All these things have to be attended to differently. Everyone in our 250-member team is trained in couture. Again, the way it starts is the way it needs to finish.”

Cayer agrees that training is crucial when it comes to caring for valuable clothing.

“Only certain staff handle these garments,” she says, “so you have to make sure that you’re choosing the right kind of people to deal with these items.”

The people who are successful in this specialized market understand the nature of their mission.

“These are people who really pay attention to details and have an understanding of these garments and what they need to be taken care of properly,” she says. “They understand these garments are high value, that they’re made by hand. They understand the construction process of how these garments are made. They also know these couture garments cannot withstand the same cleaning as a more durable cotton pair of pants.”

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THE RIGHT CARE AND HARDWARE

While the equipment used to clean couture clothing might be the same as what is used for everyday garments, there are considerations to be made before using those tools on items worth thousands of dollars.

“I do think we have the best of the best equipment in our facilities, but it’s not only the equipment — it’s the maintenance of the equipment,” Loeb says. “Is the padding new? Is it www.americandrycleaner.com

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more, need to be hand-cleaned. If you do put it (in a) machine, do you have to take the buttons off and put them back on? Do you have to wrap some tinfoil around some beads, or wrap a towel around the top because it’s all full of beads, but still get spilled wine out of the bottom? We have a certain program on the cleaning machines for designer garments because you cannot beat up these items.”

Once the cleaning is done, finishing also requires a gentle hand.

“The tech has to know a lot of this is hand-finishing,” Harris says. “You can’t pull a (press) head down on a designer garment because it will leave an impression that you can’t get out. We have weekly meetings on the designer garment service. There’s no margin of error.”

“You cannot rush these pieces,” Cayer adds. “You really need to take your time and make sure you’re handling it the absolute best way possible. You can’t be a bull.”

“What actually becomes tricky is when a couture item comes in that needs restoration work,” Loeb says. “It takes a thought process — it’s just not about cleaning.

It’s one thing to find the best methods for cleaning. It’s

different when you have a handmade jacket coming in with a woolen outside, a synthetic lining on the inside, and it’s got red wine down the sleeve. That needs to be handled differently, and we get a lot of those in.”

There’s no magic to the process, though, Harris says.

It’s simply a matter of care and planning.

“If you have the right machine,” he says, “you keep your solvent clean, you keep your filters clean — which a lot of cleaners don’t — you have the right program and you do all the things that you need to do to protect the garment, you’ll be successful.”

CARE FOR THE CUSTOMER

One of the elements that is essential in caring for couture clothing is caring for the people who bring in these items, and dry cleaners need to be able to recognize this.

“Educate yourself on what couture means,” Loeb says. “You have to start to understand lifestyle. With the people who are wearing these types of items, it doesn’t stop with their clothing. It’s how they live their life. So, you have to meet them where they want to be met. They

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want to know that, when they bring in their $27,000 Chanel sequin gown, you understand how to clean and finish that garment.”

Part of this, Loeb believes, is having your staff shift some of the familiar terminology into something that makes the customer more comfortable in you and in your processes.

“You don’t tell them, ‘We’re going to press it.’ You tell them, ‘We’re going to finish it,’” he says. “It’s a whole philosophy of education, even educating your consumer.

The consumer knows that this is a specialty piece. How you talk to them substantiates your knowledge base, and then it gives them the comfort level for you to do it.”

A critical element of this is making sure your staff is well-versed and knowledgeable on the subject of couture garments, Loeb says: “Education gives the customer service representative confidence and competence, and when the customer sees this, they’re more confident.”

THE FUTURE IN COUTURE

For both Sudsies and Oceanside, the signs of future growth in couture cleaning are impressive.

“These customers absolutely love it,” Harris says, “because every time one of these customers buys couture, they’re probably wondering who they can get to clean it.”

