The Mid-Atlantic Association of Cleaners has announced several educational opportunities coming to the region in the next few months.
On April 22, MAC President Charles Young will lead a roundtable discussion for drycleaners asking "Are we our own worst enemy?" in conjunction with the West Virginia Launderers and Cleaners Association.
The event, which will run from 10 a.m. to noon, will take place at the Lakeview Scanticon Conference Center, located at One Lakeview Drive in Morgantown, WV.
Members are admitted free of charge, but seating is limited so reservations are highly recommended.
On the same day, MAC's Maryland Harbor and West Virginia districts will be hosting a training session that demonstrates how easy it is for cleaners to give the appearance of gender bias in pricing. The seminar, titled "Never Use the 'B' word," will be presented by MAC Executive Vice President David Norford and hosted by MAC Director Michael McKay. The discussion will be from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. at LaVale Dryclean, 1313 National Highway in LaVale, MD. It is also open to all association members free of charge.
On May 6, MAC's Washington, DC, Maryland Harbor and Bay District, and Virginia Potomac District will all present "Wetcleaning Works!" Elaine Harvey and Ann Hargrove will discuss wetcleaning processing and finishing techniques for attendees. Representatives from Aquaclean, Miele, UniMac, Adco, Laidlaw and Streets will also be present.
The seminar is free to members and will run from 1 to 4 p.m. at Prestige Cleaners, located at 9420 Georgia Ave. in Silver Spring, MD.
For more information on any of these educational opportunities offered by MAC or to make a reservation, contact the association at (800) 235-8360.
Meeting dates set MAC also announced dates for several upcoming association meetings.
On June 3, the association's Maryland Bay, Atlantic and Harbor Districts will present an open meeting to members and non-members.
MidAtlantic Directors Kathleen Rasmuz, Michael McKay and Donald Coleman will host the meeting from 1:30 Center, 2138-A Generals Highway in Annapolis, MD.
MAC's Virginia Potomac and Colonial Districts will hold an open meeting for members and non-members on July 15 in Fredericksburg, VA from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m.
The specific location for the meeting, which will be hosted by MAC Vice President and Potomac District Director Buddy Gritz, has not been determined yet.
On October 7, the Maryland Atlantic, Bay and Harbor Districts will meet again from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. at Oreck Floor Care Center in Annapolis, MD. McKay, Coleman and Razmus will host.
There is also a MAC Committee and Board of Directors meeting scheduled to take place in Fredericksburg, VA, from July 14-15.
For more information on any of the upcoming MAC meetings, contact the association at (800) 235-8360.
Several educational opportunities have been scheduled throughout the month of April from the Michigan Institute of Laundering & Drycleaning.
MILD will be working in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to hold three free statewide drycleaning information update seminars.
The purpose of the seminars will be to update cleaners on some of the environmental, safety and health regulations affecting the industry. Representatives from the Michigan DEQ will discuss the Small Business Pollution Prevention Loan Program, hazardous waste regulations and the federal NESHAP regulation, as well as asking cleaners for input on the Michigan Fabricare Regulatory Guidebook, which is in need of updating.
At each seminar, MILD staff members will also update attendees on the status of ongoing association activities.
The first drycleaning information seminar of the month will take place on April 11 at Clayton Cleaners, Inc. at 205 S. Henry St. in Bay City, MI.
Another seminar will be at the Holiday Inn located at 833 W. Main St. in Gaylord, MI, on April 18. Another seminar will follow the next day at the Ramada Inn at 412 W. Washington in Marquette, MI.
All seminars will take place in the evening from 7 to 10 p.m. For more information, call (517) 335-8271.
Also in April, MILD will present several different training opportunities from Carolyn Schwass, who has been in the industry for over 40 years.
On April 20, Schwass will present a Fibers and Fabrics class from 7 to 9 p.m. at Janet Davis Cleaners in Berkley, MI.
The course will cover fibers, fabrics, weaves, dyes, finishes and the effects and problems of trimming on garments.
