Trial and Error
Though Carl Rohman didn't buy his first drycleaning plant until 1985, his family already had deep roots in the textile industry.
While Carl, who owns and operates ten Hangers (formerly Globe Quality Cleaners) stores in Lincoln, NE, is the first in his family to own a drycleaning plant, there was another pioneer in the Rohman bloodline.
"Actually, my grandfather's cousin invented the linen uniform rental business. He was a fourteen-year-old boy and he started renting aprons," Carl said. "He'd drop them off on his way to school and pick them up on his way home. That was back in the 1890s or something, and he operated his business out of his Uncle Charles Rohman's grocery store. This is all per the TRSA history of the linen and uniform rental business."
Later, in 1908, Carl's grandfather followed suit and opened up a similar linen and uniform rental business that is now known as Uniservice. The business has been in continuous operation since its inception and is currently headed by Carl's brother, Steven, who represents the third Rohman generation to operate the store.
Growing up, Carl recalled being quite active in the family business. "You name it, I did it. I loaded and unloaded washers. I ran dryers. I did maintenance work. I ran delivery routes," he said.
After high school, Carl left the store and attended Northwestern University where he earned a degree in Engineering. Then, he went on to graduate school at Vanderbilt.
While going to school in Tennessee, Carl opted to pursue another multi-generational family tradition: studying the law. His father and grandfather had received law degrees, and Carl did the same in 1985. He also earned an MBA degree knowing full well that he wanted to work in business some day.
Though Carl has never practiced law, he believes that it is useful to have a law degree when running a business. "You do that so hopefully you'll stay out of trouble," he said. "It doesn't work perfectly, but it helps sometimes."
In 1980, Carl had taken a reprieve from his studies at Vanderbilt and worked for the next few years as a systems analyst for Unisystems. "A systems analyst analyzes the system that you are going to program that system's program for," he explained. "He decides what is needed. He decides what the screen should look like. The systems analyst is the one who designs how the program will work."
Though he hadn't had any interest in drycleaning at that time, he did manage to become better acquainted with the industry by working with successful veteran cleaner Sid Tuchman, now affiliated with PurpleTie.com.
"The company was going to develop a product for the drycleaning industry," Carl recalled. "I was just assigned to do the products. I consulted with Sid Tuchman, but those products never made it to market."
Carl worked at Unisystems until 1983, when the company was sold. He decided that he would resume law school.
While preparing for the Bar exam in a review course, Carl met his wife, Linda, whom he married in 1986. The couple has two boys, Ky and John, who are three and five years old.
Carl remembers when they both took the exam: "It was funny. There were two sections. We got the same score on one section and in the other section she beat me by one. That's just the way it worked out."
Then, a year later, things just seemed to work out again for Carl.
"My swearing in ceremony was the same day that I signed the contract to get into the drycleaning business," he said. "It just sort of happened. A longtime cleaners was going out of business and they were also in the linen rental business. My father was interested primarily in buying the linen and uniform rental business, and he asked me if I had any interest in running the drycleaning."
The plant was in very poor condition. When Carl bought it in 1985, the last piece of new equipment that had been installed in the plant dated back to 1963.
"It needed an overhaul," he recalled. "They were offering a transfer system at the time. We converted the bulk of our dry-to-dry within three months by retrofitting an existing system. Then we got our first real dry-to-dry the next year in 1986."
Over time, Carl's modifications and adjustments turned the franchise into a quality cleaners. "Business steadily grew," he said. "We've slowly but surely tried to improve our quality and our image, and we're one of the higher end cleaners in the city now. We don't have the sole occupancy of that position. I believe that is really where cleaners should be."
In addition to trying to keep customers satisfied with a high quality final product, Carl has also strived hard to clean up the tarnished image that accompanies drycleaning.
"One thing that I noticed when I got into the business is that drycleaners don't have the best reputation you could want," Carl noted. "So, we also engage in a lot of community activities."
Carl's stores have continuously participated in a variety of programs, including Coats for Kids and a YWCA program known as Career Outfits, which provides people with drycleaned outfits for job interviews.
