Two programs discussing environmental air inspections and GreenEarth to management skills will be presented by the MidAtlantic Association of Cleaners in the coming months.
On Sept. 16, MAC will present a "Virginia Air Inspection Refresher" course as part of the association's Outreach Series on education.
The program will detail what cleaners need to know in order to prepare for an air inspection from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. It will be hosted by Doug Wyatt, MAC's Blue Ridge district director.
MAC will pass along the information to both members and non-members free of charge. The time and location for the program will be announced at a later date.
On Oct. 7, "This Is GreenEarth!" will also be offered as part of MAC's Outreach Series. Cleaners who wish to learn more about GreenEarth will be able to learn helpful details at the program, which will be hosted by MAC Directors Michael McKay, Donald Coleman and Kathleen Razmus.
This program is also free to MAC members, as well as non-members. It will be presented at 1:30 p.m. at the Oreck Floor Care Center at 2138-A Generals Highway in Annapolis, MD.
Reservations for either program or information is available from the MAC office by calling (800) 235-8360.
Information can also be obtained on the association's web site at www.macla.net.
The Pennsylvania and Delaware Cleaners Association has affiliated with the Cleaners Insurance Group.
The group is offering a broad range of insurance that it says will be better than competing policies, with better rates and excellent service. PDCA set a standard of excellent coverage, unlimited bailee, decent pollution insurance along with "everything else sensible people want to protect their businesses."
The Cleaners Insurance Group has put together a program for PDCA members designed to meet the needs of its members. The goal was to save purchasers money, perhaps as much as association dues, or at least a good portion of it. It will also be tailored to meet each cleaner's needs. CIG will select the right insurance carrier for each individual, to assure that they get the best coverage at the best price for their circumstances, noting that they work for clients, not the insurance company.
PDCA joins with the MidAtlantic Association of Cleaners in making the program available to members. For information, call PDCA at 215/830-8490 or CIG at 877/211-5747.
The Central Pennsylvania Drycleaners Association will present its 10th annual golf tournament on Thursday, Aug. 2 at the Valley Green golf course in Etters, PA.
Proceeds will go to benefit the York County Special Olympics. Various sponsorship levels are still available.
Golfers who register will receive lunch, dinner, golf with a car and tee prize and a foursome photo. Prizes will be awarded for best drive, longest putt and more.
For more information, contact Dale Kaplan at (717) 234-3388.
A silent auction, a Hawaiian Luau and several educational sessions are just a few of the items on the program list for the Michigan Institute of Laundering & Drycleaning, which will hold its 88th Annual Meeting and Summer Convention from Aug. 3-5 at Shanty Creek in Bellaire, MI.
On Friday, the agenda starts early when MILD hosts its annual meeting and board of directors meeting from 1 to 3 p.m., followed by a discussion from keynote speaker Russ Harding, director of Michigan Environmental Quality, who will speak from 4 to 5 p.m.
From 5 to 7 p.m. that evening, MILD will sponsor a silent auction, which will feature a variety of prizes. The event will be followed by a Hawaiian luau and dinner from 7 to 10 p.m.
Also on Friday night, MILD members and non-members alike will have an opportunity to participate in a tabletop exhibit from 5 to 7 p.m. A six-foot table exhibit costs $50 for MILD members and $150 for non-members.
Starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning, a New Solvent Technology Panel with representatives from DF-2000, Rynex, GreenEarth and wetcleaning will run for two hours.
Attendees will be able to decide how they want to spend the rest of the day -- at the golf scramble or the canoe trip with picnic. In the evening, MILD will host a 6 p.m. reception, followed by a President's Banquet with dinner and awards from 7 to 9 p.m. Afterward, a President's Hospitality Suite will run until midnight.
Two more educational programs are slated for Sunday morning, starting at 10 a.m. Representatives from C-Sparger and Dykema Gossett will be on hand to discuss "Environmental Solutions." From 11 a.m. to noon, Peggy Mitchell of Southern Michigan Bank & Trust will speak about "What Your Banker Sees."
MILD has reserved a block of rooms at Shanty Creek for a special convention price. To find out more about reservations, or to register for MILD's 88th Annual Meeting & Summer Convention, contact the association by calling (517) 337-2909.
Information is also available on MILD's web site, located at www.mildmi.org.
Slated for Aug. 17 and 18, the Mid-America Fabricare Association's 10th annual convention will be at The Lodge of the Four Seasons Resort in Lake of the Ozarks, MO.
Highlighting this year's event will be nationally known speaker Kenney Slatten, who currently serves as president of the San Diego Dry Cleaners Association and brings over 30 years of business experience in the cleaning industry to his discussions.
