December 1997

  Fundraising for Barton bill steps up  DCAFA Donation  

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  • Nora Nealis:
    • Her introduction to the industry was the result of a misunderstanding on her mother's part. Her beginnings with an industry manufacturer were to be bookkeeping, answering the phone and handling account records. In her two decades plus of working with cleaners, manufacturers and distributors, one can say she literally wrote the book on at least one topic.

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    NY Cleaners Rally to Stop Foes of Perc

    New York City drycleaners rallied on the steps of City Hall Nov. 13 to protest plans by some local politicians to crack down on perc drycleaners in the city.

    The "Dirty Thursday" demonstration, organized by the Neighborhood Cleaners Association-International and broadly supported by the area's Korean-American cleaners associations, heard from a battery of speakers representing the industry, small business and political leaders who all struck the theme that legislating perc drycleaning out of the city would be bad for business, bad for workers, bad for taxpayers and bad for the city's economy. The crowd, estimated by police at 2,200, was made up of cleaners, their families and employees. Many cleaners shut down their operations to attend the rally.

    NCAI organized the rally in response to growing sentiment in some quarters of city officialdom that favors legislation which would make it more difficult and in some cases impossible for perc drycleaners to operate in the city.

    New York City Public Advocate Mark Green has called for a gradual phase out of the use of perc in residential buildings and the immediate removal of perc cleaning equipment if the cleaner repeatedly violates health and safety standards. Green would also ban new cleaning establishments from locating in residential buildings if they plan to use perc on the premises.

    Green's office estimates that 55 percent of the city's 1,660 drycleaners are located in residential buildings. New York City, he said is the only place in the state where perc-based drycleaning machines are allowed to operate in residential buildings.

    Although Green was a no-show among people invited by NCAI to speak at the rally, an aide was present to pass out a statement from him. In it he said, "My research has found that many perc-based drycleaners have caused unhealthful levels of perc in upstairs apartments -- sometimes because of gradual leaks from drycleaning machines or storage barrels and sometimes because of accidental chemical spills."

    Green stated that he is not seeking the shut-down of all existing cleaners in residential buildings, but he doubts that existing laws can sufficiently protect residents from "a highly toxic chemical near our homes (that) is too threatening for us to overlook the potential for human error and machine failure."

    As a leading proponent of a crackdown on perc drycleaning in residential buildings, Green was singled out for attack by one of the rally's speakers, cleaner Debra Kravet.

    "The hazard isn't chemicals. It's the ignorance of Mark Green," she declared. "How does he clean his $1,000 suits and his $100 silk ties?"

    She invited Green to "come and learn about our machinery and our vapor barrier rooms."

    NCAI executive director Bill Seitz noted that over a year ago the association addressed public concerns about perc vapors leaking into residential buildings by setting up a hotline that residents could call if they thought perc smells were coming into their buildings. Since it was started, Seitz said, the hotline has logged 24 calls from New York's 8 million residents. Of those, only three led investigators to situations that required a cleaner to take action to prevent fumes from getting out of his plant.

    That compares, Seitz noted, to 1,200 calls in just one day to a hotline established by Mayor Giuliani to handle complaints about excessive noise in the city.

    If perc were as dangerous as some say, Seitz told the crowd, "You would all be in wheelchairs or dead."

    He noted that cleaners have done what was needed and required to make their operations safer and reduce perc consumption. He and other speakers said that recently enacted state regulations put all New York drycleaners under some of the strictest rules in the nation. "Give the regulations time to work," Seitz said. "We are not against regulations. We are against unfair and unreasonable regulations."

    Perc ban lurks in council
    NCAI lobbyist Don Halperin told the rally there has been a bill in city council for some time that would prevent perc cleaners from operating in any residential building. Until recently, he believed the bill would not move, but a controversy that flared in the media in October over perc vapors found in a former cleaning plant now used as a public school building gave impetus to those who would like to further restrict the use of perc.

    Halperin asked cleaners to get customers to sign petitions asking the city council not to shut down perc operations. That's the next step in the process of heading off anti-perc legislation, he said. The rally, which was the first step, was successful, he declared. "You have been heard."

    One member of the city council who attended the rally declared himself on NCAI's side. Council member Noach Dear of Brooklyn called the perc ban "an absurd law."

    "We enjoy our relationship with local cleaners. You are a part of the community. I don't see you as a nuisance, but an important aspect of the community. We will fight this together," he said. "The last thing we'll see is putting drycleaners out of business."

    Frank Vernuccio, representing Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer, also brought a message of support. "We respect you and the role you play in our economy," Vernuccio said. "It would be foolhardy to drive a vital sector out of the city. President Ferrer will do everything possible to ensure that you are treated justly and fairly."

    Small business support
    Support also came from representatives of small business groups. Sung Soo Kim of the Small Business Congress of the City of New York said his organization, which represents 250,000 businesses in the five city boroughs, strongly opposes any legislation that would have a negative impact on stores in the city. Mr. Kim said his organization would "bring our contribution to this fight."

    From the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce, Chris Collett noted that New York City has suffered a record number of small business bankruptcies this year and that unemployment in the city is twice the national rate, making any proposal to close down cleaning shops "the wrong idea at the wrong time."

    "We don't need to be put at a competitive disadvantage with areas outside the city. It's a silly idea that will drive businesses out of New York City and hurt all of us."

    Several cleaners also took to the podium to speak to their colleagues during the rally.

    Charles Reiner of Perry Process Cleaners and president of the New York City/Long Island chapter of NCAI, urged cleaners to stay united.

    "We have gone along with any regulations and keep investing money," he said. "We have used perc safely for over 60 years," he added.

    Victoria Avilez of Bridge Cleaners in Brooklyn noted that she had spent $200,000 on new fourth-generation equipment for her operation that employs 30 people and she now faces an additional $15,000 investment in a vapor barrier room.

    "I want the city to know that we are responsible people and want an opportunity to show we are responsible," she said.

    Another cleaner and a past president of the Korean Cleaners Association of New York, Shi Yong Kim, said what is needed is "environmental protection, not environmental hysteria." He said cleaners may be persecuted because they are of Korean descent but that in "the land of Lincoln and Martin Luther King," he believes "common sense and the rule of law will prevail, not the lynch mob."

    Kim was one of several Korean association representatives on hand. Others included Moon Jung Chun, president of the Federation of Korean Drycleaners Association, Insun Yun, president of the New York Korean Drycleaners Association, and Tae Hee Han, president of the Korean American Cleaners Association of New Jersey.

    Mary Scalco, government relations vice president for the International Fabricare Institute, also spoke, stressing the importance of a united industry.

    Deadly occupation
    ther cleaners who spoke at the rally included Bill Kramer of Bonne Cleaners, Mike Milbaum of Eldorado Cleaners, John Flight of Lumal Cleaners and John Sabino of Zest Cleaners.

    Sabino noted that members of his family had a combined 300 years of working in drycleaning and not one had cancer.

    However, his father, who didn't work in drycleaning, died of cancer.

    "He worked for the government," Sabino said.

    NCAI Petition

    NCAI wants cleaners to ask their customers to sign the below petition. The signed petitions will be presented to members of the New York City Council.

    Petition To Save Drycleaners in the Five Boroughs of New York City

    Please Help Me Stay In Business

    There are forces at work in the five boroughs of New York City that want to put me out of business.

    Their motivations are based on political and economic reasons, not on sound business or valid scientific evidence.

    New, stringent regulations governing drycleaners are in place. They were developed in conjunction with the New York State Department of Health and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. These new regulations should be given a chance to work because we believe they will eliminate any real or perceived concerns about drycleaners.

    Please sign this petition showing that we have public support to keep drycleaners in business.

    Fundraising for Barton bill is stepped up

    The Dry Cleaners Action Fund of America (DCAFA) has been established as a central collection center for all contributions made on behalf of the fabric care industry in the United States toward passage of The Small Business Remediation Act (H.R. 1711), aka the Barton bill.

    All DCAFA contributions will be used solely for advancing the passage of the Barton bill or companion legislation in the U.S. Senate or similar compromise legislation developed by the House, Senate and Administration.

    Administrative costs, such as banking fees, accounting fees, postage and similar expenses, will be absorbed by the Michigan Institute of Laundering and Drycleaning (MILD).

    Disbursements from the fund's account will be through the authority and approval of the DCAFA committee, which is made up of members from MILD, the Martinizing Environmental Group, Comet Franchises, the International Fabricare Institute and the Neighborhood Cleaners Association-International.

    Congress adjourned for the year in November with 58 representatives having signed on as cosponsors for the bill that was introduced last May by Texas Republican Joe Barton. The bill would tie standards for cleaning up drycleaning solvents in soil and groundwater to standards set by OSHA for exposure of cleaning plant workers to the same solvents.

    Since many representatives will be in their home districts until Congress reconvenes late next month, cleaners will have an opportunity to meet directly with their representatives to seek support for the bill. Barton has said that if he can get 100 of his colleagues to cosponsor the legislation he will be able to convince House leadership to hold hearings on the bill, the best step toward getting it passed.

    Representatives signing on as sponsors in the past month include John McHugh of New York, Joe Scarborogh and Mark Foley of Florida, Bob Schaffer of Colorado, David Hobson of Ohio, Richard Pombo of California and John Sununu of New Hampshire and Larry Combest and Solomon Ortiz, both of Texas. Ortiz is the sole Democrat of that group.

    According to Charlotte Giddings of the Baise & Miller law firm, another Democrat has advised that he will be signing on as a cosponsor. Once that is official, there would be 15 Democrats and 45 Republicans from 24 states represented among the bills sponsors.

    "With help from the entire industry, we feel it is doable to have 100 cosponsors by the end of this year," Giddings said.

    Giddings noted that a Superfund reform bill introduced in October by Rep. Sherwood Boehlert of New York had yet to pick up its first cosponsors.

    "This shows the importance of the efforts on behalf of H.R. 1711, both by Rep. Barton and the grassroots action by drycleaners."

    Of equal importance is fund-raising for the bill which is the goal of the newly created DCAFA. At the annual meeting of the Cleaning and Laundry Association Executives last month, MILD executive director Merry Bering explained the effort and asked the associations to participate. The goal is to have each association act as the designated collection point in its territory.

    Two groups -- the Southwest Drycleaners Association and the Nebraska Fabricare Association -- offered cash donations as seed money for DCAFA at the meeting held in Biloxi, MS. SDA gave $10,000 and NFA added $5,200 to the fund.

    Other local, state and regional drycleaning associations will gather contributions in the respective areas and forward the funds to DCAFA through MILD. Checks can made out either to the Dry Cleaners Action Fund of America (or to a representative association, depending upon the association's direction) and sent to DCAFA, c/o MILD, PO Box 14044, Lansing, MI 48901. For information on DCAFA and the Barton Bill fund-raising program, contact Bering, (517) 337-2909.

    MILD said no funds will be dispersed for any purpose that could be considered campaign contributions under federal political campaign regulations.

    MILD also noted that contributions are at will and may not be a qualified business deduction. Donors should consult a certified public accountant concerning rules and regulations governing their contributions.

    MILD has been in the forefront of association-backed fund-raising efforts for the Barton bill. Association members have pledged about $50,000 to the fund-raising drive and more than half of that amount has been collected to date from Michigan cleaners, according to MILD executive director Merry Bering.

    As of this fall, about $300,000 had been expended to get the bill advanced in Congress with most of that money coming from a handful or sources, most notably the Martinizing Environmental Group and Comet Franchises. Those two organizations have been working through the Baise & Miller law firm in Washington for the past two years to get the Barton bill to where it is today.

    The need for broader support from the industry was put bluntly in a letter written by Gary Baise to the principals of the two companies this fall. In the letter, Baise said:

    "I do not believe your two groups should pay any more than you are already paying; however, other parties who are benefiting form your efforts need to step up to the plate nowŠ Some of the other major players in the industry surely can assist us in this effort to the same extent the two of you have. There are too many companies riding on the backs of your two groups. This must stop now in light of your record with our law firm."

    A loaf of bread, a gallon of milk... and pick up the drycleaning

    At a time when drycleaners in the United States are feeling pressure from landlords, politicians and consumer groups over their use of perc, reports that have been coming out of the United Kingdom over the past 18 months about drycleaning plants in grocery stores seem almost unbelievable.

    Believe them. The Safeway supermarket chain has more than 80 stores with built-in drycleaning operations in the UK. J Sainsbury, another major grocery retailer, has more than 40 such shops and the Asda and Tesco chains have also jumped on board. That's what Peter Crane of Duvals of Romsey Ltd. reported at a presentation during the International Drycleaners Congress convention in Orlando, FL, in October.

    Crane's company, a large supplier of drycleaning equipment in the UK, has worked with the Safeway company in setting up the in-store drycleaning shops, which now employ more than 750 drycleaning staff with 150 cleaning machines processing more than 160,000 garments each week.

    "In only five years they have rocketed from virtually nowhere to the position of the third largest drycleaner in the UK," Crane said.

    Safeway, he said, undertook extensive market research before bringing drycleaning services into its stores. Changes over the past 10 years in retail shopping patterns are at least part of the reason that supermarket drycleaning has taken off, he said.

