The International Fabricare Institute and the Textile Care Allied Trades Association are aiming pointed criticisms at the workplace ergonomics standards proposed by OSHA late last year.
IFI has submitted comments on behalf of drycleaners in opposition to the proposal and is asking OSHA to delay the regulations until the National Academy of Sciences completes a study of the relationship of job factors and musculoskeletal injuries.
IFI assailed the standard as "overly vague and broadly inclusive," saying it "presents an onerous financial burden on small business without sufficient evidence that the standard would mitigate musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace."
TCATA, which represents drycleaning and laundry industry manufacturers and suppliers, is also fighting the proposal.
"Are you ready to redesign your entire warehouse and lose the use of staggering amounts of space in the process?" TCATA asked in a bulletin alerting members to the OSHA proposal.
"We plan to aggressively fight OSHA on a variety of fronts to try to block the proposed regulation from being finalized," said TCATA. Members were asked to contact their senators and representatives and voice opposition to the OSHA plan.
IFI included the following points in its comments to OSHA:
The study by the National Academy of Sciences should provide scientific data that could be used to chart "reasonable and useful regulations," IFI said.
"It is impossible to ascertain from the scientific evidence that OSHA relies upon whether the implemented standard would necessarily materially reduce musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace," IFI added.
IFI noted that Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO) has introduced legislation to stop OSHA from enacting a standard until the Academy completes its study. The study, which got underway about a year ago, is expected to be ready sometime this year.
OSHA has said it will take into account the Academy study "and all research that becomes available during the rule-making process to ensure that the ergonomics program standard is based on the best available evidence."
The agency has been working for years to develop regulations covering ergonomics, which is defined as the science of accommodating a work station or task to an employee's physical needs in order to prevent injury.
The agency withdrew a 1995 ergonomics proposal after it met a storm of protest from businesses and members of Congress. OSHA published the current proposal in late November, 1999, after Congress had adjourned for the year and left Washington.
OSHA says the regulations are needed because work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a leading cause of lost workday injuries and workers' compensation costs. Such injuries account for 34 percent of all lost-workday injuries and illnesses, and for $1 out of every $3 spent for workers' compensation, OSHA said. Annual costs of workers' compensation range from $15 to $20 billion.
By OSHA's estimate, implementing those programs would cost businesses $4 billion. Business groups see it differently, however. TCATA reported that one such group, the Food Distributors International, said compliance would cost its members alone up to $26 billion.
The proposal would require employers in manual handling and manufacturing operations to implement ergonomics programs to avoid MSDs. If any employee reports an "ergonomic injury," management must comply with the standard.
TCATA noted some examples of job duties that OSHA has identified as potentially troublesome, including packing bags of potato chips into shipping boxes; picking a 40-lb. item from a 60" high shelf; lifting a 50-lb. motor off of a pallet; or pushing a cart with the hands above mid-chest height.
All businesses except those engaged in construction, maritime activities or agriculture would be governed by the standard. Unlike many other federal rules, there are no exemptions or reduced requirements for small businesses based on size or number of employees.
Drycleaners, IFI said, should consider themselves covered by the proposal.
The standard, would require employers to periodically provide information to employees that explains how to identify and report MSD signs and symptoms. A system must be in place for employees to report those signs and symptoms and to get responses from management explaining corrective actions.
Once an MSD is reported, employers would have to take steps to improve the workplace conditions or change job duties to reduce the risk of an MSD. Those steps could include redesigning the workplace, allowing a worker to rotate work surfaces or reducing the weight of objects being lifted.
Injured workers would receive "work restriction protection." That would provide 100 percent of net pay and benefits for six months for a worker recovering from an injury if that worker is on "light duty." If the individual is not working at all, he or she would still receive 90 percent of net pay and benefits.
IFI called that one of two "particularly onerous requirements that would affect drycleaners."
"This is more generous than most workers' compensation plans, which typically provide two-thirds of an individual's pre-tax wages," IFI said of the work restriction protection.
The other "onerous requirement" in IFI's view is the provision that says only one incident is required to trigger a redesign of the workplace. Employers would also be required to teach employees the proper ergonomic method for performing a task.
Employers who have employees who do heavy lifting would be required to provide this training regardless of whether an injury is reported.
On the web
Information on OSHA's proposed ergonomics standard, including results of the National Academy of Science study when it becomes available, can be found on OSHA's web site: www.osha.gov. Access the ergonomics page by scrolling down. Under Outreach, click on Ergonomics.
The OSHA web site also has information on ergonomics rulemaking activity in specific states and foreign countries.
The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors also has information on the proposal on its website: www.nawpubs.org. An abbreviated version of the 300-page proposal can be ordered by clicking on "Free Industry Report," then on "Wholesaler-Distributors Beware." NAW will send the report by e-mail.
| Kind of Business | Establishments | Receipts ($1,000) | Payroll ($1,000) | Employees |
| Drycleaning plants | 22,330 | 5,638,474 | 2,068,507 | 166,208 |
| Garment pressing & agents for laundries | 3,434 | 506,567 | 118,234 | 11,102 |
| Laundries, family & commercial | 1,740 | 831,369 | 343,237 | 23,168 |
| All other laundry & garment services | 435 | 115,634 | 45,205 | 3,299 |
| Total of drycleaning & laundry (Except coin-operated) | 27,939 | 7,092,044 | 2,575,183 | 203,777 |
| Coin-operated laundries & drycleaners | 13,883 | 2,873,362 | 606,333 | 53,023 |
| Linen supply | 1,347 | 2,940,022 | 1,087,068 | 56,700 |
| Industrial launderers | 1,613 | 5,007,637 | 1,670,672 | 81,908 |
| All drycleaning & laundry services | 44,782 | 17,913,065 | 5,939,256 | 395,408 |
How many cleaners are there in the United States?
