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May 21, 2012
Super Laundry Acquires RAF Equipment Co.

WOODBURY, N.Y. — Acquisition expands distributor’s presence in New Jersey

WOODBURY, N.Y. — Super Laundry Equipment Corp., which says it is the country’s largest distributor of coin and on-premise laundry equipment, has expanded its presence in New Jersey by acquiring RAF Equipment Co., based in Nutley, N.J.

Terms of the acquisition were not announced. The deal solidifies Super Laundry’s expansion in New Jersey and the Tri-State area, the company says.

“With over 55 years of experience, RAF understands that integrity and a core belief in quality service are critical to customers,” says Mike Stanky, COO of Coinmach Corp. “With our shared business values, the critical focus on the customer, and our superior purchasing power, the combination of RAF and Super Laundry will position us as a market leader for years to come.”

RAF and Super Laundry will combine their operations in Linden, N.J., where Dick Luca will head the combined firm.

“Super Laundry will be a great partner going forward,” says Raymond Fusco Sr., president of RAF Equipment. “I have worked with Dick over the last 30 years, and we both know that taking care of customers and our employees will be critical as our partnership moves forward.

“My son, Ray Jr., and I look forward to carrying on this dedication to customer service and industry expertise.”

May 17, 2012
Great Lakes Commercial Sales Appointed Electrolux, Wascomat Distributor

INWOOD, N.Y. — Authorized distributor for brands’ coin and OPL equipment

INWOOD, N.Y. — Great Lakes Commercial Sales, based in Wisconsin, is now an authorized Electrolux and Wascomat distributor for coin and on-premise laundry equipment, Laundrylux has announced.

Great Lakes Commercial Sales is a full-service company providing commercial and on-premise laundry equipment sales, service and parts to coin/self-service laundries, apartment complexes, and on-premise laundry facilities. The company also has offices in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.

“We are pleased to welcome Dan Naumann and the Great Lakes team to the Electrolux and Wascomat distributor network,” says Laundrylux President Howard Herman. “After 20 years in the business, industry leader Great Lakes is a super addition to our family. Everyone at Laundrylux is looking forward to working with Great Lakes to further expand the business and our relationship.”

“I’ve worked with Dan Naumann and the Great Lakes team for many years now,” adds Bryan Rausch, regional business manager for Laundrylux. “Great Lakes is a professional company with an established market presence and reputation for excellent customer service. We look forward to a long and mutually rewarding relationship.”

May 15, 2012
Appreciating Your Customers: How to Have a Successful Grand Reopening

OMAHA, Neb. — Great opportunity for unveiling fresh look at your store

OMAHA, Neb. — Have you recently upgraded your washers or dryers, changed your services or finished a retool? If the answer is yes, a grand reopening should be in your future.

A grand reopening is a great opportunity for your current and new customers to get a fresh look at your store. Although a small financial investment is required, the return can be significant for both you and your customers.

Timing

The event should be held to celebrate new machines in your store. If you’ve recently replaced all of your washers, for example, an event to highlight this shows customers your commitment to both the store and their business.

To really show off your store, make sure everything is in place. When hosting a grand reopening, you should take the time to paint the walls, wax the floor, replace stained ceiling tiles, and add new signage. Although not all of those fixes may be necessary, an event is a great time to evaluate the condition of the store. Customers assume you have functioning equipment, but the difference between your store and the one down the street lies in the details.

Now that you know what qualifies as an appropriate time to have a grand reopening, when should you actually host the event?

Although weekends are most likely your busiest period of the week, they still provide the best time for your event. More people can attend then than during the week, and it shows that you, as an owner, want to thank them for their business during a convenient time.

Market the Event

To draw the most traffic to your event, a little marketing is needed. Direct-mail pieces, flyers, or door hangers are always good options.

Also, consider community newspapers and local radio stations as a means to reach clientele.

Social media sites are another place to publicize your event. If your store currently has Facebook, Twitter or other social media accounts, make sure to promote the event through these channels. You can also offer an incentive to customers who check in to your event on Facebook Places or Foursquare.

Word-of-mouth advertising is the most flattering form of marketing. Make sure to tell current customers about the event and its highlights. They can tell their friends and family, who could wind up using your store’s services.

Activities and Promotions

If you had a grand opening, many of the events that happen during the grand reopening will be similar. When it comes to the activities offered, make sure you’re aware of your demographics.

An idea that I’ve seen work extremely well in the past is reaching out to a local radio station that resonates with your target consumer. If you have a significant Hispanic population, for example, the Hispanic radio station may be willing to broadcast from your store. The presence of the radio station will attract your primary target audience.

It’s important to plan family events as those customers bring in the biggest loads. For example, project a movie on the side of the building and create a drive-in atmosphere. This shows that you’re in tune with their needs.

