Greener Dry Cleaner & Wedding Dress Preservation in Austin, TX » Dry Cleaner News

Dry Cleaners Help Job Seekers “Dress For Success”

Adam — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:54:02 +0000

Local Dry Cleaners in Nashua, New Hampshire lent a much needed helping hand to the local Salvation Army to equip unemployed residents with necessary tools for successful job seeking. Major Carl Carvil, CEO of the Nashua Salvation Army said, “In this tough economy, with so many people out of work, in addition to basic necessities, we want to help those seeking work to be prepared”.

For a time this summer, the Nashua Salvation Army ran a “Dress for Success” program with inspiring results.

Free Suits For Job Seekers

Job seekers visited the Nashua Salvation Army to receive free business clothing to wear on interviews and to job fairs. The dry cleaners involved in conjunction with the Salvation Army Thrift Store all donated men and women’s business suits, dress shirts, socks, neckties, skirts, dresses, blouses, hosiery and shoes in fine condition.

“One issue with job interviews is first impression,” said Tom Jenkins, chairman of the Salvation Army Advisory Board. “We are affording people looking for work the chance to dress appropriately.”

Sir Austin commends the Salvation Army and all dry cleaners involved in the program for helping job seekers look their best.

The Press That Was Blessed: Dry Cleaner Sees Virgin Mary on Press Head

Adam — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:33:06 +0000

Likenesses of the Virgin Mary have appeared many places; a highway underpass, a tortilla and also on a grilled cheese sandwich that sold on Ebay for $24,000! However witnesses in Harlingen Texas agree that a siting of the Virgin Mary on a dry cleaning press was the real thing. This was the Virgin Mary’s first known visit to a Dry Cleaners.

Janie Guerra, an employee of a Comet Dry Cleaner in Harlingen had just finished eating her lunch when she returned to her pressing station and got the shock of her life. Janie was looking at what she believed could only be the silhouette of the Virgin Mary of Guadelupe on the machine pad she’d been using. She immediately called her co-worker Emma over to see if Emma could also see the image. Emma did and both women were awe struck at what they were seeing. After snapping a photo of the image the two women phoned the owner of the Dry Cleaner.

Dry Cleaner Owner Sees Silhouette As Well

Buddy Fisher, the franchise owner of the Dry Cleaner, has had a life that has been riddled with hardship & tragedy. He’d survived a brain aneurysm, prostate cancer and the murder of one son but his faith in Jesus and the Mother Mary was strong. He said, “When I saw the picture, I said, ‘you have got to be kidding me!’ When you see this, you see it. It leaves nothing to the imagination – it’s that clear.” He told a local television crew “As the owner of a new business, I’ll take divine intervention.” He said,”If the Virgin Mary chooses my store to bless, who am I to complain?”

Dry Cleaner Refuses to Profit Off Likeness

Fisher chose to hand out photo copies of the image instead of turning his machine into a shrine. He and his employees felt it would be wrong to profit from the apparition and soon the image faded with use of the machine. “She’s still there she’s just not on the pad,” Fisher says. “Like Jesus told St. Thomas, ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.’ I believe she’s there all the time. I don’t know why it happened, but it happened. She found a way to tell us that everything is going to be all right.”

Dry Cleaning Industry Bends to Eco-Friendly Consumers

Adam — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:59:01 +0000

Every year the dry cleaning industry hosts a major trade show creatively titled “the clean show”. However cleaver the name the show always brings out the heavy hitters of the industry showcasing what is hot right now in the world of dry cleaning clothes. Over the last couple of years I started to notice a trend that has been developing year after year at the clean show .

Clean Goes Green

More and more dry cleaners are looking for ways to green up their businesses and attract eco friendly consumers and industry manufactures are coming up with new technologies to satisfy those requests. Being a staunch advocate of small business and the free market system I am happy to see that the dry cleaning industry is following suit in mking those technologies readily available for dry cleaners wishing to “go green”. Sir Austin will be in attendance and will be sure to report the newest technologies that will be on display!!

Innovative Dry Cleaner Conveyors

Adam — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 16:24:55 +0000

White Conveyors is a company that offers innovative conveyor and storing solutions for dry cleaners across the U.S. White has been in business for over 55 yrs. and even though they offer conveyors for all types of businesses they got their start in the dry cleaning business. Currently the company boasts over 75,000 conveyors built under their watch in the U.S. and the world over.