It is a question often asked, but rarely answered with confidence, much less with pin-point accuracy. Most industry observers estimate the number at 30,000 to 40,000. The highest estimate of the total was made by Stan Golomb in an article in this publication last year. He believes there are 100,000 all together, basing that estimate on his count of 40,000 drycleaning plants and an average of two dry stores for each operating plant.
And another frequently asked question: What is the total annual sales volume for the drycleaning industry?
For some reason, there is wider agreement on this figure. Most people will answer confidently that drycleaning is a $7 billion industry, but that begs the question: If no one is even sure how many cleaners there are, how in the world can anyone know what their total sales volume is?
Now comes the U.S. government with its official tally: In 1997, when the last Economic Census was taken, there were 27,939 establishments engaged in drycleaning and laundry services, excluding coin-operated laundries. Total revenue was $7.09 billion.
And to answer the next question before it's asked: That works out to average receipts of $253,840 per establishment.
And a few other statistics from the census:
When figures for coin-ops, industrial laundries, and linen and uniform supply firms are added to drycleaning numbers, the totals in the subcategory of Drycleaning and Laundry Services comes to 44,782 establishments with receipts of nearly $18 billion and an annual payroll of nearly $6 billion with 395,000 employees.
The Economic Census has been taken every five years since 1967 by the Census Bureau to provide facts about the structure and functioning of the nation's economy. Over the years, methods of tallying and classifying the data have been adjusted, but it is still possible to get a statistical historical overview by looking at the numbers.
For example, in 1967 the census counted 30,625 drycleaning plants. That fell to 28,422 five years later as the infamous "Polyester Recession" kicked in. The number of plants continued to decline before bottoming out at 21,257 in 1987.
The past decade has seen some growth in the number of plants, but the industry is still well below that 1967 level.
When receipts are adjusted for inflation using the Consumer Price Index, the trend is not encouraging. While receipts for drycleaning plants (not including drop stores) in 1997 totaled $5.6 billion adjusting for inflation takes that down to $3.5 billion. Those 30,000-some plants back in 1967 had inflation-adjusted receipts of $5.8 billion. That's a decline in revenues of nearly 40 percent over 30 years.
The historical figures point to another trend -- a growing share of revenues from drop stores. The real-dollar revenue per establishment hit a low of $138,788 in 1982 before rebounding to $165,693 in 1987. Ten years later, it's back down again -- at $157,564 in the 1997 census.
But that decline in revenue per plant is more than made up by an increase in volume per drop store. The 1997 census reported total receipts from "agents" of $74,295 (inflation adjusted). That was up to $92,049 in 1997, making total receipts from plants and non-plant locations of just under $250,000 -- a $10,000 increase over 1987.
And one more figure to think about: The portion of receipts that goes to payroll declined throughout the past 30 years. Payroll consumed 42 percent of drycleaning plant revenues in 1967. It was 36 percent in 1997.
On the web
The 1997 Economic Census is available on the web at www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/oth-serv.html. General information about the economic census is also available on the web at www.census.gov/econguide.
As the debate continues over whether Dryel is a legitimate threat to the drycleaning industry, Procter & Gamble's self-proclaimed "dryclean at home" product keeps gathering publicity with a full head of steam.
Last year ended on a high point for P&G's newest product when Good Housekeeping magazine named Dryel to its list of the "seven most innovative products" of the year at its 5th Annual Good Buy Awards.
Every year, Good Housekeeping tests hundreds of new products and picks a handful of standouts that are "inventive, affordable and truly useful."
Some of the other products that Good Housekeeping chose for Good Buy Awards included a Uniroyal Nailguard Tire that immediately self-seals any puncture wound it receives on the road; a SecureStart Engine Starter that clamps onto any dead battery and gives it a jump-start; a Kodak printer that prints photos directly from a digital camera memory card; and a clock that sets itself when you plug it in.
As for Dryel, Good Housekeeping wrote: "With Dryel, you can steam odors and creases out of dryclean-only clothes by just tossing them in the dryer. First, treat any spots with the liquid stain remover (in our tests, it lifted 15 common messes, including mascara, cola, and spaghetti sauce). Then, place up to four garments in the reusable nylon bag with a treated cloth, and tumble dry on medium to high heat. Clothes come out fresh and generally wrinkle-free. You'll still need to dry-clean when clothes get really dirty, but this kit definitely cuts your cleaning bills."
Despite the stamp of approval by Good Housekeeping, publicity for Dryel has tended to be negative overall, or at least, ambivalent.
A harsh account of the capabilities of Dryel was published in The New York Times on Sunday, January 9, 2000, in its Money and Business section.
On the top of the page above the article is a large editorial cartoon by Christopher Murphy that features a man excited by a home drycleaning product, only to find out that it doesn't remove a stain. The cartoon ends with the man marching off to a drycleaning store.
The article, titled "Dry Cleaning: Should You Try This at Home?" was written by Rick Marin, who confesses in the article to be a "neatnik" who enjoys doing laundry at home.
Marin chose four of his girlfriend's garments to test. They were: one pair of wool pants with a light spot; one cashmere sweater that needed freshening; one lightly soiled pink Ultrasuede skirt; and one pair of cotton-linen pants that were "violently soiled with ketchup, chocolate and olive oil."
In Marin's own words, the results of his test were: "Clean? Not exactly. The wool pants still had that spot. The pink Ultrasuede skirt was only slightly cleaner. The sweater smelled nice. The cotton-linen pants were still a disaster. I took them to the cleaners across the street. They came back spotless."