    Over the past few years, he said, many of the main retail thoroughfares have been "pedestrianized and are no longer attractive positions for drycleaning shops."

    "You can no longer drive to the door. The nearest parking spot is 400 yards away in a multi-story car park," Crane explained. "And who wants to walk a quarter of a mile with two suits and a pair of curtains over their arm?"

    It becomes just one more inconvenience for consumers who see going to the cleaners as a "grudge purchase."

    "There may be purchases which are more of a chore than going to the drycleaners, but, if 'special event' and 'chore shopping' are seen as two ends of a spectrum, drycleaning is certainly pretty close to the bottom end!" Crane said. "Shoppers don't expect to enjoy it. They just want to get it over and done with as quickly as possible with the minimum of hassle."

    One stop shopping
    Safeway saw opportunity in taking some of the inconvenience out of going to the cleaners by making it part of the "one-stop shopping" experience at its giant super stores, which also offer banking, pharmacy, dining and postal services.

    Customers coming into the store can drop off their clothes for cleaning and pick them up on the way out. This makes speed in processing of utmost importance. Each plant has two or three small-capacity machines for flexibility in processing multiple loads and one rotor cabinet and three ironing tables.

    "The object is to have every garment finished within 10 minutes of completing the cleaning cycle," Crane said.

    What about quality?
    "One of the biggest challenges facing any multiple drycleaners is maintaining consistent quality throughout all the stores," Crane said. "It is so easy for standards to vary according to the level of experience of local staff."

    Safeway, he said, uses only the latest systems and equipment, which are as simple to operate as possible, and invests in automation.

    "Apart from loading and unloading drycleaning machines, their staff are only permitted to operate the computer-controlled maintenance programs and clean the lint screen and button trap," he said. Everything else must be done either automatically by the machine or by a qualified Duval engineer as part of a regular maintenance contract.

    The company also invests heavily in training. Its internal team has worked closely with Duval's training specialists to develop operating and equipment manuals backed up with a series of training videos, Crane noted.

    Satisfaction guaranteed
    Customer satisfaction is guaranteed under a store-wide policy of "refund or replace."

    "This means that if you don't like what they have done to your jacket or suit, they will not only process it again without charge, they will refund the original price as well," Crane said. "As giving money away goes against the grain for anyone participating in any sort of bonus scheme, they have every incentive to get the quality right first time!"

    And what about those troublesome environmental concerns?

    It's not that Safeway thinks there are none, it's just that none have yet arisen, Crane said. The average shopper doesn't give a moment's thought to the chemistry of drycleaning, he said. But Safeway is "sensitive to the possible environmental issues surrounding processing in a food store."

    "Whiter than white"
    Safeway's approach, Crane said, is one of "It may not be a legal requirement but, if our position is ever challenged, we can open our doors to inspection, knowing that we'll be found whiter than white."

    "All equipment has to be of the highest standard and regard is paid to the stringent legislation surrounding the use of perchloroethylene in countries like Germany," he said.

    On-site monitoring shows residual solvent levels in the drum at the end of the cycle closer to 100 ppm than the required 290 ppm, he said.

    Safeway's entry into the drycleaning market seems to have stirred more reaction among cleaners than consumers and environmentalists. There was early resentment among cleaners, Crane said, about supermarket chains "taking the bread out of the mouths of their children."

    Now, he said, there seems to be acceptance among cleaners that "the changes are just a reality of the times and there is no room for complacency."

    "There is no use complaining that 'times are hard' and 'drycleaning is not what it used to be,'" Crane said.

    There can be no doubt, Crane said, that the superstores have taken business from the traditional "High Street" cleaners, but he believes that much of the drycleaning business coming to Safeway and other supermarket retailers is new business, not stolen customers.

    "New customers are being won over by the convenience and range of services offered by the superstore sites," he said. "People who may not have used drycleaning regularly before are now developing the cleaning habit. This has got to be good for the industry as a whole."

    Independent drycleaners, he added, are exploring ways to better cultivate the "cleaning habit" in their own particular markets.

    "Extending the range of services, coupled with astute marketing and promotion and an awareness of opportunities to add value and increase convenience, make it possible to maintain a healthy market share, even in traditional town center sites," Crane said.

    "The key to success is an alertness to new opportunities, and a willingness to change and adopt new ideas and technology, he said.

    Editorial: What's really hazardous to your health

    It is common to hear of the negative aspects of this chemical or that process as being something which degrades the quality of an individual's life. When speaking of risk assessments, arguments may are often made that the risk is increased by two or three people per million. This increased risk may raise the incidence of any given malady or unwanted reaction to eight or nine per million from six per million. That in turn sets off alarms about a 25 or 33 percent increase in the risk exposure by workers to chemical A or situation B. Statistically correct and politically expedient, perhaps, but not a true measure of the risks we face in living day to day.

    When considering the impact of a decision that alters a regulation or business rule, a comparative point must be made regarding issues of employment versus unemployment or solvency versus bankruptcy. Loss of employment or bankruptcy are major events in an individual's life. In fact, as life stressors go, bankruptcy brings into effect huge negative impacts on an individual. Suicide in such cases is not an uncommon occurrence. Depression, the disruption of normal family processes and an increase in domestic turmoil also come into play. These are health factors, too, and should be considered as such by government agencies when making new rules.

    That being said, it is important for regulators to consider all the impacts on health an individual faces. When making decisions that severely impact a small business, it is important to remember these people are not just models in a laboratory study or research paper. These small business owners and their employees are real and their hurt, their losses and their pain have greater meaning than an increase on paper of two or three parts per million in a statistical projection.

    Editorial: Mousetraps in the laundry basket

    It looks like everybody gave up on trying to invent a better mousetrap and instead decided to work on coming up with a better way to clean clothes. While it's business as usual for trade journals like this one to stay on top of the latest breakthroughs in garment care, more and more we are seeing coverage in the general media about somebody's new, improved way of getting the laundry done.

    Indeed, if an inventor can come up with a faster, better, cheaper way to restore dirty and wrinkled garments to like-new condition, the world will beat a way to his door. And the first ones on the doorstep, it seems, will be members of the press. In October the New York Times got excited about the development of Rynex as a drycleaning solvent. Soon thereafter, the Financial Times reported on alternatives to perc-based cleaning, in particular, liquid carbon dioxide, wetcleaning and Rynex. Then last month the Wall Street Journal checked in with an article about Procter & Gamble's latest test product, a kit that will let consumers care for their "dryclean only" garments at home.

    Why such media interest in this topic?

    We could dismiss it all as the result of successful efforts by hyperactive marketing and public relations folks to get press attention for their companies or causes, and indeed a certain amount of that seems to be involved. But such interest in these stories must also mean that something about the idea of new and better ways to clean clothes must be resonating with news editors and the news-consuming public.Some of the articles, we must admit, are a bit grating. The credulity with which too many reporters greeted Procter & Gamble's promises of "home drycleaning" beg the question of whether some of these folks ever entertain a critical thought. Be that as it may, there is good news to be found in being in the news.

    First, these news reports are not all just smoke from somebody's pipe dream. There is some serious research and development going on, not only in clothes cleaning technology but also in how the cleaner's services can be more effectively and efficiently delivered to the consumer.

    Second, the mere fact that there is such broad interest should encourage those who are trying to bring to market new ways of doing the things that we do. As William Hayday of Rynex Holding Co. remarked at his company's press conference last month "Research and development is 99 percent failure."

    What helps keep the R&D folks going is knowing that when they finally hit that other one percent, the world really will beat a path to their door.

    Letters to the Editor:

    Stop wasting time on Barton bill

    To the Editor
    If the Michigan Institute of Laundry and Drycleaning and other organizations are truly interested in limiting potentially catastrophic cleanup costs of members, they will stop spending time and money trying to get the Barton bill passed and focus on cutting-edge laws that many states are in the process of enacting.

    The Barton bill does nothing for the environment. It only benefits perc users.

    It's just a few simple paragraphs which propose to switch linkage from the EPA's drinking water standards, to OSHA's workplace standards. Where's the science in that? At least drinking water standards are somewhat related to ground water.

    Workplace standards have nothing to do with soil or groundwater. Congress will never pass anything so one sided and unscientific. Also, it's EPA's job to set standards. Congress is not likely to seriously consider tackling that job.

    Wisconsin drycleaners can now take advantage of a new state law which gives them access to $600,000 to help pay for site contamination cleanups. This is funded by a 1.8 percent fee on gross receipts of all drycleaning and wet cleaning including shirt laundering, and a tax on solvents.

    Arizona now has a Water Quality Assurance Revolving Fund. Under a qualified business settlement, a settlement applicant can pay 10 percent of its average gross annual income for the two years preceding the date of settlement application. If that amount is paid to ADEQ in five years, no interest payment will be required.

    Florida has put a $5 a gallon tax on perc, a 2 percent tax on gross, and a requirement to carry $1 million in insurance coverage. Oregon has a $12 tax on perc to provide liability protection.

    The Barton bill will not prevent these and other states from taxing all drycleaners to pay for cleanup costs, and it won't prevent them from requiring that drycleaners carry insurance or join a pool. We need to stop wasting time looking for a magic bullet, and focus our energy on state laws, because that's where the action is.

    Stephen Clifford
    Beulah MI
    Steve@ptway.com

    New solvent won't solve old problems

    To the Editor
    If you have a plant that used perc for any length of time without containment tanks and fourth generation equipment, the soil test will prove positive and you will be subject to all the penalties and costs of cleaning up.

    The reason is that under retroactive liability it doesn't matter when or how long ago the contamination occurred.

    A very prominent and professional drycleaner in the Denver area bought a plant that had been using petroleum solvent. He had a chain of package plants and helped a friend who was sick and had to get out of the business by buying his petroleum plant.

    The soil was tested and it was found that this plant had 18 parts per billion of perc and a high concentration of acetone.

    The perc limit is 5 parts per billion.

    This couldn't be explained, but after litigation and clean up attempts, this wonderful chain of plants was forced to declare bankruptcy.

    Now here is the question I'm leading up to.

    Are you aware that even if you install one of the glamorous new solvents such as C02 or Rynex, or even water, and buy the necessary equipment and install it in your existing plant, you are still liable for whatever contamination may already be in the ground?

    An all-wetcleaning plant that was once using perc is still contaminated. Period. Your ground under the plant is polluted and making these changes won't make a bit of difference to your exposure to the EPA.

    Are you really aware of the problems of owning or operating a plant that is, by EPA's standards, polluted?

    There is only one solution. Change the law.

    Stan Golomb
    Willowbrook, IL
    sgolomb@ix.netcom.com

    Viewpoint: Cleaners who don't care -- and should

    By Bill Bogus

    There is a possibility that drycleaners are allowing themselves to be blown away by the big guysŠ the Giant Retailers. They have already done it to the local independent retailers, other small guys like us. They have done it without spending a nickel.

    Now we could be the target. Why not?

    They'll take our business because we are making it easier for them to take it. We make it easier by cutting services to the bare bone, and limiting what we will do and won't do, and we do it by sacrificing quality to give cheap prices.

    When customers lose certain benefits, they seek other methods for solutions. Discounters should be reminded that Giant Retailers offer quality merchandise with cheap prices that small operators cannot match.

    Apathy kills
    Because of high volume of business, Giant Retailers have access to big bucks from lenders, and because of computers, inventory is under control. However the key to success for the giants depends upon skilled personnel. An apathetic attitude can destroy any business, no matter how big or how small.

    The Giant Retailers are highly competitive among themselves. Their competition is fierce, and for this reason they are more than willing to experiment in finding new ideas that will give them the "competitive edge."

    This doesn't mean finding something no one else has. No indeed. This means doing something no one else is doing.

    The competitive edge is not necessarily a blockbuster smash. It is, for example, likened to the Olympic games that have winners and losers. The difference between the winner and loser is often measured in a fraction of a second.

    For the drycleaner, finding the competitive edge may not be as difficult as it may seem.

    Doing little extra things could make the differenceŠ the "competitive edge." These little things are called "minor repairs" or fixin'-up the garment to look nice. Customers are appreciative of these little things.

    Drycleaners should keep in mind there are many people in this modern generation who have never experienced sewing on a button.

    When we speak of quality, that quality must be of such worth that it is easily recognizable by the customer. A customer said, "I don't mind paying for quality -- if it's there." Quality is in the eye of the beholder.

    A knowledgeable drycleaner is capable of doing quality work. He is likened to a medical practitioner -- to be precise, a podiatrist who is described in common terms as a "foot doctor." One of the services that the podiatrist provides is removing calluses. The drycleaner removes spots. Both provide an important service.

    However there is a difference in communication: The podiatrist takes care of patients and the drycleaner takes care of customers and you don't ask the doctor, "How's business?"

    The drycleaner is not offended when asked, "How's business?" He is a small independent business person, but not small in mind.

    However, this independence may not be a blessing. It could develop into an apathetic attitude more stubborn than an uncooperative mule.

    Such an attitude makes opinion stronger than fact. It's like this uncooperative mule, standing knee deep in water, dying of thirst.

