Web-surfing cleaners who haven't visited the International Fabricare Institute or Neighborhood Cleaners Association sites lately should make a point to drop in for a visit. Both web sites have been recently revamped and expanded.
The two trade associations have had web sites for several years now, but with the recent "relaunchings" both sites now have more to offer cleaners, members and non-members alike.
Since its unveiling last fall, the new NCA site (www.nca-i.com) has been in a state of constant growth. Updates and new information of one sort or another appear at least weekly. Association news, general industry news, compliance assistance, store posters, opinion surveys and essays by cleaners are available. You don't need to be a member of NCA to view any of the material, but if you want to join, there is a downloadable membership form.
"From the time NCA staff writes a Bulletin article until you get that article in your hand takes approximately seven to eight weeks," NCA related in an article announcing its new web site offerings. Not only is time lost, but there is also the cost of printing and mailing. The Internet provides a short-cut, NCA suggested.
"E-mail and web site watching by the membership can help to make your association far more effective in getting information to you fast, cheap and easy," NCA explained.
More recently, the International Fabricare Institute has introduced a "new and improved" web site (www.ifi.org). The site is divided into three main sections: one for consumers, one for the general industry and one for IFI members.
Much of the redesign of IFI's web site was aimed toward improving the industry's image in the mind of consumers. The consumer section features a searchable database that lets potential customers find the IFI member nearest to hem. When a consumer enters a city or zip code, the web site will provide the name and address of the IFI members in the area.
Another new feature gives members two-way links to IFI's web site from their own site. At no charge, IFI members can place a link to their own web site on www.ifi.org, and can link to IFI's web site from their own site. Members who want to participate in the web linking can contact IFI's Susan Bale, (800) 638-2627, ext. 144.
"With more and more consumers using the web to locate businesses and services, this new free advertising should help boost traffic at IFI member plants," said IFI CEO Bill Fisher.
The consumer section also has general information about drycleaning and tips on how to care for garments.
The section aimed at the general industry tells about IFI and how to join or contact the association, education and testing services available through IFI, industry news and issues, operating tips, and customer dispute resolution.
The members-only part of IFI's site requires a password for access to forms and bulletins and, in the near future, the ability to order products and services on line. Currently members can find the password in a current issue of Fabricare magazine. Eventually membership numbers will be used to access the section.
"Our focus was on ease of use, as well as providing useful information to the different markets we're appealing to," said Mary Scalco, IFI senior vice president who has helped oversee the redesign.
As the cost of complying with environmental rules has grown over the years, many cleaners have adopted the practice of adding a surcharge to their invoices to recoup some of those costs. Whether that makes good business sense has been the topic of debate among cleaners, but recent court cases now raise the question of the legality of the practice.
While the court cases to date do not directly affect the drycleaning industry, cleaners may want to review any environmental surcharges they are placing on their invoices in light of the settlement of a class action suit in Oklahoma. Similar cases are in courts in California, Alabama and Illinois.
The cases all challenge the validity of separate invoice items for "hazardous materials fees" and similar charges which the plaintiff's counsel claims are fraudulent or otherwise violate state unfair trade practice statues. The heart of objection is that the invoice lines infer that the fees are actually taxes remitted to a state or local government or that they cover specific costs of regulatory compliance that were incurred or calculated by the seller.
In the Oklahoma case, Airgas Inc. has agreed to a settlement that would allow prior purchasers of its products to claim a one-time discount of $5 to $15 off of future purchases if certain conditions are met. A hearing was scheduled for Feb. 5 in the Sequoya County, Oklahoma, District Court for final approval of the settlement.
Rick Schweitzer, government affairs consultant for the National Welding Supply Association, said the case does not mean that environmental surcharges are illegal but that anyone who wants to use them should be careful how they are worded and explained to customers.
Schweitzer said there are about a half a dozen similar cases in the industry he represents, but he wasn't aware of any outside that industry.
Nonetheless, he said, a cleaner along with anyone else who places such surcharges on their invoices "would be well served to look at the fees."