Slatten will bring convention attendees up to date with the latest information on various drycleaning solvents, including perc, petroleum, carbon dioxide and DF-2000.
Patricia Williams, Vice President of Government Affairs for the International Fabricare Institute, will also be at the convention providing attendees with news from the national legislative front.
Williams earned a J.D. from the George Washington National Law Center, a master's degree in marketing and public relations from American University, and a bachelor's degree in marketing and communications from Boston College.
In addition to the educational opportunities, attendees will have a chance to enjoy Friday's golf outing, an Allied sponsored reception on Friday evening, and a Saturday night dinner cruise on the lake.
Registration costs $80 per person or $200 for up to six guests from one MAFA plant. Non-members pay $100 per person.
Room rates are available at the Lodge of the Four Seasons for a rate of $145 per night. Reservations can be made by calling (800) 711-8983. Mention you are with MAFA's convention.
For more information on the convention, call (314) 843-3458.
The Indiana Drycleaning and Laundry Association will be hosting a seminar on "How to Flood Your Dry Cleaning Business with More Quality Customers Than You Can Handle!" on Saturday, Oct. 20.
The event, which will take place from 8:30 to 10 a.m., will be presented by marketing expert Pamela Yellen, CEO of the New Mexico-based Prospecting and Marketing Institute, Inc.
Yellen's company specializes in helping drycleaners increase their sales and profits.
In addition to being a regular contributor to various industry publications, Yellen is the author of the 101 Marketing Secrets for Dry Cleaners program and co-author of Zero-Resistance Selling. She is one of the country's top copywriting experts and is one of 23 copywriters featured in the book How to Write Million Dollar Ads, Sales Letters and Web Marketing Pieces.
During the seminar, Yellen will discuss six secrets to success for drycleaners, including:
Registration for the event will begin at 8 a.m. on Oct. 20. Following the seminar, a special session on marketing your business on the Internet will follow from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
Cost for the event is $59 for members of INDLA. If two or more INDLA members attend together, the price is reduced to $49 per person.
Non-members are required to pay $69 per person; the price drops $10 per person if two or more non-members attend together.
Because space is limited, INDLA suggests that those who wish to attend make reservations as soon as possible. Reservations will not be accepted after Wednesday, Oct. 17.
For more information, contact Rick Armstrong of INDLA at (800) 401-0703.
The Northeast Laundry Association will be hosting its 89th Annual Meeting and Fall Conference this year from Sept. 20-23 at the Stoweflake Resort & Conference Center in Stowe, VT.
Highlighting this year's event will be a golf tournament on Friday afternoon at the Stowe Country Club and a tennis tournament on Saturday afternoon at the Stoweflake's Tennis Court.
There will also be an annual meeting and election for NELA board of directors and officers, as well as a drawing for $1,000 in cash.
This year's educational programs will cover a variety of topics, including a seminar on "Developing Your Site on the Web" by George Ferencz, manager of E-Services for the Textile Rental Service Association. Ferencz will discuss intranets for internal communications, extranets for customers, and other factors involved in the development of an Internet web site.
John Horton, the corporate education sales leader for Milliken & Company, is scheduled to speak on "Maximizing Creativity," which will help attendees to learn how to access and expand their personal creativity.
"Labor & Employment 2001!" will provide an update on various labor and employment issues and union activities that have become prevalent in 2001. Jeffrey L. Hirsch, a partner in the Boston and New York law firm, Robinson and Cole, will lead the seminar.
Registration for the event will cost $170 each for NELA associate members and spouses. Non-members pay $220 per person. Registration costs include afternoon tea, dinner and breakfast daily including meal taxes and gratuity, cocktail receptions, and all entertainment sessions.
Registration for the golf tournament is $85 per person; the tennis tournament costs $25 per person.
A registration form with full payment must be submitted to NELA by Sunday, Aug. 20.
Room reservations for the Stoweflake Resort and Conference Center full meeting package start at $309 per night plus state tax and service charge. An additional $45 per night is charged for a guest/spouse meal package. Reservations should be made prior to Aug. 20.
For more information, contact NELA at (781) 834-4672.
The North East Fabricare Association will offer its summer educational classes in August so drycleaners can take advantage of the slower summer months.
A "Professional Spotting" course is set to take place during the evening on August 8, 9, 15 and 16 in Worcester, MA.
The program is designed to educate novice spotters with a working knowledge of chemicals, as well as the various tools and tricks of the trade.
More experienced spotters can also take advantage of the course since it is an opportunity for them to learn new methods of stain removal.
The program is intended to be comprehensive by providing students with classroom instruction and hands-on experience.
