South

The Neighborhood Cleaners Association will be expanding its education schedule in the coming months to offer Florida cleaners several opportunities to learn more about the industry.

On Wednesday, Feb. 27, a counter training program and membership meeting will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. at the La Quinta Hotel located at I-75 and S.R. 200 in Ocala, FL. Those who wish to attend should call (352) 861-1157 for more information.

The same program will be offered again later on down the road at the La Quinta Hotel, located at 8504 Universal Blvd. in Orlando on Wednesday, March 6. More information on that particular program, which also runs from 7 to 10 p.m., is available by calling (407) 345-1365.

A 7-hour wetcleaning program has been scheduled to run on Saturday, March 16 at Sir Galloway Cleaners, owned by Mark Mills. The plant is located at 13007 WS 87th Ave. in Miami. The phone number is (305) 252-2000.

Cost for the wetcleaning class is $125 for NCA members and $200 for non-members. The registration deadline is Feb. 15.

On Saturday, April 7, the wetcleaning program will be repeated at Fashion Fresh Cleaners, 1926 Trade Center Way in Naples. Jeff Rhea serves as general manager of the plant. The phone number is (941) 596-3100.

Cost is also $125 for NCA members and $200 for non-members. The registration deadline is March 8.

NCA advises all cleaners who plan to attend either of the wetcleaning classes to register and make pre-payment arrangements with Barbara Richards, NCA’s office manager, by calling (212) 967-3002, ext. 235.

The International Dryclean & Laundry Expo 2002 will be rolling into Miami, FL, for Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 9 and 10, with over 60,000 square feet of exhibits.

The event will take place at Steiner-Atlantic at 290 North East 68th St. The show, including all seminars, will be free to the public. Steiner-Atlantic will also be serving food and drinks to those who attend.

In addition to seeing the latest tensioning equipment in operation, attendees can watch new alternative solvent machines run and well-known industry expert Everett Childers will be on-hand to offer spotting demonstrations and finishing classes.

In fact, Steiner-Atlantic plans to offer several maintenance wetcleaning classes, as well as classes designed to teach machine maintenance and repair.

The event will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 9, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 10.

A block of rooms has already been reserved at a rate of $129 per night for single/double occupancy at the Fairfield Inn by Marriott, located in Miami near South Beach at 4101 Collins Ave. The cost includes breakfast. To make reservations, call (800) 777-9533, ext. 6508 and mention the discounted rate for the Dryclean Expo 2002.

Transportation to and from the hotel will be offered.

More information on the event, including a list of exhibitors, is located online at www.steineratlantic.com. Scroll down on the home page and click on the “Expo 2002” link.

Those who wish to register early can click on the link that reads “Register Today.”

For more information, contact Steiner-Atlantic at (305) 754-4551.

The Coin Laundry Association will be presenting a conference on coin laundry management from March 1-3 at the Hyatt Regency in Tampa, FL.

The three-day event has an impressive educational line-up, beginning with an 8:15 a.m. CLA Idea Exchange roundtable discussion on Friday, March 1.

Afterward, “Remodeling Your Laundry” will be presented by store owners Bill and Melody Hooks at 9:30 a.m. The session will include a first-hand bus tour of the couple’s recently remodeled store.

At 11:15 a.m., a coin laundry workshop headed by CLA Executive Director Brian Wallace will detail the process of starting a coin laundry, from the idea to the final product.

In the afternoon, a distributor workshop will be presented by Dave DeMarsh of BDS Laundry Systems and Lamar Thomas of T&L Equipment Company, Inc.

Bob Eisenberg of IPSO, USA and Mike Floyd of Continental Girbau, Inc., will also be on hand to offer a workshop for manufacturers.

On Saturday, Clay Pederson, president of Business Consultants International, will present “Developing an Income Projection for a New Laundry” at 8 a.m., followed by “Five Most Common Legal Concerns for Laundry Owners” by attorney Myles M. Mattenson at 9 a.m.

“Your Business Plan — A Blueprint for Success” will begin at 10:30 a.m. and offer up advice how to overcome obstacles in developing a business plan. George Richardson, president of New South Business Brokers and Commercial Properties, will be the speaker.

On Sunday, the sessions will round out with “Slashing Utility Costs: A Case Study” by Fred Collins, a multiple laundry owner from California, and “How to Shop Deregulated Utilities” by Tammy Tietjen, manager of key accounts for TECO Partners.

Conference registration fees are $445 per person for CLA members and $545 per person for non-members.

For more information, including hotel accommodations, contact CLA by calling (877) CLA-IDEA or visit the association Online at www. coinlaundry.org.

The Louisiana Mississippi Drycleaners & Laundry Association will be very busy in February and March.

The association’s annual meeting and convention is scheduled to take place March 8-10 at the Sheraton/Argosy Convention Center in Baton Rouge, LA. Details for the event, including hotel reservation information, can be obtained by calling LMDLA Executive Director Linda Ferguson at (601) 936-7007.

Also in the near future is a Spot Rite seminar planned for February 22 and 23 in Shreveport, LA. The popular seminar series will be presented by Dennis Schmitt and Tom Swink of Lindeman’s Cleaning, Inc. of Green Bay, WI.

Schmitt, who currently serves as president of the Wisconsin Fabricare Institute, managed the plant for many years before he bought out the previous owner, Ken Lindeman, in 1996.

He and his partner, Tom, the current manager for Lindeman’s, have over 46 years of combined experience in the drycleaning industry.

The course will specifically cover hands-on spotting techniques for both beginners and advanced students.