"You need to have an explanation on the invoice, and in a business like a drycleaners with walk-in businesses, you might even want to post a sign where customers can see it," Schweitzer said.
"You need to be careful how you describe the fee," he added.
Specifically, Schweitzer warned against identifying the fee with terms like "Government Fee" or "Regulatory Compliance Fee" since that wording can imply that the money is passed on directly to the government.
Cleaners doing business in states that have a fee actually imposed by the government -- for solvent clean-up programs, for example -- may be on firmer ground if they show that fee on their invoice.
But in other cases, cleaners need to avoid wording that sounds as if they are collecting a government-mandated tax.
The Airgas settlement allows for a separate environmental line item on invoices, Schweitzer noted, but it should be called a "Hazardous Materials Fee (charge)" or a "Hazardous Materials Handling Fee."
Further, he said, the invoice -- or in the case of a cleaner with a call office sign -- should contain wording that explains the charge, i.e., that it is "intended to cover the increasing costs faced by the company in complying with federal, state and local regulations" and noting that "it is not specifically related to actual compliance costs which can vary by the type of product or service, geographic location or time," and finally that the charge "is not a federal, state or local tax and is not required by any federal state or local agency or authority."
Whenever the issue of environmental surcharges arises in the drycleaning industry, opinion seems about evenly divided whether it is a good idea. Writers on both sides have addressed the issue in National Clothesline. Proponents have argued that it is not only fair to recoup the costs of environmental compliance but it also gives cleaners a chance to explain to customers the things they are doing to be environmentally conscious.
Opponents, however, argue that environmental compliance is just another cost of doing business and should be rolled into the prices charged for services. Further, they say, seeing such charges added to an invoice may raise questions in a customer's mind about environmental hazards related to drycleaning.
The class action suit in Oklahoma adds a new factor to the equation that each cleaner must work out in determining what, if any, environmental surcharges to add to the invoice and how to go about doing it.
Drycleaners may not be happy about the casual wear trend that has swept through the country in recent years, but how many are really doing anything to change it?
The International Fabricare Institute is hoping to discover the answer to that question by holding a "Best Dressed Drycleaner" contest. IFI hopes to recognize individuals who are doing more than simply complaining about business casual dress. Instead, the industry's best and brightest are setting an example for the rest of the industry by aggressively promoting professional wear behind the front counter of plants.
In the October 2000 Fabricare issue, IFI CEO Bill Fisher wrote, "If we want customers (and potential customers) of our industry to start dressing better, we need to start setting an example." Though it certainly wasn't the first time Fisher had urged drycleaning employees who greet customers to dress up, he is hoping that the contest will generate more interest in the idea. After all, if the drycleaning industry cannot advocate its own services by dressing appropriately, then who will?
IFI sent out contest submissions in its January 2001 edition of Fabricare. Those who wish to nominate themselves must answer a few questions on an entry form and return it to IFI along with a picture that shows them in their typical daily work attire.
Some of the questions on the form include: How would you describe your daily work attire? and What kind of dress code exists at your establishment?
The contest is open to drycleaning owners, operators, managers and employees basically, anyone who represents the industry at the front line, where customers take notice.
Bill Fisher will be the sole arbiter of the contest and he will reserve the right to question any nominee's peers so that he can verify if that person actually dresses in the same manner as the picture they submitted for the contest.
"There will not be one overall best dressed drycleaner," noted Jay Calleja, vice president of communications for IFI. "Bill will choose the ten best dressed drycleaners. These are ten people who are projecting a good image to their customers."
Calleja also pointed out that industry members who greet drycleaning customers while donning casual attire are promoting the wrong message. "If you are not setting a good example of dress to your customer base, how can you complain about the casual wear trend?"
All entries for the contest must be received by March 30, 2001. The ten winners will be honored by IFI at their Clean 2001 program in New Orleans, LA, this summer. Additionally, all ten cleaners will be featured in a future issue of Fabricare.
