The total number of reweaving companies in the U.S. may be shrinking every day, but Michael Ehrlich, president of Without A Trace Weavers, Inc., believes that there will always be a need for reweaving clothing because there will always be expensive garments that get torn. Some of the more common garment damage comes from moth attacks, cigarette burns and simple clumsiness on the part of the garment owner.
In all, Michael estimates that there are less than 50 reweaving companies in the U.S., and most of those are smaller operations, unlike Without A Trace, which is a grand scale operation that accepts garments from all over the country, including several major department stores based in the Chicago area.
Even though his staff works on thousands of garments annually, Michael still perceives the skill of reweaving as an art form.
"It's a challenge each time because it's always different and fabrics are different," he explained. "They're getting more difficult and it is an art to learn how to weave the thread the way it's supposed to be woven because it's not the way it used to be when it was just vertically and horizontally.
"Now, there are all different ways and all different colors of threads you have to put in. Sometimes a grey suit looks grey, but it could be made of three different colors to make that grey. So, you have to pull threads from inside the clothes and use the same threads from inside the garment. You have to weave them exactly the same way. Otherwise, it won't work. It will show a lot."
While reweaving isn't a cheap service, it is considerably less expensive than purchasing a new garment. For this reason alone, Michael's business is not dependent on a stable economy.
"Whenever there is a recession, business is wonderful. People want things fixed, instead of buying," he said. "When the economy is good, it's wonderful because people are buying expensive clothes. A person doesn't mind spending $100 on a $2,000 suit."
However, Michael also pointed out that he sometimes has to reject work. "Not everything is worth doing," he pointed out. "If they bring in a pair of dress pants that costs $60, I will tell them: 'I don't think it's worth it. Go buy another pair of dress pants.'"
The other problem reweavers often face is that it is impossible to give customers an absolute guarantee. "Whenever I talk to a person, I never say it's going to be perfect or great," he said. "Weaving isn't always going to be perfect. Some things I can make look incredibly great. With other things, there is just no way. I am going to tell people that from the beginning."
Michael is certainly honest with his customers, and he is not afraid of hard work, either. In fact, his strong work ethic most likely stems from watching his mother work long hours as a waitress trying to raise him and his sister by herself without any child support. One year after Michael was born in the north side of Chicago in 1954, Michael's parents got divorced. He didn't see his father again until he was 20. At that point, Michael's father was quite wealthy and politically involved in Chicago. Michael recalled, "I wasn't looking for a father. I just wanted him to say, 'Here, son. Here's money for all those years I wasn't there to help you out.' He didn't do that."
Instead, Michael relied on his own abilities after high school graduation, first working as a carpet installer, then as a manager for a delicatessen. Eventually he ended up working as a route driver for Stitt Reed.
"I drove around, picked up leathers and suedes from cleaners and enjoyed doing that for many years."
Even when the company changed ownership, Michael's customer base of drycleaners told him that they would follow him wherever he went. He stayed on for six months but left because the quality of work had deteriorated.
He tried route driving for another leather cleaner but ran into the same problem. "It didn't work out there either because the quality wasn't there," he said. "I am the one they're seeing. The embarrassment was with me, not the company."
Eventually, Michael ended up working for Leather Rich out of Wisconsin. He had already spent many years driving routes, accumulating an impressive amount of leather and reweaving work. In 1986, Michael teamed up with a talented reweaver named Maria Poplowski and branched out on his own with Without A Trace Weavers, Inc.
Originally, Maria worked out of Michael's house, but the company grew quickly when he hired manager Linda Mrkvicka and trained several weavers (they have 11 now) to increase the business's overall efficiency.
Up until that point in his life, Michael had never known what direction he was ultimately going. "It was like...go out, get a job, do the best you can at it," he said. "That's how I did it and things just kind of fell into place, I guess. The writing was on the wall, but I didn't know it."
Looking back, Michael surmises that he could probably have made more money working for someone else. Certainly, he believes he would have less headaches, but he preferred having control. That way, he could cut down on complaints. "That's really important because if I just get one, it digs inside of me because I know how hard we try. It really bothers me," he said.
According to Michael, about 99% of his work is dress wear, which basically means that he has a fairly specific customer base that is difficult to reach through advertising. "How can I promote my business? You can't run a sale. It's something that you need to have done, and when you need to have it done, you're going to look and find somebody who does it," he pointed out.
As a result, Without A Trace has relied mostly on word-of-mouth publicity for its acquisition of new business. Fortunately, other unusual methods have worked, as well. "The Web has been really, really good," he noted. "I have also been on TV three times in Chicago on three different local stations. I kind of called them and said, 'Hey, I've got a very unique business. Why don't you guys come out and do a story.' It worked out very well."
Without A Trace also recently did some reknitting work on a sweater for Self Magazine, which ran a favorable article on the business.