He added: "I felt as if I had spent the better part of an hour getting my clothes smelling like a fabric softener. The plastic bags can be reused 20 times, but the thought of just one more use filled even a laundry fanatic like me with alternating feelings of dread and boredom."
Also in the article, Damon Jones, a P&G spokesperson, defends Dryel by saying, "It's obviously not a replacement for drycleaning, but most people have found it very effective on food stains and water-based stains."
However, Marin's girlfriend has told him that "It's disrespectful to your better clothes to just throw them in the dryer."
A separate, related article, "The Ins and Outs of Stain Removal," was also printed on the page, and it featured testimonials from John Mahdessian, president of the drycleaning establishment, Madame Paulette, and Cheryl Mendelson, author of "Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House."
Mahdessian is quoted as saying, "Every stain has a different composition. To effectively and easily and safely remove any given stain from any given fabric you must first use the proper cleaning agent for that specific type of stain. It's impossible for one cleaning agent to work on all types of stains. It has a camouflaging effect. It does not remove the odors."
Mendelson said of Dryel, "I'm not crazy about it. It didn't get out all of a coffee stain and that surprised me. And it didn't get out grape juice, which didn't surprise me, though it lightened it considerably. It did remove a ballpoint pen stain, so it does do something. But I don't like that sweet smell, I don't like using anonymous chemicals -- it just says, 'biodegradable cleaning products' -- and this was really a bit of trouble."
On the web
To read the New York Times' article on the web, go to www.nytimes.com and click on "Archives" and type "Dryel" in the search engine. First-time visitors to the page can register free to search the Times' Archives; however, a fee of $2.50 is charged to download or print an article.
For the Dryel article originally published in Good Housekeeping magazine, go to www.goodhousekeeping.com and type "Dryel" in the on-site search engine.
Wearing what looks like the mother of all problem garments is New Orleans drycleaner Dennis McCrory, also known to readers of this publication as the author of the "It's Your Business" column. But to revelers at Mardi Gras 2000, he shall be known as King.
Crowned King Centurion XXI on Oct 24, he was selected from the regular members of the krewe, which is basically a private club. McCrory has been a krewe member for 15 years.
He is shown in full regalia at the Grande Masque Ball held on Jan. 8 which was attended by more than 1,000 people. The ball is the first of two main parts of the annual celebration in New Orleans. At the ball, the maids, dukes, pages, king and queen are presented as the royal court to the other members of the krewe. The ball is the first time that anyone is allowed to see the extravagant costumes which require more than 11 months to complete. The second part of Mardi Gras -- the parade -- is the part that is widely viewed by the public and known around the world.
A visit by the Russian Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff in 1872 was the inspiration for the first appearance of a King at the Mardi Gras. The King of Carnival became the international symbol of the festival.
Mardi Gras came to North America from France where it had been celebrated since the Middle Ages. In America it became a period of merriment serving as a prelude to the penitential season of Lent.
In New Orleans, it developed from a series of pre-Lenten balls and fetes into a public celebration and, by the 1800s, into a costumed group of parading revelers.
"It took the city of New Orleans to transform the centuries-old celebration of Mardi Gras into America's greatest party," McCrory noted.
The International Fabricare Institute has completed the sale of three acres of its property to Public Storage Inc.
The land, part of the original 8+ acres purchased in the early 1960s by IFI's predecessor, the National Institute of Drycleaning, was not being used by IFI. The property fronts a major metropolitan commuter highway and has appreciated considerably in value over the years.
IFI said the net proceeds of the transaction will go to the institute's reserves. That will bring reserves closer to the benchmark of 50 percent of annual expenses that is recommended by the American Society of Association Executives for non-profit trade groups.
GreenEarth Cleaning and GE Silicones have formed a joint venture, GreenEarth Solutions, that will bring General Electric's resources in the manufacture of silicone with GreenEarth's patented drycleaning process that uses silicone-based solvent.
"The result of this joint venture will be to change the way drycleaners approach their business as we move into the new century," said Jim Barry, chairman of GreenEarth Cleaning, LLC.
"It's very gratifying that a company with the history, stature, and technical leadership of General Electric has decided to join us in our efforts," he added.
The joint venture, announced January 19, comes as GreenEarth Cleaning is verifying its process under a variety of commercial conditions at selected "Affirmation Sites" throughout the country. The process will continue to be marketed under the name GreenEarth Cleaning System and will be made available on a broad basis as the Affirmation Site process is concluded in mid-2000.
The Affirmation Site Program was established to provide independent evaluation by drycleaners who represent a range of geographical areas, climates, operating size, and machine types. The GreenEarth Cleaning web site (www.greenearthcleaning.com) lists 10 Phase I affirmation sites -- six in California, and one each in Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho and Texas. Several of the plants also serve dry store locations.
Bill Driscoll, vice president and general manager, GE Silicones, said his company is convinced that this innovation will be important for the drycleaning industry.
"We are pleased to have the opportunity to bring our silicone expertise and technical knowledge to bear on a problem that has plagued drycleaners for so long," Driscoll said. "GreenEarth's breakthrough process and GE Silicone's quality solvent will enable clean, safe and superior results for the drycleaning industry customers."
The company describes the GreenEarth Cleaning System as a solution that is odorless, does not exhibit adverse health effects when used properly, and is a non-VOC that degrades in the atmosphere. Furthermore, the company said, tests have shown that clothing cleaned using the process consistently came out fresh and bright with a soft feel, no residual chemical odor, no dye-bleeding and no damaged trim.
"The solution this joint venture brings to the industry knows no peer," said Barry. "That's why we teamed up with General Electric. Together, we realize that this solution will set the standard for the industry in the 21st century."