“We have new customers who are reaching out to us, learning that we have this service, and they’re choosing to come to us,” Cayer says. “We recently got a call from Savannah, Georgia, which is about two hours away. She said she’s been having difficulty finding a cleaner in her area who could handle the garments — they wouldn’t even take them in the door because they didn’t want the liability. She’s willing to make the trip to see us because we’re able to take care of those pieces for her.”

“We do hundreds of couture items every day,” Loeb says. “It’s the fastest-growing segment in our market, and we’re just getting more and more demand for it.

I think lifestyle pieces are becoming more and more prevalent, and that the couture market will continue to grow and dominate over ready-to-wear items. People are looking to buy more exclusive items and they want to find someone who can take care of it.”

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AROUND THE INDUSTRY

DLI Establishes New Hall of Fame Award

ABC, Dress for Success Pittsburgh Expand Program

LAUREL, Md. — The Drycleaning & Laundry Institute’s Board of Directors recently announced the establishment of the DLI Hall of Fame Award, a recognition aimed at honoring outstanding individuals and businesses within the drycleaning and laundry industry.

This all-new award is set to become the industry’s highest honor, the organization says in its announcement, celebrating excellence in leadership, business operations, community involvement, environmental stewardship and a deep-seated passion for the industry. Candidates for the award will include industry pioneers, exceptional business leaders, and community advocates.

“Professional drycleaning and laundry operators from all over the world contribute to the betterment of our industry every day,” says DLI CEO Mary Scalco. “Our goal with the Hall of Fame is to recognize contributions made by any professional in our industry who has made a positive impact and honor them as examples for other members of the industry. All cleaning professionals, regardless of membership, are welcome to nominate industry professionals they see as inspirational for this award.”

Inaugural inductees into DLI’s Hall of Fame include past recipients of DLI’s Diamond Achievement Award, The organization says that nominations for its Hall of Fame Award will be accepted from and for any industry participant beginning April 1 through a form on DLI’s website. DLI’s Board of Directors will review applications and a decision will be announced to the industry by September 15.

To be eligible for nomination, candidates must have a minimum of 10 years of experience working in the drycleaning and laundry industry. The selection process will involve a two-stage voting process by DLI’s Hall of Fame committee, and the awardees will be publicly announced and celebrated.

For more information about the DLI Hall of Fame Award and to make a nomination, visit DLI’s official Hall of Fame page at DLIonline.org/HoF.

PITTSBURGH — America’s Best Cleaners (ABC) has announced the extension of its partnership with Dress for Success Pittsburgh into the year 2024, citing the continued success of the EmpowerWear program.

EmpowerWear, a collaborative initiative focused on empowering women, supporting local communities, and promoting environmental sustainability, has witnessed significant achievements since its launch, ABC says.

In conjunction with its local affiliate, Owl Cleaners, ABC will continue its commitment to collecting gently used women’s professional and casual attire. The pilot program, which ran from Aug. 15 through Sept. 15, 2023, will be further expanded and developed to maximize its positive impact on the community.

Through biannual collection campaigns and social media presence, the EmpowerWear partnership aims to provide professional and casual attire to women in need, fostering economic independence and enhancing access to employment opportunities. ABC, along with its partners Little Moon Marketing and Cleaners Supply, says it remains dedicated to positively empowering women in the workplace and contributing to the mission of circularity through apparel reuse in the nonprofit space.

“This partnership not only empowers women but also magnifies our local affiliates’ positive influence on their communities and internal team culture,” says Chris White, ABC’s executive director, “embodying our mission to create meaningful, lasting impact while minimizing our impact on the environment.”

To participate in the EmpowerWear program, Owl Cleaners customers can anticipate an enhanced experience, including hang tags and text notifications before their scheduled delivery. EmpowerWear garment bags will be provided along with dry cleaning deliveries, with Owl Cleaners collecting donations on pick-up day.