In the past few years, the drycleaning industry has witnessed a rapid influx of new franchises that are seeking to capture their share of the "dirty garment" market.
Most notably, companies such as Zoots, Micell and PurpleTie Inc. have attracted millions of dollars in venture capital from investors who are banking on promises of high quality and new technology. It would seem that these same companies have also attracted the attention of Inc. magazine, which featured an article titled "An Opportunity to Clean Up" in its January 2001 issue.
Citing the public's perception of drycleaning for several decades as a "sullied, unprofessional backwater of some 35,000 loosely organized establishments," Inc. noted that corporate executives from other industries hope to "apply the entrepreneurial Midas touch to the problems that beset this cobwebbed corner of the economy."
The amount of influence these large franchises will have on the industry has yet to really be determined. As Jay Calleja, vice president of communications for IFI, points out in the article, "All the new start-ups promise top quality and great prices, but they have to deliver on that." Already, Zoots has been in the industry three years, and so far the Newton, MA-based company has generated over $50 million in private equity for funding. Zoots has reported generating $30 million in sales for 2000, and the company hopes to double that figure for 2001.
Started by Tom Stemberg and Todd Krasnow, creators of the office chain Staples, Zoot's operating philosophy is to "surpass the convenience expectations of today's time-challenged consumer." In order to achieve that goal, the company offers a delivery service via its Internet site at www.zoots.com where customers can log in orders and have drivers pick-up and deliver drycleanable garments. Another part of Zoots' strategy is to offer customers convenience with a growing number of retail locations.
Currently, Zoots offers service to about 140 cities and town throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Virginia and Maryland.
Drycleaning dot-com Inc. wrote about another company that hopes to accrue a customer base through the Internet -- PurpleTie Inc.
Headquartered in Pleasanton, CA, PurpleTie (www.purpletie.com) has raised over $8 million from investors so far. The company's CEO, Payam Zamani, co-founder of AutoWeb.com, recruited a team of directors and advisors that bring corporate experience from such companies as Visa USA, Coca-Cola, GE Capital and UPS.
Linda Maurer, public relations director for the company, said that PurpleTie is currently "increasing its customer use and expanding across the Bay area." To date, about 80 Bay Area zip codes are covered by PurpleTie's residential service. Additionally, PurpleTie has offered its services to about 1,250 local and national partners of the Abilizer Employee Portal, an enterprise which seeks to provide employees of participating companies with a variety of services that will help them manage their work and home life easier, i.e. dryclean delivery services.
As for future plans, PurpleTie hopes to penetrate 25 major U.S. markets with its fleet of purple delivery vans and its 24-hour online availability by the year 2003.
A carbon dioxide alternative
The last company Inc. profiled in its article on the industry is Micell Technologies, Inc. (www.micell.com), which has aggressively advocated its cleaning solvent of choice -- carbon dioxide.
Inc. noted that Micell CEO Kirk Kinsell believes that a recent 40% weekly sales jump for a Wisconsin Hangers franchise can be attributed to a high rate of consumer approval for the environmentally friendly process. However, IFI's Jay Calleja expressed some skepticism that Micell will continue to grow, pointing out that the company's carbon dioxide machines cost considerably more than "typical" drycleaning machines.
Micell, which was founded in 1995 by Dr. Joseph DeSimone and fellow scientists Timothy Romack, Ph.D., and James McClain, launched its first store in February of 1999.
Since then, it has expanded to include 49 Hanger locations, including stores in North Carolina, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Wisconsin. According to Crystal Carson, a communications specialist at Micell, the company is achieving steady growth and projects to have more than 100 locations by the end of this year. "We have not had trouble expanding," she said.
Late last year, Micell announced that franchise agreements had been signed for San Diego, CA; White Plains, NY; Chapel Hill, NC; and Austin and Mission, TX. Development is also currently underway for markets in Houston, Dallas and Ft. Worth, TX; Asheville, Wake Forest and Charlotte, NC; Charleston, SC; Las Vegas, NV; Miami, FL, Philadelphia, PA, and Savannah, GA.