GE Silicones is a world leader in the development, manufacture, and sale of silicone products, with global headquarters located in Waterford, NY.
In addition to its Western Hemisphere operations; GE Bayer Silicones with headquarters in Erkrath, Germany; serves Europe, Africa and India. GE Toshiba Silicones, with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, serves the Pacific region. There are 3,500 GE Silicones employees globally.
Plugging the gap created by losses of apparel sewing jobs, the labor union UNITE has been making inroads into the industrial laundry sector.
UNITE has organized 20,000 laundry workers in the United States over the past two years, Women's Wear Daily reported in December. More than 30,000 apparel and textile union jobs were lost during 1998 and 1999.
"As the laundry industry becomes more automated and more controlled by big companies, workers are more in need of union representation in contract negotiations," Bruce Raynor, secretary/treasurer of UNITE, told WWD. The laundry segment includes workers in health care, restaurants and hotels, linen supply and uniform manufacturing.
Raynor said that UNITE's goal is to represent 30,000 workers in that segment by the end of 2000. Overall, the union has about 250,000 members and represents about 15 percent of the nation's textile workers and 20 percent of apparel workers, Raynor said.
Recent successes for UNITE included a November vote by independent Local 107 in Portland, OR, to affiliates its 600 members with the union and votes for representation by workers at Unifirst in Mesquite, TX, Hospital Central Services cooperative in Camden, NJ, and Economy Linens in Dayton, OH.
Kate Bronfenbrenner, director of labor education at Cornell University, said that in targeting laundry workers UNITE has chosen an industry that is related to its core. The worker profile -- immigrants, women and people of color -- is similar and gives the union a foundation to deal with the workers' problems and needs. At the same time, she noted, the laundry industry by its nature is local. "Those jobs aren't moving to Mexico," she said.
UNITE has also been moving to organize retail distribution center workers. Recent success in that are include the Ames Department Stores and the TJX Companies. It also represents many distribution center workers for Kmart Corp.
Resident classes in stain removal and finishing will be offered next month at the International Fabricare Institute in Silver Spring.
In the March 6-8 stain removal course, students gain an understanding of textiles and stain removal and learn how to organize stain removal tools and equipment, simplify stain removal agents, improve stain removal procedures, modify the use of bleaches and manage stain removal and specialty fabrics.
The cost is $299 for IFI members and $449 for non-members. The class will also be offered April 10-12, May 8-10, June 12-14, July 12-14, August 14-16, September 11-13, October 11-13 and November 6-8.
A two-day finishing course will be presented March 9-10. The course covers quality finishing points, finishing procedures, special finishing tools, basic techniques for skirts, pants, coats, blouses and dresses, specialty items like pleats, velvets and pile fabrics and effective packaging.
The cost is $199 for IFI members, $299 for non-members. Other dates for the class this year are April 17-18, May 15-16, June 15-16, July 17-18, August 21-22, September 18-19, October 16-17 and November 13-14.
On the road
Also in March, IFI will present a one-day stain removal seminar in Harrisonburg, VA. The seminar covers fibers and fabrics, fiber identification, stain removal tools, agents and techniques, bleaches, and identification and solving unique and special problems.
The class will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 25.
In April, in addition to sessions of the stain removal and finishing courses at IFI, the two-day Drycleaning Processes and Equipment course will be offered.
Covered in that course are operation of perc and petroleum systems, understanding textiles and drycleaning, simplifying classification, improving filtration and distillation, management solvent, detergent and moisture, learning about drying and vapor recovery, troubleshooting drycleaning machines and streamlining invoicing and tagging.
Registration is $199 for IFI members, $299 for non-members. In addition to the April 13-14 dates, the course will be offered May 11-12, July 10-11, August 17-18, September 14-15, October 9-10 and November 9-10 this year.
Other courses offered at IFI are as follows:
Shirts. (One day, $99 for IFI members, $149 for non-members.) The course covers invoicing and tagging, inspection and classification, removal of common stains, effective wash formulas, solving problems and finishing.
Dates offered: July 19, October 18.
Wetcleaning. (Two days, $199 for IFI members, $299 for non-members.) The course will cover removing stains, understanding bleach baths, understanding wetcleaning equipment, handling special items and master wetcleaning and finishing techniques.
Dates offered: July 20-21, October 19-20.
Wedding Gowns. (One day, $99 for IFI members, $149 for non-members.) Students will gain an understanding of fibers and fabrics specific to wedding gowns, inspection procedures, cleaning and restoration and finishing techniques, effective packaging and marketing.
Dates offered: July 24, October 23.
Customer Service. (One day, $99 for IFI members, $149 for non-members.) The course will cover customer expectations and attitudes, managing potential cleaning problems, customer interaction and handling difficult situations.
Dates offered: July 28, October 27.
Business Practices. (Two days, $199 for IFI members, $299 for non-members.) Students will learn to organize inventory control, simplify business analysis, build employee teams, motivate employees, develop effective advertising and streamline plant layout.
Dates offered: July 25-26, October 24-25.
Legislation. (One day, $99 for IFI members, $149 for non-members.) The course will cover care label rules, OSHA and EPA regulations and soil and groundwater contamination.
Dates offered: July 27, October 26.
In addition to registering for individual classes, students can also register for a full week ($450 for IFI members, $695 for non-members) or the complete three-week cycle ($1,250 for IFI members, $1,995 for non-members). The full three-week cycle will be offered two more times in 2000 beginning July 10 and October 9.
Those who complete all nine courses will receive a "General Drycleaning Course Certificate" that indicates knowledge of professional drycleaning standards and practices.