    Love your customers as yourself
    Then too, you could be the best drycleaner in town, but endowed with a superiority complex called Ego which gives you, "The I love me feeling."

    Instead of passing on this feeling to your customers, you keep it to yourself, which is a big mistake. The customer is the one who deserves your affection. To neglect customers is like asking Doctor Kervorkian to help save your life.

    The drycleaning business should be a lot better than in years past. This is not just an opinion. Evidence shows that the opinion is factual for a number of reasons. Population has almost doubled. Women are now in the work place. This wasn't so before.

    And today, people are not just working for a living. They are working to make more money so that they can buy more things to make living better.

    Now that women are working, they want to be accepted for their knowledge and ability. They will purchase clothing that will express this identity. For the working woman, freaky and trendy clothing is out. They buy expensive, quality clothing that will last longer and still be in style.

    What all of this means is that there is an opportunity for the drycleaner to get more business. Unfortunately this is not happening. Instead of concentrating on potential customers, they are cannibalizing each other with cheap prices.

    This should not be happening, because in today's economy people are not down and out.

    So what's happening in our industry?

    What's happening is that this generation of drycleaners is mind-set in cement, and being affected by a virus that could be epidemic.

    This virus is known as "Apathetic Attitude."

    This is not a killer virus, but it could cause a financial disaster. The symptoms are recognizable as follows: the unwillingness to learn and improve; lack of curiosity; and the attitude of what comes out of the drycleaning unit is what you get.

    And last, the "who cares attitude?" The customers care, of course. They care a lot.

    Aside from this, those stricken with this "Apathetic Attitude" will not allow factual information to interfere with their opinions. This attitude impacts the drycleaning industry and all its members in the worst way.

    In January, 1963 an article appeared in the National Clothesline with this headline: Dr. Ernest Dichter, Fabricare Industry Prophet, Says Drycleaner's Apathetic Attitude Could Spell Doom."

    At the time this article appeared in the Clothesline, there was little or no comment. Some may ask, who is this Dr. Ernest Dichter?

    Well, Doctor Ernest Dichter is an internationally known psychologist in motivational research. His list of clients, and there are many, include such corporations as Chrysler, AT&T and Pepsi-Cola.

    He also made three studies for the International Fabricare Institute (IFI). Initially he was asked by IFI to focus on drycleaning customers, but he found it necessary to talk to and find out more about drycleaners. He found out a lot, and a lot of it was not good.

    Cleaners don't care
    After conducting about 300 interviews with drycleaners and their employees, Dr. Dichter was surprised how apathetic drycleaners are. He said this apathetic attitude is very dangerous and that drycleaners are too nonchalant about their business.

    As a reminder, he said that the drycleaner plays a much more important role in society than is normally known.

    His main conclusion emphasized that consumers could use more drycleaning, and that the drycleaner is not helping himself in getting more business from the consumer.

    Our industry cannot go forward towards a better future by waiting. It takes a concerted effort by all in the drycleaning industry to make it grow and be more desirable. It's about time to start working at getting rid of this sinful, apathetic attitude.

    Bill Bogus is president of Textile Restoration Services Inc. in Laurel, MD. He can be reached at (301) 776-4961.

    The makings of a good drycleaning process

    By Janet Hickman
    Drycleaners need a means of evaluating information about new cleaning processes, many of which are proposed as alternatives to perchloroethylene drycleaning.

    Here are a few tips to help you when you study this information.

    Over the years, as cleaning technology has developed and the political climate has changed, the key objective of the fabric care industry has remained constant: to clean and finish garments and household textiles to a condition as close to "like new" as possible.

    In meeting this objective, any method is acceptable as long as:

    People with a long memory of drycleaning may remember when professional cleaning was done in centralized locations using benzene, carbon tetrachloride, or petroleum solvents, as well as water, and the neighborhood cleaning shop was a drop off point often with tailoring the main on-site occupation. Turn-around time was generally a week or more.

    After the Second World War, consumers demanded faster turnaround. To meet this, the industry decentralized.

    The introduction of perc helped: here was a solvent which was non-flammable and safe to handle, and which used equipment economical enough to be installed in the neighborhood drycleaning shop. Same-day service became a reality.

    Since that time, perc drycleaning has been able to carry drycleaners through a variety of changes in fashion -- even including the polyester leisure suit.

    The 1990s have brought a new health and environmental challenge. New methods of tracing extremely small quantities of chemicals in the environment -- in urban air, groundwater, soil and the atmosphere of both the workplace and the home -- have led to stringent laws governing waste emissions and waste disposal. And they have led to consumer advocacy groups who call for no trace chemicals in the environment.

    The industry, fortunately, is responding successfully to these challenges. No matter which cleaning process is used, specific cleaning, equipment, safety and environmental considerations must govern any textile care process:

    Cleaning considerations Equipment considerations Safety considerations Environmental considerations

    Choosing the appropriate cleaning process for your application requires that you give careful consideration to all the factors set out above. The process of choice, then, should be the one which addresses all these considerations in the most overall economic manner.

    Advantages of perc
    Perchloroethylene has been the principal drycleaning solvent for a number of years because:

    Addressing the hazards
    Comparing perc, then, to our list of considerations, we find that it fills the needs of drycleaners in almost all respects.

    The key concerns are, as with any chemical, understanding the hazards. In this case understanding the toxicity issues and whether it is or is not a human carcinogen.

    To address these hazards, a perc-based process has to control emissions so that employees and the public get as little exposure as possible, thus minimizing the potential risk.

    As far as toxicity is concerned, there is virtually no risk to employees or customers of a drycleaning plant when the solvent is handled properly.

    Most current regulations are based primarily on toxicology studies, including cancer studies, which were done on laboratory animals. However, different species of animals, including humans, metabolize chemicals differently. Thus, one cannot assume that a cancer effect in one animal species will predict cancer in another species without understanding the metabolic processes in the species.

    Perc producers, trade associations, industry experts and many independent scientists agree that when you consider all the available scientific evidence, there is no cancer risk to humans when perc is used properly. In fact, the science advisory board of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has concluded that "there is no compelling evidence of human cancer risk" for perc.

    The practice of including an assessment of the metabolic differences of species is now acknowledged by regulators, and it is just now being included in the process regulators follow for risk assessments.

    Producers of perchloroethylene, committed to the continued safe use of this solvent, support the industry in two ways. They are funding additional long term health studies which will ultimately help answer these complicated questions. They are also working with regulatory agencies to make sure that the most advanced scientific methods are used to evaluate perc.

    Issues with other processes
    For other drycleaning processes, the considerations may call out issues which are quite different from those involved with perc. For example, they might include:

    Janet Hickman is Dow's drycleaning industry development leader and perchloroethylene product steward. This article is based on a presentation she gave in Arizona last year. It was originally published in the summer 1997 issue of Dow's Spot News.

    OSHA continuing its review of perc

    SILVER SPRING, MD -- A revised permissible exposure level for perchloroethylene has been delayed by OSHA until at least the fall of 1998, according to the International Fabricare Institute.

    Further research is needed, including four substantial legal analyses that OSHA must perform as an integral part of the PEL rule-making process. Two of those are related to health issues. The other two concern economics and technology. Perc is one of 65 substances for which OSHA is developing new PEL requirements.

    OSHA must first identify that a risk exists and the risk is substantial. IFI said it believes OSHA's preliminary risk analysis for perc indicates a PEL as low as 1 to 5 parts per million. The current level is 100 parts per million.

    IFI said that OSHA must also prove that the PEL it recommends will reduce that risk and analyze whether the means to reduce the risk are "technically and economically feasible" for an industry.

    To determine feasibility, OSHA will rely heavily on data provided by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) on exposure data from fourth and fifth generation equipment, IFI said. NIOSH data indicates that operator exposure is generally below a 10 ppm time-weighted average with this type of equipment. IFI said the data is limited at this point but that OSHA will work with NIOSH to expand the database.

    IFI has provided OSHA its database of Protek monitoring and a study on an internal ventilation system IFI performed in 1990.

    OSHA will also consider the availability of alternative technologies to perc drycleaning, including liquid carbon dioxide, petroleum solvent and wetcleaning, IFI said.

    OSHA held a meeting in Washington in late October to discuss issues concerning regulation of perc with industry and trade association representatives. In addition to IFI, the meeting was attended by the Neighborhood Cleaners Association International, the Textile Care Allied Trades Association, the Fabricare Legislative and Regulatory Education organization and the Center for Emissions control.

    Also on hand were representatives of Greenpeace and several other advocates of substitute technologies.

    TCATA reported that Marthe Kent, director of OSHA's office of Regulatory Analysis, explained that OSHA will need to demonstrate that the technology is available to meet whatever PEL is set and that the costs for doing so "don't adversely affect the structure of the industry."

    Also at the meeting, NIOSH presented some of the work it has done to gather exposure data and assess the feasibility of lower exposure limits.

    OSHA has not done much work yet within the agency to evaluate health risks, TCATA said, and the process of setting a new PEL for perc could take one to two years to finish.

    Wentz starts IDC presidency

    Dr. Manfred Wentz was elected President of the International Drycleaners Congress (IDC) during the organization's 39th annual at the Grand Floridian Convention Center in Disney World, FL, October 18-22.

    The participants included 208 delegates and guests from nine countries. Also attending were Bill Fisher, chief executive officer of the International Fabricare Institute, Gary Newton, IFI president, the IFI board of directors, Joel Deutsch, executive vice-president of the Southeastern Fabricare Association and SEFA Directors.

    Dr. Wentz will serve as IDC President for the next convention in Munich, Germany, May 3-7, 1998. He was born in Germany and attended the Hohenstein Institute where met his future wife, Gisela, who was also studying at Hohenstein. Following graduation from Hohenstein, Dr. Wentz worked in the textile care industry before returning to the research staff at Hohenstein.

    The couple moved to Silver Spring, MD, after Dr. Wentz was recruited for their research department by the National Institute of Drycleaners (NID), predecessor to IFI. While at NID, he was granted a leave of absence to study for his PhD in fiber and polymer science at North Carolina State in Raleigh, NC, where he obtained his doctorate in 1973.

    Dr. Wentz returned to IFI as Director of Research, then moved to the University of Wisconsin in Madison, WI, as professor of textile science. He remained there until 1985, returning to North Carolina as Chairman and Burlington Industries Professor of Textiles at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, NC.

    He is the author of over 75 scientific and technical publications and serves on many scientific and professional organizations.

    In 1988, Dr. Wentz joined R.R. Street & Co. Inc. as corporate vice president for research and development and environmental affairs.

    Dr. Wentz has been an active member of IDC for many years. He was a speaker at the 1994 Convention in Caracas, Venezuela, the 1995 convention in Yokohama, Japan and the 1996 convention in Edinburgh, Scotland. He served as president-elect of IDC during the 1997 year and as moderator of the technology session during the most recent convention.

    IFI slates resident courses for 1998

    SILVER SPRING, MD -- The International Fabricare Institute has announced a 1998 resident class schedule that includes seminars on basic and advanced stain removal and Total Quality Management along with eight sessions each of its introductory and advanced drycleaning courses.

    The one week Introduction to Drycleaning course covers basic elements of drycleaning, stain removal and finishing for employees, owners and managers who have less than one year of experience.

    The tuition is $350 for IFI members and $455 for non-members.

    Starting dates for the 1998 sessions are January 26, March 2, April 20, June 1, August 10, Sept. 14 and Oct. 26.

    Sessions of two-week Advanced Drycleaning course will follow each of the introductory courses for students who would like to take the two back-to-back over a three-week period.

    The course covers more advanced topics like stain removal techniques, finishing procedures, wetcleaning and fiber identification.

    Starting dates for the advanced course are Feb. 12, March 9, April 27, June 8, July 20, Aug. 17, Sept. 21 and Nov 2.

    Tuition for the advanced course is $700 for IFI members and $910 for non members.

    If the introductory and advanced course are taken back to back, the cost for both is $995 for IFI members and $1,295 for non-members.

    A two-day seminar on basic stain removal will be offered Jan. 16 and 17.

    The course will cover fundamentals of stain removal techniques and tools. The cost is $129 for IFI members and $149 for non-members.

    An Advanced Stain Removal seminar, which will cover bleaches, handling specialty items and removing difficult stains, will be offered May 14-16.

    The cost for IFI members for $210; for non-members, it is $300.

    A two-day Total Quality Management seminar will be offered at IFI June 26 and 27. The session will cover quality service and managing, including customer expectations, mission statements, job analysis and employee relations.

    The course is $195 for IFI members and $295 for non-members.

    For information on IFI education programs, call (800) 434-622, ext. 144.

    IFI ready to install first petro machines

    SILVER SPRING, MD -- The International Fabricare Institute is preparing for the installation of its first-ever petroleum solvent drycleaning machine.

    The 40-lb. capacity Columbia hydrocarbon drycleaning system is a three-tank model that creates its own nitrogen. Installation is scheduled for the first quarter of 1998 and the machine will be used for both education and research, according to Mary Scalco, IFI's vice president of government relations.

    "The new petroleum machine adds a new dimension to IFI's education program and allows IFI to expose students directly to petroleum technology," Scalco said.