Spotlight on the industry
While it remains to be seen what the ultimate impact these big companies will have on the industry, one ripple has already begun felt: a spotlight has been placed on the industry.
Public perception still seems to favor a negative view on the industry's professionalism and business finesse. Inc.'s article describes a "gold-rush mentality" that is attracting big company executives and investment capital to the industry in an unparalleled manner.
The race is on to see who will be able to cultivate the needs of drycleaning customers, and those needs seem to be expanding every day.
Certainly, the future of drycleaning promises to be a difficult one for cleaners, no matter how big or small. Success may no longer be guaranteed to those businesses who produce a high quality product.
"Real World Wetcleaning: A Study of Three Established Wetcleaning Shops" has been released by the Center for Neighborhood Technology.
CNT, which has been involved in the development of wetcleaning in the garment care industry since 1992, issued this latest report based on its research at three wetcleaning shops during 1998 and 1999. The goal was to get "real world" data from established operations. At the outset of the study, each plant had been in full operation for at least a year.
The three plants studied were Colonial Cleaners in Minneapolis, MN, Natural Cleaners in Bayside, WI, and Nature's Cleaners in North Andover, MA.
Each of the shops has a different history. Nature's Cleaners started exclusively offering wetcleaning while the other two converted from drycleaning and continue to offer both services. The owners of both Nature's Cleaners and Colonial Cleaners work in the shops on a daily basis while tat Natural Cleaners the owner manages four other stores and has an on-site manager at the shop. All of the stores have annual revenues between $250,000 and $350,000, placing them at average or above the drycleaning industry as a whole.
At Colonial Cleaners, the percentage of wetcleaning varies. Garments will be wetcleaned if the customer requests it; otherwise the choice of cleaning process is not specifically discussed with customers. Part of the plant's success is ascribed to a "very good presser" with 14 years of experience.
Natural Cleaners' owner Marilyn Fleming has more than 20 years of experience as a shop manager and owner. She owns several stores called Natural Cleaners and manages two One-Hour Martinizing stores for retired owners.
At the Bayside store, deciding whether to wetclean or dryclean is based on special processing requests; stains; silks and whites; care labels; and fiber types. If a cleaning method that goes against the care label is used, the garment is measured first.
Nature's Cleaners has wetcleaning equipment only -- no drycleaning machines are on site. Owner David Nobil turned to wetlcleaning after his original plan for a solvent drycleaner site in North Andover, MA, was turned down due to the proximity to wetlands and the risk of perc contamination. The shop opened in February 1996.
While it is a wetcleaning-only plant, garments not appropriate for wetcleaning are processed under an agreement with another area cleaner. Fiber types that are not wetcleaned include some multi-colored rayon/acetates and rayon/silk velvets.
Many of the employees have mentioned the lack of a chemical odor as a benefit of working the wetcleaning-only shop, CNT noted. The shop was voted the town's favorite drycleaner (out of 10 in the town) in a poll conducted by the local newspaper in 1999.
During two separate periods of the study, the shops tracked the care method, care instructions and fiber type for every garment cleaned over two weeks. Significant differences were observed between the two mixed use shops in which garments were wetcleaned and which garments were drycleaned.
Colonial Cleaners wetcleaned 35 percent of the garments during the two-week fall period and 29 percent during the spring period. Colonial had a higher percentage of rayon garments and fewer cotton garments than the others, along with a lower percentage of "machine wash" garments. The shop's main limiting factor for wetcleaning came in the processing of wool items with "Dry Clean Only" labels.
Natural Cleaners did more wetcleaning, with 51 percent of the garments wetcleaned during the fall period and 68 percent during the spring period. The most significant factor in the shop's increased wetcleaning was a large increase in the wetcleaning of "Dry Clean Only" wool items. At both Colonial and Natural Cleaners, the largest portion of wetcleaning volume came from processing "Machine Wash" cottons.
Nature's Cleaners wetcleaned 100 percent of garments during both tracking periods.