Offering food at your event is essential. It can be something as simple as having a barbecue with hot dogs and hamburgers, which shows your customers that you appreciate their business—building loyalty in the process.

Promotions going on during your event draw new customers into the store. They should coincide with the machines you just replaced. For example, if you just had all new dryers installed, you may want to offer free dry time. If you’ve replaced washers, offer half off certain wash cycles. Either way, provide an incentive for customers to use the machines and become familiar with them.

You may also want to offer some sort of giveaway—especially if it ties into your new machines. For example, if you recently replaced your top loaders with front loaders, you may offer your customers a sample of high-efficiency soap. This will help them become familiar with your product, keeping them coming back regularly.

Making the Impact Last

During your event, it’s important to connect with your attendees and build a relationship that makes them become repeat customers.

In order to make a new customer a regular, you should make sure to promote your weekly specials at the event. If you offer dollar-off washes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, let your attendees know that through handouts and by word of mouth. Make sure to print materials in both English and the language spoken by most of your customers. This ensures that customers will not only understand your message, but it will help them feel welcomed at your store.

Store owners should aim for a 25-30% increase in customers following the event. Have a sign-up sheet for promotions at your event to help keep customers coming back. This can be hard to measure, but it’s not impossible.

Tapping Your Distributor for Help

If having an event at your store seems overwhelming, or if you just would like extra guidance, contact your distributor. They have been a part of events like this in the past and can offer best practices that they have found to be successful in your area.

On-Going Customer Marketing

Even after the grand reopening, you must continue to attract new customers and retain the ones you have. Try to connect with your customers every month by offering a promotion to show that you value their business.

With proper planning and execution, a grand reopening is the perfect opportunity to show how your laundry fits into the community and can help you grow your business in the process.

May 10, 2012
Survey: Majority of Store Owners Think They’re Pretty Handy at Maintenance

CHICAGO — Greatest strengths: maintenance, customer service, management skills

CHICAGO — The vast majority of coin laundry owners who responded to this month’s AmericanCoinOp.com Wire survey believe they’re pretty handy at doing their own maintenance.

Equal shares of 44% rate their maintenance skills as “better than most owners” or “no better or worse that other owners.” Only 8% rate their skills as “not as good as most owners,” and the remaining 4% don’t do any maintenance work.

As far as customer service, 52% say they get along great with their customers. Twenty-eight percent rate their customer service skills as no better or worse than other owners, and 16% rate their skills as better than most owners.

How are you at crunching numbers, or making daily decisions? From the Wiresurvey, 52% rate their basic management skills as better than most owners, and 32% rate themselves as no better or worse than other owners. “Outstanding” is how 16% rate their skills. No one who took the survey believes their basic management skills aren’t as good as most owners.

What’s your greatest strength related to your coin laundry? For 36% of respondents, it’s their maintenance skills. Twenty-eight percent say it’s customer service. Management is the greatest strength of 20%. Small percentages say it’s marketing (8%) or delegating (4%). The remaining 4% aren’t sure what their greatest strength is.

While the Wiresurvey presents a snapshot of readers’ viewpoints at a particular moment, it should not be considered scientific.

Subscribers to Wiree-mails—distributed twice weekly—are invited to take the industry survey anonymously online each month. All self-service laundry owners and operators are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define operator opinions and industry trends.

To sign up for the Wire, click the “Subscriptions” button at the top right-hand corner of this page and follow the instructions.

May 9, 2012
Most Have a ‘Dirty Laundry’ Secret, Survey Shows

WILTON, Conn. — Wearing dirty socks, failing to change bed sheets

WILTON, Conn. — Has anyone in your household ever worn a pair of socks more than once before washing them, or gone more than a month without changing their bed sheets? A national survey by Wisk® detergent reveals that four out of five people admitted to at least one dirty laundry secret.

Top common laundry behaviors included:

  • Going more than a month without changing bed sheets; in fact, only half of consumers wash their sheets once a week
  • Taking dirty items out of the laundry basket to wear, with more women than men admitting to this activity
  • Nearly one in three women admit to wearing the same bra for several days in a row, while close to one in three men admit to having worn the same socks or underwear for several days

Most people claim that they “just know” when an item needs to be washed—but what they may not know is that the average wash load contains 20 times more body oils and sweat than visible stains, Wisk says. It offers a new “Deep Clean” laundry detergent that seeks out and attacks trapped body oils and sweat.

“Our Wisk survey resulted in findings that would gross out most people, especially when you consider what the build-up of trapped body oils and sweat could be without regular washing,” says Bridgette Miller, senior brand manager for Wisk.

The survey was conducted online during a one-week period in April and included a national probability sample of 1,000 U.S. adults (500 women and 500 men) ages 18-64.