Also, further down on the horizon, NEFA will host its Fabricare Image 2002 Convention and Exhibit on March 23 and 24 in Providence, RI. The show will offer live equipment demonstrations of a wide variety of drycleaning technologies, including hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, GreenEarth, Rynex and perc.
The convention hotel for the 2002 event will be the Providence Westin, which will also serve as the convention's headquarters.
A block of rooms have been reserved at a rate of $149 per night. So far, only 150 rooms are still available. To make a reservation, call the hotel at (800) WESTIN-1 and ask for the NEFA convention rate.
NEFA is already planning on booking additional room blocks at other hotels in the immediate area.
For more information, contact NEFA at (800) 683-6332 or visit the association's web site at www.nefabricare.com. Soon, www.nefabricare.com/FI2002 will be added to the site to post updates on Fabricare Image 2002.
The North East Fabricare Association will be hosting its annual Clean Classic Golf Tournament on August 2 at the Stow Acres Country Club in Stow, MA.
The course features 36-holes, a driving range, practice green and one of the best golf schools in the northeast.
Over 120 people participated in last year's event.
This year's tournament will be a scramble and it will utilize both the north and south courses. The cost to participate is $100 per person and includes a dinner buffet, 18 holes of golf, tee-gift pack, cart rental, lunch and a cocktail reception.
Non-golfers can also join in on the fun by attending the dinner for $35 per person.
The Stow Acres Country Club is located at 58 Randall Rd., which is just west of Boston and is accessible from the 495. Golfers who plan to stay overnight should contact NEFA at (781) 942-7630 to find out about discounted hotel rates for the area.
More information on the event is also located online at NEFA's web site, www.nefabricare.com.
Several educational seminars from the South Eastern Fabricare Association are scheduled for the coming months, including opportunities in Florida, Alabama and Georgia.
SEFA will work directly with the International Fabricare Institute to offer two "Stain Removal and Drycleaning Process" two-day seminars that will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday, cleaners will have an opportunity to learn stain removal tips and techniques from the experts, including the use of various stain removal agents and how to use bleaches effectively.
The Sunday class will cover a variety of topics, including: factors that affect drycleaning quality; the latest drycleaning equipment technology; methods for troubleshooting the drycleaning system; techniques for handling special inks; and procedures for handling ink and lipstick loads.
Cost is $99 for members and $129 for non-members. Additional members that attend the seminar pay $89 each.
The Oct. 27-28 seminar will take place at the Holiday Inn near the Palm Beach Airport, located at 1301 Belvedere Rd. in West Palm Beach, FL. Information can be obtained by calling (561) 659-7053.
The seminar schedule for Nov. 17-18 will take place at the Omni Hotel at the CNN Center at 100 CNN Center in Atlanta, GA. For information, call (404) 659-0000.
Joe Waite, Chairman of SEFA's Education Committee, also announced plans for several seminars to be held in September.
Though specific details have yet to be finalized, the association has planned the following courses: Basic and Advanced Drycleaning, Sept. 8 in Orlando, FL; Basic and Advanced Spotting, Sept. 9 in Orlando, FL; Employee Relations, Sept. 10 in Melbourne, FL; Customer Service, Sept. 10 in Melbourne, FL; Employee Relations, Sept. 18 in Huntsville, AL; Customer Service, Sept. 18 in Huntsville, AL; Employee Relations, Sept. 19 in Birmingham, AL; and Customer Service, Sept. 19 in Birmingham, AL.
There are also three Spanish courses planned for Sept. 22 in Miami, FL. The courses are: Finishing, Basic and Advanced Dry Cleaning; and Basic and Advanced Spotting.
For more information, contact SEFA at (912) 355-3364.
The Louisiana Small Business Advisory Compliance Panel has named Linda Ferguson, Louisiana-Mississippi Drycleaners and Laundry Association's executive director, as the newest member of its advisory panel. Ferguson previously served on the SBACP panel in Mississippi for several years.
Also named to the panel as a small business representative is Frank Kean from Baton Rouge, LA, who has been actively involved with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality for many years.
David Pesses from New Orleans, LA, LMDLA's president, will provide technical assistance for the panel and attend meetings for Ferguson in the case of any scheduling conflicts. Pesses has also worked closely with the LA DEQ over the years.
Once summer is over, things will still be heating up for the Southwest Drycleaners Association, which plans to offer more drycleaning classes at its school at the International Textile Center, located on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX.
On Sept. 21-22, a Drycleaning Process and Equipment course will be presented by IFI instructor Fran Sadler, who will replace Sam Schwartz as the school's instructor for Course #01-5.