The educational facilities at IFI include 16 stain removal boards, various types of presses, perc and petroleum cleaning machines and a wetcleaning machine. The classes feature hands-on training and classroom work.
A non-refundable deposit of 10 percent is required with the application and the balance is due four weeks before the class starts.
Several scholarships are available to cover tuition costs for the IFI courses.
For more information, call the IFI education Department, (800) 434-6222, ext. 144, or send e-mail to education@ifi.org .
Feb. 21 is the registration deadline for the upcoming round of certification examinations offered through the International Fabricare Institute. The exams will be given April 1 at various locations around the country.
This will be the first time that IFI will offer its Certified Environmental Drycleaner (CED) examination in Korean.
The CED is one of three professional certifications offered through IFI. Certified Professional Drycleaner (CPD) and Certified Professional Wetcleaner (CPW) are the others.
The CED examination covers environmental subjects -- regulations, waste handling and safe operating procedures for drycleaning equipment. The test fee is $175 for IFI members and $275 for non-members.
The CPD test covers business management, customer service, fibers and fabrics and the drycleaning process. The test fee is $295 for IFI members and $395 for non-members.
The CPW exam tests cleaners on their level of knowledge of operating procedures for wetcleaning to provide effective and environmentally efficient processing of garments with the best possible results for customers. The fee for the CPW test is $295 for IFI members and $395 for non-members.
Each exam consists of 150 questions and takes about four hours to complete. The test fees include a comprehensive self-study guide to help prepare for the exams.
To register, contact the Professional Testing Corp., (212) 356-0660 or visit the PTC web site: www.ptcny.com. Applicants may also call IFI (800) 638-2627, ext. 144 or (301) 622-1900; or send e-mail to education@ifi.org .
The National Federation of Independent Businesses will hold its 2000 Congressional Small Business Summit in Washington, DC, at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill June 7-10.
"The timing of the 2000 Congressional Small Business Summit will bring even greater attention to the event and the agenda it produces," said NFIB President Jack Faris. "While politicians' hearing always improves during an election year, the impact of the summit will be felt by every candidate running for national office."
At the summit, delegates will discuss key small business issues in breakout sessions. They will then select and rank the most important small business issues. This referendum will be presented to Congress and candidates running for elected office.
In addition to hearing from candidates for president, the summit will also be addressed by Dennis Hastert (R-IL), Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; Trent Lott (R-MS), majority leader of the U.S. Senate; Kit Bond (R-MO), chairman of Senate Small Business Committee and Jim Talent (R-MO), chairman House Small Business Committee.
The summit gets underway on Wednesday, June 7 with an opening reception and dinner at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center. Sessions on Thursday will be held with key small business legislators and speakers on public policy and issues to establish the Small Business Referendum for the Future.
Also planned for Thursday are visits with members of Congress at the Capitol, media and activism training seminars and a gala reception and dinner at the The National Building Museum.
The Friday, June 9 general session will feature remarks by presidential candidates, more public policy and issues for establishing the small business referendum for the future, and the presentation of the Small Business Referendum to the chairmen of Senate and House Small Business Committees. A reception and barbecue dinner will be held that evening at the National Mall and the closing session will be held on Saturday, June 10.
Delegates to the summit will be nominated by members of Congress with pro-small business records. NFIB and partner organizations will name a limited number of additional delegates. More information about the summit is available on the NFIB web site: www.nfib.com orby calling (800) 552-6342.
The European Laundry Manufacturers Organization (ELMO) has agreed to a cycle of trade shows for European venues, according to a report in Laundry and Cleaning News.
Beginning with the Texcare Exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany, this June there will be an international show every four years for large equipment suppliers.
Smaller, national exhibitions to serve drycleaning and small laundry equipment suppliers will also be held every four years, beginning in Milan, Italy, in 2002.
This schedule will not conflict with the Clean Show which is held in odd-numbered years in the United States. The next Clean show will be in New Orleans, LA, July 19-21, 2001.
Further details of the European show schedule will be discussed at the next meeting of ELMO in June.
Edward A. Miller, founder and chairman of Spic and Span Inc. in Milwaukee, WI, died Nov. 30, 1999 at age 92.
Born in Cedar Rapids IA, he began working a paper route at age 10 to help support his family. He worked his way through school, including two years at the University of Southern California and two years at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, from which he graduated in 1929.
After graduation, he moved to Kenosha, WI, where he first became involved in the drycleaning business through a job at the Union Dye Works, which was owned by the father of Harry Plous, a fraternity brother.
He moved to Milwaukee in 1932, where he established Spic and Span Inc. with a series of delivery routes operating from a depot in the old Caswell building in downtown Milwaukee. By 1938, he and the Plous family had the largest drycleaning operation in the city. Also during those years, Miller married Harry Plous's sister, Shirley.
Later, a plant was purchased on East North Avenue and offices were secured on North Van Buren street. During and after World War II, Spic and Span dry stores were established in the metropolitan area -- more than 60 stores at one point -- and there were up to 30 routes picking up and delivering drycleaning around the city.
In 1951, the Plous/Miller corporation purchased the Old Ideal Laundry and entered the uniform rental and industrial laundry business.
In 1961, the company's three main buildings were sold and all plant and office operations moved into a single location on North Richards Street at East Capitol Drive, where it remains today.
In addition to his business acumen, he was an innovator and inventor of equipment in the 1940s that is still used today. He invented the Suzie, but because he sold his patent soon after it came on the market, he realized little financial gain from the invention.
In the 1950s, he combined his major in college -- marketing and advertising -- with his interest in sports by having members of the Milwaukee Braves promote Spic and Span with trading cards, handouts and a television show.