"I try to ask people how they heard of me. Mainly, it's through somebody," he said. "So many people don't even know there is such a thing. You don't know unless you do have a lot of expensive clothing. But the person that has one really nice suit and doesn't wear it a lot, but then tears it...he doesn't know what to do."
Another avenue of promotion that Without A Trace relies on is getting reweaving work from drycleaners. He currently has working relationships with over 800 cleaners across the country.
However, the key for success depends on open lines of communication between him, the customer and the drycleaner.
"I want to make their life real easy as a drycleaner where they can take in the work, it can be explained by somebody who knows about it, and they can just add on their money," he said, adding, "A huge part of our job is communication. I prefer to talk to the customer directly."
Because Without A Trace cautiously works to secure customer relationships, the company has boasted a famous clientele.
Michael has repaired some of Michael Jordan's garments for about six years now. "I think his wife, Juanita Jordan, is a sweetheart and a doll," he said. "I mean, she comes walking into my store with four leather jackets and two pairs of pants in her hand. With all of the money that they have, she's doing this on her own. She gets out of her car and plops them down on the counter. She could send a million people to do that."
Additionally, Michael's company also worked on the Olympic Dream Team jacket for another basketball star -- Scottie Pippen. Having the opportunity to work for two famous hoopsters was especially rewarding considering that Michael (who is 6' 3") played center for his high school basketball team. In fact, his daughter, Jennifer, followed in his footsteps and played four years of high school basketball.
"I went to every one of her games, home and road," he said. "I was just her number one fan."
Michael has been very close to Jennifer, who he brought up alone after his divorce. Fatherhood is every bit as demanding as owning a business. "It wasn't easy. I just told her to be strong and don't take no for an answer," he said. "I always tried to teach her: Don't do what everybody else does. Do what you want to do. Just do the best you can and things will work out."
Jennifer is doing exactly what she wants to do and is set to graduate from Northern Illinois University this year as a Fashion Design major. "She kind of knows the business after working here," he said, referring to her part-time stints behind the counter at his downtown store.
Ironically, they should have a chance to work together in the future, as well. "Her game plan is that she wants to be a buyer and go and work for Nordstroms or Neimans," he explained.
Of course, if anything ever happens to any of the garments Jennifer purchases, she knows who to call.
Tom Medlin has been appointed national sales manager of Multimatic Corp.
Medlin has been associated with the industry for more than 20 years, including the past 13 as eastern regional sales manager for Multimatic
The appointment was announced by Tom Monaco, COO of Multimatic.
Medlin said one of his goals will be to build the network of distributors to service the company's growing customer base.
Praising the current Multimatic line, Medlin added, "We believe that cleaners will find our machines offer outstanding value. That's why this is a great opportunity for distributors."
Multimatic offers its Shop Star and Legend lines in capacities ranging from 30 to 75 pounds. The company also produces specialized drycleaning machines for textile rental and industrial laundries.
Headquartered in Northvale, NJ, Multimatic can be reached by phone at (201) 767-9660 or fax at (201) 767-7037.
Dennis Loomis has joined Irving Weber Associates as its licensed insurance representative for central and north Florida.
Loomis will consult with NCA members and prospective members to develop insurance plans that protect their business assets. He will also provide access to health, homeowners and auto insurance.
Loomis is a licensed Florida agent based in Tampa. His experience includes work as vice president of a major insurer of drycleaners; an owner/operator of a drycleaning training and consultancy; president and executive director of a regional drycleaning association; and a registered state lobbyist. He is also a Certified Environmental Drycleaner and a Certified Professional Drycleaner.
"I've had the opportunity to learn from and serve many fine professionals within our industry over the past 30 years," Loomis said. "My association with IWA will allow me to continue to learn from my fellow drycleaning and insurance professionals and to share my knowledge and experience with drycleaners."
Adam Weber, president of Irving Weber Associates, said that the combination of Loomis in northern and central Florida and the Head-Beckham Agency in southern Florida rounds out the firm's coverage of the state.
For information, contact Lorraine Bohn, national program liaison, at Irving Weber Associations Inc., (888) 622-5677.
Aldrich Clean-Tech Equipment will hold its Springfest in-house show March 30-April 1. On display will be the newest equipment and technology from Suprema, Aqua-Starr, Unipress, Pony, Fulton and others. Factory representatives on hand to demonstrate the equipment in operation. Aldrich will provide food, music and prizes in an event geared for the whole family.
Aldrich Clean-Tech headquarters are at 59 Webster Place in Worcester, MA. For more information, call (888) 462-2832.
PROS has opened an east coast office and warehouse facility in Richmond Hills, NY, to augment its Minneapolis, MN, headquarters.
The new office is staffed by Joe Jimenez who has more than ten years of experience in the parts sector of the drycleaning and laundry industry.
The warehouse will carry stock to allow drycleaners and service companies within driving distance to pick up parts the same day, thus saving the time and expense of air freight.
The New York warehouse toll-free phone number is (800) 339-2534. The local number is (718) 849-9900. Calls can also be forwarded from the Minneapolis office, (800) 950-7767.