On the following day, Schwass will be at Sullivan Cleaners in Ferndale, MI, to teach a Petroleum Spotting session from 9 to 11:30 a.m., followed by a course on Bleaches from 12:30 to 3 p.m.
The Petroleum Spotting course will discuss general spotting techniques using petroleum solvent, as well as learning about stain and fabric identification and spotting chemicals.
The special training course on Bleaches will familiarize students with the various bleaches available and how to properly use them without causing damage to garments.
On April 22, Schwass will deliver Customer Service Representative Training from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and offer a Pressing and Finishing class from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Both will take place at OHM of Pointe in Grosse Pointe, MI.
The morning session will demonstrate how customer service representatives can educate customers, identify problem garments and initiate better customer service and sales from behind the counter.
The afternoon class will teach the tricks of the trade when it comes to pressing and finishing garments, including focus on fibers, fabric construction, dyes and pigments, trims and appliques, bias cut garments, finishing equipment and more.
Each training program by Carolyn Schwass costs $25 per person for MILD members and $35 per person for non-members.
For more information, contact MILD at (517) 337-2909, or visit www.mildmi.org.
Residents of Massachusetts and New Hampshire combined efforts this past holiday season to donate 32,234 coats for Anton's Cleaners annual "Coats for Kids" program.
Anton's worked with fellow co-sponsors Massachusetts Community Action Programs, the Salvation Army, WFKT-25 (Fox 25) and the Boston Bruin's to make the year's drive the most successful one ever.
The total amount of donated cleaning costs for Anton's Cleaners was $263,674, almost $50,000 more than the cost of last year's drive, which collected approximately 27,000 winter garments for needy families.
Charles A. Anton, president of Anton's Cleaners, was quite pleased with this year's record turnout. "We are proud to see this community contribute so much to a great program," he said. "It's a good feeling to know that we have helped thousands keep warm this past winter." Local schools again played a major role in the annual drive. In all, over 130 elementary and secondary schools participated in the event, bringing in 23,653 coats to be cleaned.
The Galvin Middle School in Wakefield collected the most number of coats among the participating schools. The Loring School in Sudbury came in second. Both schools will receive visits from a Boston Bruins hockey player and Fox 25 Chief Meteorologist Kevin Lemanowicz for their efforts.
This was Anton's Cleaners sixth year as a sponsor of the program. In all, 93,531 coats have been collected, cleaned and distributed.
Anton's Cleaners first opened in 1913 and has 40 stores in eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire.
The Neighborhood Cleaners Association will hold its biennial trade show, TexCare, on Oct 13-14 in Edison, NJ.
The venue is the same as the last two TexCare shows, the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center in Edison. Seminars will augment the exhibits on both Saturday and Sunday.
NCA said it will have a show schedule and floor plan on its web site, www.nca-i.com when that information is ready. In the meantime, anyone interested in exhibiting can call Tony Terrell at NCA, (212) 967-3002, ext. 230.
The date for the Neighborhood Cleaners Association third annual Night at Shea Stadium has been set, according to NCA Board Members Ed Roth and Joe Hallak.
This year's event is scheduled to take place on the evening of Friday, August 10, when the New York Mets will be hosting a game against home run slugger Mark McGwire and teammates on the St. Louis Cardinals.
Many sports fans may recall that McGwire hit 70 home runs in 1998, breaking Roger Maris's long-standing record of 61 single-season home runs.
The game will be a rematch of last year's National League Championship Series where the Mets beat the Cardinals 4-1 in the best-of-seven series.
Tickets for the evening are available to all NCA members and cost $40. The price includes entrance and seating in the picnic area at Shea Stadium, along with dinner, which will include sandwiches and hot finger foods such as wings and ribs.
Ed Roth, who owns U.N. Cleaners in New York, said of the event: "We also have great door prizes of sports memorabilia and apparel like shirts, jackets and caps." Since its advent two years ago, Shea Night has quickly grown into a very popular outing for NCA's New York City/Long Island Chapter. During the first year of the event, 150 tickets were sold. Last year, member participation nearly doubled when more than 270 people attended, quickly filling all available spots.