May 8, 2012
IPSO Highlights Vended Laundry at Texcare Booth

FRANKFURT, Germany — IPSO “builds” working vended laundry at Texcare trade show

FRANKFURT, Germany — IPSO is showcasing a fully operational vended laundry at Texcare International 2012. Visitors to the booth are able to see how the machines process clothing and linens and how advanced controls help owners increase energy efficiencies.

Vended laundry offers a high return on investment, little or no employee overhead and a relatively small initial investment, according to IPSO, making it an excellent business investment for any entrepreneur. And a vended laundry can be customized to accommodate almost any cultural and geographic factors, the company adds.

The display includes eight of IPSO’s new HD softmount washer-extractors and three DR tumblers. The washers  operate using the Cygnus standard control and are connected to a central pay system. The tumblers feature the DX4 control.

“At IPSO, we know our products work hard to get the job done and it’s important for customers to see that, too,” says John Balman, senior director of sales—Europe for Alliance Laundry Systems, IPSO’s parent company. “Having a fully operational coin store at Texcare gives us the opportunity to not only describe how a Laundromat works, but to actually allow our visitors to experience it.”

Texcare International—the World Market for Modern Textile Care—runs through Wednesday.

May 7, 2012
Market Conditions Improve For Apartment Industry

WASHINGTON — Findings reflect gradual recovery for multifamily apartment sector

WASHINGTON — Optimism continues for the apartment industry, according to the latest results of the National Multi Housing Council (NMHC) Quarterly Survey of Apartment Market Conditions. The findings reflect a gradual recovery for the multifamily sector that faced a 50-year low in apartment starts in 2009, which is good news for the coin laundry business.

The first-quarter survey’s four indexes measuring Market Tightness (74), Sales Volume (57), Equity Financing (62) and Debt Financing (65) remained above 50 for the eighth time in the past nine quarters. Any number above 50 indicates quarter-to-quarter growth.

“Market conditions improved across the board, even from the rather strong level of three months ago,” says NMHC Chief Economist Mark Obrinsky. “Demand for apartment residences—and apartment properties—continues to grow. We anticipate this increasing further in the coming years due in part to the large number of younger households moving into the housing market and a greater preference shown for renting.”

May 2, 2012
Maytag Commercial Laundry Introduces New Concept Store

ST. JOSEPH, Mich. — Turnkey program handles prep work for potential owners

ST. JOSEPH, Mich. — Maytag® Commercial Laundry saw the need in the market for a well-designed, aesthetically pleasing and branded store. The manufacturer sought input from a strategically selected advisory council and has now introduced the Maytag® Equipped Laundry concept.

Built on five decades of commercial laundry experience and the 100-plus year equity of the Maytag brand, the new store model encompasses more than just equipment, Maytag says. The complete package includes:

  • A consistent look and feel designed with input from architects and industry experts that allow for flexibility
  • Exterior and interior signage
  • Complementary paint and flooring options in hues of blues, greens and neutrals
  • Coordinating bulkhead and folding-table options

“The Maytag brand is the No. 1 preferred and most recognized brand in laundry,” says Bob English, general manager of global commercial laundry at Whirlpool Corp. “This concept store bridges an industry gap, encourages a consistent environment among vended laundry stores and offers users the dependable and reliable equipment our brand is known for—in one concise package.”

Maytag® Equipped Laundry owners/operators qualify for a special Maytag Advantage™ Program, which offers exclusive benefits and perks, such as complimentary factory service training; discounted residential appliances from Whirlpool; grand opening or reopening kits with materials and timelines to help plan effectively; point-of-purchase materials; discounts on exterior signage; special financing options; and a free membership to the Coin Laundry Association.

“The Maytag® Equipped Laundry store and owner benefits are one of a kind. We’ve done the prep work for potential owners and developed a turnkey program offering easy set-up, operation and potential for maximum profit,” says English.

More information about the store concept is available at maytagequippedlaundry.com.

April 25, 2012
StatShot: Three of Four Regions Post March, Quarterly Sales Increases

CHICAGO — Operators in South enjoy gains approaching double digits

CHICAGO — March sales in three of the four regions were up, according to the most recent AmericanCoinOp.com StatShot unscientific survey. Results for the first quarter were somewhat similar to the March sales results.

Self-service laundry operators in the South reported the largest collective increases—8.6% for March 2012 compared to March 2011 and 9.9% for first-quarter 2012 compared to the same period last year. “Better” was the word that kept popping up in comments offered by operators from that region.

“Our word of mouth continues to grow and we’re more aggressive in building commercial accounts,” says one. But not everyone is experiencing improvement. “Not seeing much change. Still weighing my options on what to do. Utility costs are killing me.”

In the Northeast, March year-to-year sales were up 5.9%, while quarter-to-quarter sales rose 4.4%, yet most of the comments received were somewhat gloomy.