Financial data from the three shops was compared to a 1991 IFI survey that was used as a baseline. Adjustments were made to account for tax structures and to exclude work sent out.
"One concern about wetcleaning has been the increased labor costs," CNT noted. "In these three shops, it appears that has not been significant. There is no one specific cost that varies greatly from wetcleaning to drycleaning that could be a source of incentive to switch processes."
"All three shops indicate ways in which professional cleaners can successfully utilize today's wetcleaning," CNT concluded.
CNT also noted that "there is no correct level of wetcleaning for a shop. This report shows that a 100 percent wetcleaning ships is a viable option, but that the more typical mixed use shop can also operate efficiently."
Between one-fourth and one-third of garments brought to a cleaner do not have a "Dry Clean" or "Dry Clean Only" care label, CNT noted, recommending that these items should be wetcleaned when possible.
The two mixed use shops in the study wetcleaned between 17 percent and 55 percent of the "Dry Clean Only" items. That, CNT said, shows the limitations of current care labeling, but also the possibilities of wetcleaning for processing items that would normally be drycleaned.
The full report is available from CNT, 2125 West North Ave., Chicago IL 60647; phone (773) 278-4800. The report can also be downloaded from the CNT web site: www.cnt.org.
Current information on mandated drycleaner-specific remediation programs in 11 U.S. states -- Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin -- is available from the State Coalition for Drycleaner Remediation (SCRD).
"State Drycleaner Remediation Programs" is a set of three tables that contain information on the elements and benefits of state programs, fee structures, and program administration. Data for the tables was collected in September-October 2000 by SCRD's Program Development. Administration Subgroup and updates information included in the original survey report, "State Programs to Clean Up Drycleaners," prepared in 1999.
Data in these tables is updated and posted on the SCRD web site (www.drycleancoalition.org) approximately every six months. The tables, as well as the original survey report, are available for viewing and downloading in the "Publications" section of the site.
The State Coalition for Remediation of Drycleaners was established in 1998. The organization is supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Technology Innovation Office and the National Ground Water Association. Members includes states that have established programs to fund remediation of drycleaner sites, and states considering formal programs.
Currently the member states are Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. Current associate members, states considering formal drycleaner remediation programs, are Louisiana and New Mexico.
The Coalition was established in 1998 to provide a forum for the discussion of technical and implementation issues related to state drycleaner programs; share information and lessons learned with states that do not have drycleaner-specific programs; serve as a resource for drycleaner remediation issues; and encourage the use of innovative technologies in drycleaner remediation.
At its last meeting, the coalition created a new membership category for states without drycleaner-specific programs but that are active in the remediation of drycleaner sites under other authorities. They may now be recognized as "Represented States" and participate in coalition activities.
Summaries of the coalition meetings and related conferences are available on the web site. For additional information about SCRD, contact Leo Henning, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, at lhenning@kdhe.state.ks.us .
Additional information about the remediation program tables may be obtained by contacting SCRD's Program Administration Subgroup Chair Bob Jurgens at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment through e-mail at bjurgens@kdhe.state.ks.us .
SCRD plans to hold its spring 2001 meeting at the Holiday Inn in Scottsdale, AZ, during the week of April 16. A training course will be held on Tuesday, April 17, and the meeting will be held from Wednesday, April 18, until noon on Friday, April 20, 2001.
The 2001 schedule of courses continues this month at the International Fabricare Institute with courses in finishing, shirts, wetcleaning, wedding gowns, business practices, legislation and customer service being offered at IFI headquarters in Silver Spring.
The courses are part of a cycle that repeats throughout the year and also includes sessions on drycleaning processes and equipment and stain removal which will next be offered in March.
Students who complete all nine courses earn the "General Drycleaning Course Certificate," which indicates knowledge of professional drycleaning standards and practices.
All courses are taught by IFI's instructors. The following listing describes the courses and the dates when they will be offered next year.
