When he’s on the clock, Donn Frye
always dresses professionally; after all, he owns eight Prestige Cleaners locations in Scottsdale, Arizona, and he knows a
good marketing opportunity when he sees it. “I’ve
got on my wool pants, my button-down shirt and my tie,”
he explained. “I wear a tie every day at work. What I
promote is drycleaning and that’s the image I
do.”
Yet, after hours, his mild-mannered
daytime persona is left at the plant. While off-duty,
Donn has no qualms about letting his hair down, or, at least,
having the wind ride through it. Donning more practical attire
— like jeans and spurs — he loves the feeling of
freedom that comes from riding a horse out on an open trail.
It’s a skill he learned back in 1964, the year his family
moved to Scottsdale.
 | ||
“It’s just a big kick,
spending a week out there cowboying up,” he said.
“I don’t know about other plant owners all that
much, but I’ve got a pretty good ability — when I
leave work — to shut it off. When I’m out there
riding, I just don’t think about it.”
Actually, that might not entirely be true.
On at least one occasion, Donn’s work has caught up with
his personal life — all because Prestige runs fun holiday
promotions every month. Sometimes they have a big impact on
customers. One example that stands out is when the company gave
away a large stuffed bunny and Easter basket last April.
“So, there was this little girl
— probably seven — grinning from ear to ear because
she won,” Donn recalled. “Well, I was on a trail
ride last October and this guy walks up to me and says,
‘I’m Bob Smith and we’re a customer of yours.
My daughter won that bunny last Easter. She was so
excited.’
“At times, work can be a drudgery,
everybody knows that, but it can be plain fun if you’re
at a campfire in the middle of the desert riding horses and a
guy introduces himself and says, ‘Guess what? My daughter
won that bunny.’ Well, that was just way cool.”
Obviously, Donn loves horsepower, but not
just the kind you get when strapped into a saddle. He also owns
four Harley Davidsons and has been a motorcycle enthusiast for
over 30 years. Every year he burns rubber on the long Sturgis
ride, which can easily add several thousand miles to his
hog’s odometer.
Donn is fully aware that motorcycles
aren’t the safest mode of transportation, so he’s
never reckless. “I’ve been knocked down once or
twice and broke an ankle – that kind of thing — but
I’ve never wrecked to the point that I had to give it up
or be hospitalized,” he said.
Donn doesn’t envision himself as an
“adrenaline junkie” even though he enjoys other
thrilling hobbies, as well. He snowboards on occasion and he
has piloted hot air balloons since 1980.
“I bought a balloon in 1981,”
he said. “Up until about five years ago, we flew that
thing a lot. I had ‘Prestige Cleaners’ on the side
banner. Talk about a fun deal. I had six or eight guys and gals
who were my ground crew. We flew people who bought rides from
non-profit organizations. We raised a bunch of
money.”
Donn learned about giving back to the
community firsthand from his father, who has helped the city of
Scottsdale thrive over the years. He was honored as
Arizona’s “Small Business Person of the Year”
in 1980 by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Late
Scottsdale Mayor Herb Drinkwater also recognized him by
officially proclaiming June 17-23, 1984 as “Don Frye
Week.” Now, he’s the chairman of the board at
Prestige, leaving some pretty big footsteps for his son to
fill.
“Dad tells the story that he really
hadn’t even opened up Prestige yet,” Donn recalled.
“It was pre-Grand Opening day that he joined the
Scottsdale Chamber. That’s kind of unusual to jump on the
wagon that early, but he did.”
It seems the Frye family has always been
jumping on some sort of wagon. Both generations served on the
board of directors for the Scottsdale Chamber. Donn has also
been on the board for the Scottsdale Paradise Valley YMCA and
the Scottsdale Boys and Girls Club. He has also served as
president of the local Kiwanis chapter.
“It’s a lot of involvement,
but it allows us to see what’s going on in the
community,” Donn noted. “From being on those
boards, I think it helps perpetuate the feeling of how
accessible we are as a company. If a customer has a problem,
they have no trouble picking up the phone and talking to me
directly because they know me.”