GreenEarth Cleaning honored North Carolina drycleaning veteran Mack Davis for his pioneering role in testing and research of the GreenEarth solvent.
Davis owns and operates Medlin-Davis Cleaners with nine stores in Raleigh, NC, and surrounding areas. He is a former president and the current president-elect of the North Carolina Association of Drycleaners and Launderers.
Jim Barry, CEO of GreenEarth cleaning, presented Davis with the Environmental Stewardship Award at an event attended by more than 50 people, including friends, family members, government officials, industry leaders and local drycleaners.
"After reviewing a number if environmentally friendly drycleaning technologies, I found the GreenEarth solution to be the only real option for me," said Davis.
"Equally important as its performance is its affordable cost, which is considerably less expensive than other alternatives," he added.
GreenEarth presented the Environmental Stewardship Award to a select group of drycleaners nationwide who were instrumental in the development and commercial use of the drycleaning process patented by GreenEarth. Davis had his Medlin-Davis Cleaners certified as an original beta site for the solvent and the company continues to play a role in the development and application of the new technology.
On hand for the presentation of the Stewardship Award were, pictured in the photo from left, Ron Benjamin, managing director of GreenEarth Cleaning; Jim Barry, CEO of GreenEarth cleaning; John Baker, president of the North Carolina Association of Launderers and Cleaners (NCALC); Sto Fox, NCALC executive director; Mack Davis; Dr. Manfred Wentz, North Carolina State University professor; Lisa Taber, environmental geologist for the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources; Mark Stevens, GE Silicones; Jim Douglas, technical director for GreenEarth cleaning; and Jimmy Barry of GreenEarth Cleaning.
Cleaner's Supply Inc., a direct supplier of drycleaning products, has announced its acquisition of Balako Press, Inc., which has been a manufacturer of drycleaning and laundry tag systems since 1961.
Effective immediately, Cleaner's Supply will discount crossover inventory generated by the merger, offering savings up to 60 percent on selected close-out items while supplies last.
Cleaner's Supply ships throughout the United States, serviced by both East and West Coast distribution centers
For more information or to obtain a copy of the Balako Press Close-Out Specials catalog, e-mail customerservice@cleanersupply.com or contact Customer Service at (800) 568-7768. Korean speaking customers may call (800) 368-7768. The company's web site is www.cleanersupply.com.
The Education Department of the International Fabricare Institute has been accredited by the Maryland Higher Education Commission to operate a private career school for the General Drycleaning course.
IFI was granted the accreditation on Nov. 20 based on a review by the Secretary's Advisory Council on Private Career Schools. The state reviewed the course content, methods of instruction, available reference materials, course materials,instructors methods and other areas before granting accreditation.
Information about the IFI school is available from the IFI Education Department, (800) 638-2627, ext. 144.
IFI said that "students will benefit from this approval because it validates that IFI's General Drycleaning course meets not only the standards set by IFI but those established for other private career schools as well."
Bergparma, recently relocated to Tennessee, has announced that Steve Bigansky has joined the company. He has 17 years of industry experience, much of it with the Bergparma line. He worked with the original Miraclean in Philadelphia, PA, and came to Tennessee when Miraclean was purchased by Forenta.
Bigansky is familiar with the Lava and Dual machines that were private-labeled by Bergparma for Miraclean. His familiarity with drycleaning machines and his ability to service by phone will be assets to the company, Bergparma said.
Bergparma also offers the Idrosmack cold spotting board which was first brought to the Unites States from Italy in 1980. A second Idrosmack board was recently added at the International Fabricare Institute training facility in Silver Spring, MD, joining another that has been in use there since the early 1980s.
Bergparma's new contact information is as follows: 5377 Old Kentucky Rd., Russellville, TN 37860; phone (423) 317-0908; fax (423) 317-0636. The toll-free number is unchanged: (800) 550-6948.
The annual Seitz, Inc. sales meeting in Tampa, Florida, involved a review of 2000 and strategic planning for 2001, including new product lines that will be launched. The three-day meeting was attended by all of the Seitz Inc. field sales staff, and technicians and key administrative staff.
Seitz also announced several appointments.
Roland Dobbins, who has been in the industry for more than 20 years and was previously owner of Mountain High Dry Cleaners in Denver, CO, will look after the Colorado and Utah territories.
Bill Furgeson, who has also been in the textile care industry for more than 20 years and previously was employed by Sanitone and BÜFA, will be based in Dallas, TX.
Robert McRae, who was previously employed by R. R. Street & Co. Inc., in Florida before moving to the West Coast, has moved to Massachusetts and will be covering the New England area for Seitz.
Al Iglesias has joined Seitz as the company controller.
He moved from New York to Tampa approximately eight years ago and brings full accounting experience and a business background from his previous employment with Dean Witter & Co., McMillan Publishing and the Hearst Corp.
Copyright © 2001, National Clothesline Maintained by: Hal Horning