The White Conveyor Co. divides their dry cleaner productivity products into three areas: delivery and dry cleaning automation products, conveyors for storage and sorting and assembly products.

Their website is easy to navigate and has product specifications on each page. Although White was based in the dry cleaning industry they also offer innovative delivery and productivity products for other industries as well.

Automated Dry Cleaner Delivery System

The main product that Sir Austin found to be most interesting that White offers is their automated dry cleaning delivery conveyors. Basically they are automated conveyor systems that allow for automated drop off and pick up of your dry cleaning without having to have an employee present.

These boxes allow the customer to pick up their clothes without having an employee present helping to reduce costs while increasing profits. White offers a number of other different productivity products that increase profitability for the dry cleaner so if your in the market be sure to check out their website.

Dry Cleaning Order Assembly System

Another really cool product that White offers is the Mercury Order Assembly System. The system integrates seamlessly with all major POS systems and can sort up to 300 pieces in an hour with only one operator. In an industry where speed and accuracy is a major concern the Mercury OAS is a dry cleaner owners dream.

After each piece is identified in your POS system you then load that data into the Mercurary. After all garments are cleaned and placed on the conveyor the system then effortlessly sorts all of the orders for you and then places them in the correct location for bagging. Sir Austin gives gives the White Conveyor Co. two thumbs up!

P & G to Try Hand at Opening Dry Cleaners

Adam — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:47:51 +0000

Proctor and Gamble is set to open up dry cleaners in Kansas City, Kansas. The company who makes the popular detergent brand Tide is hoping their success in the home cleaning market will spill over into the commercial dry cleaning market. Vice President for business development, Gary Coombe, stated that the three dry cleaners are slated for a mid-September opening.

Dry Cleaning is a Billion Dollar Industry

Coombe stated that P & G sees an opportunity in the $9 billion a year dry cleaning industry. Coombe also stated that being in the cleaning business in some form or fashion for almost 60 years gives P & G a special start. P & G is making the decision to enter the crowded dry cleaning market after researching customers sentiment in the laundry and dry cleaning markets.

P & G is hoping to make it’s mark on the cleaning industry by being a cut above the rest of dry cleaners in the Kansas market. Coombe stated that “We have reviewed customer sentiment and feel that we can be a step ahead of our competition in the Kansas area”.

Not the First Time Big Businesses Try Hand at Dry Cleaning

This is not the first time that a bigger business that is symbiotic with the dry cleaning industry has tried their hand at the cleaning business. The Men’s Warehouse is another bigger business that also has opened up dry cleaning stores as well. They felt that because they already had a market in place for selling suits it only makes sense to open dry cleaning stores to be able to offer those same customers cleaning as well.

Even as P & G is launching “Total Care”, a home cleaning product that is supposed to keep your clothes looking better longer, be more aggressive on stains and also reduce you dry cleaning bill Coombe still sees growth opportunities. P & G stated that their research also indicated that a large portion of customers are not satisfied with their current dry cleaners and this is seen by the company as opportunity as well.

One major dry cleaning leader in Kansas stated that he was not worried because as he recalled P & G never did well with it’s clean at home product Dryel and he did not see much competition from P & G in the dry cleaning market as well.

Eco-Friendly Dry Cleaner Hangers

Adam — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 03:45:29 +0000

It’s hard to believe but The Hanger Network can attribute the start of their company to a stain on a carpet. J.D. Schulman, COO of The Hanger Network was once throwing away a bunch of wire hangers that had been compiling in his closet from his local dry cleaner. After cleaning his closet J.D. began to walk across his mothers white carpet and suddenly the hangers punctured the bag dripping gravy all over her new carpet

J.D. soon conceptualized a replacement for the wire hangers that could be thrown away once you had taken off that freshly cleaned dry cleaning garment. The prototype for the eco-friendly hanger quickly went from concept to realty when they found a way to produce a sturdy alternative to wire hangers for dry cleaners everywhere.