The Finishing course teaches students how to establish quality finishing points; simplify finishing procedures; understand special finishing tools; develop basic finishing techniques for skirts, pants, coats, blouses, dresses; master the finishing of specialty items such as pleats, velvets, pile fabrics; and assembling and effective packaging.
The course will be offered February 5-6; April 30-May 1; August 6-7; and October 8-9.
Shirts, a one-day course, covers streamlining invoicing and tagging procedures; simplifying inspection and classification; improving stain removal; devising effective wash formulas; solving shirt problems; and simplifying the finishing of shirts.
The course will be offered February 7; May 2; August 8; and October 10.
Wetcleaning, another one-day course, covers simplifying textiles and wetcleaning; effectively removing stains in wetcleaning; understanding the basics of bleach baths; understanding wetcleaning equipment; efficiently handling special items in wetcleaning; and mastering wetcleaning and finishing techniques.
The course will be offered February 8-9; May 3-4; August 9-10; and October 11-12.
Wedding Gowns is a course that provides an understanding of wedding gown fabrics; how to implement efficient inspection procedures; institute cleaning and restoration techniques; master finishing techniques; and effective packaging and marketing tips
The course will be offered February 12; May 7; August 13; and October 15.
Business Practices is a two-day session that covers organizing inventory control; simplifying business analysis; building employee teams; motivating employees; calculating the cost to produce a garment; and streamlining plant layout.
The course will be offered February 13-14; May 8-9; August 14-15; and October 16-17.
Legislation is a one-day session that will help clarify labeling rules; simplify OSHA and EPA regulations; and provide details on soil and groundwater contamination.
The course will be offered February 15; May 11; August 17; and October 19.
Customer Service explains how to understanding customers' expectations and attitudes; manage potential cleaning problems; achieve effective customer interaction; and efficiently handle difficult situations.
The course will be offered February 16; May 11; August 17; and October 19.
Coming in March
Coming up in March are the courses in Drycleaning Processes and Equipment and Stain Removal.
Drycleaning Processes and Equipment covers operating perc and petroleum systems; textiles and drycleaning; simplifying classification; improving filtration/distillation; managing solvent, detergent and moisture; learning about drying/vapor recovery; troubleshooting drycleaning machines; and streamlining invoicing and tagging.
The course will be offered March 19-20; April 23-24; June 11-12; July 30-31; September 10-11; October 1-2; and November 5-6.
Stain Removal teaches and understanding of textiles & stain removal; organizing stain removal tools and equipment; simplifying stain removal agents; improving stain removal procedures, both basic and advanced; clarifying the use of bleaches; and managing stain removal and specialty fabrics.
The course will be offered March 21-23; April 25-27; June 13-15; August 1-3; September 12-14; October 3-5; and November 7-9.
Scholarships are available for IFI members. For more information, call Susan Bale at IFI, (800) 638-2627, ext. 144 or e-mail education@ifi.org .
A years-long pattern of losses in employment at U.S. apparel makers continue in 2000, according to a Department of Labor report.
At the and of the year, the U.S. apparel industry employed 621,000 workers while the textile industry employed 524,000. At their peaks, apparel employment reached 1.4 million in 1973 while textiles had 1.3 million in 1951.
Foreign competition continued to take its toll on the domestic apparel industry. Double digit increases in apparel imports were recorded last year. Nevertheless, the rate of job loss slowed in both sectors last year compared to 1999. The apparel industry lost 7.17 percent of its workforce last year compared to 8.9 percent in 1999.
The International Fabricare Institute has announced topics for its education programs at Clean '01 in New Orleans July 19-22. In addition to the education programs, IFI will have an opening session and awards ceremony which will include recognition of the winners of IFI's Meritorious Serve Awards.
Each of the six co-sponsoring associations sponsors programs tailored to the interests of their particular industry segment. Registered attendees can partake of any of the associations' offerings. IFI's topics include the following:
Registration for the show is $35 per person through June 15. After that date, it will be $60. For registration and other information, contact Riddle & Associates, the show management company, (404) 876-1988, or visit the Clean Show web site: www.cleanshow.com.
