Content about Home appliances

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.

CHICAGO — The specter of ever-rising utility costs should be enough to spur the average laundry owner to track this expense and explore ways to minimize it.

In response to a series of questions from American Coin-Op, Gary Dixon, national sales manager for Huebsch, and Kent Walters, national sales manager for Maytag® Commercial Laundry, discuss the role that tracking energy usage and maximizing its effectiveness plays in a successful self-service laundry, and offered some important tips for corralling costs.

Often, the battle against rising utility costs starts with your equipment.

Q: What is the average life expectancy of today’s washers and dryers?

Dixon: Life expectancy will vary depending on machine usage, installation, preventive maintenance and other factors. However, it is not uncommon for laundry owners to get 12-15 years of life out of their machines.

Walters: The average life expectancy of today’s single- and multi-load washers is seven to 10 years. As a result of fewer moving parts, single- and multi-load dryers typically have a slightly longer life expectancy of 10 to 12 years. If washers or dryers are used more or less frequently, life expectancy fluctuates.

Q: How much impact can following a regular equipment maintenance schedule make in a store’s efficiency?

Walters: Store owners who want to maximize equipment performance must regularly perform proactive and preventive maintenance tasks. In washers, cleaning equipment and surrounding areas, tightening bolts that hold machines in place, and looking for leaks, checking belts, bearings, and seals for standard wear and tear, etc., are important. By performing regularly scheduled maintenance, store owners are less likely to incur a major breakdown, costing them additional money for parts and downtime. When maintaining dryers, it is critical to keep vents clean and make sure the dryers have enough make-up air.

Dixon: By following a recommended maintenance schedule, the laundry owner is ensuring that their equipment is operating at optimum efficiency. This translates to lower utility costs and keeps down time to a minimum. The result is happier customers and more profit.

Q: If a store’s energy efficiency begins to decline, where should the owner first look to make changes?

Dixon: The first place to look is in the washer-extractor control software. Are the water levels set where you wanted them? Is the water temperature different than where it was? Is the software notifying you of potential leaks?

Walters: If energy efficiency begins to decline, the first place a store owner should investigate is the dryers. Specifically, an owner needs to ensure all ventilation is free of lint, which can cut down on the amount of air getting to the dryer, as well as make-up air.

Q: Does water usage impact energy efficiency, and vice versa?

Walters: Yes, water is a big expense for store owners and using newer, low-water-use washers can save a lot of money in both water and sewage savings. High-spin-speed washer-extractors are necessary to maximize cleaning performance by spinning out additional water from laundry so dryers don’t have to work as hard to dry the load.

Dixon: It most certainly does. The amount of water in each bath and the number of baths in a cycle has a direct impact on water and sewer costs. Equipment designs that minimize wasted water below the wash cylinder will also have a favorable impact on water usage. Water-level adjustability is critical for optimizing water settings at a minimum level that is still acceptable to your customers.

Q: How can a store owner “train” their customers and attendants so their laundry’s energy efficiency is optimal?

Dixon: In any business, the culture and message that is communicated comes from the top down. If you are adamant with your employees about maximizing efficiency and provide a mission statement and guidance to them for realizing your goals, you will create the culture. This will, in turn, be communicated to your customers.

Walters: Having a trained attendant who can show the customers the proper way to use the equipment is always the best. Signage is another great way to train customers and attendants on use of machines, proper amount of detergent, operating instructions, etc. Signage should include simple-to-follow instructions located in easy-to-read places.

Q: Besides laundry equipment choice and usage, where are some other opportunities to shore up energy efficiency?

Walters: Store owners should obtain an energy analysis of the store through their local laundry equipment supplier to help determine areas that need improvement. In addition to equipment, owners should consider incorporating energy-efficient options, such as high-efficiency water heaters, T-8s, electronic ballasts, light sensors and task lighting.

Dixon: There are many variables that impact energy efficiency. Some things to consider: alternative sources for energy needs, type of water heaters, choice of lighting and fixtures, window tinting, the thermostat setting, and even landscaping are just a few things to look at.

Q: To whom may a store owner turn for assistance in improving their store’s energy efficiency?

Walters: Whether shopping for new equipment, looking to upgrade existing equipment, or needing some assistance related to a store’s laundry operations, it is important to connect with a reliable, established distributor for guidance. The best laundry distributors are those that have a long history in the business and have received positive reviews for the customer service they provide.

Dixon: The relationship a laundry owner has with their local distributor can pay dividends into the future. The local distributor is well versed in what is available from the equipment manufacturer. They also have an intimate knowledge of the area they serve.

Q: Do you have any other comments to add regarding energy efficiency in the self-service laundry?