    Al Lage, executive vice president of Columbia/ILSA, agreed. "Exposing IFI students to new technologies is important for all of us. We are glad to help," he said.

    Where to go when you need some dough

    By John Qua
    When you are looking for business financing -- whether for growth and expansion, equipment purchases or improving cash flow -- sometimes the need is so immediate that you're tempted to jump at the first offer.

    These days, sources of business financing are available that weren't even a possibility just a few years ago -- some don't even require face-to-face meetings with a lender.

    Computer savvy business owners can apply for a line of credit through Internet web sites. Ads in your local newspaper tout lending services available with just one call to a toll-free number.

    A letter in your mailbox says your business has been prequalified for a credit line in the same way personal credit cards are offered.

    Yet a key element that is easily lost in these seemingly attractive borrowing alternatives is the role that a relationship with a good lender plays in the long-term success of your business.

    When you look for a lender, you should focus on how a lender can contribute to your success, not only for the moment, but for the life of your business.

    What to look for
    The decision of where to find business capital involves more than just comparing interest rates. Let's take a look at some of the issues you should consider when you evaluate lending sources for our business.

    Accessibility. You may be able to find a loan on a toll-free hotline, through a web site, or with a business credit card, but the convenience could cost you more in the long run, with higher upfront charges or a higher interest rate.

    Who will you talk with after the ink is dry and a problem crops up? Where will you turn if your local lender is merged into a larger corporation and your personal contact is no longer there?

    Accessibility is an important issue to consider when you're talking about business loans.

    You want the assurance that your lender will be there for you as your company grows and you need assistance, or you'll be starting over with another lender each time a new financing need arises.

    Flexibility. It's important that a lender doesn't impose unnecessary restrictions or control on a business and its everyday operations.

    Your lender should be able to offer flexible terms and conditions that will tailor a loan or line of credit to your business's individual circumstances.

    You shouldn't have to settle for a one-size-fits-all program that in the long run could hinder your progress.

    Wide range of capabilities. Your financing needs may be simple and relatively easy to satisfy now, but in the future you could need more sophisticated financing services for challenges like a major expansion or taking your business in a new direction. Talk with a potential lender about the scope of their capabilities.

    You'll want a lender who can advise you on appropriate financing transactions for simple transactions, such as a term loan for a special purpose like the opening of a new store or branch office. More sophisticated lenders will be able to handle corporate mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and expansions, as well as less common transactions, such as private placements and Employee Stock Ownership Plans.

    A full-service lender will have the resources to provide such specialized services as real estate lending, and asset or securities-based lending.

    Sizeable resources. A successful company often grows at a rate that exceeds its owner's expectations. A growing business's need for financial support gets larger as it becomes more successful.

    A business owner can't afford to be limited by a lender's size, its lending limitations or the lack of understanding it may have about the nature of his or her business or industry.

    Balanced credit decisions. A business owner's fondest wish is to find a lender who realizes that growth sometimes creates balance sheet or operations shortcomings, and that there are times when a company won't meet normal financial standards.

    You'll want a lender who can provide a balanced credit decision that takes into account your total picture, including all of your business's assets and potential.

    A lender with an in-depth knowledge of you and your business can look past temporary aberrations to make informed decisions.

    The ability to advise. Small and mid-size businesses frequently have limited access to financial information and expertise. This can limit a business owner's ability to consider every available alternative when planning business moves.

    Because you need to make decisions about a wide range of business issues -- everything from what individual financing options will mean for your business, to what kind of retirement plan to offer and what investment options to include, to cash flow management and investment of excess cash -- you'll be a step ahead if you have a lender who is also an experienced investment advisor.

    Commitment. The availability of business financing often is subject to the whims of the economy or the financial markets.

    The movement of interest rates and the relative health of individual sectors of the market can make lenders eager to offer cash one moment and reluctant the next.

    You want a lender committed to the small-business market who has a history of providing financing regardless of the economic climate.

    A range of business services. It might be convenient for you to consolidate the business services you need -- like employee benefits programs, business cash investment opportunities, valuation services, and estate and succession planning -- under one roof.

    If your lender offers a range of business services for small and mid-size businesses, you'll be able to work with a financial adviser who can not only satisfy your borrowing needs, but other business needs as well. Not only is that convenient for you, but it means that you'll be working with one person who can suggest borrowing, investing and planning decisions that work together to promote your business's success.

    Look for a good fit
    You may be conditioned to believe that when you need business financing, all that matters is how your request appeals to a potential lender.

    Instead, begin to think about how a lender's capabilities and resources fit with your business.

    Providing and putting business capital to use takes a relationship in which the long-term success of your business is the ultimate goal.

    John Qua is senior vice president and director of business financial services for Merrill Lynch.

    Rynex shows its stuff at press conference

    WEST HARTFORD, CT -- "This is not perc. That's an obvious statement but a completely necessary one. It is a completely different drycleaning solvent."

    The "this" referred to is Rynex, formally introduced to the textile care industry at a Nov. 3 press conference. An invited group of cleaners, industry publication representatives, trade association staff, distributors and consultants heard presentations by Connecticut drycleaner Jeff Battiston, Rynex Holdings, Ltd. chief executive officer William Hayday and director of sales Jim Colletti.

    "It's been a tough two years," Hayday said at the outset. There were "many failures. In fact, research and development is 99 percent failure." Hayday saw this day as the time to talk of what he sees as the other one percent.

    After extending his appreciation to the press, investors, the Rynex team, Jeff Battiston and " a certain chemical company -- a company of very high moral fiber," Hayday explained his reasons behind the quest to develop the first generation of solvents for the 21st century.

    "Our industry has been battered down a bit by water on every shoal," Hayday said. "Some of this injury is self-inflicted."

    He said that "perc is a hazardous, dangerous solventŠ we've known for 10 to 15 years it is."

    He stated that a move from perc as the solvent of choice to another solvent "didn't start to die a year ago. It started 15 to 20 years ago in Germany."

    Hayday said he "would like to see the industry turn the corner away from government management, away from manufacturers, away from chemical companies." Taking it further, he called for a bond between the those who use products and those who supply it.

    The key questions about Rynex solvent are its workability, odor, the intrusiveness of moisture, its standing as a non-hazardous compound, mileage and cost.

    The company's short answer list says it works, the odor is managed, moisture is coming under control, it is classified as non-hazardous, it gets the same mileage as perc and will costs about $8.75 a gallon. Short answers, however, leave out cautionary details.

    As the beta site manager, Battiston provided attendees with real-world information on the solvent. He has been using it in a 35-pound capacity Firbimatic machine since August, 1997. The unit was used along side two perc machines and the clothes cleaned were not specially selected.

    Battiston confirmed he was operating the unit without additives, "operating it as if it were a perc unit. There was no extra pre-spotting."

    "My opinion is it is comparable to a perc machine with a good detergent," Battiston claimed. "It certainly is not any worse."

    "The solvent itself works," Battiston declared. "There are some issues with maintenance -- not distillation. When I talk about maintenance I'm talking about procedural things-- how to use it in the machine." He added it was his goal to find out the best cleaning times, how long it truly took in a cycle. As far as continued testing, "that's where IFI and NCAI come in."

    Neighborhood Cleaners Association International executive director William Seitz pledged his association's cooperation in an immediate response from the audience.

    The odor issue appeared to be different for each person, with some attendees noting clothes taken out retained a light smell while others claimed it was stronger. Any odor on garments appeared to dissipate quickly. The final arbiter of taste -- customers -- were reported by and large not to have mentioned anything about a smell, although a couple said the old odor was absent on their garments. And "Rynex has a softer hand. Several customers have noticed that," Battiston said

    According to Battiston, "Rynex has a greater affinity for water than does perc. But additives to assist with the problem were said to be ready."

    "The question is how difficult it is to retrofit a unit with refrigeration," Jerry Levine said. "I think the moisture is a problem and it has something to do with the heat."

    "I think it has real possibilities. There was a strong odor but if you don't fully dry a perc load you get a strong odor. A few extra minutes of drying time," one observer said.

    The solvent is naturally biodegradeable, the company said, but distillation stops the process. Distillation also kills bacteria.

    Also, Rynex representatives claimed "we do not have it on anybody's hit list as a hazardous compound."

    Profile: Nora Nealis

    She is a New Yorker through and through -- born and raised in the city, educated by the diocese parochial school system, a graduate of New Jersey's Georgian Court College.

    Her introduction to the industry was the result of a misunderstanding on her mother's part. Her beginnings with an industry manufacturer were to be bookkeeping, answering the phone and handling account records.

    In her two decades plus of working with cleaners, manufacturers and distributors, one can say she literally wrote the book on at least one topic.

    Yet she presents herself as a quiet person. After all, she claims, "I am the most boring person in the industry."

    Nora Nealis grew up in Fresh Meadows, a neighborhood in Queens. "It was the home of the first Bloomingdale's outside of Manhattan," she recalled. "But now the store is a K-Mart. Things change."

    Her parochial school education was complete -- Mary Louis Academy for kindergarten, Immaculate Conception for grade school and the high school at Mary Louis Academy. There was a reason for this, a sort of early education in sales.

    "The big objective wasn't because they were Catholic schools. Immaculate Conception and Mary Louis are located in the heart of Jamaica Estates, an upscale neighborhood," Nealis said. "My father figured it was a great place for me to meet nice people, people whose parents could buy the Cadillacs he sold."

    It was also a good place for a growing girl to gain exposure to professional women as role models.

    "There were a fair number of working women in the community -- lawyers, teachers, judges. That was fairly unusual for the early sixties," she said.

    Her parents had defined standards when it came to college. Their goal was "to find a school which still operated with medieval rules. It was hard to find but they did. It still had an in loco parentis view of the world. We had to sign in and out, we had a 10 o'clock curfew." So Lakewood, New Jersey became "home" for four years. The New Yorker in her wanted to get back, though.

    "One of the things that made me happiest was coming through Staten Island and along Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, getting a phenomenal view of New York City, a gorgeous view. Anytime I could get a ride home in a car, I'd tell them the best way was through Staten Island."

    Nealis finished school and returned to the city. At the time she was "didn't want to start in teaching."

    She was done with school in May and "was hanging around for a couple of weeks. My mother decided 'enough is enough.'"

    The pressure was on to get a job.

    My mother "worked in a shopping center and saw Bill Weissler regularly. He had offices on the second floor of the building."

    "'Do you have any jobs?'" her mother asked him one day. "He asked if she was looking. She said 'I have a daughter.' He said, 'okay, send her up.'"

    Now her mother assumed he worked for New York Life because it had offices on the same floor as Weissler.

    "She came home and said I had an interview with New York Life. A couple days later I went in to New York Life and they said 'who?'. One of girls there said 'there's a guy down the hall.'"

    Down the hall went Nealis to her interview with Weissler. As she recalls, he needed someone who was "alive, kicking and all. Working there was not one of those planned moves."

    The company was just getting started in on-site drapery cleaning when she joined it in 1975. Known as Diversitron, Weissler had an on-site drapery cleaning machine manufactured in England and sold in the United States.

    When Nealis started, "Diversitron had the first half dozen units in the field. He was waiting to see how it would go, what changes might be needed. That was his deal."

    Nealis was to grow into new roles quickly. "As it worked

    out, I think the job he had in his mind was phones, bookkeeping, AR/AP. These were not my strengths, not my thing. He, to his credit, recognized that fairly early in the game."

    Working with Weissler gave her an insight to creative processes.

    "He was so bright he was scary," Nealis said. "Concepts came so easily to him. He could see a big picture and solutions. He was absolutely, positively unique. You take a look today and you see ads for things he was doing 22 years ago."

    This was evident in his ability to put people in situations where they could thrive. When Diversitron needed somebody who understood machinery and could do troubleshooting, Nealis was called on.

    "Weissler used to say 'I hire people for their brains. If you're lucky enough to get someone working for you who can think, thank your lucky stars.'"

    Nealis proved she was one of those people.

    "He threw me into machinery stuff," Nealis continued.

    When she told him she didn't know anything about machinery, he responded "not knowing is not an answer. Find out."

    So she did and found that it "grew with me and I grew with it. I found myself handling machinery; from Master Care on to the Solvation unit."

    Nealis went on to learn about different machines and their origins, literally "knee-deep in machinery. I found there's a reason things work and reasons things don't work. I'd try to find out why."

    In the interim Diversitron passed a fork in the business road -- "he wasn't sure if he was going to develop the company as a consulting business or get involved in the development of an on-site thing. He took it in direction of on-site for a good five years."

    After a presentation at the 1975 Clean Show, Diversitron attracted cleaners who were looking for ways to diversify and pick up money. What Nealis's company was offering "was a good program, commercial opportunities, marketing through direct mail and prepackaged slide show presentations" the average drycleaner could use to sell services out of their store.

    The next change was the search for a way to control emissions from on-site machines. The development born of it was the Solvation unit.

    This took Nealis to the next level of her career.

    "I wrote the manual on Solvation in terms of installation and operation, trouble shooting, service in the field," she said. "I wrote the updates, worked on the advertising, worked with distributors."