IFI members can make reservations at IFI's headquarters hotel, the Monteleone, by calling the hotel directly, (800) 535-9595 or (504) 523-3341, and identifying themselves as an IFI member. For questions about housing, call Mary Scalco at IFI, (301) 622-1900.
A total of 127 cleaners either passed certification exams for one of IFI's three certifications or recertified as a Certified Environmental Drycleaner (CED) last October.
Fifty cleaners passed the CED exam for the first time, while 56 more earned CED recertification. Seventeen cleaners earned the right to call themselves Certified Professional Drycleaners (CPDs), and four cleaners passed the Certified Professional Wetcleaning (CPW) exam.
Christopher Birk, president of One Hour Cleaners in Peru, IN and Aaron Bray, president of Chesley The Cleaner in Nashville, TN, passed the CPW exam and joined a select group of seven cleaners who have earned all three certifications.
The next round of certification exams will be held April 7. The application deadline for those exams is February 7. For more information on certification contact IFI's Education Department at (800) 638-2627, ext. 144.
A complete list of cleaners who achieved certification or recertified in October is as follows:
Certified Environmental Drycleaners
Lori Mae Abel, Dayton, TN; Steven Edward Abel, Dayton, TN; Mike Achin, Scottsdale, AZ; James Becknell, Winnsboro, SC; Jackie W. Braden, Knoxville, TN; Robert A. Burns, Raleigh, NC; David Carroll, Chestertown, MD; Hyuk JE Cha, Silver Spring, MD.
Also, Christi L. Chapman, Cordova, TN; Sangbin A. Chey, Howell, NJ; Gregory C. Choi, Chantilly, VA; Sihwa Chung, Fairfax, VA; Bobby Cyi, Nashville, TN; Michael Davis, Columbia, SC; Candice L. Duke, Chattanooga, TN; Anastasi Girinakis, Indianapolis, IN; Clinton R. Greer, Chattanooga, TN; Anne Hargrove, Lyons, IL; Joe Harris, Memphis, TN; Norman Hendren, Ripley, TN; Kyung Hong, Memphis, TN.
Also, In Hg Kang, Richmond, VA; Jay J. Kim, Rockford, IL; Okdoo Kim, Memphis, TN; Kathy Laws, Greeneville, TN; Cheong Jong Lee, Morristown, TN; Kwang I. Lee, Memphis, TN; Kyhl Yong Lee, Fairfax, VA; Caron McDonald, Savannah, TN; Michael McLellen, Lafayette, IN; Brian Meden, Hanahan, SC; Greg Melton, Oakdale, TN.
Also, Stephanie Mettlach, Mt Pleasant, SC; Tommy Moore, Conway, SC; Emily Newman, Nashville, TN; Chun Shin Park, Fairfax, VA; Jae Man Park, Potomac, MD; Shin K. Park, Memphis, TN; Danny R. Peters, Gallatin, TN; John Pettey, Fayetteville, TN; Ray Reams, Jackson, TN; Timothy J. Rolle, Apex, NC.
Also, Gary Russell, Smithville, TN; Aaron Stampfle, Germantown, TN; Ki San Suh, Memphis, TN; Jason C. Turman, Raleigh, NC; Brian Walker, Knoxville, TN; Emery Lee White, Jr., Savannah, TN; Patricia L. Wyant, Flora, IN; Jeong Sik Yoo, Bartlett, TN.
Certified Professional Drycleaners
James B. Acker, Athens, TX; Hermenegildo Alanis, Naples, FL; Dana Boaen, Savannah, GA; Sheldon Bray, Nashville, TN; Karen Copple, Oxford, MS; Glenn Gazdecki, Santa Barbara, CA; Hyon Han, Atlanta, GA; Richard D. Long, Ft Mill, SC; Wendy Long, Orlando, FL; Loyce Luedtke, Santa Claus, IN.