As a result, the chapter arranged this year's event for a Friday night, hopping that members belonging to various other chapters of NCA will be able to attend.
"Joe and I will be hard pressed to top last year's fun," Roth said, "but with this schedule we are already topping the charts to have a wonderful night." In order to ensure a spot, Roth and Hallak recommend that members contact them as soon as possible.
Ed Roth can be contacted at U.N. Cleaners at (718) 969-0207. Joe Hallak can be contacted at (201) 343-7333 at Hallak Cleaners.
The Neighborhood Cleaners Association has published its annual summary of all of the problem garments that have undergone examination at its analysis lab last year.
In the breakdown of drycleaning problems only, spotting represented 58 percent of the total, with water soluble dyes accounting for 28 percent and prespotting (chemicals) accounting for 25 percent. Fluorescent dyes comprised the other 5 percent.
Other drycleaning problems were broken down as follows: redeposition, 23 percent; physical damage, 15 percent; and shrinkage (moisture heat), 1 percent.
The summary also listed the most common customer-caused problems. Chloride salt damage comprised 18 percent of the total. Other percentages included: oxidizing agents, 15 percent; acid damage, 11 percent; tannin stains, 11 percent; alcohol damage, 10 percent; damage in wear, 9 percent; light fading on fabric, 8 percent; and dye stains, 6 percent.
Under the heading of manufacturing problems, the summary included the following results: dye loss and dye transfer in drycleaning at 23 percent; dye crocking in drycleaning and wetcleaning at 12 percent, and the use of two different fabrics at 9 percent.
NCA has published its summary of problem garments for the past year on its web site, located at www.ncai.com. Follow the link from "Newsletters/ Updates" in the top frame's menu and select the March/April 2001 issue, then scroll to the bottom of the text.
The Coin Laundry Association held a three-day spring workshop full of educational opportunities in the glimmering city of Las Vegas, NV, from Feb. 9-11.
About 175 industry members from all over the U.S. gathered together at Bally's Hotel to talk shop and learn the tricks of the coin laundry trade.
The general consensus among attendees was that the show was highly successful.
"The workshop was in a fantastic city, and attendees learned more from CLA in three days than they could have anywhere else," said Sally Collins, former president of the New Jersey CLA and Chairperson for the 2001 workshop.
"Workshops like this combine a lot of talent and hard work, but coin laundry owners are realizing the strength in numbers and through CLA they have a vehicle through which they can achieve success." After a cocktail reception and hospitality suite on Thursday evening, Friday morning's educational schedule kicked off with a "Customer Service with Style" seminar presented by professional business coach Patrick Donadio.
Many other seminars followed, including: "Proper Dryer Installation and Maintenance" by John Vassiliades, executive director of the CLA Insurance Program; "Coin Laundry 101: Basics for Beginners" by Clay Pederson, president of Business Consultants International; "Improving the Profitability of Your Store" by CLA Executive Director Brian Wallace; and a hands-on "Coin Laundry Design Workshop" was presented jointly by Vassiliades and Wallace.
Also on the agenda was an idea exchange/roundtable session and peer educational panel discussions on "Advertising" and "Smart Solutions for Tough Employee Problems." Bob Frandsen, who owns multiple stores in Minnesota, also presented "Techniques for Better Small Store Operation" for attendees who wished to educate themselves on coin laundry surveillance.
CLA members who missed the workshop but would like to see recorded versions of the seminars may purchase videotapes from CLA for $19.99 each. Non-member can purchase tapes for $35.99.
For more information, contact CLA at (877) CLA-IDEA or visit www.coinlaundry.org on the web.
AZCLA meeting attracts
over 80 members
Over 80 Arizona Coin Laundry Association members attended the association's first meeting of the year on Wednesday, Jan. 17 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Phoenix, AZ.