    She then started to work with the New York state Department of Environment Conservation and Department of Environmental Protection. This was necessary because Nealis wanted to know "what our equipment could do in order to be an effective control device."

    That experience later played a major role on her being named to

    the New York State negotiated rule making committee (neg reg) in 1993.

    "I came away from neg reg feeling we did a fair amount of good there. I think the regulation was crafted with an eye on positioning the cleaner to live with what the department created as a guideline. That was one of my objectives. I think we accomplished that. I regret we didn't fight the Department of Health in terms in taking apart the numbers and studies they had."

    She is aware of the emotional charge attracted to the issue of solvents.

    "No matter how good chemicals are, there's a wildness that develops, something where everybody gets carried away because it's easier to err on the side of safety, to err on the side of caution," Nealis said.

    The health issues extend beyond a simple use/don't use choice.

    "What are the health effects of bankruptcy and unemployment? They're probably better documented than the effect of perc."

    Nealis asserted that drycleaners have been reasonable and have been good citizens.

    "I think at this point you draw a line in the sand and say 'enough's enough. We'll do it right, we'll do it responsibly.'"

    "The cleaners are the ones working in that environment, working in that atmosphere. I can't believe anyone would work in that environment and put their families at risk. I wouldn't have gone along if I didn't believe the drycleaner is a safe neighbor," she added.

    Her wanting to help cleaners lay the foundation for the next stage of her career -- joining the staff of the Neighborhood Cleaners Association International.

    Service was the bait. "That was one of the big lures of coming here to NCAI -- the opportunity of working for the drycleaner," Nealis said.

    It wasn't an easy decision. She invested 22 years of her career in Diversitron. "That was my entire adult working life, but it was a cocoon I was not prepared to leave easily."

    The other question was the match. "NCAI wanted to be comfortable with my view of the world, to make sure we all had the same kind of long view, that we had our eye on wanting to see a healthy drycleaning industry 25 years from now -- both economically and with neighbors, workers and owners protected."

    Her career with NCAI has just begun, and she's taking the long view in serving cleaners.

    "We want cleaners to take pride" in their industry, to be active in their community.

    "NCAI has some kind of presence everywhere now. I don't think there is any association in the industry who wants anything different than we do," Nealis concluded. "We should all keep our eye on 'we want to see cleaners survive, want to see cleaners have pride of their position in the community, want to see cleaners be a respected part of the community.' I look forward to spending the next 25 years at NCAI."

    Given her experiences, she is comfortable giving herself that much time to grow into a job.

    Ray Colucci: Release forms... Do they really work?

    The release form... how good is it? Does it protect you, or does it cause doubt about how competent you are as a professional?"

    There is serious trepidation about signing such an instrument. More serious is how you request such a transaction. Your style of communication becomes important. Do you want to put fear in the mind of the customer, or confidence?

    You have to let your customer know exactly what's involved and why you need approval before any work is done an clearly, that you are the expert and if anyone can restore this fabric safely, you can

    This is your golden opportunity to show professionalism. You now have the chance to talk about "truth in labeling" and ask where the purchase was made.

    Should the fabric or dye appear to be unserviceable, you might as, "Would the store, or manufacturer guarantee that it can be serviced as the label claims?"

    Ridiculous as it seems, I once had a customer bring in a fancy swim suit where the label instructed "Do not wash or launder."

    How did that old song go? "Šbut her bathing suit never got wet!"

    The first thought is to protect yourself. Why take a chance? When the cost of drycleaning or laundering is not going to cover the replacement cost, who wants the black eye by announcing after it was cleaned "Sorry, but it got ruined and or fell apart in processing."

    It becomes not only a thankless job to accept a risky fabric and promise to do the best you can only to have the garment or fabric become worthless.

    Show your expertise
    All drycleaners must spell out the risk and leave nothing to the imagination. Take full advantage of testing the fabric in front of the customer and show off your expertise and the marvels of chemistry. Demonstrate your new ultra blue magic Spectralight (for more information, send $5, refundable with purchase, to the address below.)

    You or I and the customer can rationalize all we want, about how it was ruined anyway and all we could do was attempt to save it!

    Attempting some difficult job and having it ruined is never brings a compliment. Instead it casts doubt on your expertise.

    There are just too many exotic fabrics on the market with sensitive dyes or flocking, unstable rayons and prints that test safe but break down after the second or third drycleaning.

    We can go back to that old adage that the stain belongs to the customer, but the hole belongs to you. But first I warn everyone, if it's that risky, don't accept it!

    Take the time to explain the reason why and the possible risk involved if it's at least feasible to be saved.

    Let me explain.

    A sensitive fabric with fragile-looking dye comes in. After testing, there is a good chance the stain can not be removed safely.

    What to do?

    For one thing, it's time to clearly explain to the customer that the dye or the fabric is fragile and in the process of removing the stain there is a good possibility that some of the dye will also get removed.

    Point out the unknown -- which is stronger the stain or the dye? The result, quite naturally, will sometimes make the stain in the removal process more prominent than before.

    The irate customer
    How will you answer the irate customer who clearly states: "It wasn't this bad when I brought it in!"

    Again, the thankless job!

    I recall a similar case of a pair of draperies which the customer claimed we had put in some kind of strong solvent and caused them to fade.

    We of course had no release since it was picked up on our route and our marker failed to note the fading on the invoice or advise the customer.

    No problem, we thought. After all, we were innocent and the obvious color change was apparent in the pleat folds, where the fabric was exposed to ultra violet sunlight, etc.

    We offered "no charge" for a good will gesture, but to no avail. The customer sued in small claims court and, sad to say, won the case!

    If fading had been noted on the invoice and the customer had signed and acknowledge the fading, then there would have been no case.

    Let's talk further about old draperies -- those that look good and strong but have dry rot.

    You can tell easily by folding and twisting (not too hard) and sometimes you even hear the breaking of fiber. If the drape does not show signs of weakness, certainly the lining will!

    Beyond a release

    What to do? Not only get a release, but get paid in advance so it does not become dead stock.

    A lawyer friend of mind told me to go a step further. By having a release, the judge (if it gets that far) might very well tell you "You should have never accepted that drapery (or gown, etc.)" since you are the professional and should be aware of that possibility.

    Once you accept the garment, even with a release, you could still be held liable.

    So now we come to that "hold harmless" clause that we have to ask a favored customer to sign and take us off the hook.

    Of course, if it's done right you can even learn the monetary value of the fabric you are accepting and you will know just how far you dare go and how much to charge according to the risk involved.

    The ultimate protection
    What's the final protection?

    You carefully explain the risk, and, as "good will," even offer "No Charge" if it's not processed to your customer's satisfaction.

    The only thing that will stand up in court, my lawyer friend explained to me, is the following: After your customer clearly understands the risk and has signed a "hold harmless" release, you place a tape recorder on the counter and repeat, and I quote:

    "Today is the 3rd of ____ at 2 p.m. and I am recording Mrs. Jones who has a gown for drycleaning. Mrs. Jones fully understands the risk involved and has signed a release authorizing XYZ Drycleaners to do their best, and have no liability for damage, should it occur. Could you please state your name and address Mrs. Jones and that, you have signed a release and you do accept the risk involved."

    That I'm told, will stand up in court!

    Who said there is a fortune to be made in the drycleaning business?" Maybe there isŠ if you start with a fortune!

    Ray Colucci, an independent consultant to the drycleaning and laundry industry, conducts sales seminars and participates on industry discussion panels. He has been a tailor, professional drycleaner and national sales manager. He can be reached at 410 Warren Ave., Mamaroneck, NY 10543; phone (914) 381-2171.

    Dan Eisen: Using digesters for experts spotting

    The skilled spotter or the person that you want to work on a delicate silk, chiffon or beaded dress should be an expert in the use of digesters. The spotter not only has a useful spotting removal agent but also can successfully remove stains without mechanical action or high temperatures needed for chemical reactions.

    For a complete understanding of digestion, we can use the example of what takes place when animals or humans eat food. The saliva when eating foods contains enzymes called salivary amylase which breaks down foods into a simple substance that can enter the blood stream.

    Digestion in spotting is the use of different enzymes to convert insoluble protein or albuminous stains to a soluble sugar. The word enzyme comes from the Greek words meaning "in yeast."

    A peculiarity of enzymes is that while they affect chemical changes, they themselves are not used up and do not appear in the final products of the reaction. For this reason they are known as catalysts. That is why digestion differs from a chemical reaction using acids, alkali or bleach.

    Types of enzymes
    There are two specific types of enzymes on the market now. Both have their place in spotting and wetcleaning.

    Type I: Low-temperature enzymes. These enzymes come in powder form and can work in temperatures ranging from 100 degrees to 120 degreesF. When made up, they are good for one day. They can not be used with any other chemical such as acid, alkali or bleach. Any chemical destroys the enzyme.

    Type II: High-temperature enzymes can come in liquid or powder form and work in temperatures up to 158 degrees F. In liquid form they have a shelf life of many months. In powder form, the shelf life is even longer. They can be used with other chemicals providing the chemical or bleach is not strong or concentrated.

    Low temperature enzyme method

    Usage: This is very effective for delicate garments and garments with intense or weak colors that normal spotting procedures might be dangerous. It is considered to be as safe to the color of a fabric as water. It is effective on all types of albuminous or protein stains such as perspiration, blood, vomit, urine, protein or animal glues.

    Directions

    Bath Method High temperature enzyme method Usage: This is not as safe to colors as low temperature enzymes, but often works quicker and can be more effective on items such as tablecloths or durable work clothes. Directions (spotting board method) Bath Method

    Dan Eisen is chief garment analyst for the Neighborhood Cleaners Association-International. He can be reached at the NCAI office, (212) 967-3002, ext. 243 or via e-mail: ncai@sprynet.com.

    Stan Golomb: How to double a plant's net worth

    While talking with a cleaner, we discussed the value of a drycleaning business and I told this gentleman that he could increase his net worth dramatically if he would increase his profits.

    His present market share is 10 percent and with the potential of his market area, I saw no reason why he couldn't increase his market share easily by 5 percent. Now what does this mean in dollars and cents?

    His plant is presently doing $4,000 a week. He has the space and equipment to actually double sales. And, even more important, he has the market potential.

    His net profit is running about $25,000 and he's drawing a proper salary of $30,000 for the volume.

    Unfortunately, the business is only worth $100,000 on the open market because an investor is looking at a 25 percent return on the investment. A buyer who plans to pay a working manager $30,000 (the going rate for a person to manage a plant) could expect a return of $25,000 on the present volume.

    That's based on the expected earnings for a plant doing $4,000 a week, or about $200,000 a year.

    This plant could easily increase sales by 20 percent within a two-year period with an aggressive approach to marketing. This would yield an additional volume of $800 a week with net earnings of $520 a week. Using the total profit of $520 and the $500 a week he is already showing, the net profit would now go to over $50,000.

    With an annual profit of $50,000, a plant in good condition could easily be sold for $200,000. That's four times net earnings and it is considered a good investment when you can get a 25 percent return on your investment.

    Now go back to the plant that I said was worth no more than $100,000 on the open market. Within two years and an increase of only $800 a week in sales -- from $4,000 a week to $4,800 a week -- we have doubled the profit and doubled the value of the business.

    Perhaps you question the profit of 65 percent on additional sales after break-even.

    Let me explain:

    There are two kinds of expenses in operating a business in a fixed location.

    1. Fixed expenses such as rent, accounting and bookkeeping, and general utilities.

    2. Variable expenses, which are costs that automatically go up with increased sales.

    Labor, which normally would be 30 percent of sales, would not go up more than 20 percent for additional sales. That's because your help will be able to handle more work for the same money, except for your finishing cost if you are on piece work. If you are on the hourly pay schedule, your finishing cost should not exceed 15 percent. Counter help and management should stay the same with increased sales of 20 percent.

    Supplies will go up but not much, as there is more efficiency when equipment is used to a higher percentage. Say your supply bill is averaging 8 percent of sales. We've found that additional supply costs will not go up more than 5 percent for the added sales.

    Increased labor to do an additional $600 a week

    Adding up all the extra costs to produce an additional $800 a week and you have 20 percent for labor, 5 percent for supplies and 2 percent for increased energy cost. This adds up to 27 percent, but I'm going to be very generous and say there is an added cost of 35 percent of additional sales once you are past break-even.

    In the illustration above, the plant was making $25,000 net profit and with the $800 increase at 65 percent net profit, the plant would now be making $50,000.

    This illustration I used is basic, but the value in increased sales to personal net worth is not known to most cleaners.

    It takes good marketing to make sales go up. Do nothing, as most cleaners are inclined to do, and nothing will happen and sales will remain static.

    They could go up or down depending on market conditions and the economy. A factory in the area could close and the drycleaners in the area will lose sales.

    A new competitor can move into the area and bite a chunk of the existing market and this will cause a decline in sales.

    Or, conversely, a competitor could go out of business, the economy could take an upturn, a new employer could open in the area and hire hundreds of employees and more homes could be built in the area and that would increase the density of the market.

    All these things are beyond the control of the drycleaner. The only thing he can control is the marketing and back up in the plant to satisfy the new customers and keep them happy and coming back.

