National Clothesline

New officers were elected at the December 16 annual meeting of the FabriCare Foundation. They are: president, Chris Edwards, A Cleaner World, High Point, NC; vice president, Jim Cripe, Valet Cleaners, Temple, TX; secretary, Wade Elam, Henderson, TN; and treasurer, Pat Godo, Avon Cleaners, Dallas, TX.

Trustees elected for a three-year term ending December 31, 2006 are Don Fawcett, Dependable Cleaners, Quincy, MA; Dan Martino, Martino’s Master Drycleaners, Kenosha,WI; Nora Nealis, National Cleaners Association, New York, NY; Carol Memberg, Pennsylvania and Delaware Cleaners Association, Willow Grove, PA; and Bob Craig, Craig’s Cleaners, Houston, TX.

The Fabricare Foundation is a non-profit public foundation whose purpose is to encourage education and research for those engaged in the drycleaning and fabric care professions.

David Arthur of Bloomington Cleaners in Bloomington, IN, winner of the Indiana Drycleaners and Launderers Association’s Rex Beddies scholarship award, graduated from the IFI General Drycleaning Course, class number 318.

Arthur has been involved in the fabric care industry for over nearly two years. He reported that the IFI classes were fast paced, informative, and educational, with one on one instruction and hands on experience in all the facets of drycleaning. He told IDLA leaders that the classes gave him the equivalent of two to three years of experience in the span of three weeks.

The IFI course covers the basics of fibers and their content as well as special tricks needed to handle difficult garment problems.

Laidlaw Corporation/Wells has acquired all of the equipment in the Baltimore, MD, manufacturing plant of CHC Industries.

Laidlaw will lease the facility and supply uniform rental customers and laundry and drycleaning distributors in the eastern United States.

The International Drycleaners Congress (IDC) has elected Egon Burchard of Koblenz, Germany, president for 2004. Marcia Todd, from Ontario, Canada, was elected vice president.

Makoto Igarashi, who served as Treasurer, Orient, for 40 years, from the association’s inception, has retired. He will be replaced by IDC outgoing president Nobuyasu Igarashi. Two people have assumed regional directorships for their areas. Timothy Choi, Shanghai, China, is the new director for Region 20, China, and Dr. Charles Shentu of Taipei, Taiwan, will represent Region 3, Asia Central.

In addition, three new standing committees have been formed. Alexander Seitz, Guttenberg, Germany, will chair a committee for National and International Vendor Relations. Deborah Rechnitz, Gig Harbor, WA, U.S.A., will lead the National and International Associations Committee. Carol Memberg, Willow Grove, PA, U.S.A., will head the Communications Committee. The goal of the new committees is to expand the outreach of IDC, which lets members network with the best drycleaners in the world.

Three associations that serve independently-owned and operated textile rental companies in North America and Europe have merged to form a new association — the Independent Textile Rental Association (ITRA).†

The new association, which will be in effect as of January 1, combines the Independent Textile Services Association, the Dust Control Association and the Southwestern Linen and Industrial Supply Association.†

For details, call (850) 477-7843.