South

Three days of education and socializing is planned for Memorial Day weekend by the North Carolina Association of Launderers & Cleaners. The association’s annual convention, dubbed Carolina Clean ’02, will take place from May 24-26 at the Sheraton Oceanfront Hotel in Atlantic Beach, NC.

Things get rolling on Friday night with an evening of dining at the Sandcastles deck by the sea from 7 p.m. to midnight. This follows an NCALC board meeting from 2 to 6 p.m.

In Saturday’s first educational, Donald Desrosiers, National Clothesline columnist and creator of the Tailwind Shirt System, will discuss “How to Save 25 percent of Your Shirt Department Labor Cost” from 8 to 8:45 a.m. “Tuning Up Your Customer Service” by Barbara Harvey of Fabricare By Fran in Severna, MD, will follow at 9 a.m. and run for about 45 minutes.

At 10 a.m., Fran Sadler of the International Fabricare Institute will offer attendees a comparison of “Wetcleaning vs. Drycleaning.” At 11 a.m., Bill Albright of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources will give a “Report on Alternatives to the Predominant Drycleaning Processes.”

At 1:30 p.m., NCALC will offer its John C. Davis Memorial Golf Tournament on the Bogue Banks Golf Course. At a Luau dinner at 8 p.m., tournament winners will receive prizes.

Jim McKay, a financial consultant for AXA Advisors, will kick things off Sunday morning with a seminar on “How to Take Advantage of the Changes in the Tax Code” at 8 a.m.

A 90-minute panel on “The Realities of Utilizing Alternative Technologies” will follow at 9 a.m. and will be moderated by Dr. Manfred Wentz, executive director of the International Drycleaners Congress. On the panel will be Ted Williams of Hangers’ Williams Cleaners for carbon dioxide; Mack Davis of Medlin-Davis Cleaners for GreenEarth; Marvin Thomas of Swannanoa Cleaners for Class IIIA hydrocarbon; and Mary Wells of Koretizing Drycleaning for wetcleaning.

At 10:45 a.m., “NCALC’s Business Insurance Program” will be discussed by Bob Aikin, president of NIE Insurance Co., followed by a half hour session on the “Status of the Drycleaning Solvent Clean-Up Program” by NCDENR’s Lisa Taber at 11:15 a.m.

NCALC will hold a general membership meeting at noon for the election of officers and directors. In the evening, a President’s Reception will run from 7 to 8 p.m., followed by a ballroom banquet dinner. IFI President Lang Houston will give a keynote address and IFI District 2 Director David Rosenblatt will install new officers and directors.

Reservations for the Sheraton Oceanfront Hotel in Atlantic Beach, NC, can be made by calling (800) 214-0258. Discounted rates are available by mentioning Carolina Clean ’02.

For more information, contact NCALC, (336) 549-5486.

Educational opportunities will be heating up through summer as the South Eastern Fabricare Association presents several seminars in the approaching months.

On May 11, a finishing clinic will be coming to Naples, FL, followed by a two-day session of Basic & Advanced Drycleaning in Atlanta, GA, on Saturday and Sunday, June 8 and 9.

The two-day course will be comprehensive, starting the first day with the basics of fiber and fabric identification, weaves, dyes, prints and finishes, along with a discussion on how to get the most out of your drycleaning machine. Attendees will also gain a true understanding of pre-spotting and preparing garments for the cleaning process. The soil release curve and the effects of humidity and moisture content of solvent will also be covered.

Day two will detail the importance of understanding and respecting spotting chemicals and what tools are necessary for a first class drycleaning department. Other topics of focus will include the correct uses of acids, alkalis and lubricants and how each reacts with certain fibers, fabrics, dyes and finishes and advanced techniques such as bleaching, dye stripping and mineral oil barriers.

Later in the year, SEFA will round out its seminar schedule with one on customer service in Valdosta, GA, on Saturday, Sept. 28. The six most common types of customers and what makes them tick will be discussed, as well as how to identify the problem areas in your customer service policies and procedures and the dos and don’ts of professional appearance.

Also in the near future is SEFA’s 2002 Southern Drycleaners Show, planned for Aug. 3-4 at the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center located at One International Drive in Savannah, GA.

Seminar time has been scheduled from 8 to 10 a.m. each morning, and the exhibit hall will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 3, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 4.

This year’s headquarter hotel for the 2002 Southern Drycleaner Show will be the Savannah Marriott Riverfront at 100 General McIntosh Blvd. Reservations should be made prior to July 2 by calling (912) 233-7722.

For more information on SEFA events, contact the association by calling (912) 355-3364 or visiting www.sefa.org.

The Neighborhood Cleaners Association will be heading into Ft. Lauderdale, FL, for a couple of seminars dispersed throughout the year.

On Thursday, May 16, “Pricing For Profit” will be held at the Holiday Inn located at 4900 Powerline Rd. off of I-95 in Ft. Lauderdale. Registration for the meeting, which will be held from 8 to 10 p.m., begins at 7: 30 p.m.

Another seminar on “Marketing and Promotion” is planned for Thursday, Oct. 10 at the same location and times. Both seminars are free to members; non-members pay $75 each.

For more information on NCA seminars, contact the association by calling (212) 967-3002 or visiting its web site on-line at www.nca-i.com.