“The market appears to be somewhat worse,” wrote one Northeast operator. “I’m trying to maintain the quality of my operation despite the downward trend.” Another said things were getting worse because of increasing gas prices.

Operators in the Midwest saw March sales rise 2.9% while first-quarter sales were 2% higher than first-quarter 2011. Several respondents said they thought conditions in their region were getting better.

The West was the only region to see sales drop. March 2012 sales fell 1.7% from the prior March, and first-quarter sales were down 2.8% compared to the same three-month period last year. Most operators who commented said their market conditions were unchanged or were getting worse. Again, gas prices were mentioned several times.

The StatShot includes information on sales, wages, costs or other financial data based on anonymous survey information provided by industry owners and operators.

Audience members are invited to participate in these unscientific surveys, which are conducted online via a partner website. Self-service laundry operators are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define industry trends.

April 24, 2012
Magazine Lists Whirlpool Among Best Corporate Citizens

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. — Company ranked for 10th consecutive year

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. — Whirlpool Corp. has been named one of Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s100 Best Corporate Citizens for the 10th consecutive year. Whirlpool ranked No. 69 on the magazine’s 13th annual list, which is regarded as the top corporate responsibility ranking based on publicly available information.

Last year, Whirlpool ranked No. 85. Its move of 16 spots can be attributed to high scores in the Corporate Governance, Employee Relations and Philanthropy categories.

“We are honored to be named one of the best corporate citizens for a decade straight,” says Jeff M. Fettig, chairman and CEO of Whirlpool Corporation. “Whirlpool Corp. strives to conduct business with integrity while continually keeping a diverse workplace as a guiding principle. It is a priority for us to improve communities—with sustainable and innovative products and operations, as well as giving back to the communities where we live and work.”

Launched in 2000, the 100 Best Corporate Citizens List is based on more than 318 data points of publicly available information in seven categories: environment, climate change, human rights, employee relations, corporate governance, philanthropy and financial performance.

Whirlpool has also recently been named to the Forbesand Reputation Institute’s Most Reputable Companies in the U.S. and Fortune’sWorld’s Most Admired Companies lists.

April 19, 2012
Rethinking Your Business Plan

CHICAGO — Be willing to listen and make changes

CHICAGO — Many times we think we have everything figured out, that all is good because we have owned our laundry businesses for a few years and there is some cash flow. Let me tell you, that’s going be the downfall to being able to successfully sustain and maintain a business lifeline.

I am seeing businesses, in many cases, barely getting by month to month, scratching for cash because they either do nothave a business plan or refuse to listen to advice. They will not adapt like a chameleon and rethink their business plan in an ever-changing marketplace.

Do You Want Pennies or Dollars?

That’s the decision you need to make as you are running in circles trying to manage people, customers and your business. If what you are doing is not really making you and your family real money, then why are you not changing, listening to advisers or paying attention to all the red flags around you? Simply because you have had moderate success is not really being successful.

People go into business because they want to live the American dream, right? If you’re not in the financial position you desire, pick up the phone and seek advice from someone who has already been there and done it, someone with a successful track record in the industry who can help you re-think or create your business plan.

Do You Want to Be a Player or Not? 

In my 22 years of industry experience, I’ve learned that the people who are successful business owners are willing to listen, to make changes, and to build a solid team. They are willing to regularlytake meetings with their employees, be on-site to feel the pulse of what’s really happening, and then take the necessary steps to push their business over the top.

I released my first book more than four years ago and it has since gone international. I share this not to try to impress you but to empower you. I was willing to seek out and follow the advice of others who walked before me.

So ask yourself, do you want to be a player or not?

April 18, 2012
Customers Can Earn Free Laundry Services by Going Green

EL DORADO HILLS, Calif. — Laundry donates services in exchange for green actions

EL DORADO HILLS, Calif. — Paradise Laundry is partnering with Recyclebank® to reward people for taking everyday green actions. Through the reward partner program, Paradise is giving away free laundry services.

A coin laundry uses water, natural gas and energy, so when Deborah Dower and her husband decided to open a Laundromat, she vowed to do whatever she could to help green the industry and preserve natural resources.

Recyclebank Account Manager Kevin Levy explains the concept. “It’s really pretty simple; once you have gone to our website and created an account, you select green actions you want to take—like pledging to use less energy, or recycling, or learning to live greener—and you get Recyclebank points for it.”

The points can be used for rewards at local and national retailers and online. In the case of Paradise Laundry, 50 reward points earns a $5 “wash club” card to be used toward wash, dry, or drop-off services.

Paradise Laundry opened its first coin store in Citrus Heights, Calif., in March 2010 and added a second in Roseville, Calif., last September. The company plans to add more “earth-friendly” locations in the future.