"We were thrilled with the outstanding attendance," said Sue Lally, CLA's director of membership. "But we were even more impressed with the level of participation from everyone at the meeting. It speaks very well for the state of the industry in Arizona." Coin-op expert and C.P.A. Richard Weisinger was the featured speaker at the meeting. He discussed "The Real Cost of Doing A Wash." Also at the meeting, AZCLA announced its new board of directors, including: Matt Bailey, Virginia Baughman, Lola Gerhard, Dave Miller, James Pivonka, Hank Schaar, Dave Svancara and Collette Warren.
Michael Weldy will serve as the association's president and Bernard Wilson is vice president. Don Tomasian is treasurer and Barbara Mirecki is secretary.
AZCLA will be hosting a spring meeting on April 14 that will focus on marketing and promotion. The association also has a fall meeting planned for Sept. 12 that will focus on accounting.
Vassiliades speaks at TXCLA meeting On Jan. 25, the Texas Coin Laundry Association held its first meeting of the year at Luby's Cafeteria in Houston, TX.
John Vassiliades, the director of the CLA Insurance Program, discussed "Preventing Insurance Claims in Your Coin Laundry" for attendees.
Two weeks later, TXCLA's board of directors held its annual planning meeting on Feb. 8. Among the attendees of that meeting were: Jim and Audrey Hatley, the association's new president and vice president. Also present at the event were Jim and Linda McKnight, Millard Allen, Bill and Linda Mears, Lynch Hightower and Bill Goodwin.
Future meetings for TXCLA have been planned in the Houston and Dallas area. The association's annual statewide meeting will be held in San Antonio in September.
The South Eastern Fabricare Association has announced that Savannah, GA, will be the host city for the 2002 Southern Dry Cleaners Show.
The show will be housed at the new Savannah International Trade and Convention Center which opened in May 2000. Attendees will be housed at the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort and the Savannah Marriott Riverfront.
The Trade Center is adjacent to the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort, Greenbrier Spa and an 18-hole championship golf course which are just across the river from the Savannah Marriott Riverfront hotel and the Savannah's famous River Street.
Exhibit hours will be noon to 5 p.m. on Friday Aug. 2; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 3, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 4.
HPAM, a full-service association management/trade show firm, will manage the sales, booth assignments and operational planning for the 2002 show. For more information, call (770) 433-0340.
NCA Executive Director Nora Nealis and Ann Hargrove, a founder of the Professional Wetcleaners Network, will be continuing to hold joint seminar sessions in the coming months.
Nealis has been informing members about what the "New NCA" is all about and answering questions about NCA's programs, educational opportunities and services in "Get Acquainted" sessions.
Hargrove, an experienced cleaner who participated in a one-year study in a Chicago plant on the potential and effects of the wetcleaning process, has been passing along her wetcleaning knowledge to seminar attendees.
So far, the two have toured together to speak at sessions in three New York cities -- Albany, Syracuse and Buffalo -- held between Feb. 27 and March 1.
Now, Nealis and Hargrove will be continuing on to Florida. On April 17, they will speak at the Holiday Inn located at 9150 Baymeadows Rd. in Jacksonville, FL.
The series will continue on April 18, where the duo will speak at the Holiday Inn at I-75 and State Route 40 in Ocala, FL.
Hargrove will be delivering a solo live wetcleaning and seminar demonstration on April 21 at Steiner Atlantic in Miami, FL.
Nealis and Hargrove will team up again on May 8 at the Airport Hilton Hotel in Melbourne. The next day, both will speak at the Holiday Inn at 304 W. Colonial Dr. in Orlando.
The "Get Acquainted" and wetcleaning seminars will next be presented on June 12 at the Holiday Inns at 2701 E. Fowler Ave. in Tampa, and again on June 13 at the Holiday Inn at 220 W. 1st St. in Ft. Myers.
All joint presentations will run from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at night.