In the 1960s, he was invited to establish drycleaning retail outlets in J. C. Penney's Treasure Island discount stores. This venture took Spic and Span to Atlanta, Miami and Los Angeles. After those stores closed, Spic and Span worked in cooperation with Sears stores in Atlanta and Los Angeles.
Miller also had a plan to put drycleaning outlets in food store chains like the Jewel Co. of Milwaukee and Chicago. That plan was never developed, however, because the company began instead to concentrate on its own drycleaning outlets and the growing industrial laundry division.
His son, Bob, and Harry Plous's son, Jim, joined the firm around 1970. Following Harry Plous's death in the mid-1980s, Bob and Jim began to assume major leadership roles in the company. In 1987 they carried out a long-time buy-sell agreement and Bob Miller took control of the firm. Although his son held the title of president, the senior Miller stayed on as chairman and continued to be active in the company, working in his office at the Spic and Span plant on North Richards Street in Milwaukee.
Miller was a founder of Varsity International, an organization of the industry's top-flight cleaners. He was also active with the state association, serving as president of the Wisconsin Drycleaners Association in the 1940s.
Miller also served as a vice president of Congregation Emanu-El B'ne Jeshurun, was president of the Milwaukee Jewish Community Center and Brynwood Country Club and was active in many charitable and philanthropic endeavors.
In addition to Bob, he is survived by another son, Thomas; a daughter, Kathleen; six grandchildren; one sister; and three brothers. He was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Shirley; and one sister.
Drycleaners must grow and keep in step with customers in order to take care of customers' needs.
People start being good, dependable customers when they enter the work force. Professional and management people are on a treadmill running for time. They keep busy with too much to do. They are the ones who compete for recognition and for them appearance is important. When opportunity comes, they want to be chosen.
There is another group of people who deserve more attention. They are the generation of older adults, the senior citizens.
We may be thinking of them as tired stay-at-home people wearing old clothes, which they are not. They are adults, to be sure, who are mentally alert, work hard to stay healthy, and are active in their retirement years being useful, with an ambition to be wanted.
We should be paying more attention to our elders. Good grooming has no age limit.
Men who do physical labor need laundry more than they need drycleaning. Many of them have never worn dress-up clothes since they got out of diapers. Their love for tools is stronger than wanting dress-up clothes.
To identify and build a better market share, we must decide on whom we need to focus. If we are getting more women's wear than men's wear, then our focus for growth should turn towards men's wear, both young and old.
Drycleaning should not begin and end with people's clothes. There are other things around the house that could be in need of drycleaning.
Success in getting more customers takes a planned program and a positive effort. It cannot be done with wishful thinking, nor by waiting for more customers to come into existence, like the intuitive belief in winning the lottery.
Stan Golomb, in his book "How to Find, Capture and Keep Customers," has a hound-dog approach in sniffing out potential customers.
For best results, he is a firm believer in mailing out into your entire potential marketing area in order to find the "could be," "won't be," and "wannabe" customers. It's like what the fisherman said, "When fishing for Marlin, don't cast into the creek."
Good ideas come by thinking. An unplanned program is like painting a house in the dark. When you advertise a "me-too-message," chances are your competitor has a better one, especially if you are just advertising price. There is even the possibility that you are discounting something customers don't really want.
When advertising, advertise what you do best. To get people to read your message, attention must be gained in the headline. For example: "Jones Cleaners Refreshes Your Garments." The message should explain the "how" and "why."
When thinking of words for the headline, think of nouns and verbs. Nouns create concrete imagery and verbs create action. These are two of the best choices in writing copy for advertisements.
Mark Twain once wrote about the choice of words; "Always dress a fact in tights, never in ulster." Ulster, of course, means a long, loose overcoat. It would be difficult to describe a person wearing such a garment.
Who's fussy?
There are words used in advertisements that readers would not appreciate and find offensive when they feel such reference is made toward them. Drycleaners are using such words on garment covers that say, "Drycleaning for Fussy Folks."
Now, fussy may be connotative of being easily upset, and "folks" is an armchair term relating to a primitive time, or an unsophisticated person. This message could be taken as referring to a hot-headed hillbilly. No one wants to be called that.
An advertisement is not meant to insult or challenge the reader. Its purpose is to inform and encourage, or persuade a person to use your services.
Here is another message that does not give credence to our intelligence. It is a cop-out message to the customer used mostly by inexperienced drycleaners.
The message says, "The stain cannot be removed without injuring the fabric."
How is this possible? Injury pertains to cuts and bruises to humans and animals. Injuries have a tendency to heal. Fabrics or other materials need patching or repairs. Imagine someone saying, "I bought two slightly injured sweaters that won't need medication. They'll heal perfectly."
Can we describe quality drycleaning without using the word "quality?" Quality being an over-used word that has lost its luster and now is just a mundane expression that lacks dimension in "what has" and "why."
By doing the kind of work that customers want and appreciate, you will be hearing less of this: "What do you charge for drycleaning a suit?"
Bill Bogus is president of Textile Restoration Services Inc. in Laurel, MD. He can be reached at (301) 776-4961.Part 2
Background: Last month, Part 1 dealt with undertaking a focus group study of leather and suede garment owners broken into two groups: those who had cleaned their garments and those who never had.
The overall purpose of the study was an attempt to figure out how to increase the leather/suede cleaning market. Part 1 also dealt with quality aspects of cleaning experience -- both good and not so good.
Getting the garment processed: Where?
For those of us in the after-care industry, it may seem strange to realize that a number of those queried in the focus studies had no clue that leather and suede garments could be cleaned. Others had no idea where cleaning might be offered or obtained.
A number of garment owners in both groups had purchased, at the point of sale of their garment, topical treatments which were sold to maintain their garments. Those who had made the purchase had used these treatments, for the most part.