Dry Cleaner Hangers 100% Recyclable

The hangers are one hundred percent recyclable and could displace large amounts of wire hangers that are used by dry cleaners everywhere. Sir Austin has well documented his love for customers who recycle their hangers and he loves this idea even more. Dry cleaners in the U.S. use over 3.5 billion coat hangers a year and what ever we can do to limit them ending up in landfills is a great idea

Hanger Network has even found a way to make the hangers free for the dry cleaners who use them and this is by selling advertising on the hangers themselves. The dry cleaning hangers are paid for by advertisers in all types of businesses. Dry cleaning hangers can cost as much as 8-12 cents a hanger and as with any other business dry cleaners are always looking for ways to cut costs.

The Hanger Network already has national companies lining up to buy ads. From the companies standpoint the program is a symbiotic one for both Hanger Networks and the dry cleaners participating in the advertising program. Schulman states “it was a no brainier. Dry cleaners are always looking for ways to save money and with the explosion of green dry cleaners in the U.S. many of them are looking for ways to make their businesses more eco-friendly as well.”

Eco Friendly Hangers Go National

So far the company has partnered mostly with cleaners in the New York metropolitan area but now they are expanding nationwide. Cleaners Supply, one of the largest dry cleaning product distributors in the world has started to offer dry cleaners the hangers on the homepage of their website.

Sir Austin gives The Hanger Network two green thumbs up for helping to make more Eco Friendly dry cleaners in the world.

Below is a Great Video on Eco Hangers

Sir Austin’s Dry Cleaning News: Judge Sues Dry Cleaner For $54 Million Over Lost Pants

Adam — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:18:31 +0000

Roy Pearson, an administrative law judge in Washington D.C. has revived his $54 million suit against a local dry cleaner who he claims lost a pair of his pants. Pearson claims that Soo Chung, owner of Custom Cleaners in Washington, owes him over $54 million for loosing a pair of his pants. Pearson’s suit claims that the dry cleaner owes him the exorbanent fee strictly because the store had a sign that read “satisfaction guaranteed” in their window. Pearson claims that the sign is what drew him in to the store, even though he admittedly claims he had no car at the time of infraction and lived within walking distance from the cleaners. Pearson claims that ”(he) would have never tried the store out if it were not for the sign that stated “satisfaction guaranteed”. In the beginning Custom Cleaners agreed to offer Pearson $1200 for a new suit. When he declined the cleaners then offered him $2000 then $4800 and then finally $12,000.

How Pearson Decided on $54 Million

Pearson justifies the monetary amount of the claim due to a statute in Washington law that states that plaintiffs can sue for up to $1500 a day, per infraction. The suit has been going on for more than 1200 days. In addition, the Washington judge is suing for emotional distress north of $500,000 and an additonal $540,000 for legal fees. (EVEN THOUGH HE IS REPRESENTING HIMSELF!).

Defense attorney for Custom Cleaners, Christopher Manning, stated that “this case is cut and dry. It is all about one sign and a plaintiffs gross misinterpretation of law (and a judge no less!)” Manning also stated that many of Pearson’s peers (trial lawyers) even can’t believe the outlandish lawsuit that is “obviously an abuse of power of the judicial system.”

What His Peers Think of The Suit

Bill Schulz, representative for the American Association of Justice, states that “This is incredible as it is shameful. To essentially try and bankrupt this dry cleaner is a travesty of the legal system.’

Because Pearson is a lawyer he has had to spend relatively nothing to keep this case going. On the other hand, Custom Cleaners has been forced to file for bankruptcy due to the mounting legal fees associated with defending themselves regarding this case.

Sir Austin understands paying just restitution for a mistake that has been made. However for Pearson to be able to abuse the legal system in this manner is a shame. The fact that Pearson was not trying to merely receive just compensation from Custom Cleaners but really trying to inflict the most financial harm on the couple is evident by the fact that he turned down $12,000 for one pair of pants!

If our readers feel so compelled, we encourage you to contribute to Custom Cleaners defense fund by clicking on the line below.

To donate to Custom Cleaners Internet defense fund (Click Here)

Below Is a Video Describing Custom Cleaners Account of the Situation

Dry Cleaning Patrons Reject Consolidated Dry Cleaning Ownership

Adam — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:32:10 +0000

National Dry Cleaners Inc., which could be called the most recent attempt at a national dry cleaning chain, has filed for bankruptcy asset protection. The national dry cleaning chain had more than 231 stores in nine different states. The company cited increased energy costs along with court costs associated with environmental clean-up as two of the main reasons that the company was unable to service it’s debt to it’s creditors.