Dixon: Over the past several years, many laundry owners have postponed upgrading their equipment to products that are more energy-efficient; this is certainly understandable. However, when the time comes and it makes good business sense to do so, it is important to not just look at the price of the products. It is also important to look at the cost of ownership of the equipment and energy efficiency is a major factor in this cost.

Click here for Part 1!

PEMBROKE, Mass. — Just like your business grows one customer at a time, so you improve your operation by implementing one little idea after another. In time, your business becomes a different entity. It is little changes over time that makes the difference. Here, then, are a number of little ideas I’ve seen in different Laundromats that aren’t generally used, or little ideas told to me by others, or even little ideas that popped into my head.

HANG A PURPLE NEON SIGN IN YOUR FRONT WINDOW

Nothing attracts attention quite like purple neon. The sign could say “Open 6 to Midnight” or “We Clean Your Clothes” or simply “Laundromat.” Passer-bys will take notice, and the identification could result in new customers.

PUT A SANDWICH BOARD ON YOUR FRONT SIDEWALK

Have it professionally made. Offer a feature or a service or a price break. Better yet, put a rail on the sides of your sandwich board so ads can be added and removed at will. People walking by will take notice. You never know when this might mean something.

ANNOUNCE THAT YOU OFFER HIGH-QUALITY EQUIPMENT

Whenever you purchase some new equipment, put up a sign in your front window that reads “New Washers/Dryers” and “State-of-the-Art Equipment.”

One of the most common complaints about Laundromats is malfunctioning equipment. Coins get stuck, machines stops working, dryers have no heat, and washers don’t rotate clothes, that sort of thing. So, if you can become known as an operator who keeps his equipment in fighting trim, replacing older models regularly, this will give you an advantage in the market. The front-window sign reinforces that impression.

PLACE A WOODEN BENCH OUT FRONT

Give your customers a comfortable place to sit while waiting for their laundry to finish. Who knows, maybe two strangers will strike up a conversation. Maybe even people will become…friends. Laugh if you will, but who among us has not walked into a Laundromat with the hope of meeting someone special and finding romance. It is possible in such an environment because it’s hard to put on airs when you are doing a mundane task. I submit that if self-service laundries could further this image, they’d boost their patronage by 50%.

But whatever, a long bench out front is a nice place to wait on a mild, sunny day.

SELL THREE SIZES OF LAUNDRY BAGS

Laundromats that don’t sell laundry bags are missing a sales opportunity. Most Laundromats sell only one size, but different families have different needs. So, sell three sizes—at different price ranges of, say, $6, $8 and $10—and win extra business.

OFFER A DEAL FOR WASH-DRY-FOLD SERVICE

Most “Laundromateurs” charge a per-pound price—say $1 per pound. The customer does 15 pounds and pays $15. But how about incentivizing the offer? The first 8 pounds will cost the customer $8, and each additional pound will cost 69 cents (with a minimum order of 8 pounds). That way, the customer feels he/she is getting a deal. The same 15-pound order will cost $12.83 (8 pounds X $1 + 7 pounds X 69 cents). You’re losing $2 on this sale, but you will gain more total business.

For one thing, the customer will be happy to save money (in his/her mind) and will give you more laundry in future orders (“after all, it’s only 69 cents a pound”). Customers who haven’t tried your wash-dry-fold service will say, “What the heck, I might as well use their service instead of wasting my time here.” The loss in unit-sale dollars will result in total greater revenue. That is always the way sales incentives work.

HANG A LARGE CLOCK IN YOUR STORE

Sure, most people have cell phones and can just look at their gadget of choice to see the time. But not all of your customers have them. Why not make it easier for everyone to know what time it is? It is just a service you should provide.

GIVE MACHINES NAMES, NOT NUMBERS

Some of you don’t assign any machine identity. Others number their machines. How about giving each machine a name? You could name them after celebrities: Clooney, Madonna, Eastwood. Or professional athletes: Manning, Woods, Ortiz. Or just funky names: Orville, Fritz, Miranda. It’s a whimsical touch that might bring a smile to the face of your customer who comes to you and says, “Miranda isn’t working.”

SELL A VALUE CARD

Offer $10 worth of laundry for $8. Giving the customer a break is always a good strategy. It makes the customer appreciate you that much more. When someone has a problem, they’ll be more forgiving. When a new Laundromat opens up that is closer, your customer will remain loyal to your store.

PAINT A MURAL ON YOUR EXTERIOR SIDE WALL

Have an exterior wall that’s just a white rectangle? Select an artist, who, for a moderate sum, will paint an interesting mural the length of the side. What subject? If you are located in an ethnic neighborhood, choose a scene depicting the “old country.” If in a dull commercial area, paint a group of smiling, larger-than-life faces. If the spirit moves you/the artist, a vivid abstract will do. The point of the effort is to draw attention to your building, and thus to your Laundromat.