“We’re looking forward to expanding the program in the spring of 2024 to include Pittsburgh and four additional markets,” says White. “The goal is to have all ABC national affiliates on board by Q1 of 2025 to maximize our impact as a national affiliation.”

Award to honor individuals and businesses within the drycleaning and laundry industry

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REACHING OUT

No matter how much maintenance is performed and how many spare parts are assembled, there very well may come a day when that crucial piece of equipment fails to function. If that day comes, cleaners may need to ask for help.

“Have a plan of action, not just, ‘Well, the machine is broken. What am I gonna do?’” Williams says. “Maybe have a friend in the area who can do your cleaning for the day until you figure out what you’re going to do.

We’re all competitors, but we can be friends, too. If you have a friend who can help you out, you may be able to help them out one day.”

“It’s tough if you’re all by yourself in a town, where you’re the only cleaner for 300 miles,” Tungesvick says.

“That’s a difficult proposition where, obviously, you should be planning for that. But if you’re in a city, are you at least friendly with your competition? These days, you might not be fighting tooth and nail for the business because there are fewer cleaners — you’re each getting a

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Moore has also seen this solidarity between cleaners.

“That’s one thing that’s always stood out to me in our industry — the camaraderie that dry cleaners seem to have with one another,” he says. “When the chips are down, the guy up the street is the one who will usually bend over backwards to help. So, my advice for small cleaners is to ask for help. Our industry is filled with what Mr. Rogers would have called ‘The Helpers.’

They’re out there, and they are typically willing to help.

And, at the same time, if the opportunity presents itself, you should be the helper.”

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WRINKLE IN TIME

Strategies, Crackdowns and Minimum Wages 10 YEARS AGO. Winning Strategies — Coupons figured into 35.5% of cleaners’ marketing strategy, according to the American Drycleaner Your Views survey, with that number reporting that they used them “often.”

On the flip side, 30.1% of those surveyed said they do not use coupons at all, and 23.7% said they only used them “on occasion.” When those who did use coupons were asked how they distributed them, 61.2% said they used direct mail, 41.8% reported using social media, 35.8% used inhouse e-mail and 13.8% used e-mail services such as Groupon. Newspapers were also used by 19.4%. Direct mail would continue to be the way 55.2% of cleaners would distribute them in 2014.

25 YEARS AGO. EPA Crackdown — The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed its first fines on dry cleaners found in violation of the Clean Air Act, and more were thought to be on their way.

“We have been very fair to small businesses and made every effort to help them comply,” said Jeanne M. Fox, administrator of EPA’s Region 2 office in New York. “But now we must take action. It is EPA’s job to protect public health, and we cannot allow dry cleaners to simply ignore the law. Fines were thought to be able to go up to $10,000 or more, but the EPA developed a more lenient rate for small businesses such as dry cleaners. First-time violators were generally fined $100, but 24

repeat offenders could have faced much more.

care field, with drycleaning workers making up about 40% of that number.

50 YEARS AGO. Moderate Growth Industry — According to a feature in the Chicago Tribune, as an increasing number of women were finding careers outside the home, the demand for dry cleaning and laundry services was expected to grow. A rise in family income plus a larger labor force were also expected to provide additional jobs in the field. Offsetting this increase in demand, however, would be the continued easier care of newer fabrics. The U.S. Department of Labor expected the number of drycleaning and laundry workers to grow moderately during the remainder of the 1970s. In 1974, there were approximately 415,000 workers in the fabri-

85 YEARS AGO. Minimum Wages — In connection with pending national wage-hour laws, higher wages and shorter hours were proposed for 6,900 women and minors in New York State’s cleaning industry. In its report, the state’s Minimum Wage Board recommended a basic workweek of 40 hours, at a minimum hourly rate ranging from $0.36 in New York City and adjoining counties to $0.33 in communities under 10,000. Time worked in excess of 40 hours would be paid for at one and one-fourth times the usual hourly rate.

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— Compiled by Dave Davis, Editor www.americandrycleaner.com

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