Sadler is a past owner/operator of a multi-store drycleaning operation and has over 25 years of experience in the drycleaning industry. As a trainer and consultant, she has conducted seminars on a variety of topics, including marketing, drycleaning processes and equipment and problem garments.
During the Drycleaning Process and Equipment course, she will educate students on the basics of drycleaning, including specific instruction on: operating perc and petroleum systems; textiles and drycleaning; simplifying classification; improving filtration/distillation; drying/vapor recovery; troubleshooting dry-cleaning machines; and streamlining invoices and tagging, among other topics.
This Friday and Saturday program is designed to help individuals who are just starting out in drycleaning, as well as veterans who are in need of a refresher course.
The course hours will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day. Tuition is $199 for SDA/IFI members and $299 for non-members.
From Nov. 12-14, SDA Chief Instructor Jane Zellers will return to the ITC school to present a course on stain removal. The class will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 12 and Tuesday, Nov. 13, and from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 14.
Zellers will help attendees learn how dyes, pigments, prints and finishes are all vital concerns to the drycleaning process. Students will also learn how to understand the proper use of tools and recognize terms such as wetside, dryside, alkaline and acid.
For this class, SDA members pay $290. Other IFI members pay $360 and non-members pay $425.
Zellers will also be offering an Advanced Stain Removal course from Nov. 14-16 for those who wish to learn more advanced stain removal techniques.
The course hours are 1 to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15, and 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 16.
Students of the advanced class will gain a better understanding of fiber content, weaves, garment construction and how to test fiber content by burn testing. There will also be some hands on training using bleaches and digesters.
Class costs will be $280 for SDA members, $345 for other IFI members, and $410 for non-members.
Class size for all courses at the International Textile Center at Texas Tech University are limited to a maximum of 24 students, so early registration is recommended. All classes that do not reach a minimum of eight students are subject to cancellation.
SDA's classes are divided between lecture, class discussion, demonstrations and hands-on experience.
Those interested in enrolling in a course should contact the SDA office by phone at (210) 826-4684; fax: (210) 826-6423; or e-mail: de.sda@ix.netcom.com.
In July, California Cleaners Association President Marti Russell and CCA lobbyist Mike Belote testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the damaging effects A.B. 1088 could have on California cleaners.
Previous wording of Assembly Bill 1088, which is an amendment to the Gender Tax Repeal Act passed in 1995, would have require specified businesses, including tailors, drycleaners and launderers, to conspicuously display all of their prices for services.
Specifically, the language stated that "posted price lists shall be in no less than 14-point boldface type and clearly and completely display pricing for every service offered by the business..."
If passed, any individual who violated the conditions of the amendment would have been liable for fines up to $1,000 each.
"Our message to the Senate Committee was that CCA has always opposed gender price discrimination, but that, as written, A.B. 1088 sets an impossible standard and opens the door to increased lawsuits and fines against cleaners," said Russell. "We suggested that posting all of those prices on a wall is confusing to consumers and limits cleaners from accurately charging prices that reflect the time and labor required to clean and finish difficult garments."
Following the testimony, newly-revised text for A.B. 1088 now requires that cleaners post "standard" prices with no further stipulations to post the numerous upcharges that often are added when cleaning difficult garments.
The list needs to be posted in a counter area and handed out to customers upon request.
CCA recommends that cleaners add a disclaimer to indicate that the prices are base prices only and are subject to increases due to the garment's construction.
For more information on A.B. 1088, contact CCA by calling (916) 443-0986.
The San Diego Dry Cleaners Association will be offering California drycleaners the California Air Resources Board required courses on the Air Toxic Control Measure in the next several months.
Classes will be available on Aug. 25 and Sept. 29 at the Inn Suites Hotel, located at 2223 El Cajon Blvd. in San Diego, CA.
Classes run from 9 a.m. to approximately 1 p.m. A book is provided for first-time certifiers, so re-certification applicants should bring their old book, certificate, and a picture ID.
Cost for the certification course is $100 for re-certification and $150 for first-time certification. Advanced registration is important because classes may be cancelled or moved unless an adequate number of people register.
For more information, contact SDDCA at (619) 267-5390.
San Diego Dry Cleaners Association President Kenny Slatten will present a stain removal seminar for R.R. Street & Co., Inc. on Sept. 8 hosted by Laundry Supply, Co. of Las Vegas, NV.
Slatten will use his years of industry expertise to discuss and demonstrate the art of stain removal using Street's Portable Stain Removal Board and Display. For more details, contact Laundry & Cleaners Supply, Inc. at (702) 798-7553.
Copyright © 2001, National Clothesline Maintained by: Hal Horning