National Clothesline

The Greater Los Angeles Dry Cleaners Association is looking for cleaners to participate in the annual clothing drive to help the needy.

Rotary clubs from Glendale and Woodland Hills, the Salvation Army and local PTAs are joining together to collect donations of coats and jackets, then clean and distribute them.

GLADCA wants 15 to 20 cleaners to volunteer to each clean 100 pounds of donated costs and jackets. Garments will be dropped off on Nov 15 and picked up Nov 22. Pick-up and delivery of the donated clothes will be provided.

GLADCA noted that the Daily News is promoting the event again this year. Last year it published three different articles on the Coats for Kids program. Press releases will be sent to the Los Angeles Times, LA Parent magazine, The Orange County Register and various other publications and media outlets. Participating cleaners will receive certificates of recognition.

For information about the program, contact Ray Rangwala at The Cleaning Store, (818) 507 8834, or send e-mail to: riyrang@aol.com.

The Western States Drycleaners Association will have its annual holiday social on Sunday, December 1, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Ritz Carlton in Phoenix, AZ. Hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be served; attire will be business casual. The cost is $15 per member.

WSDLA is also gearing up for its annual service event, “Hop for the Holidays,” in which clothes for the needy are collected and distributed. WSDLA works in partnership with Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Central Arizona on the project. Participating cleaners will receive a display poster asking customers to bring in donations of men’s, women’s and children’s apparel. Big Brothers-Big Sisters can provide a donation receptacle to use at the store. Donn Frye Jr. of Prestige Cleaners is chairing the event, which runs from Nov. 15 to Jan 15.

For information on either event, contact WSDLA, (602) 252-9186.

California cleaners will have multiple opportunities to hone their skills and achieve certification in the coming months through a variety of seminars scheduled throughout the state.

The Northern California School, sponsored by the California Cleaners Association, will be presenting a class on Leathers and Other Specialty Garments on Saturday, Nov. 9.

The course will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Snow Cleaners in Stockton, CA. Tuition is $75 per person for CCA members and $125 per person for non-member cleaners. The cost includes donuts and coffee; lunch is not provided.

CCA is also offering additional discounts to cleaners who register two or more employees.

More classes at the Northern California School in Stockton have also been scheduled for the early part of 2003.

A two-part Fibers and Fabrics course will be offered on Feb. 8 and March 8. A two-part course on the Art of Spotting has been set for April 12 and May 10. Bob Blackburn will be the instructor for those courses.

To make reservations or find out more information on classes at the Northern California School, contact the CCA office at (800) 390-8409.

Also in the northern part of California, Marti Russell and Bob Blackburn, will offer a certification and recertification course for cleaners needing to meet the California Air Resources Board requirements for perc drycleaning operators.

Cleaners who fail to be certified in the Air Toxic Control Measure Training (Title 17, Calif. Code of Reg. Section 93110) can be fined by inspectors a minimum of $150 for failure to post a certificate of training in their place of business.

The class will meet on Wednesday night, Nov. 20, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Villa Hotel at 4000 El Camino Real in San Mateo, CA.

For additional details, contact Marti Russell by calling (650) 593-3646.

There will also be many upcoming opportunities for cleaners in the southern part of California to certify and recertify in order to meet the CARB requirements.

Classes, which are scheduled in Long Beach on the last Saturday of each month, will take place on Nov. 30, Dec. 28 and Jan. 25. Class size is limited to a maximum of 30 students.

Pre-paid registration is required. The cost is $150 for initial certification and $75 for a three-year recertification.

To register or find out more information, contact Dallons Environmental Services at (800) 347-6551.

Additional CARB certification and recertification classes are sponsored periodically by the San Diego Dry Cleaners Association at the Inn Suites Hotel on 2223 El Cajon Blvd. in San Diego, CA.

Upcoming class dates include Saturday, Nov. 9 and Saturday, Jan. 18. Class time is between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. The cost is $150 for first-time certification and $100 for recertification.

Students are encouraged to register as early as possible since classes will be cancelled if not enough participants are signed up.

Those who attend the class should bring their Tiff Meter and a picture I.D. to each class. A book will only be provided the first time you certify. Students seeking recertification should bring their old book and certificate.

For information, contact SDDCA’s office at (619) 267-5390.

Both veterans and rookies of the coin laundry industry benefited recently by attending the Coin Laundry Association’s Fall Management Conference in San Francisco, CA. The event took place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel from Sept. 26-29.

The three-day conference was preceded by a one-day pre-conference program for beginners on Thursday, Sept. 26, cosponsored by BDS Laundry Systems, Inc., Innovative Laundry Systems, IPSO of New York, Service Laundry Machinery Corporation, Sudsy Vending Supplies and WashPro, Inc.

In all, more than 90 attendees showed up to learn the basics of the coin laundry industry.

Following a networking luncheon, attendees had access to four hours of educational seminars designed to help provide information for those thinking about entering the coin laundry business or who were almost ready to open their first self-service laundry.

The educational topics included: “Purchasing an Existing Laundry vs. Building New,” Evaluating an Investment in Coin Laundry,” “Choosing the Right Location for Your Laundry,” and a forum with laundry experts.

The official conference kicked off on Thursday evening when over 100 attendees listened to keynote speaker George Hedley of Hardhat Presentations discuss “Build an On Purpose... On Target Business Plan.”

Over the next three days, ten seminars were presented. Myles M. Mattenson, attorney-at-law, spoke on “The Employment Relationship — A Marriage of Sorts” and Andrew Cunningham focused on “Effective Training for Your Laundry Attendant.”

Other seminars included: “Tax Considerations for Coin Laundries” by Richard Weisinger, CPA; “The Top Ten Considerations in Building a New Laundry” by Daniel Marrazzo; “Water Re-Use: A Viable Alternative for Laundries?” by Jeff Deal; “Retirement and Succession Planning for the Laundry Owner” by Terry Lease, CPA; “Ten Steps to a Safer Laundry” by CLA Executive Director Brian Wallace and Ruby Burch, executive coordinator of CLA Insurance; and a peer education panel on “Survival of the Fittest: Combatting Today’s Competition.”

Guest speaker George Hedley presented “Profit Driven Leadership — Learn How to Lead, Manage and Motivate to Get Results” and CLA ran workshops specifically tailored for distributors and manufacturers.

Other manufacturer member companies that sponsored events included: Alliance Laundry Systems, Continental Girbau, The Dexter Company, ESD, Greenwald Industries, Hamilton Engineering, IPSO USA, Johnson Diversey, The Maytag Company, Monarch Coin & Security, Inc., R&B Wire Products, Vend-Rite Manufacturing and Whirlpool.

For more information about the management conference or other CLA events, contact the association by calling (877) CLA-IDEA.