Former NCA Executive Director Bill Seitz will also be in Florida for a few upcoming live spotting seminars. Seitz will be at Metro Cleaners in Orlando, FL, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 20. He will also be at Sand Dollar Cleaners in Jacksonville on June 3 and Eddie's Custom Cleaners in Tampa on June 24.
For more information about any of NCA's educational sessions, call the association at (212) 967-3002.
Time is fast approaching for the upcoming "Don't Miss the Boat!" convention for the Louisiana-Mississippi Drycleaners and Launderers Association.
The event, set to take place from April 20-22, will be hosted at the Grand Oasis Hotel in Gulfport, MS.
LMDLA has scheduled an array of educational seminars for the event, including a discussion by IFI CEO Bill Fisher, who will serve as the guest speaker at the Saturday, April 21 luncheon at 12:30 p.m.
Bobby Harvey and IFI instructor Fran Sadler will also give a presentation on difficult drycleaning garments during "Problems and Solutions." Sam Taylor, III, attorney at law, will be on hand to inform attendees about several industry pertinent topics, including state cleanup funds, insurance options, administrative relief and legislation with a session titled "Which solution will your state choose?" LMDLA will plan to hold its Board of Director's meeting from 8 to 9 a.m. on Saturday morning, and a general session and annual membership meeting will follow, from 9 to 10:15 a.m.
Aside from all of the educational opportunities, LMDLA also plans to offer convention-goers a variety of fun options, including an 8 a.m. tee off time on the Grand Bear Course on Friday, April 20.
On the same morning, there will also be a fishing trip excursion scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m.
Also on Friday, LMDLA will host a "Day at the Spa for Ladies," which is available by appointment only.
Friday's activities will conclude with a cocktail reception from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Oasis Pool Patio, sponsored by the Allied Trades companies.
On the evening of Saturday, April 21, attendees will have a chance to take a trip through Biloxi Harbor on a Starship Yacht. Starting at 5 p.m., the evening dinner cruise will feature IFI District 6 Director Jim Cripe as its planned keynote speaker.
A Traditional Farewell Brunch will run from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, April 22, bringing the weekend's activities to an end.
Registration for members costs $165 per person and $180 for non-members. Spouse registration is $100.
Those who participate in Friday's round of golf must pay an additional $80. Friday's fishing trip costs $85.
Hotel rooms at the Grand Oasis will be available at an LMDLA rate of $89 plus tax. Call (800) 354-2450 for reservations.
For more information on the convention, contact LMDLA at (601) 936-7007 or e-mail: lindaclean@aol.com.
A new study group will soon begin work on examining alternative drycleaning solvents, meeting a requirement of North Carolina's Drycleaning Solvent Contamination Clean-Up Act of 1997 (HR 1326).
The group will be meeting twice a month for 4 to 8 hours through June and July before a final report is given on Aug. 1 to the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources.
One responsibility of the study group will be to identify alternative technology processes and equipment currently in use or under development.
The group is also expected to identify historical trends in the use of such processes and equipment as well as to evaluate the costs and benefits of alternative technologies. All factors of the study will help determine the feasibility of implementing new technologies and equipment into drycleaning plants.
The study group will consider several factors, including: impact on health of the public and the environment; the ability for such alternative technologies to clean a wide range of fabrics without damage; the effect of widespread use on fire safety; and the ability for small business organizations to finance, own and operate alternative technology equipment.
Bill Albright, an engineer with the Pollution Prevention Division of the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources, has been named as the group's chairperson.
Many drycleaners solvent and equipment managers and other industry experts are serving in the group including: Chris Edwards, Mary Wells, Mack Davis, Lindley Smith, Martin Young, Sto Fox, Steve Risotto, Jim McClain, Joe Herndon, Mary Scalco and Dr. Manfred Wentz, among others.
Anyone interested in participating in the study group or to find out more information may contact Bill Albright at (919) 715-6499.
The South Eastern Fabricare Association has a multitude of educational opportunities scheduled for the coming months.