April 10, 2012
Survey: Three-Quarters of Store Owners Utilize Surveillance Systems

CHICAGO — Thirty-seven percent have brought firearm to store

CHICAGO — How safe do you consider the neighborhood where your laundry is located? Do you think your customers or employees feel safe in your store while doing laundry or working there?

Nearly three-quarters of respondents to this month’s AmericanCoinOp.com Wire survey describe their neighborhood as “somewhat safe.” Roughly 19% say their neighborhood is “neither safe nor unsafe,” and the remaining 7.4% describe theirs as “extremely safe.”

No one who took the survey described their neighborhood as “somewhat unsafe” or “not safe at all.”

Yet, more than 40% of operators say they, an employee or a customer have been a victim of crime at their laundry. Most of these incidents involved burglaries or robberies. An employee was threatened with a knife in one case, while an attendant was pushed to the ground in another.

A surveillance system is the most popular safety-related feature or practice utilized by respondents (77.8%). Other popular choices are employees/owner watch store (48.1%), alarm system (44.4%), signage (33.3%) and some type of weapon (29.6%).

Thirty-seven percent of operators who responded to the survey have brought a firearm to their laundry. Among those who haven’t, 35.3% said they would consider carrying a firearm while there.

While the Wire survey presents a snapshot of readers’ viewpoints at a particular moment, it should not be considered scientific.

Subscribers to Wire e-mails—distributed twice weekly—are invited to take the industry survey anonymously online each month. All self-service laundry owners and operators are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define operator opinions and industry trends.

To sign up for the Wire, click the “Subscriptions” button at the top right-hand corner of this page and follow the instructions.

April 4, 2012
Huebsch Names Gulf States Laundry Machinery its Distributor of the Year

RIPON, Wis. — The award was presented based on year-over-year increase in overall sales, professionalism, ongoing training and other customer-support criteria

RIPON, Wis. — Gulf States Laundry Machinery, headquartered in Houston, was recently named the 2011 Huebsch Distributor of the Year. The award was presented based on year-over-year increase in overall sales, professionalism, ongoing training and other customer-support criteria.

“Our manufacturing facility can deliver machines, but it’s distributors like Gulf States that make our products stand out to customers,” says Gary Dixon, national sales manager for Huebsch. “We appreciate the hard work of everyone at Gulf States and look forward to a long partnership with them.”

Founded in 1984, Gulf States is recognized as one of the nation’s premier drycleaning equipment distributors, Huebsch says. The company began offering coin and on-premise laundry equipment three years ago and chose to represent Huebsch products. The distributor runs regular open houses and service seminars, and prides itself on having a large inventory and a parts department that is open six days a week.

“For us, this is a great accomplishment in a very short time,” says Pravin Parmar, co-owner of Gulf States. “We only represent products we truly believe in and Huebsch is one of them. Manufactured by Alliance Laundry Systems in the U.S., Huebsch is the perfect partner for Gulf States, as we share the same vision, ‘our customers come first.’”

In addition to its Houston location, Gulf States also has a branch office in Atlanta. The distributor services southern Texas and Georgia.

April 2, 2012
Multi-housing Laundry Event Focuses on Workforce Management, Boosting Profits

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The conference will focus on increasing profits through business cycle changes and

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The 2012 Spring Educational Conference of the Multi-housing Laundry Association (MLA) will focus on increasing profits through business cycle changes; interviewing, hiring and evaluating employees; and the political picture of 2012.

Also, the group will bring back its popular route operator roundtable discussion.

The Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) will play host to the event on April 22-24.

Three educational sessions are scheduled in addition to MLA committee meetings, networking opportunities and more.

Educational sessions on the tentative agenda include:

• The Intersection of Politics and Policy, by Ron Brownstein, National Journal Group.

A two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, Brownstein explains with lucid precision the complexities of American politics. He appears regularly on MSNBC programs, including Hardball, Andrea Mitchell Reports, and Morning Joe, and has served as a regular panelist on Face the Nation.

His sixth and most recent book, The Second Civil War: How Extreme Partisanship Has Paralyzed Washington and Polarized America, was published in 2007.

• Talent Acquisition and Retention, by Deidre Siegel, PEAR™ Core Solutions.

Siegel is founder and CEO of an outsourced, human resources management firm that provides core competencies in behavioral analytics for individuals and in the workplace, talent acquisition strategies, and all levels of human resource support in areas of legal compliance and organizational development pertaining to policies, procedures, process, and people.

Her company has worked with teams in many organizations across a variety of industries. Clients are able to understand their unique business culture in a strategic manner, MLA says, and using this knowledge of specific and unique corporate dynamics, as well as the implementation of proper processes, documentation and communication, remain in growth mode perpetually.

• Increasing Profits through Business Cycle Changes, by Alan Beaulieu, ITR Capital Partners.

