Strategic Planning at IFI

A group of drycleaners met at the International Fabricare Institute’s Silver Spring, MD, headquarters recently for a strategic planning meeting to consider the challenges facing the association and the drycleaning industry.

Participants discussed IFI’s strengths and weaknesses in three critical areas: 1) meeting members’ needs; 2) meeting the changing needs of the industry; and 3) strengthening and growing the association.

Management consultant Laura Barron facilitated the meeting. She will analyze the comments and issues raised at the March 7-8 meeting and prepare a strategic planning report for IFI.

The committee includes four IFI board members (current or past) and four IFI staff members; the balance of the 15-person committee consists of individuals representing all facets of IFI’s membership.

“Although it is too early to say what changes and new endeavors IFI will undergo, it is clear that as change takes place within our membership and their businesses, so too must IFI change with them,” IFI CEO Bill Fisher said. “And that’s a good thing. We’re looking to remain ahead of the curve and not get caught out in terms of meeting the needs of our members and the drycleaning industry.”

While the opinions of the strategic planning committee members are important, each member has a voice in IFI’s planning for the future, Fisher noted.

“Every opinion matters, and every member deserves to have a say in the direction IFI takes over the next few years,” he said. “That’s why we published a membership survey in the February issue of Fabricare and a publications survey in the March issue.”

Committee participants included the following: IFI president-elect and District 6 Director Jim Cripe; IFI treasurer and District 1 Director Don Fawcett; IFI District 7 director Gary Campbell; IFI past president Wade Elam; IFI district committee member Barbara Harvey, Fabricare by Fran in Severna Park, MD; Dale Kaplan, Kaplan Careful Cleaners in Camp Hill, PA; Angel Suarez, Rey’s Cleaners in Coral Gables, FL; Terry Spear, Spear Cleaning and Laundry in Dallas, TX; Jack Godfrey, Comet Cleaners in Arlington, TX; Abe Cho, Satec U.S.A.; IFI CEO Bill Fisher; IFI senior vice president Mary Scalco; IFI membership vice president Jon Meijer; and IFI Asian affairs vice president Sam Choi.