    You can be in control
    The average cleaner is so busy reacting to day-to-day problems that they remain average because they don't control their business.

    The above average cleaner knows that he or she is competing with mediocrity, leaving a wonderful opportunity for growth if they are willing to invest the effort and funds to make positive things happen.

    The Golomb Group has dealt with over a thousand cleaners in the past 17 years and we have seen those who do the right things grow and their business can multiply by four or five times and, as a result, they become millionaires.

    Off the top of my head, I can think of about 50 cleaners who fall in this category because they realized the power of growth and net profits and went from struggling drycleaners to very successful and prosperous operations.

    Knowing what I now know and what I've seen over the many years I've been in this business, I realize what I could do if I were 40 years old instead of 73. I would scout plants for sale and pay them four times their earnings if I found that their market share still had good potential. Then I would buy their plant for full market value and build sales as fast as I could and within 24 months, I would sell the plant for a huge profit.

    To summarize...

    Think about this and comment if you don't understand my article or disagree with what I have said.

    Stan Golomb is president of The Golomb Group Inc., a firm that designs marketing programs for drycleaners. Contact him at The Golomb Group Inc., 7664 Plaza Ct., Willowbrook, IL 60521; phone (630) 887-7339. His e-mail address is: sgolomb@ix.netcom.com

    Frank Lucenta: Classifying combinations and furs

    Classification of combinations and trims involves both leather garments made with combinations of different colored panels of suede or leather and cloth garments trimmed with suede or leather in single or multiple color combinations.

    Disasters such as color loss, dye transfer, loss of surface finish and stiffening or hardening of skins may result if the following classification techniques are not carefully followed.

    Classification of combination and trimmed items is done by:

    First, separate cloth trimmed items from suede and leather combination items.

    Second, separate cloth items trimmed with suede from cloth items trimmed with painted leather.

    Separate combination items made from different colored panels of suede from those made of different colored panels of painted leather.

    These separations are necessary because the allowable cleaning run time is longer for suede and shorter for painted leather.

    Third, separate cloth items trimmed with light colored suede and painted leather from those with dark colored trims.

    Separate items made from combinations of different colored panels of light colored suede and painted leather from those with dark colored panels.

    Combinations of light and dark colors on a single item should be classified as a dark colored item.

    This classification is necessary because the dark colored panels or trims are the determining factor in selecting the charge level in which the combination or trimmed item will be drycleaned and the items that will be wetcleaned together.

    The item with a dark colored suede or leather panel or trim must be cleaned as though it was entirely dark colored. In drycleaning, the dark colored panel or trim on an item determines that the 6 percent charge level the specially formulated detergent plus conditioner is to be used in drycleaning. It doesn't matter if the garment also contains light colored suede or leather panels or any type of cloth.

    The darkest colored suede or leather panel or trim is the critical factor. In wetcleaning, this dark panel determines that the item will be washed with similar items.

    Fourth, separate items based on weight. For example, a stiff, heavy denim trimmed in suede or leather would not be drycleaned or wetcleaned with a silk blouse trimmed in leather or suede unless the silk blouse is bagged.

    Also, an item that combines various colored panels of heavy cowhide or pigskin wouldn't be drycleaned or wetcleaned with an item that combines various colored panels of light weight lamb skin or doe skin. Separating by weight prevents damage by mechanical action.

    Summary

    The type of leather trim or combination on an item dictates the run time or wash time -- short for painted leathers and longer for sueded leathers.

    The color of the suede or leather trim or panels dictates the dry cleaning charge level of the specially formulated detergent plus conditioner -- 6 percent for dark colored trim or panels, even if there are also light colored trim or panels on the same item.

    In wetcleaning it determines the items that should go into a load -- dark trims together.

    The weight of the item determines the other items with which it can be dry cleaned or wetcleaned -- light weight items with light weight items and heavy weight items with heavy weight items.

    Author's note: To achieve the results described in this article, be sure to use products that are specifically formulated for suede and leather, otherwise color loss, color bleed, color transfer, stiffening of the skins or matting down the nap may occur.

    Frank Lucenta is president of Royaltone Company, Inc., a firm that trains drycleaners and launderers to identify, accept, spot, dryclean, wetclean, press and recolor suedes, leathers and furs. The next training session will be held Feb. 5-6, 1998 at the Royaltone Suedemate Academy in Tulsa. For information on training sessions, the subject covered in this article and other information on leather care, a free three-ring binder to hold copies of these articles and for information on Royaltone's Instruction Book and Spotting Charts, call or write to Royaltone, PO Box 25949. Tulsa, OK 74153-0949; phone (8OO) 331-5506, or (918) 663-9666, or fax (918) 665-6017, or e-mail to royaltone@royaltone.com.

    Dennis McCrory: How cross promotion works for you

    Cross-promotion is a type of marketing in which two different organizations help promote each other. Ideally, they should share similar customer bases.

    The type of cross-promotion that best lends itself to laundries and cleaners is a "merchant certificate ex-change."

    The goal of this promotion can be either to get other merchants in your area to hand out your advertising to their customers for free, or you handing out their advertising as a means of adding value to your services -- all at little or no cost to you.

    Before you can set up your initial merchant certificate cross-promotion, you first have to know which merchants to approach with your promotion.

    The most effective and efficient way to do this is to start with merchants who are already your customers. Starting with your own customers provides certain advantages.

    First they already know your business, so they're more likely to agree to take part in the promotion.

    Second, they already visit your business, so you don't have to waste valuable time away from your business.

    And finally, they're more likely to execute their part of the promotion properly.

    An easy starter
    The easiest and least expensive way to find out which of your customers could be powerful cross-promotional partners is to have a business card drawing. You simply put a fish-bowl on the front counter and ask your business customers to deposit their business cards for a free-prize drawing.

    The free prize doesn't have to be expensive, merely nice enough to prompt people to participate in the contest. A free suit or dress cleaning each week would suffice.

    After about four weeks you can end the contest. The greatest prize will be yours: the names, titles, business addresses, and phone numbers of these important customers.

    Make your initial approach to a potential cross-promotion partner low-keyed and relaxed. Tell them that you'd like to pick their brain for a minute and that you have an idea which might interest them. Then hand them one of your promotions.

    Yes, it will be necessary for you to have printed a mock-up of a cross-promotion that you would like to do but have not necessarily done. This will add considerable credibility to your idea and relieve the other person of the thought that they may be the first to be involved in your experiment.

    A mutual benefit
    Then, explain how the program is to work by saying: "I would like to offer you the opportunity of providing your customers with a way they can get more for their moneyŠ kind of a special way you can say 'Thank you!' for shopping at your store. What do you think?"

    Naturally, their response will be to question you about their cost. When you reply that it's free and all they have to do is distribute this valuable certificate to their customers, you'll find most merchants anxious to proceed.

    Arrange for your cross-promotion to be placed in each of your partnering company's shopping bags or handed to each customer as nice surprises when they've paid their bill. It will give them an opportunity to show appreciation for the customer's business. This will also prevent your promotion from being placed on their counter where it could be ignored and die slowly, but surely.

    Plan on a distribution period of one or two weeks, at the most. After two weeks, cross-promotion partners begin to loose interest in the program.

    Once you know when the distribution will begin and end you can determine the expiration date for your offer. Be sure to factor the expiration date from the last day of distribution. Typical expiration dates are 30 days.

    Take your time
    With your first promotions, give yourself plenty of time to set up your printed pieces. After the first one you can use the same format and most of the type for future ones, but the first one will take longer.

    Give yourself at least two to three weeks to get the pieces ready for distribution.

    Ask your "partner" if you can use their logo on the certificate. Try to obtain a black-on-white copy in a size as close as possible to the size that you would to like to use.

    Have them give you a weekly customer count because you need to know how many special certificates to have printed. Double this amount if your promotion is to run for two weeks.

    Be sure to ask questions to get an accurate customer count. Many merchants have a tendency to inflate their number of customers.

    Provide a small gift or bonus certificate worth about five dollars to the merchant who is helping you. This will go a long way towards cementing your relationship.

    Explain to your partner that you realize bag-stuffing or distributing certificates is a little extra effort for their employees so you want to provide something of value for all the employees. Ideally, this would be a reusable card entitling the employee to a slightly greater benefit (e.g., a 15 percent instead of 10 percent discount), than the customer certificate. These could also have a longer expiration date.

    Your cross-promotional piece can be any size, but keep in mind that the most efficient way to print is using black ink on a colored, "letter size" stock. These can be printed "two-up." If you need 10,000 certificates, for example, you print 5,000 sheets with two certificates on the same page. The printer then cuts the pages in half and your print run is reduced greatly.

    Generally, this larger size is more likely to attract the customer's attention when added to his or her bag. Three-up is a great size for an envelope stuffer. You will also want to use a different paper color from one promotion to the next. This makes it easier for your employees to keep them separate for tracking purposes.

    The reverse of this promotion -- that is, when you distribute other businesses promotional certificates to your customers -- is also an excellent way to add value to your services without discounting your fees, and without taking a bite out of your pocketbook.

    Dennis McCrory writes for several industry publications both here and abroad. He also speaks and does consulting on advertising and marketing. He is also currently marketing "The Caplan Method of Spotting" video tape and handbook which he produced. He and Stan Caplan offer themselves as companion speakers for conventions and other industry activities. Call (800) 646-5736, PIN # 4615.

    Al Robson: There's no cheap ticket to the future

    There are two major problems facing the drycleaning industry today: One, the demand for drycleaning is flat, and two, from coast to coast it is becoming more and more difficult to find good employees.

    These conditions have reached the point of critical mass, which means that consumer demand will not support the inflationary pressures for higher wages until there is a major shakeout within this industry.

    The shakeout has begun, and like every shakeout in every industry, it will be an opportunity for those who are prepared.

    As the U.S. population continues to grow, there is more demand for goods and services in general.

    Unfortunately, we are not experiencing these increases in demand in the drycleaning industry. The primary reason for this is the tremendous shift from a manufacturing based economy that required hundreds of thousands of middle management, white-collar support personnel to a service based economy that requires everyone, including managers, to be service providers.

    As a result of this employment shift, today's middle class has less need for and less disposable income to spend on your services. Add to this such things as casual dress and home workers and we are fortunate that the drycleaning industry is flat and not in a tailspin.

    Why technology won't save us
    These economic conditions and the frustrations they are creating are not going to change in the foreseeable future. The condition of full employment that we are currently experiencing has, in some quarters, sparked a call for new technology.

    As anyone knows who subscribes to the Fabricare List on the Internet, this has been an ongoing subject for the list members and has sparked a great debate about automation, pricing yourself out of business and competing in a global economy.

    The discussion goes something like this:

    It's not manufacturing
    The entire argument about the need for automation in this industry to help alleviate the labor problems is based on a comparison of the drycleaning industry to manufacturing.

    The fact of the matter is that cleaning clothes is not manufacturing, it is processing. There is a world of difference between the two.

    In today's manufacturing environment, you can program machines to perform specific functions (drill, tap, paint, insert, etc.) over and over again. You can program the machines or robots to perform these functions one time or thousands of times. This can be done in manufacturing because the manufacturer controls the size and shape of his raw materials.

    As a drycleaner you have no control over the garments you are asked to clean.

    Therefore, to look for these capabilities in the near future in the drycleaning business is fantasy. To blame the equipment manufacturers for your personnel problems because they haven't developed this technology is passing the buck.

    As for operating in a global economy -- the cleaning industry is not operating in a global economy and never will be. No one is taking their clothes to China to be cleaned.

    And as far as pricing yourself out of business on the high end -- it will never happen. As long as you do what you promised you would do when you put up the sign saying you are a cleaner, pricing yourself out of business is next to impossible.

    If you want to compare the drycleaning industry to any other industry, you must compare it to the "white tablecloth" restaurant business. This is your local, independently owned restaurant where you go to have a relaxed meal -- not McDonalds.

    Like you, the chef knows that next week, if the weather is good, they will do x dollars in business and that a certain percent of the dinners will be beef, a certain percent will be fish, and so on.

    You know what percent of your business will be shirts, what percent will be drycleaning and that a certain percent of your drycleaning will be pants, jackets, etc.

    Neither you nor the restaurant owner can predict exactly what the mix will be at any given moment, but you both must he prepared to fill your customers' needs when they come in your door. You both operate in a labor intensive environment where your customers demand a high degree of personal service.

    As a drycleaner you have two types of retail customers: People who use your services on a regular basis -- every week or every other week -- and incidental customers who spend less than $25 per year on your services. Approximately 24 percent of the U.S. population use drycleaning services on a regular basis.

    As employment in this economy shifts more and more to the service sector, the percentage of people who need drycleaning services on a regular basis will continue to decline. This is precisely why our industry is so flat in such a strong economy.

    Meaningless information
    Many owners and managers are constantly making business decisions based on meaningless information such as "the average customer spends $100 per year on drycleaning."

    This figure is arrived at by dividing total annual sales by the total number of people who came through the door in that year.

    The math is correct, but the information is totally irrelevant. Some relevant information becomes irrelevant because it is incomplete.