"We will soon begin our biggest clothing drive of the year," he said, referring to the Bubba's Closet program that saw over 14,000 pounds of clothes cleaned one year. "We know that every penny that we spend on the program is actually going to help kids."
Trial and error have always been an important aspect of Carl's business philosophy. Not only has he spent the past fifteen years trying to improve his operation's performance, but he also stayed on top of breakthroughs pertaining to solvents.
"To me, perc is a very good cleaner. That is a distinct advantage, but I don't like being around perc, personally," he noted. "I also don't like my employees to do something that I don't want to do."
While Carl has used perc to various degrees since 1985, he has always done so supplementally with other solvents, such as water (wetcleaning) and petroleum, so that he can provide the best possible cleaning for each individual garment.
"I have used a number of different solvents over the years," he said. "My personal favorite was Valclene for the simple reason that is was very safe and did an adequate job. But, once they realized it was an ozone depleter, it was taken off of the market."
Recently, Carl decided that he would convert his Globe Quality Cleaners to Micell's Hangers franchise, opting to use carbon dioxide as his main solvent, but he realizes that every solvent will have its share of weaknesses. "I don't think there is necessarily ever going to be a perfect solvent," he said.
"I don't think that there is ever a perfect answer to a particular problem," he added. "Even when we used perc, we found that we also wanted petroleum for our delicates. At this point in time, carbon dioxide is very good. It would not be a bad thing to have a little bit of petroleum for the rayon acetates."
Carl chose carbon dioxide for several reasons. He wanted to remodel his stores, for starters. He also knew he could take advantage of a $390,000 ten-year, low interest loan from Nebraska's state allocated environmental funds. Most importantly, he felt like CO2 was ready for the field.
"CO2 is not for everybody," he emphasized. "The biggest thing is that CO2 does not clean as well as perc. With perc, a lot of stuff comes out of the machine clean. You relatively have few spots. On the other hand, the spots that you do have have been heat set. With CO2 the spots haven't been set by heat. A lot of those spots are just going to blow right out.
"My point is that you're going to have to inspect the garments very carefully after they're cleaned and before they are pressed because you've got a lot of things that you can catch. As a result, CO2 is not for a discount cleaner. It's really a choice for high end cleaners because it is very safe with most fabrics."
While Carl certainly utilizes carbon dioxide for its cleaning capabilities, he also believes that it may replace perc as the industry standard as a result of consumer awareness.
"This is a place where I am treading again on being hated by the rest of the industry, but I have said on the [fabricare] forum that I believe perc will successfully be gone from our industry in about six years, by about 2005 or 2006. I think only a very few people would agree with me on that.
"Primarily, right now, there is a relatively low percentage of people who would choose one cleaner over another because of perc or not perc. Very few consumers are concerned one way or another. But, as it becomes increasingly clear that there are alternatives to perc, whether they are CO2 or Rynex or GreenEarth or whatever, I think you'll see the press becoming increasingly hostile towards perc. The more the leaders in the press start talking about it, the more consumers are going to be aware of the issues."
Carl believes that consumers will eventually rethink how they make their choices. "There's no question in my mind that the generation of people growing up today are more environmentally aware and conscious than we were. That's going to be an increasing issue. Each year that goes by, the issue is not going to get smaller. It's going to be an issue that gets bigger."
The International Fabricare Institute has announced three staff changes.
Jay Calleja has been named vice president of communications. He joined IFI last year as associate editor in the communications department. In his new post he will be responsible for all of IFI's communications programs, including media and public relations, the production of Fabricare, Clothes Care Gazette and Fabricare Resources, and the implementation of in-house production projects such as designing consumer information brochures.
Jane Rising, a long-time instructor at IFI, has been named manager of training and instruction, a new title that formalizes much of what she has been doing. Her duties include overseeing IFI's education and instructional programs, its outreach seminars and the publication of all IFI training manuals and materials.
Anne Weakley, who was an instructor in the education department, has moved to the finance department, where, as network administrator, she will oversee all of IFI's computer applications.
Ken Bark, owner of 49-Minute Cleaners in Detroit, MI, received the Philanthropy Spirit Award from the New Hope Community Development Non-Profit Housing Corp.
New Hope provides housing to low-income and homeless people by repairing abandoned houses and building homes on abandoned properties that it purchases and sells back to low-income families. Bark has been involved with the organization for 10 years.