A two-day seminar on Basic and Advanced Drycleaning and Spotting is scheduled to take place on April 21 and 22 in Tampa, FL. On the first day of the session, attendees will learn the basics of fiber and fabric classification, weaves, dyes, prints and finishes. Additionally, the class will offer instruction on pre-spotting and preparing garments for the cleaning process and students will learn how to get the most from their drycleaning machine. A study of the soil release curve and the effects of humidity and moisture content of solvent will also be discussed.
The second day of the two-part session will move to the spotting board. Attendees will learn about the importance of understanding and respecting spotting chemicals and the correct uses of acids, alkalis and lubricants and how each reacts with certain fibers, fabrics, dyes and finishes. Attendees will also be given advanced techniques for stain removal, including bleaching, dye stripping, and mineral oil barriers.
SEFA also has plans to host an Employee Relations seminar along with a Customer Service course on April 23 in Tampa, FL.
The Customer Service session will focus on the six most common types of customers and how to identify the problem areas in your customer service policies and procedures.
The Employee Relations seminar will look at the motivational factors of today's workers and how to outline a strategy to promote workforce stability.
On Saturday, April 28, SEFA will be hosting a Management & Costing seminar for plant owners and managers in Atlanta, GA.
The class will focus on a variety of topics, including: positive employee relations, customer service excellence, tying financial numbers into useful tools, payroll needs, competitors running your business and a growth strategy audit.
Three courses in Spanish will also be offered. A Finishing class is set to take place on May 5 in Miami, FL. Basic & Advanced Drycleaning sessions will also be in Miami on May 5 and 6.
For more information about SEFA's schedule, call (770) 998-9900.
The Louisiana-Mississippi Drycleaners and Launderers Association will be presenting two more sessions of the successful "Spot Right" seminar series, last presented on Feb. 2 and 3 in Lafayette, LA.
Combining over 46 years of drycleaning knowledge and expertise, Dennis Schmitt and Tom Swink bring a hands-on approach to the spotting board.
On August 17 and 18, the duo will be offering instruction in Jackson, MS. Schmitt and Swink will also be in New Orleans, LA, for June 1-2.
Each set of dates will consist of three separate levels of instruction: beginner, intermediate and advanced. The beginner level will run on Friday from 5 to 9 p.m. The intermediate session runs from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, followed by the advanced level class, which runs from 1 to 5 p.m.
The beginning level class will focus on spotting board techniques and maintenance, emphasizing fabrics, buttons, construction, and dry side chemicals.
The intermediate class will feature a review of stains and chemicals, fabric identification, wet side chemicals, spot removal, acids and alkalis. The advanced class will demonstrate spotting with bleaches and wedding gowns.
The cost for each seminar is $75 per member or $180 for all three levels. Non-members pay $100 per seminar or $225 for all three.
For more information, call LDMLA at (601) 936-7007.
Colorado prosecutors estimated that hundreds of drycleaners were scammed for approximately $80,000 a month for five years from two drycleaning waste disposal companies.
On March 7, Colorado Attorney General Ken Salazar announced that criminal indictments were issued against Harry and Hormoz Pourat, two brothers who owned and operated AAD Distribution and Dry Cleaning Service, Inc. and AAD Disposal, Inc. Additionally, four of their employees were also charged: Behzad Kahoolyzadeh of West Los Angeles, CA; Robert Hearsch of Wheatridge, CO; Patricia Hajduch of Griffith, IN; and Aaron Rios of Denver, CO.
In all, the defendants faced 34 criminal counts, including charges of racketeering (Class 2 felony), forgery (Class 5 felony), theft (Class 5 Felony), attempting to influence a public servant (Class 4 felony), violations of the Colorado Hazardous Waste Act (unclassified felony) and conspiracy to commit violations of the Colorado Hazardous Waste Act (Class 6 felony).
AAD Disposal and AAD Distribution were accused of illegally storing, shipping and dumping perc that they obtained from drycleaners in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Kansas, Missouri and Texas.