Some treatments offered only repellency while others were sold for the purpose of actually maintaining the garment, ostensibly negating cleaning by other means. No mention was made at either session of care label recognition, content, or instruction.
Members of the group who had garments cleaned were asked where they had them cleaned. For most the answer was the drycleaner to whom they had taken the garments.
Several knew the drycleaner sent the work outside for processing, but none knew the whereabouts of the actual processor in these cases.
One owner had returned his garment to the store where it was purchased, and the store, presumably, sent the piece out for processing.
Those who never had cleaned their garments had a variety of reasons for their actions:
Group 1: No previous experience with leather or suede cleaning
| Price | $35 | $30-$35 | $25-$30 | $20-$25 |
| Would pay | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Might pay | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Would not pay | 8 | 7 | 6 | 1 |
Group 2: Some previous experience with leather or suede cleaning
| Price | $35 | $30-$35 | $25-$30 | $20-$25 |
| Would pay | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 |
| Might pay | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Would not pay | 8 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
What's a fair price?
Both groups were queried in an effort to determine their opinions on pricing. As can be imagined, the results, with 20-plus people, were varied.
Before presenting the findings, it may be helpful to know who these people were. The focus studies were conducted with participants from an area where median household income was the third highest in the U.S., according to MSA data from Equifax Marketing Decision Systems Inc. Professionals, business owners, blue-collar workers and housewives were included in both groups.
For the group who had never had their garments cleaned, consideration of a fair price to pay for the service, not unexpectedly, evoked the most discussion.
Those who used topical treatments for their garment care would consider cleaning only if the garment was so stained or soiled they could not treat it themselves.
One individual felt that a fair price should be similar to what he would pay for normal drycleaning, but he went on to state he felt normal drycleaning prices were outrageous.
Those who had leather or suede cleaned had paid up to $65 for the service. In fairness this price included some repairs, but the young lady could not remember the extent to which repairing had been done as a part of this price.
Each group was asked to say what would be a fair price to pay for professional quality, satisfactory cleaning of a leather or suede jacket. The jacket was further defined as being hip length.
In each case the moderator started at $35 and decreased the price ranges. The first group is defined as those who had never had their suede or leather garment cleaned. The second group were those with previous cleaning experience. It should be noted that not everyone responded to each question.
We'll conclude this series in the next issue.
Robert Stewart is president of Kirk's Suede-Life Inc. based in Chicago, IL. He can be reached at (312) 733-6611. The company's web site is www.suedelife.com.So your sales aren't what they used to be. Should you go out and find a location for a little drop store to prop up your sagging volume?
Before you do, you might first want to consider what that little drop store could do to your ability to control costs and make a profit. Let's take a look at potential total cost for a laundered shirt in a drop store setting.
What does it cost to produce a laundered shirt? $1.04? $1.09? Not even close. The average cleaner has cost approaching $1.70 per shirt when you properly allocate cost and consider customer service labor. Some cleaners will even have cost exceeding $2 per shirt.
How expensive is customer service labor? Look at a drop store where gross sales average $1,500 per week. This store will likely be open around 70 hours a week and have payroll in the $500 per week range. With average prices of $4 per drycleaning piece and $1.50 per shirt, the total piece count will be somewhere around 550 pieces combined, shirts and drycleaning.
Now take the $500 per week in payroll divided by 550 pieces per week. That equals $.91 per piece for customer service alone. In addition, you will then need to add production labor costs on top of that.
Many cleaners allocate their labor cost based on the revenue they generate. While this may make you feel better, it could actually end up hiding a major weakness in your operation that might be exploited by a competitor.
A laundered shirt actually takes more time to process during the customer service phase because of the time required to unbutton buttons. Threading tags through a button hole, netting, and scrubbing collars will add even more time.
If customer service on a laundered shirt takes as long or longer to do, does it make sense to allocate the lion's share of customer service labor to your drycleaning?
For a laundered shirt, production labor will likely add an additional 45 cents or more to the 91 cents in customer service labor for a total labor cost of $1.36. Tack on another 75 to 80 cents for rent, utilities, supplies, payroll taxes, etc., and the cost per shirt will exceed $2.
Even worse, the vast majority of the low-volume stores have a sign in the window begging for laundered shirts at less than $1. If the cost to produce nearly half your pieces is over $2 and the selling price is less than $1, is there any wonder why some owners are struggling?
At a time when sales in the industry are flat, at best, the operators of very marginal locations are the most vulnerable. If you are thinking about opening a new drop store you might want to consider how that store could adversely impact your ability to control costs. Those of you who are currently operating poor performing locations should check your lease and look for the first opportunity to close up shop.
Anyone doubting that there will be a place for professional garment care services in the 21st century can take heart from an on-line poll conducted by MS-NBC on its web site.
The poll accompanied an article that described many astonishing things that consumers can expect from garments of the future. Made of fabrics that contain microscopic computers, fiber optics and wires woven into thread, clothes will read e-mail aloud, change color to reflect the mood of the wearer, pay bills, provide special scents, and give doses of medicines or vitamins. In short, the term "power suit" will take on new meaning. Clothes won't just "make the man." They will be his personal secretary.
MS-NBC asked its web site readers to consider all these promises and possibilities and list the feature they would most like to see for clothes of the future. Out of more than 2,000 responses, one in six liked the idea of clothing as a personal assistant to handle bill paying, vitamin taking, etc. A mere 2 percent want clothes that can read their e-mail.
The feature most in demand? Clothes that clean and mend themselves was the overwhelming choice of 84 percent of the respondents.