The company was known for it’s aggressive acquisition of local, well respected dry cleaners. The companies failure to establish a sustainable national dry cleaning business is, in my opinion, the latest example of Americans rejection of large centralized dry cleaning power. Dry cleaning is one of the most sparsely owned and operated businesses in the U.S. and I think this is the latest example of the U.S. market rejecting attempts for consolidated power in the hands of a few. I have often wondered why dry cleaning, as an industry, was so sparsely owned but being in the industry for over two years now I think that it is one of the last major industries in which customers want to patron a place where “everybody knows your name”. I have often pondered why this is so and I think there’s a number of different reasons, but three specifically

3 Reasons National Dry Cleaning Businesses Fail

1) First and foremost I think that people are very particular about who handles their clothes and would simply trust an owner/operated dry cleaner much more than a national chain. Dry cleaning, which is well documented as one of the largest independently owned and operated industries in U.S., is a very personal business. Some people spend thousands of dollars on their wardrobes and would prefer to see someone across the counter that has a vested interest in making sure their clothes come back looking great, not to mention all accounted for, as opposed to a 17 yr. kid making $7 hr.

2) The second reason is a logistical one. One of the largest questions I get all the time is “do you do all cleaning on site”. Just speaking with customers I have heard horror stories about cusomters bringing their clothes to stores that don’t do all dry cleaning and laundry on site. This one is obvious because once you start bringing your clothes to other locations you run a greater risk of losing items during the transport.

Austin Cleaners Does All Cleaning on Site

3) The third and final reason I think it has been so hard to form a national chain is because in the world of large box stores and consolidated business ownership people see dry cleaning as one of the last bastions of small business ownership.

Although this is just the opinion of a proud independently owned and operated dry cleaner I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t like to see the rejection of large consolidated business power spread to other industries.

Support Local Business!!!

California Bans Dry Cleaning Chemical PERC

Adam — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:26:28 +0000

California has placed a ban on a commonly used dry cleaning chemical PERC that could set a precedent for Austin, Texas and the nation as a whole. PERC, which is used by an estimated 90% of all dry cleaners in the U.S., has been linked to cancer for employees handling the dry cleaning chemical, customers who wear the clothes cleaned in PERC and even people who live next to PERC cleaners (See Video Below). Studies have even linked long-term exposure to PERC with liver problems and even kidney damage.

The ban passed by the Southern California air quality board will require current dry cleaners to completely phase out the solvent by 2020. While we at Austin Cleaners feel this is a good move by California we also know that the move to a more eco-friendly dry cleaning alternative can be costly. However the air-quality board in California has set up a $2 million dollar grant to help dry cleaners make the change to a greener cleaning alternative.

Luckily we came in to the industry when the negative effects of using PERC as a dry cleaning solvent was well documented, that wasn’t always so for cleaners in business for 25-30 yrs. Fortunately even with a nation wide ban on PERC our customers won’t see any price increases because obviously we don’t use the solvent. Kudos to California for taking a step to advance the publics health by saying no to PERC!
You Won’t Believe This Story!! (See Video Below)

Green Dry Cleaners Increasing in U.S.

Adam — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:30:51 +0000

Green dry cleaning is becoming a growing trend throughout not only Austin but the entire U.S., so says consumer reports. While an estimated 80-85% of dry cleaners are still using PERC, a solvent that the EPA has labeled a public health risk, the trend is defiantly moving toward more eco friendly solvents & green practices and away from PERC. Some of the other initiatives dry cleaners are implementing are in the area of energy conserving equipment and hanger recycling programs. As we have seen with our own hanger recycling program here at Austin Cleaners not only does it make since from an environmental stand point but from a bottom line standpoint as well. Aside from the green benefits that come with these initiatives, customers love the smell of there green dry cleaned clothes versus PERC. PERC has a sweet distinguishable smell that you don’t have with other green dry cleaning methods. While the price to dry cleaners can be significant in switching cleaning methods the benefits far out way any monetary cost.