Also, Peter Moon, Indianapolis, IN; Tommy J. Newton, New Braunfels, TX; Duane A. Say, Nashville, TN; William E. Stephens, Munford, AL; Jeff Stepsay, Denver, CO; Andrew P. Waddell, Bel Ridge, MO; Brenda Wallace, Clarksville, TN.
Certified Professional Wetcleaners
Christopher Birk, Peru, IN; Aaron C. Bray, Nashville, TN; William A. Dickerson, Greenville, IN; Sonny Son, Silver Spring, MD
CEDs Recertified
Billy Allen, Tullahoma, TN; Charles Anton, Tewksbury, MA; Rick Armstrong, Richmond, IN; Kenneth Bark, Detroit, MI; Janet Caon Barlow, Clio, MI; Debbie Barnett, Indianapolis, IN; Larry S. Barrios, Slidell, LA; Sandy L. Barrios, Slidell, LA; Tommy Blanks, Jackson, MS; Stan D. Bechtle, Lawrence, KS; Dennis L. Bell, Sunbury, OH; Vincent K. Blake, Wichita Falls, TX.
Also, William E. Bohannon, Alexandria, VA; Harold L. Boyd, Memphis, TN; Kevin N. Buskirk, Champaign, IL; Michael G. Chatelain, Alexandria, VA; Laurie B. Clark, Lawrence, KS; Mike Cooper, Memphis, TN; Glenn H. Daugherty, Jr., Mesa, AZ; Roxanne Delano, Hendersonville, TN; Pamela Dickey, Indianapolis, IN; Augustine R. Disidoro, Ft.Walton Beach, FL.
Also, James E. Douglas, Sacramento, CA; Raymond D. Farrell, Waco, TX; Delores Godwin, Indianapolis, IN; Richard L. Gritz, Alexandria, VA; Bob Guthery, Oklahoma City, OK; Phyllis A. Hughes, Daytona Beach, FL; J. Leigh Jackson, Hendersonville, TN; Dan L. Johnston, Maryville, TN; Rick S. Kelchner, Kutztown, PA; Mark O. Kimmel, Upper Sandusky, OH.
Also, Victor A. Kocher, Wichita Falls, TX; Paula L. Kostick, Mechanicsburg, PA; Robert B. Lovell, Lancaster, OH; William L. Maloney, Jeffersonville, IN; Edward Mannis, Knoxville, TN; Jim B. Massey III, Montgomery, AL; Chris Maxwell, Jackson, TN; Laurie A. McReynolds, Waco, TX; Vern A. Meints, McCook, NE; Jeff C. Newman, Jr., Bakersfield, CA.
Also, Travis E. Oberrender, Bloomsburg, PA; Stephen G.A. Page, Phoenix, AZ; Pierrette Ruhland, Poughkeepsie, NY; Marlene E. Showalter, Topeka, KS; Marie A. Spencer, Youngstown, OH; Eric L. Spomar, Dolton, IL; John P. Spomar, Jr., Dolton, IL; Paul M. Stoy, Annapolis, MD.
Also, Tam V. Trinh, San Diego, CA; Ronald T. Ullenberg, Chattanooga, TN; Shirley F. Urich, Enola, PA; Joseph P. Waite, Naples, FL; Gregory P. Weiter, Topeka, KS; David D. Winter, Lincoln, NE.
The deadline is April 1 for applying for the Textile Care Allied Trades Association Dean Allen Education Fund scholarships.
The fund was established in 1980 to help talented students with college expenses. Scholarships are awarded to students who are interested in pursuing a degree at any accredited U.S. university or college.
Applicants must be a full-time employee or the son or daughter of a full-time employee of a TCATA member company.
An applicant may be anticipating freshman entry, be previously accepted as a freshman, or be an underclassman continuing education on a full-time basis.
Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, leadership qualities and courses of study. The scholarship awards are $1,000 per year and are based on four years of study.
The scholarship was established in 1980 to honor the memory of Dean Allen who had been active in TCATA for 42 years until the time of his death that year. His service to TCATA included two terms as its president.
For more information and application materials, contact TCATA, (973) 244-1790.
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