Instead of properly treating and disposing of the drycleaning waste, the perc was allegedly repackaged and sent to landfills or stored in 55-gallon drums while the money drycleaners paid to the disposal companies was channeled back into real estate and business ventures, or simply pocketed. Other allegations point to many instances of false documentation and oral statements that were engineered in order to mislead drycleaners and inspectors from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) about how the waste was being illegally managed.
Drums in warehouse According to Colorado 9News, over 600 drums were left in a storage warehouse in Lakewood, CO, that Harry Pourat had been leasing from the Sherman Agency. Unless the agency receives federal help, it could face clean-up costs that range between $130,000 and $190,000.
However, Salazar noted that, because of the way the environmental law works, the drycleaners that generated the waste could ultimately be responsible for clean-up costs, even though they were unaware of any criminal activity.
The criminal indictments were the result of a 15-month long investigation that combined the efforts of the Colorado's Attorney General office in conjunction with CDPHE; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division, Denver and Los Angeles offices; the U.S. EPA's National Enforcement Investigations Center; and the California EPA, Department of Toxic Substances Control, Criminal Investigations Bureau.
Working with EPA Attorney General Salazar established a formal working relationship with the EPA in 1999 in order to pursue criminal investigations and prosecutions of environmental crimes. The indictments charged to AAD Disposal and AAD Distribution were the result of that effort.
"The prosecution of this case makes two profound statements: We will prosecute those who flaunt our environmental laws and despoil our environment; and we will prosecute those illegitimate businesses that use our environmental laws to perpetrate scams on businesses seeking to comply with environmental laws," Attorney General Salazar said.
Salazar also noted that the case against the Pourat brothers and their four employees was the first environmental pollution case in Colorado alleging a criminal enterprise.
PurpleTie.com, the highly publicized on-line drycleaning service based in Pleasanton, CA, closed its doors on Feb. 28, the last day that the company had enough money to pay its employees, according to David Kallery, chief operating officer for the company.
Kallery told the Contra Costa Times that PurpleTie's customer base had grown steadily, but it wasn't enough. "We had a vision; unfortunately, we haven't been able to hit profitability quick enough, and some of our capital funding has dried up," he said.
Payam Zamani, CEO and founder of PurpleTie, also told the Times: "We just couldn't survive in the current financial environment. The capital was just not there. Our business model is not complicated and it could work." Since shutting down in February, PurpleTie has returned all of its customers' garments and is currently pondering its financial options.
In the meantime, a company named CleanSleeves.com has acquired PurpleTie's brand, as well as some of its other assets, including PurpleTie's URL address and some delivery vans. Financial details of the deal were not made public. CleanSleeves.com, an on-line pick-up and delivery service that handles a variety of services, including leather repair and film processing, plans to resume handling a large percentage of PurpleTie's clients, including its corporate customers.
Kay Mandegarian, Clean-Sleeves CEO and founder, said that the company has already begun service for some of PurpleTie's former residential clients. So far, CleanSleeves is servicing the cities of Redwood Shores, San Carlos, San Mateo, Foster City and Belmont.
PurpleTie.com was launched in October of 1999. Payam Zamani, co-founder of AutoWeb.com, had rounded up a team of directors and advisors that had years of corporate experience with companies such as Visa USA, GE Capital, Coca-Cola and UPS.
Over $8 million in capital was raised for the project. Investors for the venture included: Mindful Partners of Mill Valley, Venture Fund, former CEO of Xoom.com Chris Kitze, CEO of Abilizer Jim Greene; and Debi Coleman, former chief financial officer of Apple.
Initially, the company sought to spend over $400 million within three years in order to expand its service nationally. Projections for PurpleTie.com included penetrating 25 major U.S. markets by the year 2003.
The company did expand to include service for about 80 Bay area zip codes and approximately 1,300 local and national partners signed on board through the Abilizer Employee Portal.
However, the company's financial troubles first became evident when it pushed back the launch date of its $20 million cleaning and distribution facility in Manteca, CA, in August of last year.