Bark also serves as an at-large District Committee Member for the International Fabricare Institute.
Joseph Thompson and Lee Parker have joined Adco Inc. Thompson will service account in Louisiana. He can be reached at (225) 715-6700 or (800) 821-7556. Parker will service accounts in Georgia and the Tallahassee, FL, area. He can be reached at (912) 405-8348 or (800) 821-7556.
Daniel Olney has joined the Ajax sales staff as its western regional sales manager.
Olney brings an extensive background in drycleaning and commercial laundry and he has held both operations and field sales positions within the industry for more than 25 years.
Ajax, manufactured by Alliance Systems, markets pressing and finishing equipment for drycleaners, commercial cleaners and the hospitality industry. Information about the company is available on its web site: www.ajaxpress.com.
Five cleaners have achieved professional certification in all three areas tested by the International Fabricare Institute.
They are: Ed Boorstein of Silver Spring, MD; Joe Waite of Naples, FL; Wan C. Choe of Upper Marlboro, MD; Charles P. Jones of Allen, TX, and Robert Tober of Charlotte, NC.
Certification is offered in three categories: Certified Environmental Drycleaner (CED); Certified Professional Drycleaner (CPD); and Certified Professional Wetcleaner (CPW).
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 CED certificate must be renewed every three years. The CPD and CPW certificates are renewed every five years.
The exams are given in April and October each year at a various locations. For more information, contact IFI, (800) 638-2627, ext. 144 or (301) 622-1900, or send e-mail to education@ifi.org .
Paul Rodd of Lindsay Cleaners in Lindsay, ON, is the new president of the Ontario Fabricare Association.
Rodd took over from Bill Renaud Jr. who resigned in September because he is leaving the industry.
Association vice presidents are Randy Bridge of Burtol cleaners in Simcoe and Reg Quinton of Mount Royal Cleaners in Burlington.
New directors joining the board at the annual meeting were Brian Chelsky of Careful Hand Laundry in Toronto, Blair Burgess of Manor Cleaners in St. Catherines and Tim Maxwell of SuedeMaster Leather Cleaners in Toronto.
Loraine Longo is executive director of OFA. She can be reached at (416) 255-2384.
The Electrolux Group has reached an agreement to sell Washex/Challenge, a heavy-duty laundry business, to Lavatec AG, a leading German producer of laundry equipment.
Washex/Challenge is a part of the Electrolux Professional Indoor Products business sector. The company develops, manufactures and markets technologically advanced heavy-duty laundry equipment for the industrial and institutional markets.
In 1999, sales were $36 million. The company has 160 employees. The head office is located in Wichita Falls, TX.
The divestment includes only the Washex/Challenge heavy-duty laundry business and will have no effect on Electrolux Wascator, a world leader in professional laundry equipment.
Detlef Münchow, president of Electrolux Professional Indoor Products, said the divestiture of the Washex/Challenge heavy-duty laundry business is part of the company's strategy to concentrate on its core business.
Lavatec AG, based in Heilbronn, Germany, is a manufacturer of heavy-duty laundry equipment for the industrial garments market.
Over 250 people came to the Coin Laundry Association's convention in Boston, MA, this September to help the organization celebrate its 40th anniversary.
Visits to some of the Boston area's top operations were part of the program. Tour stops included Alan Greenberg's Wash N' Dry in Quincy, MA; Faubert Smith's and Al Kelly's Big Load Laundry in Dorchester, MA; and Donald Fawcett's Dependable Cleaners in Dorchester, MA.
Education seminars covered buying and selling a coin laundry, the future of small business, wash-dry-fold procedures, basics for beginners and the real cost of doing a wash.
Also during the convention, leaders of 13 local coin laundry associations gathered for the CLA affiliate conference where they discussed local and state issues of mutual concern. The newest affiliate, the Michigan Coin Laundry Association, was welcomed into the group at the session.
The next affiliate conference will be held during Clean '01 in New Orleans, LA, July 19-22.
CLA is planning its spring workshop for Feb 9-11 in Las Vegas, NV.
For more information on the association, call (630) 963-5547.
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