National Clothesline

Chicago 2003, the first-ever trade show to be sponsored by the Korean American Dry Cleaners Association (KADA), will be held at the Donald A. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, May 3-4.

The Donald A. Stephens Convention Center, formerly called the Rosemont Convention Center, is approximately ten miles away from O’Hare Airport. KADA is working with area hotels to set up accommodations.

The show, which will coincide with the Federation of Korean Dry Cleaners Associations’ annual convention, will be a Korean-focused show with attendees from all over the United States. More than 150 vendors are expected to participate.

KADA will provide translators on request for the exhibitors to assist with sales transactions. A financing company will also be readily available for those who want to make large equipment purchases.

The exhibit hours will run from noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

KADA has also planned other activities for the weekend, including two top Korean singers, a special dinner and prize giveaways.

For more information, contact Seung Lee at (773) 620-6612.

The Iowa-Nebraska Drycleaners and Laundry Association will be undergoing several changes in the coming months.

At the association’s last board meeting, Joy Cole officially resigned from her post as Executive Director to move to Boise, ID, and be closer to her daughter. Cole had been with INDLA for ten years.

The association’s management and administrative duties will now be turned over to Alda Helvey and her management company, Dynamic Resources. Helvey has assigned one of her employees, Kim Tempel, to be the contact person for INDLA.

Also announced at the meeting, INDLA will change its fall seminar to a one-day format on Sept. 20. This year, it will be held in the Omaha area and feature a discussion on alternative solvents and another on customer relations. A board meeting and social gathering are tentatively scheduled for Sept. 19.

Lastly, the association planned a social get-together for Saturday, April 12 at Anthony’s Restaurant in Omaha, NE. The event will include dinner and entertainment for members and their spouses and friends. If successful, INDLA hopes to offer similar events to members in the future.

For more information, visit the association’s newly-retooled web site at www.indla.org.

The new address for INDLA is 8345 University Blvd, Suite F-1, Des Moines, IA, 50325. The phone number is (515) 225-2323; the fax is (515) 225-6363.

Joe Peterson, owner of Prestige Cleaners in Minneapolis, MN, and John Barry of Associates/Management Engineers, Inc. in Newport Beach, CA, will be the featured speakers at the Dakota Fabricare Association’s annual convention this year.

It will be held on May 2-3 at the Fargo Holiday Inn located at 3803 13th Ave. in Fargo, North Dakota.

Reservations at the hotel can be obtained by calling (701) 282-7889 or (877) 282-2700.

This year’s theme for DFA’s annual convention is “Cost Controls and Record Keeping for Laundries and Drycleaning Plants.”

Registration for the convention costs $100 for members and $130 for non-members if paid by April 1. After that date, the cost rises to $120 per member and $150 per non-member.

For more information, contact DFA at (605) 723-6301.

Service training experts will demonstrate proper operation of UniMac laundry equipment at a training seminar planned for June 23-26 at the company’s headquarters in Ripon, WI.

The seminar will include in-depth discussions of installation, maintenance and diagnostic methods in order to service Unimac UW, UF, UC and tumbler OPL equipment.

Additionally, attendees will learn how to read wiring diagrams, troubleshoot and diagnose electrical problems, understand and diagnose electromechanical and microprocessor controls and learn all types of AC inverter drives used on UniMac OPL equipment.

Call (920) 748-3121 or visit www.uniwash.com for more information.