At one point during its operation, PurpleTie had nearly 65 employees. However, the staff was trimmed down to about 30 to 35 employees about six months ago. When PurpleTie closed down on Feb. 28, the future for the remaining employees was uncertain, although Mandegarian had indicated publicly that CleanSleeves may be contacting those employees in the future for possible employment. As for the future of on-line drycleaning, Kallery told the Times that he is not ready to give up on the idea. "We're not like other dot-coms," he said. "We had a clear path to profitability. We had real revenues. We're absolutely sure this can work. I'm very passionate about the concept. That's why I'm not going to let it die."
For more information about CleanSleeves, visit them on the web at www.cleansleeves.com.
The newest Methods for Management bureau will hold it second quarterly meeting in Sacramento, CA, April 19-20. The Central Mountain Management Bureau consists of seven drycleaners working with MFM staff consultant John Brooks on providing the best possible service to customers and taking steps to improving their businesses. The groups last met in Tucson, AZ, in January, 2001.
MFM coordinates 14 management bureaus in 42 states and on three continents. The bureaus provide an exchange of ideas, information and data among members. Management bureau members can also get up-to-date information on the MFM web site, www.mfmi.com.
Headquartered in Gig Harbor, WA, MFM has served laundry and drycleaning business owners for 46 years. Staff consultants offer expertise in family and strategic planning, finance, personnel, marketing and production. All staff consultants sign confidentiality agreements to ensure the privacy of their clients and members of each group are from non-competitive areas.
Openings are available in several MFM bureaus. For information, call (253) 851-6327.
The California Cleaners Association is continuing its education program with sessions planned on basic spotting and bleaching this month an advanced spotting and bleaching class in May.
CCA classes, which are open to any California drycleaner, are held at Snow White Cleaners in Stockton, CA. The cost is $75 for CCA members and $125 for non-members. The basic spotting course will be held April 7 and the advanced spotting course will be May 12. Both dates are Saturdays.
Previous courses this year covered wetcleaning, garment restoration and media relations.
"We are pleased to offer such a variety of drycleaning classes," said CCA president Marti Russell. "There are innovations and changes to our industry every day and taking classes like ours helps California cleaners keep their knowledge current." The association offers financial assistance to members and their employees to attend the courses. Information on CCA courses and scholarships is available by contacting the association office, (916) 443-0896 or by e-mail at cca@camgmt.com.
Two stain removal seminars will be held in Oregon this month and next, the Oregon Dry Cleaners Association announced.
ODCA is offering the seminars in conjunction with the International Fabricare Institute and the North West Dry Cleaners Association.
The seminar, which covers fabric identification and the proper use of bleaches, can serve either as a "starter" course for inexperienced spotters of a refresher course to more experienced personnel.
Both classes will meet on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The April 28 course will be held at the Double Tree Hotel, Lloyd Center, in Portland, OR, and the May 19 class will be at the Red Lion hotel in Medford, OR.
For more information, call the association at (541) 855-1227.
Information about these and other ODCA programs can also be found on the association's new web site: www.oregondrycleaners.org.
In addition to information on association activities, the site also has a section of consumer-oriented information and a direct link to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality web site's section on the state's drycleaning site clean-up program.
AmeriCleaners.com, based in Redwood City, CA, announced the launch of its Southern California network for the cities of Los Angeles, Orange County, Santa Barbara and San Diego.
The company, which was initially launched in August of 2000, seeks to offer drycleaning customers a pickup and delivery service online through its participating cleaners. By the end of this year, AmeriCleaners hopes to expand its network to include about 250 drycleaning plants. "We are looking to network with established drycleaners who want to create an online presence without the hassle or extra investment of putting together their own individual web site," explained Peyman Rafii, AmeriCleaners' vice president of business development and marketing.
Mike Ghazvini, the company's co-founder and CEO, said: "We want to provide customers with first-rate drycleaning without the hassle of actually having to drop-off and pick-up their clothes.
For more information, visit the company's online web page at www.americleaners.com.
Copyright © 2001, National Clothesline Maintained by: Hal Horning