IFI breaks in new facility with Grand
Opening event
Once the International
Fabricare Institute finishes
unpacking at its new headquarters in Laurel, MD, it won’t
take long before the association starts hosting events.
In fact, IFI will hold a Grand Opening and
Fall Conference on the premises from Nov. 12-14.
Attendees can tour the state-of-the-art
facilities on Friday between 1 and 4 p.m.
Afterward, from 4 to 6:30 p.m., IFI will
present a ribbon cutting ceremony and reception. The evening
will be similar in tone to an IFI Alumni Back Home Day where
graduates of IFI’s school converge together for an
opportunity to catch up and share their experiences.
There will be additional time for
socializing over cocktails on Saturday night, following a day
of informative seminars from guest speakers such as industry
experts Jane Zellers, Dennis McCrory, Gary Dawson and Chris
Allsbrooks.
EPA’s Karen Brown and Ralph McElroy
from Hart, Schaffner & Marx are also scheduled to present
seminars.
A variety of industry-related topics will
be covered, including “Keeping Your Customers
Satisfied,” “Maximizing Your Potential
Revenue,” “Government Working with Small
Business” “The Making of a Suit” and
“Meeting Production Standards.”
The cost of registration for the
conference is $149 per person.
The headquarters hotel for the weekend
will be the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel in Baltimore, which is
located minutes away from the BWI Airport and the Light Rail
train.
Free shuttle bus rides will be provided
for hotel guests to and from IFI’s new building. Room
rates are $159 plus tax. For reservations, call (410) 962-8300.
To register or find out more information
on the conference, call IFI Registrar Susan Bale at (800)
638-2627, ext. 1603. IFI’s new address is 14700 Sweitzer
Lane, Laurel, MD 20707.
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MAC backs Virginia compliance fund
With the Virginia Small Business
Environmental Compliance Assistance Fund currently under review
by Governor Mark Warner, the MidAtlantic Association of
Cleaners recently voiced
its support for keeping it.
The fund provides loans to small
businesses that require help in achieving compliance with
pollution reductions standards. Most of the loans for the
cleaning industry go directly to the purchasing of newer
equipment.
“I think the fund represents one of
those all-too-rare examples of government resources that really
help those that otherwise would not be able to meet certain air
quality improvement mandates,” wrote MAC Executive
Director Dave Norford in a letter to the Governor’s
office. “While it is typically not now the first source
of funds for re-equipping with more environmentally sensitive
technology, for some it may be the only feasible
source.”
He added, “With a demonstrated
secure ability to repay a loan with terms that specifically
reflect those the business can bear can make the difference
whether or not improved environmentally related operations are
undertaken. It would be a step backward to see the scale tip
the other way.”
For more information on the Virginia
Environmental Fund, contact Norford by calling (540) 775-2525.
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