At the beginning of his career with
Prestige Cleaners, Donn was only ten years old. He passed
out flyers and performed janitorial duties. During high school
he worked at the front counter while also learning how to clean
and finish garments under the tutelage of Vince Neubert, a man
who still works for the company today, whenever he is able.
“He’s worked for us for about
37 years,” Donn said. “I think he’s 90 now.
He’s still coming in and doing spotting and cleaning at
one of our stores. Everybody calls him “Uncle
Vince,” doesn’t matter who they are. This should be
an article about him, not me.”
After high school, Donn studied several
subjects in college, including law enforcement and veterinarian
medicine, but he kept coming back to drycleaning. So, he went
to IFI in Maryland, and completed the association’s
general course, as well as additional courses in management and
suede and leather cleaning.
He wanted more knowledge, however, so he
went to Oklahoma and studied suede and leather at Royaltone
Academy. Next, he went to Colorado and received on-the-job
training at a big operation called Silver State.
“I get calls now and again from
people thinking about getting into the industry,” Donn
said. “One thing I’ll always say is if you’re
going to do it, do it right. You need to go to IFI and get your
education. Know what’s going on.”
Since he took over the company’s
reins from his father in the 1980s, Donn has helped grow the
chain from five locations to eight. Prestige now has over 80
employees.
In recent years, the business was
recognized as one of only 15 “Model Cleaners” by
the National Waste Prevention Coalition. The cleaners was
singled out because it annually recycles over half a million
hangers — 300,000 of which the plant reuses — and
it has drastically reduced its solvent usage.
In fact, since 1997, Prestige has switched
altogether from perc to hydrocarbon. “In my opinion
— and it’s just that — it takes a better
cleaner to clean with hydrocarbon because it’s so much
less aggressive,” Donn explained. “However, with
the right training and the right spotting products and
detergents, you can get a great job out of it. I think garments
come out nicer in hydrocarbon. They have a better feel, a
better hand.”
The company’s commitment to
environmental conservation also earned it a Governor’s
Pride award in 2003.
One aspect of Prestige that helps it stand
apart from other cleaners is its high percentage of mobile
customers. Donn estimates that 99% of his customers never leave
their car at six of his stores. Drive-thru service is the
backbone of the company.
“In the past ten years with cell
phones, people can still be doing business or personal things
while they’re in the car getting their cleaning dropped
off or picked up,” Donn noted. “Plus, in the
summertime here, you can’t leave the kids in the car when
it’s 110 degrees out.”
In addition to keeping customers happy,
Donn also believes it is paramount to focus on motivating
employees. “The most rewarding thing for me is seeing our
people develop, seeing the managers get better and running the
stores like they should run,” he said.
“There’s nothing I like better than signing bonus
checks.”
Of course, it’s also a lot of work
making sure every location is clicking right. “It’s
consuming, but that’s what it takes to make it
happen,” he added.
Yet, even after a tough day, Donn goes
home to his family — wife Rachel and daughters Taylor and
Catherine — and leaves the stress behind, which
isn’t an easy thing for anyone to do.
“Last night I got home about five
o’clock,” he said. “My youngest, who is
seven, sat on the couch and said, ‘Dad, I had a really
tough day. I was doing my finger painting. I spilled the water
and messed the whole thing up.’ I’m looking at her
wondering where that come from. She’s seven!”
It’s a busy life — juggling
family, work and hobbies — but Donn finds the time. He
even remains active in helping the industry, as well.
He’s on the state board for the
Western States Drycleaners and Launderers Association, and will
be the association’s next president. He feels obligated
to do his part and believes all cleaners need to work together.
“If you’re not into an
association, get into one because your future will be
determined by what the regulators want and what your
association is able to negotiate,” he emphasized.
“If I can ride off into the sunset with one thing to say,
it’s get involved with the national and local
associations. The expense is minimal compared to what
you’re going to pay by not being involved.”