    The ever popular 80/20 rule states that approximately 20 percent of your customers generate 80 percent of your sales. Conversely, 80 percent generate 20 percent of sales.

    This is true, but it is only half of the story.

    The facts are that 20 percent of your customers generate 80 percent of your sales, 30 percent of your customers generate 14 percent of your sales and 50 percent of your customers represent a mere 6 percent of sales.

    Everyone gets nervous when business is flat or decreasing. The normal reaction to this situation is to indiscriminately send out tons of coupons with deep discounts. Some even send out coupons offering their services for free.

    I love it! I wish this idea would catch on with my local car wash, restaurant, grocery store, deli, gas station, quick lube, etc.

    The odd thing is that the same people who are so quick to give their services away are the same people who can't understand why they "don't get no respect." Duh!

    Seventy-five percent of the coupons redeemed are redeemed by incidental customers. This does not mean that they are not important to your business; every customer is important to your business. What is important for you to know is that they represent less than 10 percent of your total sales.

    What is the point in throwing away thousands of dollars on advertising and discounts to this customer base? I can't figure it out.

    Surviving the shakeout
    With the percentage of people who need drycleaning services on a regular basis decreasing, many of your competitors are going to drive themselves out of business with their discounts and giveaways. They will fill their plants with cheap work that will not allow them to pay their employees competitive wages. Their service and their work will deteriorate.

    If you don't believe this, bring some work to your competitors.

    The shakeout has begun. To survive this shakeout you must start developing your marketing strategy for 1998 today.

    The people who use your services on a regular basis are going to become more demanding.

    To fulfill their needs you will need first-class employees. Attracting and retaining these employees is going to cost money. This money has to come out of your pocket or your customers pocket in the form of higher prices. Couponing, discounting and doing free work is fine when you target the right market and when it is a part of a specific strategy with projected goals and with results that can be measured.

    The most successful drycleaners in the next millennium will be those who are providing the real drycleaning customers with the best services at prices that are equitable to all.

    Remember, in the game of business, the more you know the better you can play the game.

    Alan Robson is a private consultant dealing with the specialized needs of the drycleaning industry. Readers are encouraged to send him questions he can address in future columns. For more information, contact him by telephone at (508) 753-6619 or send e-mail to him at: agrobson@ma.ultranet.com

    Arthur Weiss: Don't forget important birthdays

    If you are searching for a fun promotion that really works, why not try a customer birthday card?

    It is easy to do and can be used to reward your best customers, while encouraging them to bring you more business.

    For anyone looking to attract new customers, it can also be used to bring in new business.

    All you need to do is start with an entry form that can be left on your counter.

    To start the program you can ask every customer to complete the form. It can say "Birthday Club enrollment form. Enter to win free gifts."

    After several weeks and most of your customers have completed forms, you continue to add only new customers. This is most effective and easy to do if you have a counter computer.

    Whenever a new customer comes in the store you simply complete their name address and month and day of their birthday.

    In addition to the information above, we ask how the customer found out about us. There is a row of reasons and where they can check off the one that fits best.

    The choices include: location, referral, live nearby, work nearby, advertisement, or sign.

    Use anything that you would like to check to see what brings new people to your store. After some time, the reasons continue with a similar percentage for each.

    All of the information is then loaded into our computer.

    Some counter computer programs are equipped to run a program like this. Ours is not, so we export our customer file into another database to print the labels when we need them.

    At the end of every month, we generate over 100 labels to our best customers who have a birthday during the next month.

    Amazing results
    The results are nothing short of amazing. We get a return of better than 30 percent.

    The offer lets a customer bring in a favorite suit or dress to be cleaned free (an $8.60 value). We limit the amount to an average garment in small print, but highlight the word free.

    Some customers take advantage of the free garment only, and we don't mind since we are rewarding the top layer of our customers.

    Most customers bring in large orders at the same time which makes the promotion even better for us.

    Many tell us that we are among the few who remember their birthday, including friends and relatives.

    An element of surprise
    They usually forget how we got their birthday in the first place. The element of surprise works great.

    We buy the cards from the Golomb Group which custom imprints them. The card is very attractive and eye catching.

    If your goal is to attract new customers, the Golomb Group has the most interesting surprise. They can mail birthday cards to people who live in your area and offer a whole new concept in attracting new customers.

    Imagine receiving a birthday card from a company that you have never done business with!

    That would have to be intriguing, and it would get many to try your service.

    If you're tired of the old boring promotions that are out there, I suggest you try this one.

    Arthur Weiss owns Betty Brite Cleaners and loves to get mail from readers at 334 Route 33, Mercerville, NJ 08619. He can be reached by phone at (609) 890-8787 or by e-mail: awclean@aol.com

    Midatlantic News

    MAXPO/3 organizers are satisfied

    BALTIMORE, MD -- The chairwoman of MAXPO/3 didn't like the weather the weekend the Mid-Atlantic Cleaners & Launderers Association held its trade show, but those concerns were held in check by the attendees who did arrive in Baltimore.

    "Weather didn't cooperate with us on Sunday, but according to the exhibitors, the quality of the attendees was excellent," show chairwoman Barbara Harvey said. "They came to see, touch and buy."

    According to MACLA executive vice president Dave Norford, followup reports on the show "indicate satisfaction with the show, even though the attendance record set in 1995 was not broken." According to a statement released by MACLA, "some 2,000 attendees and exhibitors expressed satisfaction with the more compact venue that made it easier for everyone to see everything."

    The seminars appeared to be well-received, MACLA said. The Hot Topics included presentations by Jon Meijer, Jack Belluscio, Jr., James Schreiner, Steve Risotto, Mary Scalco, Jim Kinney and Dave Norford.

    Also on the program was a fashion show of horrors, unserviceable garments gleaned from the International Fabricare Institute analysis lab.

    Kinney previewed the new federal EPA video on Drycleaning Compliance Assistance. This was the premiere of the video, a work designed to complement other written materials.

    Griggs offers his seat

    Outgoing International Fabricare Institute district two director Bill Griggs recently produced an open letter to cleaners in the district inviting them to run for the board.

    "The IFI board has effectively guided our association through some very difficult times during my tenure," Griggs said. "We need people like you to step up and take on the challenges of leading our industry into the next millenium.

    Highlights of his term included "the elevation of William E. Fisher to executive director, the settlement of the Westfarm contamination case, the end of reckless spending, and leading the nation in legislative and environmental affairs."

    Griggs asked cleaners interested in running to contact their association president. District two includes Washington, DC, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina.

    Midwest News

    Spic and Span finishes 12th annual coat drive

    MILWAUKEE, WI -- Spic and Span Cleaners in Milwaukee completed its twelfth annual Coats for Kids drive this fall as it surpassed the 200,000 garment mark.

    The program was operated in cooperation with Fox TV6 and the Salvation Army through Oct. 18, with the finale televised.

    Sharon Anness of Spic and Span said the drive lasted three weeks.

    "It is such a wonderful project. It warms our hearts to the soles," she said.

    "Milwaukee folks have, over the past twelve years, dug into their closets and produced 204,456 warm winter coats their families no longer wear to donate to the needy families in our area," she said.

    The 32 Spic and Span stores in the Milwaukee area collect the garments with large donations coming from schools and churches.

    The drive starts with public service announcements followed by "live" remote reports from store sites.

    These "help generate excitement about the drive while allowing the public to see and hear about the drycleaning business of Spic and Span and meet their people 'up close and personal,'" Anness said.

    Fox TV6 chief meteorologist Vince Condella was praised by Anness for his enthusiastic support of the program.

    The project involves much more than a six-week collection period, Anness added.

    "We clean all the garments in a two-week period after the close of the drive," she said. They work on a tight deadline, aware that people have already been selected to receive the garments. Applications are taken before the announcement of the drive.

    "We've had no problems since the first year in finding recipients for the coats," Anness said.

    Anness observed that "it's been three partners for these past 12 years. All the faces are the same since the beginning."

    Family members of employees of Spic and Span Cleaners also chip in to help.

    Children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces all serve as poster children for promotional materials, including the televised public service announcements.

    At the end of the final collection day, all the volunteers gather for a pizza party.

    "The party helps us all unwind after an exciting several weeks," Anness said. "The 'Coats for Kids' drive may last for just three weeks out of the year, yet the project continues to warm us all throughout the year."

    Deden succeeds Freeman in Nebraska

    OMAHA, NE -- Patty Deden has been selected to succeed Jerry Freeman as the executive director of the Nebraska Fabricare Association. The announcement of her hiring was made at the NFA fall meeting.

    Deden has been active in the textile care industry for a number of years and is part of the Martinizing group.

    Also, directors were elected for open board positions. Named were Bob Meyer of Village Cleaners, Kearney, NE; DeEtte Bailey of Double D Cleaners, Holredge, NE; George Holm of K & G Cleaners, Wayne, NE; and Steve Hoy of Hoy's Ideal Cleaners in Falls City, NE.

    Re-elected to the board were Scott Orr and Barney Deden.

    NFA honored Tom Wickiser, the founder of L & D C Equipment of Des Moines, IA, for his long-time service to the industry.

    Northeast News

    NCAI urges support for PCA

    NEW YORK, NY -- Bolstered by a turnout of more than 2,000 cleaners and supporters at its city hall rally Nov. 13 in New York City, the Neighborhood Cleaners Association International wants to develop a political action committee (PAC). Called CleanPAC, it would represent cleaners' interest in the political forum.

    "Over the years NCAI has been confronted by many serious political issues which have threatened the financial well-being of its members, if not the very existence of drycleaners throughout the country," NCAI said. "We need to gear up our political action efforts to meet increasing challenges to us."

    The association said there are three processes political initiatives must follow in order to be effective. They include retaining a professional lobbyist, developing a grass roots political campaign and establishing a political action committee.

    A lobbyist functions as the person who helps a group find its way through the system while the grassroots campaign encourages interaction between constituents and their elected representatives.

    A PAC is a method of pooling funds "utilized broadly by many associations and others wishing to strengthen their political impact through political contributions," NCAI said.

    The cleaners' committee would collect donations from many cleaners to use to support candidates the PAC believes supports their interests.

    In order to succeed, the PAC needs a revenue source which generates enough money to pay for the activities. These activities are "often in the form of tickets to fund raisers of various legislators that can be attended by local drycleaners and their lobbyist."

    Toward this end, the CleanPAC is soliciting donations, with a requested minimum of $100. Any amount will be welcomed. Contributions are not tax deductible and must be personal checks.

    "The fight has just begun," drycleaner Ed Roth said. "The NCAI is getting together money for a PAC. If you would like to help us out with a donation, that would help greatly."

    Send donations to NCAI, 252 West 29th Street, New York, NY 10001-5201 For information on CleanPAC, contact Peter Atha at NCAI, (212) 967-3002, extension 310.

    Massachusetts looking at spetic tanks

    BOSTON, MA -- Massachusetts State Title V regulations which govern septic systems do not allow for any industrial discharge. It affects one-third of the state.

    At a meeting Nov. 18 in Boston, the state Bureau of Waste Prevention and North East Fabricare Association reached an agreement where the state will not "enforce upon that right now. Instead, in cooperation with NEFA, it will start doing testing and evaluation of the effluent and the septic system products to see if there is a problem and how we may be able to handle it in the future," NEFA executive vice president Peter Blake said.

    NEFA started talking to the bureau about the problem 18 months ago.

    During the next month NEFA will be building a list of volunteers for testing and then begin testing the systems for what effect, if any, the effluent has on the tank and the systems processes.

    It will take about six months to complete the test.

    "We hope to achieve some blanket exceptions for the drycleaners who do have a laundry capability to discharge in the septic system," Blake said.

    Southcentral News

    SDA announces agenda for Texas show

    The Southwest Drycleaners Association has released the preliminary agenda for "Big Show 98," its biennial trade show and convention.

    The 1998 edition will take place in Austin, TX, March 5-8, at the Austin Convention Center. Most of the programs will take place in the convention center, although a few will be presented in the Hyatt Regency Hotel, the headquarters for the convention.

    According to Debra Eaton, SDA director of administrative services, the current schedule has a golf tournament starting the events on Thursday, March 5. The SDA executive committee will meet at noon that day with an early-bird cocktail reception at 6:30 p.m.

    March 6 starts with a three-hour board of directors meeting at 7:30 a.m.

    At 11 a.m., an "environmental program" will be held. The general membership meeting is set for 1 p.m. with the exhibit hall opening its doors from 2 to 7:30 p.m.

    Educational programs on March 7 begin at 8 a.m.

    At 11 a.m., the exhibit will open and will remain so until 5 p.m.

    A president's reception and awards banquet is planned for 6:30 p.m.

    On Sunday, March 8, Jane Zellers will discuss "Hot Topics," starting at 8 a.m.

    The exhibit hall opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 2 p.m.

    For information on the program, booth space and exhibitors, contact Eaton at SDA, (210) 826-4684.

    SCFA to sponsor business planning session

    The South Central Fabricare Association convention March 27-28 in Alexandria, LA, will include a seminar on helping cleaners make plans for their business.