It is possible that in some distant Star-Trekky future, self-cleaning garments may come into being. But for the present and near future, soils and stains need to be removed by a third party. The poll results tell us that garment owners would rather not be that third party. They want someone else to do it. Some day the cleaner may be replaced by microscopic microprocessors. But even if that day comes, there will likely by a need for high-tech garment maintenance. And for now, there is work to do.
Seldom does a week go by without some mention of Procter & Gamble's so-called "home drycleaning" product, Dryel. It can't seem to stay out of the news for very long. CBS This Morning, The New York Times, and countless other newspapers and television news' consumer programs have all touted the shortcomings of Dryel, such as its inability to actually clean, its ineffectiveness against many stains, and how it pales in comparison to drycleaning.
Yet, despite the bad publicity, or maybe, because of all the bad publicity, Dryel stills seems to be on the tip of everybody's tongue.
Truth be told, not all of the PR for Dryel has been negative. Good Housekeeping placed Dryel on its list of the seven most innovative products of the year, alongside such wondrous products like a clock that sets itself and a tire that repairs itself when punctured. And here we always thought Dryel was a glorified fabric softener!
On a recent visit to Dryel's website (www.dryel.com) we sought to find out more about the product. There must be more to it than meets the eye. After all, our perception may be a bit skewed since we are a drycleaning newspaper. Yet there's nothing on the site that is really a convincing case for Dryel to be considered one of the year's most innovative products.
Boiled down to the basics, Dryel can provide the following services: make a garment smell better; remove water-based stains and the like; and de-wrinkle some garments. The web site has a Frequently Asked Questions section that really doesn't illuminate any genuine insight about the product.
For example, the questions "What happens to the dirt? Does it stay in the bag?" is answered with this response: "Any spots or stains should be removed before garments are placed in the bag. The soil is removed using the Dryel Stain Remover and the absorbent pad, which is then discarded. The in-dryer process helps clean away odors like smoke and perspiration from clothes, and vent them out of the bag. If garments are heavily soiled, we recommend that you take them to a drycleaner."
Huh?
Well, whether or not Dryel actually works seems to be a moot point. Despite all the bad publicity, Dryel remains in the stores and on the minds of consumers. We suppose the only worse publicity than bad publicity is no publicity -- and that is why Dryel won't be going away anytime soon.
I am writing in response to the article appearing in the current issue of Clothesline concerning Dow Chemical (Dow's top 10: Cleaners' frequently asked questions; January, 2000).
Janet Hickman, a Dow representative, and I spoke at length back in June. I expressed my concern that Dow was not participating in the passage of the Barton bill. Janet gave me the exact same reasons for not endorsing Barton which are given in this article.
I don't buy the rationale now any more than I did then. Dow believes that the bill cannot pass. While this is certainly speculation, the fact that a major perc producer refuses to endorse the bill or even participate in its refinement is not helping to gain passage. Dow had an opportunity to have a hand in crafting the language of the bill, had they desired to participate. Dow has both money and influence at its disposal.
I find it reprehensible that Dow refuses to acknowledge its role and responsibility on our search for an answer. Instead, Dow sat back and watched, as a small, poorly organized industry fought to become a political player overnight.
In contrast, R.R. Street & Co. Inc., fully understands its role in our search for an answer. Street's has consistently fought to improve our lot, and in so doing, its own.
The reference to supporting state funds is amusing as well. How much better that the poor, dumb drycleaner pay a per gallon tax on perc to solve what is most assuredly Dow's problem as well as ours. I find it interesting that the defense industry as well as other transportation industries are the largest users of perc, yet the drycleaning industry has been singled out to fight an almost insurmountable battle alone.
Ms. Hickman assured me in June that Dow had entered another phase of critical research on the industry's behalf. We really don't need any more rat research to tell us that we are not important enough for Dow to bring its money and influence to the table where it might have a real impact.
There is much to be done now to encourage EPA and Congress to address our concerns. I sincerely believe that the time has come for Dow to take a long, hard look back at their own dubious record of concern for public safety and welfare and do the right thing.
Linda Ferguson
Safeway Cleaners Inc.
Pearl, MS
Bill Bohannon really believes in his method of calculating costs ("How much does it cost you?," January, 2000), but I have data that proves his theory wrong.
Equipment can make a substantial difference in cost of production. At $8 for the labor of pressing shirts on a laydown unit, a good operator can turn out 20 quality shirts an hour. This cost is 40 cents a shirt for the pressing only.
A cabinet unit will produce at least 40 quality shirts an hour; now the cost is reduced to 20 cents an hour.
A double buck unit with two operators will produce as many as 60 shirts per operator hour and now we have a cost of 13.3 cents a shirt.
It cost three times as much in labor for shirt finishing from the slowest equipment unit compared to the highest speed unit.
I don't know what kind of equipment Mr. Bohannon uses in his "model" plant but he shows an overall production cost of 40 percent for labor.
I receive the monthly production figures from some 18 plants that represent total sales of about $100 million a year.
These businesses have package plants, routes and drop stores and all do shirts.
None showed a cost of more than 30 percent to compare with the 40 percent cost in Bohannon's "model" plant.
Another point of interest is that every one of these charges more than $1.25 for shirts and more than $3.75 for drycleaned pieces, as was shown for the "model" plant.
If Mr. Bohannon raised the prices for the "model" plant, the cost to do a shirt would come down.
I think that it would be wise for Mr. Bohannon to realize that it is a big world out there and there are operators getting top quality and production and much higher prices. As the saying goes "You can't compare oranges to apples."
Stan Golomb
The Golomb Group
Willowbrook, IL
Date created: Dec 29 1999 Last modified: Dec 29 1999 Copyright © 1999, National Clothesline Maintained by: Hal Horning Hal Horning