Beaulieu co-authored Make Your Move, a book on how to increase profits through business cycle changes. He is president of the Institute for Trend Research, principal and managing partner of ITR Capital Partners, and an active member of ITR’s Investment Committee.

Beaulieu has been consulting with companies throughout the United States, Europe and Japan. His firm’s accuracy rate and unique position—with more than 60 years of calls throughout every major historic economic turning point—as well as his extensive understanding of business cycles and the ability to explain the implications makes his presentation unique, MLA says.

Away from the conference, attendees can take advantage of Fort Lauderdale’s art and museum tours, yacht charters, sports fishing, casinos and racetracks, and more.

The reservation deadline has passed at the host hotel, but rooms may still be available. Call 800-542-8680 for information.

MLA membership entitles each company to two complimentary registrations. Additional registrants or guests may attend at a registration fee set to cover the cost of food, beverages, and speaker expenses.

To learn how to register, call 800-380-3652 or e-mail nshore@mla-online.com.

March 27, 2012
Jury Convicts Laundromat’s Repeat Robber

WASHINGTON — Man convicted of robbing Laundromat twice in eight days

WASHINGTON — A jury last week convicted a Washington man of armed robbery and carrying a dangerous weapon for two separate robberies of a Northeast Washington coin laundry last summer, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Lawrence White, 41, remains jailed as he awaits his May 31 sentencing. He faces up to 30 years in prison for each of two robbery charges and up to a year for each of two weapons charges.

According to the government’s evidence, just before 6 p.m. on Aug. 14, 2011, White entered a Laundromat in the 1600 block of Benning Road NE. He went into a private office and brandished a knife at an employee, making off with several hundred dollars in cash.

Just eight days later, White returned to the laundry in the early afternoon and robbed the same employee, showing the same knife and taking hundreds of dollars in cash from a cash drawer.

During the second robbery, a surveillance camera captured White running into the office and then exiting the scene. The surveillance video led directly to White’s identification and arrest a few days later.

March 26, 2012
Cart Maker Collaborates with E-commerce Firm to Reach Larger Market

ELBERTON, Ga. — R&B Wire Products to offer bushel transport products to larger consumer market

ELBERTON, Ga. — California-based R&B Wire Products, a manufacturer of carts widely used in self-service laundries, is collaborating with Rehabmart.com, an online commerce company that sells rehabilitation and medical supplies, to offer its bushel transport products to a larger consumer market.

“We are very pleased to offer these bushel transport solutions from R&B Wire Products to more consumers,” says Hulet Smith, founder and CEO of Rehabmart. “From wire storage baskets to hampers, privacy screens to garment racks, and utility carts to bushel trucks, we know that all of our customers will be able to find their own storage and transport solutions from the wide variety of high-quality products R&B offers through Rehabmart.

“These products are not only helpful for healthcare, hospitality and laundry facilities, but are great to use at home, too!” Smith adds.

R&B Wire Products has made wire, tubular, poly and vinyl bushel products serving the healthcare, hospitality, laundry, janitorial supply, material handling and car wash sectors since 1946.

March 22, 2012
Sudz Yur Dudz Positions Itself for Success

CHINO VALLEY, Ariz. — Two-year-old store relies on

CHINO VALLEY, Ariz. — It’s been more than two years since Heavenly Graham opened Sudz Yur Dudz. Like many Laundromat owners, Graham opened her store while pursuing another career. Owning the store offered her another revenue stream, while not taking too much time away from her janitorial business.

She approached the investment through careful planning and research. She chose a convenient and well-visited area in the Chino Valley shopping center, with favorable foot traffic.

With the location secured, Graham needed to determine which machinery would be best for her customers and her bottom line. She chose Pellerin Milnor and, through the guidance of local dealer Laundry and Cleaners Equipment Co., elected to equip the store with Milnor’s coin-operated washers and high-efficiency dryers.

In order to get financing, Graham submitted a comprehensive business plan to her bank, laying out strategies to create a positive cash flow. “The community rallied in support of a new Laundromat,” she said. “Our employees are professional, helpful and friendly, creating an excellent reputation, which will contribute to long-term returning customers.”

Using Milnor Capital to finance the equipment helped her to reduce her terms and have more funds for operational expenses.

Sudz Yur Dudz is located across Highway 89 from a senior mobile home park; many of the park’s residents rely on her store for their laundry services.

Four different machine capacities offer them and other Sudz Yur Dudz customers, including individuals and families, flexibility in choosing the right machinery based on their needs.

With approximately 1,500 square feet of retail space, there is plenty of room for customers to wash, dry and fold their laundry comfortably.