    "Because many of our members operate family businesses, we will examine the unique pressures a family faces in the day-to-day operations as well as the processes necessary to insure a smooth transition from one generation to the next," executive director Darienne Wilson said.

    Mike Henning, a "family business coach," will lead the seminars. An author of two books on the topic, Henning will discuss the business planning for the average family business.

    He will "help participants understand the basic management concepts of an organization, personnel and financial issues and other skills necessary to insure successful growth and continuity of a family business," Wilson added.

    A real-life case study of a family business will be used to illustrate "how a family can identify needs and develop solutions to meet them."

    Henning will also discuss estate planning, techniques of asset transfer, guiding children toward taking over the business and handling conflicts between children and parents.

    Wilson said the motive for the program is to encourage families to address tough issues that come up in the process of transition of business ownership within a family.

    For information on SCFA, call Wilson at (601) 352-4291.

    South News

    North Carolina law to assess risk

    CHARLOTTE, NC -- When North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt signed the Drycleaning Solvent Clean-up Act into law last August, he set into motion new mandates for drycleaners.

    "Our law not only included Barton bill language. We went further and did risk assessment, based on a new approach and also went ahead and covered cleaners contamination liability with a fund or private insurance," North Carolina Cleaners & Launderers Association executive director Steve Winzeler said.

    Winzeler confirmed that "a lot of questions have come from cleaners on the law, but no one is negative or upset. Some people want to know what other insurance companies they can choose. We say, 'anybody you want who can write it to the specifications of the state bill.'"

    Cleaners began to pay through the solvent tax and some have private insurance in place already. As far as measuring the effects of the tax on distributors, Winzeler reported that he "wouldn't expect any distributor questions until the end of the last quarter of the year. So far, so good though."

    This new law places a state sales tax on drycleaning solvents for the fund, which will be managed by the Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources of North Carolina. The taxes were set at $5.85 a gallon on perc and $.80 per gallon on petroleum solvent. This tax will be collected by all distributors who sell drycleaning solvent to drycleaners in North Carolina and remitted to the State Department of Revenue.

    It also requires that every operating plant obtain pollution, remediation, and legal liability insurance coverage against claims from site pollution. There is a provision for uninsurable drycleaners that already have known contamination. This provides for clean-up costs to be covered by the fund with a higher deductible than those plants that have obtained insurance.

    What Winzeler has noticed is that "some cleaners are raising prices a small percentage to offset the added business costs of the solvent tax and the new insurance."

    This law includes authorization for the state to set standards for clean-up, very similar to the approach that EPA is encouraging in brownfield programs. North Carolina's new law also requires the state to prioritize sites as they become known, so those with the greatest risk to human health and the environment will be cleaned up first, NCLAC said.

    The state can create rules including spill containment systems around drycleaning areas, ban drycleaning waste going into landfills, and ban contact water being placed into sanitary or storm sewer systems.

    The collection of taxes on drycleaning solvents began October 1, 1997, with the required site insurance due April 1, 1998.

    Full implementation of all rules begins January 1, 1999.

    Certifications, assessment agreements, and remediation agreements go into effect January 1, 1999.

    West News

    Western states cleaners work for charity

    The Western States Drycleaners & Launderers Association is in the middle of two charitable service programs.

    "Hope for the Holidays" is a garment collection, cleaning and distribution program centered in Arizona. In Nevada, the effort is called "Sharing is Caring."

    WSDLA president David Link said the start of the "Hope for the Holidays" drive was Nov. 12.

    The program "anticipates repeating last year's response in providing more than 30,000 pounds of usable clothing to the needy," WSDLA said. Clothing is needed for people of all ages, both men and women.

    Posters promoting the program were given to stores to place in windows and on counters. The participating stores will clean and bag the garments. These are then sent to a central location from where they are distributed to charitable organizations across the state through Interfaith Cooperative Ministries.

    Clothing is accepted both bagged and on hangers. In past drives, drycleaners have donated garments that have been abandoned by customers.

    The Nevada program includes both food and clothing drives and distributes the donations throughout southern Nevada under the umbrella of the Salvation Army.

    For information on the Hope for the Holiday program, contact Mike Smith (Phoenix), (602) 943-2292; Tom Thomas (Tucson), (520) 886-1859; or the WSDLA office, (602) 253-9186.

    Colorado raises money for Barton bill

    DENVER, CO -- The Colorado Drycleane rs Environmental Legislative Fund (CDELF) has been created "to pay for the industry's outstanding expenses for efforts related to the passing of HR 1711" (the Barton Bill).

    According to the organizers of the fund, "in order to save our businesses, the aggressive effort to win passage of this legislation must continue." They ask for a minimum $100 contribution although any donation is welcome.

    CDELF coincides with the Dry Cleaners Action Fund of America, a group formed in Michigan to assist in raising money on behalf of the Barton Bill campaign. A committee of cleaners from NCAI, IFI, the Michigan Institute of Laundering & Drycleaning, Comet Cleaners and the Martinizing group will oversee DCAFA.

    Information on the Colorado program can be obtained through RMFA executive director Gary Leeper, (303) 433-4446.

    Newsmakers

    Murphy named at Dow

    Elaine G. Murphy is the new drycleaning industry manager for Dow Chemical Co. She is responsible for marketing Dow's products and services to customers and distributors in the drycleaning industry.

    Murphy replaces Doug Crouch who represented Dow to the drycleaning industry for nine years before being named distribution territory manager for Dow's U.S. South Central Zone. Murphy joined Dow in 1983 in the Health and Environmental Services organization. Most recently she served as marketing and sales development representative in the Specialty Chemicals group. She received bachelors and MBA degrees from Northwood University in Midland, MI.

    Warnke named to small business panel

    Jean Warnke has been appointed to the Compliance Advisory Panel for the Small Business Assistance Program of the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission. She will serve as the small business representative of the panel. Warnke is the executive director of the Textile Maintenance Association of Texas, the Regional Textile Service Association and of three similar associations in the south central United States. She has served on the Houston Regional Air Quality Planning Committee and as co-chair of the Houston/Galveston Small Business Advisory Committee to the TNRCC.

    IFI appoints joint state liaison

    The International Fabricare Institute has named Jeanett Fambro as its joint state liaison. Her new duties include serving as the key contact person between IFI and associations affiliated with the institute. Fambro joined IFI in January and has been a personal membership representative. In her new post she will be responsible for keeping the affiliated associations informed on member issues, policies and changes within IFI. A native of Macon, GA, Fambro has a degree in sociology and has more than 20 years experience in working in the customer service arena. "I like talking to people," Fambro said. "I like providing a service and helping them get the information they need."

    Promotions at Raytheon

    Raytheon Commercial Laundry has promoted Dave McAllister to manager of field service after serving seven years as a customer service representative and regional parts and service as manager for Raytheon.

    McAllister will be responsible for enhancing Raytheon's service schools and on-site assistance and for addressing product service issues for all three of the company's brands -- UniMac, Speed Queen and Huebsch.

    In other recent promotions for the company, Kelly Krause was named manager of advertising and public relations. She has seven years of experience in marketing and communication with Raytheon Commercial Laundry.

    The company also has named Susan Zima as supervisor of the creative department. She will give direction to Raytheon Commercial Laundry's advertising specialists and will be responsible for development of the company's web site. She joined Raytheon as an advertising specialist in May, 1995.

    The company also announced that Amy Reese has been hired as an advertising specialist. She will manage the media responsibilities for design, copywriting and the production of sales support materials, including product literature.

    PROS combines departments

    PROS has announced that John Corwin of its part department and Greg Leiran of the equipment service department have combined their two domains into one unit to improve service for PROS customers. Located in Minneapolis, MN, PROS provides replacement parts and equipment and maintenances assistance for the drycleaning industry.

    Allied backs fund-raiser

    Allied Commercial Laundry Equipment Co. of St. Louis was a water stop sponsor for the Alzheimer's Association of St. Louis 1997 Memory Walk held in October. Thousands participated in the even which raises money to support programs and services for persons with Alzheimer's disease. Allied is a distributor of commercial laundry and drycleaning equipment in eastern Missouri and southern Illinois.

    Information Central

    Customer service training

    OMAHA, NE -- A customer service personnel training tape and booklet is available from Sue Armstrong, an industry speaker, trainer and consultant who wrote text and narrated the tape.

    The kit comes as a package designed to develop professional customer service in people who are already working in the industry or are newly hired. The 60-minute tape and booklet cover customer courtesy, appearance, theft of company funds, marking-in problem garments, checking pockets, paperwork, telephone courtesy, selling bridal gown service, gender pricing, handling angry customers, bagging procedures and keeping the customer service area clean.

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    On-site drapery cleaning

    HAYDEN LAKE, ID -- On Site Drapery Cleaning and More offers a system for drycleaning any type of fabric vertical blinds or draperies in any configuration at the place where they hang. The company said that Window coverings such as silhouettes, duettes, luminettes, valances, jabots, balloons and others can be cleaned quickly, easily and effectively.

    The system also guarantees no shrinkage, damage, loss of sizing or flame retardant. No customer waivers are needed, nor does customers need to live without the window coverings as they would for a traditional in-plant cleaning method that requires removal of the window coverings.

    On-Site said its equipment is lightweight, portable, patented and easy to learn and use. It can also be used to clean upholstery or other type of fabric in residential or commercial locations. The package includes cleaning equipment, tools and cleaning solutions along with training videos and manuals, marketing information and 1000 two-color advertising hangers customized with the cleaner's name and phone number. Tool-free 800 telephone support is also available.

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    Machines meet contril guidelines

    LONG BEACH, CA -- Renzacci of America has announced that its entire line of drycleaning machines have met or exceeded the 300 ppm guidelines for primary and secondary control regulations required by the California Air Resources Board, the California Environmental Protection Agency and the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Renzacci said the machines are now pre-certified by these agencies.

    Renzacci's New York and California models exceed environmental standards, the company said, featuring reduced ppm emissions. On most models, Renzacci's secondary carbon control, Multisorb, is built into the back of the machine to save floor space.

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    Lint removal products

    ST. PAUL, MN -- A new family of lint removal products designed for the drycleaning industry has been introduced by 3M's Packaging Systems Division. The 3M Lint Roller, designed for both plant operations and in-store sales, uses an Ultra-Tack adhesive and a refillable handle. Perforated sheets allow quick and easy layer removal and the coreless design and recyclable plastic handle reduce waste. 3M is introducing the "Industrial Pack," which includes 12 3M Lint rollers and two handles. For in-store retail sales, 3M has a counter-top display that holds the 3M lint removal product line, including 2 Lint rollers, six replacement rollers and eight portable lint sheets.

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    Wet- dry- machine combo

    EAST SETAUKET, NY -- Aqua Clean systems and Union Drycleaning Systems are jointly offering the Aqua Clean "mini" wetclean system and the Union P735 U-2000 drycleaning system. Together the units can handle up to 60 pounds of cleaning per hour while using TOTAL floor space of 5 feet by 9 feet.

    The Aqua Clean "Mini" system, which occupies 2 feet by 2.3 feet of floor space, has a frequency-controlled motor for wetcleaning that is gentle as handwashing and uses only water and biodegradable cleaning and spotting solutions. It can be used for cleaning leathers, suedes, silks, rayons, cashmere, angora, linen/cotton wools, blends and beaded and sequined garments with its 28 automatic washing programs. The residual moisture control drying system minimizes tumbler time, eliminates heat-set creasing and speeds finishing operations.

    The Union P735 U-2000 drycleaning system occupies 3.1 feet by 6.7 feet of floor space while providing 35 pounds of drycleaning capacity. Features include Turbofan solvent recovery, Eco-Filter dual filtration, safety tank spill protection, Computer 48 microprocessor, Recuper vapor emission control, computer-control safety door access and Idromatic "odor-free" still cleaning, muck injection and disposal system.

    With their small footprints and advanced features, the two units are well suited for plants in urban, multi-occupancy buildings were environmental laws are strict and floor space is minimal. They are also well suited for service and coin laundries that want to offer drop-off cleaning services.

    The systems are available for a limited time at special low-cost financing and leasing package deals.

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    Automatic lubricating system

    RACINE, WI -- Reusable Memolub self-contained automatic lubricators can save time, labor and bearings by combining the compact size and function of a single-point lubricator with the capability of a miniature central automatic lubrication system.

    The patented positive displacement pump and its 200 psi lubrication ejection rate allow feeding lubricant to up to eight lube points or remote up to 40 feet from the bearing.

    Replacement kits allow reuse of the Memolub after a quick change of the cartridge and battery pack. The Memolub Standard holds a lube cartridge with 120 cc's of lubricant while the Mega holds a cartridge with 240 cc's.

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    Odor remover

    TULSA, OK -- Ultra Odor is Royaltone's specialty formulated liquid additive for the removal of undesirable organic odors including smoke odor in drycleaning or wetcleaning of fire-damaged clothing and household items.

    Ultra Odor is used at one ounce per 10 pounds of odorous or fire damaged articles. In drycleaning, the items are batch cleaned for five minutes with no filter. In wetcleaning, they are washed for five minutes.

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    Date created: Dec 1 1997
Copyright © 1997, BPS Communications Inc.
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