National Clothesline

Members of the Michigan Institute of Laundering and Drycleaning will have a couple of opportunities for a little fun before they get back to business with several educational opportunities, including the association’s annual convention scheduled in July.

First up will be MILD’s Annual Past Presidents Holiday Party on December 6. This year, it will be held at the Frankenmuth Brewery at 425 S. Main St. in Frankenmuth, MI.

The event is open to all members. Dinner will start at approximately 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. The cost is $30 per person.

Following the holiday festivities will be a ski weekend getaway planned for January 23 -25 at Boyne Highlands.

The trip will offer a little business for interested members, as well: MILD will host an area 2 meeting on Saturday morning at the Boyne Mountain Resort.

MILD has negotiated a special overnight package designed to allow members a chance to take the entire family. Space is limited so early registration is recommended.

In February, the association will be shifting gears and locations by holding its annual Mid-Winter Conference in sunny Aruba. Details are still in the process of being finalized at this time.

In March, MILD will show no signs of letting up. The association has planned to present a spotting seminar and a board of directors meeting.

More seminars will follow in April, including sessions that focus on spotting and customer service.

Additionally, MILD plans to present its successful Management Training Series, a four-part intensive educational package designed specifically for plant owners and senior managers.

Last year, Jan Barlow taught the program, graduating a total of eight students.

Rounding out MILD’s upcoming schedule will be the association’s annual convention, scheduled to take place from July 23-25, 2004. It will be at the Boyne Mountain Resort, the same location where the skiing outing will be in January.

Information on the resort can be obtained by visiting its web site online at www.boynemountainz.com.

For more information on any MILD event, contact the association office at (517) 337-2909.

Cleaners hoping to win the Wisconsin Fabricare Institute’s 2004 Fitzgerald Scholarship have until the January 2, 2004 deadline to submit an application.

Last year’s selection was Patti Kraling of Tom and Margaret Grimm’s One Hour Martinizing in Menomonee Falls, WI. She used the scholarship to attend a two-week advanced training course offered by the International Fabricare Institute in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Nominations are open to any employer, employee or immediate family member of any WFI member or associate member firm. The amount of the monetary award is $850 to be applied toward a one-, two-, or three-week course offered by IFI.

Once submitted, all applicants will be reviewed by a four-member Acceptance Committee and qualifying candidates will be placed into a random drawing at WFI’s state convention, planned for Feb. 6-8 in Kohler, WI.

Application forms can be found in WFI’s publication Impressions. For more information, contact the association at (414) 529-4707.

The Minnesota Cleaners Association has prepared a busy schedule for its 2004 annual convention at Mystic Lake Casino and Hotel in Prior Lake, MN.

The event, which will be held on Feb. 20 and 21, will kick off on Friday with interactive discussions with experts from the state’s Pollution Control Agency and Technical Assistant Program, as well as local county inspectors, who will let cleaners know what they are looking for during their inspections.

On Saturday, MCA will present programs that focus on how to increase profits and minimize losses. A roundtable discussion will focus on: financial planning advice, maintenance issues, environmental law, training new CSRs and garment quality inspections. An IFI speaker will also be present to speak on the topic of business management.

For more information, contact MCA at (651) 290-6267.