National Clothesline

DCCS has named Vincenzo Russo director of operations, and made him responsible for research & development of DCCS products, the customer support center, and hardware departments.

Russo was previously with Riverstone, Inc., a Unilever startup company aimed at delivering drycleaning and other services direct to consumers’ homes, where he was director of IT and infrastructure and responsible for all aspects of the company’s advanced computer systems, including the integration of ORACLE e-Business Suite, CRM and Internet technologies.

He also instrumented the use of radio frequency, global positioning and dynamic routing systems for the home delivery business.

His experience includes more than 20 years in computer technology, 10 of which involved designing and building local/wide area networks for Fortune 100 companies, the design and build-out of several internet shopping portals, and numerous e-commerce websites.

Harvey Gershenson of Los Angeles has agreed to fill the remainder of Interntional Fabricare Institute board of directors term of the late Perry Pulos.

Gershenson served on the IFI board from 1996 until he was succeeded by Pulos in 2000. IFI president Jim Cripe appointed Gershenson based on the recommendation of the California Cleaners Association and Gershenson’s past experience on the board. The appointment received unanimous approval from the board.

“Our members in District 8 will have a good representative and since Harvey has some prior experience it won’t take him too long to get up to speed with what the board is doing,” Cripe commented in the February issue of IFI’s magazine, Fabricare.

Gershenson stated that “Perry was a very dynamic individual with a very high energy level. The board of IFI needed energetic people who weren’t afraid to speak their minds, and that’s the kind of person Perry was. I will do my best to fill his shoes.”

The Northwest Drycleaners Association and R. R. Street & Co. Inc. hosted an all-day stain removal” and wetcleaning seminar January 28 at the leather cleaning facility owned by Steve Ritt, president of Leathercare Cleaners.

Kenney Slatten, the Cowboy Cleaner, was the guest speaker and instructor along with the help of Steve Carrow and Dick Stein of Street’s, also known as the Dallas BBQ guru.

Lunch was served by Westport Supply Company with the help of Bob Huber and others. JoDeana Jones of Leathercare led a tour of the facility. Richard Turner of the Northwest Drycleaners Association helped with registration and contributing knowledge for others. Dick Brody and Dom D’Angelo were in attendance and helped with the event along with all the staff of Leathercare

Mac McKenzie, executive, director of the British Columbia Drycleaners Association, and his wife, Charlotte, were among the visiting guests..

The seminar was number 42 of a series of educational programs that Street’s and the Kenney Slatten Training Company have put on around the country the past two years. Streets provides its own portable spotting board that aids in student involvement, allowing on-site demonstrations of stain removal in hotels and other buildings away from the confinements and noise of operating plants.

Contact Sue Patterson at Street’s, (800) 478-7338 for information about future events.

Royaltone has upgraded its web site, www.royaltone.com, to help cleaners and launderers obtain information on drycleaning and wetcleaning cloth, suede, leather fur and trimmed articles.

The web site has information on Royaltone products and training programs and provides e-mail links to obtain additional information and free samples of products.

The company also can be reached by phone at (800) 331-5506, (918) 622-6677 or fax at (918) 665-6017.

Chip Bifano has been named vice president of field operations for the Certified Restoration Drycleaning Network (CRDN).

In his new position, Bifano will assist CRDN members with integration into the CRDN network. He also is responsible for identifying areas for increased operational efficiency and helping members implement systems to enhance productivity.

Bifano joins CRDN after many years with Paul Davis Restoration (PDR). He began as a franchise owner and, after building a strong business from the ground up, he began working as a regional manager for the corporate offices of PDR in Jacksonville, FL.

While with PDR, Bifano gained experience in franchise sales, management, and operations and became established in the structural side of the insurance restoration industry. Among other positions there, he was the director of operations for the eastern half of the United States, during which time he was responsible for 150 businesses.

John Brooks, a staff consultant for Methods for Management Inc., has received the designation of Certified Management Consultant (CMC) by the Institute of Management Consultants USA, Inc. (IMC USA).

The CMC designation is for consultants who are recognized experts in their field, have demonstrated a history of significant results for clients, and adhere to the IMC USA Code of Ethics. To earn the designation, Brooks provided documentation of his consulting assignments and passed a qualifying interview with senior CMC consultants where he demonstrated his professional competence and understanding of the Code of Ethics. IMC, USA sets professional and ethical standards for management consultants, provides continuing education and information for the management consulting profession, and increases awareness of the profession.

Brooks joined MFM in 1999. He has a background in plant maintenance and facilities project maintenance. His special areas of interest include organizational analysis and evaluation, strategic development and team building. He currently facilitates three MFM Management Bureaus and provides one-on-one consulting to assist clients in achieving their personal and business goals.

Information about MFM is available web at www.mfmi.com or by calling (253) 851-6327.