With only one other coin store in the area, Sudz Yur Dudz has positioned itself for success in this market. A few months ago, the store began offering commercial laundry services during off-hours to local restaurants, a car wash, a mid-size hotel and the local Humane Society. The program fully utilizes its equipment and maximizes the store’s revenue stream. 

March 21, 2012
Tide Recruits Telenovela Star for Product Launch

CINCINNATI — Singer/actor introduces Hispanic consumers to

CINCINNATI — Tide has recruited telenovela star Jencarlos Canela to show Hispanic consumers the brand’s new Tide® Pods™, a three-chamber unit dose laundry detergent that brightens, cleans and fight stains in one.

Consumers will have the chance to meet Canela on April 3 at a Los Angeles Laundromat to get a glance at the product benefits. The singer and actor has already made some surprise visits to Miami-area laundries as part of the product launch.

“I’m very happy to represent Tide and to be able to reach my friends for the launch of this innovative product,” says Canela. “At home, we’re already using Tide Pods, the future of laundry, and I noticed that it is very easy to use because with one single ‘pac’ you can obtain in your clothes brightness, cleanness and fight stains; everything in the palm of your hand.”

Tide Pods are available at select retail outlets.

March 19, 2012
Clean Show Selects GES as Official Contractor

ATLANTA — Show committee picks Las Vegas-based company from

ATLANTA — The Clean Executive Committee has selected Global Experience Specialists (GES) to serve as the official services contractor for the 2013 Clean Show in New Orleans.

Three companies submitted proposals for the June 2013 show. “GES did our show in New Orleans in 2009 and did a great job,” says John Riddle, president of Riddle & Associates, the Clean Show’s management company. “We look forward to working with them again in 2013.”

Chicago hosted the first Clean Show in 1977. United Exposition Service Co. was the official services contractor for that event and subsequent shows. GES purchased United in 1993, and the Las Vegas-based company has continued its partnership with the Clean Show for many shows since.

GES produces 3,000 exhibitions and events annually.

The Clean Show—officially titled the World Educational Congress for Laundering and Drycleaning—attracts people across all segments of the textile care industry, from single-owner, coin-operated laundry and drycleaning establishments to giant industrial and institutional laundries and textile rental companies.

March 14, 2012
American Dryer Corp. Refocuses Regional Attention

FALL RIVER, Mass. — In an effort to provide customers with more direct attention

FALL RIVER, Mass. — In an effort to provide its customers with more direct, hands-on regional attention, American Dryer Corp. (ADC) has given additional responsibilities to two members of its sales team, the company reports.

Corey Simonson, who manages regional sales in the Midwest and Canada, now has additional responsibilities that include Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico and Wyoming.

John Olson, who is charge of ADC’s Eastern regional sales, now assumes added responsibilities in California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

The company believes that Simonson’s and Olson’s extensive experience will prove invaluable as they work directly with distributors and support staff to ensure that all efforts are made to help grow their ADC business.

March 13, 2012
Survey: Nearly Half of Respondents Believe Industry Image Needs Improving

CHICAGO — Next major change for industry is predicted to be

CHICAGO — The self-service laundry industry has some work to do on its image, based on the results of this month’s AmericanCoinOp.com Wire survey.

Nearly half of the respondents to the unscientific survey—47.4%—don’t believe the self-service laundry industry presents a good image. Roughly 26% do believe the industry presents a good image, and the remaining 26.3% are unsure.

Sprucing up of stores by their operators would be the best thing to happen to the industry in 2012, according to 50% of respondents. Another 27.8% believe having fewer stores would be best. Roughly 17% think implementing industrywide price hikes would be the best thing that could happen.

As far as naming the next major change in this industry, 47.4% of respondents believe there will be no major changes in the next several years. Technology will play a greater role in their businesses, according to 31.6% of respondents.

Approximately 26% say that smaller laundries will gradually die out, while 15.8% believe that laundries will offer a broader array of services. None of the respondents see the emergence of a strong franchise operation.

Respondents also had the opportunity to comment on what they expect from their business in 2012. Several comments related to increased growth (at least two operators hope for 10% increases) while other operators just hope they can weather the economic storm and withstand what they believe will be a tough year. One operator wants to improve his/her customer service.

The Wire survey presents a snapshot of readers’ viewpoints at a particular moment, but it should not be considered scientific.

Subscribers to Wire e-mails—distributed twice weekly—are invited to take a brief industry survey anonymously online each month. All self-service laundry owners and operators are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define operator opinions and industry trends.

To sign up for the Wire, click the “Subscriptions” button at the top right-hand corner of this page and follow the instructions.


 

March 12, 2012
Distributor CG West Hires Bakker as VP of Sales

SANTA FE SPRINGS, Calif. — New exec has more than 28 years of experience in

SANTA FE SPRINGS, Calif. — Continental Girbau West (CG West) has hired Andrew “Bud” Bakker as vice president of sales. In his new role, Bakker manages and works to grow the regional distributor’s vended, on-premise and industrial laundry sales efforts.

