National Clothesline

The Rocky Mountain Fabricare Association has announced the schedule for its annual conference and tabletop display at the Sheraton Hotel located at 2886 South Circle Drive in Colorado Springs, CO.

The event will take place on the weekend of April 11-12.

Registration will run from noon to 12:30 p.m. on Friday, April 11 before the educational seminars begin at 12:45 p.m.

Kenney Slatten, founder and president of Kenney Slatten Training Company, will kick the sessions off with a program called “Effective Stain Removal.” He will address the key concepts and steps involved with basic spotting techniques using R.R. Street’s line of stain removal products. Attendees are invited to bring their own problem garments to the hands-on demonstration.

Speaking from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. will be Debbie Barnett, CED, CPD, of Environmental Forensic Investigations (EnviroForensics). The company is a full-service environmental engineering firm that helps small businesses find other sources to help pay the costs associated with site contaminations. Barnett will discuss how EnviroForensics can help cleaners facing such problems.

Friday evening will conclude with a reception and tabletop display in the exhibit hall that runs from 4:30 to 7 p.m.

The exhibit hall will also be open on Saturday from 7:30 to 10 a.m., as well as from noon to 2:00 p.m. and from 5 to 6 p.m.

Joni Canterbury will lead a “Pressing Concern” discussion from 8:30 to 10 a.m. on Saturday. She will teach the basics on how to achieve compliance with the most common environmental regulations that affect cleaners. Manuals will be provided.

Later in the day, Mary Scalco, senior vice president at IFI, will deliver a report the alternative solvent GreenEarth, including an examination on the effect it will have on the industry. Scalco has a B.S. in Textile Sciences from the University of Maryland.

Kenney Slatten will return for a second seminar with “Effective Cleaning with High Flash Hydrocarbon Solvents” from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. on the same day. The session will begin with an examination of the historical evolution of hydrocarbon solvents and then will shift to an overview of its performance characteristics and proper cleaning procedures.

“Do You Know Thy Machine?” will be a question posed by Joe Blaha and Bob Blacker at 3:30 p.m. Both men will share a lifetime of experiences on the hardware and software of drycleaning machines. They will cover concerns and configurations for both perc and hydrocarbon machinery. The program will run for 90 minutes.

Registration for the event is $100 for IFI members and $125 for non-members. Cost for guests is $75 per person. For more information, contact RMFA at (303) 433-4446.

Hotel accommodations are available at a nightly rate of $65 for single/double occupancy or $120 for suites. Attendees should make their own arrangements with the Colorado Springs Sheraton by calling (800) 981-4012.

The Textile Care Allied Trades Association is gearing up for its annual management and education conference from April 23-26 at the Marriott Laguna Cliffs in Dana Point, CA.

Registration will begin on Wednesday, April 23 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

On the following day, TCATA will host a golf tournament at 8 a.m. followed by an awards luncheon from 1 to 3 p.m.

The educational sessions will begin on Friday at 8 a.m. when Mike Marks, co-founder of the Indian River Consulting Group, discusses ways distributors and manufacturers can remain profitable in the future.

On Saturday, April 26, Sondra Thiederman, author of various books on workplace diversity, will address cross-cultural challenges during her presentation which begins at 8 a.m.

Afterward, TCATA will present a Silver Circle Club reception from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Later in the evening, the event will conclude with a closing reception and party from 7 to 11 p.m.

Hotel rooms are available at the Marriott Laguna Cliffs at a rate of $149 per night. For more information, contact TCATA by calling (973) 244-1790.

The Northern California Dry Cleaning School will host a two-part “Art of Spotting” workshop on April 12 and May 10 at Snow Cleaners in Stockton, CA. The instructor will be Bob Blackburn.

Each part will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cost is $75 for CCA members and $125 for non-members. Call (310) 547-5551, ext. 231 for more information.