“Bud is an incredibly experienced sales professional with undeniable character,” says Continental Girbau President Mike Floyd. “He understands field sales and comes to CG West with more than 28 years of experience.”

Bakker launched his career in 1984 as an owner/operator of Simon and Son Fine Dry Cleaning, in Woodinville, Wash., where he stayed for 11 years. He went on to serve Westport Supply, Tukwila, Wash., where he handled drycleaning, industrial laundry, hotel laundry and janitorial supply sales. Most recently, he served as the Northwest sales account manager at Dynamic Sales and Service, Kirkland, Wash., where he managed a territory including Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.

A subsidiary of Wisconsin-based Continental Girbau Inc., CG West serves the California vended, on-premise and industrial laundry markets by providing equipment, parts, financing, service, warranty and training.

March 8, 2012
Flushing Out the Restroom Issue (Part 2 of 2)

PEMBROKE, Mass. — Let’s examine a delicate subject: the bathroom for customers in your store(s). You have four choices. You can have no public restroom, and let them use the employee bathroom when they plead. (Of course, some cities require that all establishments serving the citizenry have public bathrooms, so this alternative might not be possible.) You can have a filthy bathroom, which will discourage patrons from ever using your bathroom again. You can have a clean bathroom, which requires regular maintenance and periodic updating. Or you can have an interesting bathroom. Yes, you read correctly: I said “interesting.”

Interesting

What is an interesting bathroom? Well, it’s a clean bathroom with a special touch. But no one is suggesting you spend a lot of money for super-stylish Kohler bath fixtures like the ones you might see in upscale magazines.

I was once in a small bathroom with walls and ceiling painted black, sporting red sideboards plus gold-framed mirrors in three spots. My reaction was, “Wow, isn’t this something!” The homeowner said she spent about $100 to buy the mirrors at Goodwill and paint the walls and ceiling herself to create the Toulouse-Lautrec look.

I once was in a restaurant bathroom with a decoupage collage of advertisements that filled one wall from floor to ceiling. Painted in huge print on the front door was “Unisex Lavatory.”

So, how could a Laundromat bathroom be deemed interesting? It could be three pictures of colorful pastoral scenes on the walls. How about a plastic sign at the entrance that reads, “In this chamber, the most brilliant thinking occurs.” Would such a light touch hurt your reputation?

How about having a calligrapher write quotations in large Roman letters, then paste them to a green outlined foam core board that you’d affix to the walls? Some suggested quotes: “We are all lying in the gutter, but some of us are looking up at the stars.” — Oscar Wilde; “Be bold, be bold, but not too bold.” — Karen Blitzen; and “Most men live lives of quiet desperation.” — Henry David Thoreau.

Put a sign on the bathroom door identifying it as “La Pissoir” (urinal). Inside, suit up a life-size mannequin in casual clothing and beret and stand it in the corner. Think French. Or put a “WC” sign (short for “water closet”) out front and hang posters depicting British life on the walls. Have some fun.

An interesting bathroom expands the user’s experience, and just might be a reason he or she visits your laundry again. Furthermore, an interesting bathroom obligates your staff to keep it clean. You wouldn’t want that mannequin standing in squalor, would you?

Click here for Part 1.

March 8, 2012
Report: Repair, Expansion of U.S. Water Infrastructure Will Top $1 Trillion in Next 25 Years

DENVER — The cost of repairing and expanding U.S. drinking water infrastructure will top $1 trillion in the next 25 years

DENVER — The cost of repairing and expanding U.S. drinking water infrastructure will top $1 trillion in the next 25 years, an expense that likely will be met primarily through higher water bills and local fees, an American Water Works Association (AWWA) report asserts.

The report, Buried No Longer: Confronting America’s Water Infrastructure Challenge, analyzes many factors, including timing of water main installation and life expectancy, materials used, replacement costs and shifting demographics, the association says. Nationally, the infrastructure needs are almost evenly divided between replacement and expansion requirements.

Water systems that were built in the latter part of the 19th century and throughout much of the 20th century have, for the most part, never experienced the need for pipe replacement on a large scale, the AWWA report says. “The dawn of an era in which the assets will need to be replaced puts a growing stress on communities that will continue to increase for decades to come.”

But AWWA Executive Director David LaFrance says meeting the needs uncovered in the report is not an insurmountable task. “When you consider everything that tap water delivers—public health protection, fire protection, support for the economy, the quality of life we enjoy—we owe it to future generations to confront the infrastructure challenge today.”

Some House and Senate subcommittee hearings this week have focused on water infrastructure concerns and proposed legislation to better address funding and financing options.

The AWWA report can be downloaded here.