You ever have someone call up and ask, “Where is your place?” If you do, all you have to say, “I’m the building with the water mural.” Plus, you become an arts supporter, and that’s something you can use to rope in the arts community as customers.

SET UP A GLASS DISPLAY OF YOUR MERCHANDISE FOR SALE

Include all the detergent products in their colorful boxes, along with stain stick products, laundry bags, and whatever else you peddle. With a display case attractively arranged, patrons will have a look. You never know what might happen. If you sell soap bars (as an add-on), they might buy. They might purchase a box of detergent for next time. If you have a Laundromat decal, they might purchase that. The first rule of retail sales is to make it attractive.

If any of these ideas float your boat, give them a try. Even better, give them all a try.

BISMARCK, N.D. — Oil field clothes can tear up a washing machine. Several laundry businesses have had to close their doors to workers but others are building their businesses around the boom.

A sign on the door of King Koin Laundrette Car and Dog Wash at 2125 E. Thayer Ave. reads “Because of odor and residue problems, we no longer allow oil field clothes in this establishment.” Owner Mike Walsh hung it there about two years ago when damage to his washing machines and dryers became too much.

“We tried for about three years,” Walsh said. “Now we refer them to somebody else when they call ... It was just getting out of hand.”

A similar sign hangs at Interstate Laundry and Carwash at 1438 Interstate Loop. Customers can be charged for washing oily clothes at Boulevard Laundromat at 1310 E. Boulevard Ave. A new machine can cost as much as $10,000 and the upkeep became too high as more oil field workers made their way to Bismarck.

Walsh said the gloves the workers wear are saturated in oil and it was getting left behind in the washers.

“It wasn’t a good fit for us,” Walsh said. “We had to protect our other customers so when they bring their stuff in, they don’t get their stuff ruined.”

Walsh also is short on dryers. It can take as long as an hour and a lot of cleaning supplies to get one back in working order after oil field clothes have been in it.

“The dryers are the worst because it just bakes in there,” he said.

Soap and Suds Laundry Mat at 122 W. Bowen Ave. has opened its doors to the rig workers, though. Owner Louis Baltrusch thinks he is the only self-service Laundromat to allow oil field clothes in Bismarck.

“Why shouldn’t I work with them?” Baltrusch said.

It just takes a lot of soap to make it work.

“Before, guys would come in and use the top loaders and leave a mess behind,” he said.

Baltrusch now has three washing machines at the front of the Laundromat that he asks rig workers to use. He sees at least 30 to 40 workers each week.

“It’s really picked up the last couple years,” he said. “I’m going to have to get some more of them because they’re used so much.”

Interstate Laundry and Carwash used to have machines set aside for oily clothes too, but had to stop when the number of oil field customers increased.

Baltrusch watches for any workers as they come in the door to tell them which machines to use and what to do.

“If I see somebody coming in with a pretty dirty tote, it’s a pretty safe bet he’s a rig worker,” he said.

Baltrusch has oil field customers put two scoops soap to the washing machine in each of the first two rinse cycles. Then he has them take a towel and wipe it down when they’re finished.

“You could put in a white comforter right after and not have a problem,” he said.

Baltrusch said the water in the washer looks like mud during the first rinse cycle, but by the final cycle the water is clear. The oily clothes are then clean and don’t mess up his dryers.

Rig workers can drop off their oily clothes at Arrowhead Cleaners and Laundry Inc. at 1140 N. Third St. The company has two older machines that it uses. Turrito’s Dry Cleaners at 1041 E. Interstate Ave. and 1131 E. Main Ave. and Dakota Dry Cleaners at 820 E. Broadway Ave. do not take oil field clothes.

With very few places in Bismarck taking oil field laundry, many workers are dropping their clothes off in other towns on their way home and picking them up on their way back to work.

“I have a lot of guys call me and ask if I take oil field clothes,” said Melvin Pirkl, owner of Superior Laundry Cleaners in Dickinson, N.D. “They say we just came from Bismarck and they won’t let us.”

Pirkl said his business has more than doubled because of the oil boom. It really picked up for him about a year ago.

“I’m so busy, I don’t know which way to turn,” he said. “I have laundry bags sitting in front of me and I don’t know what to do first.”

Pirkl said he even comes in to work at night to try to get caught up. The biggest problem he faces is equipment damage due to overload.

(This article originally appeared in the Bismarck (N.D.) Tribune and is posted here by permission. You can find the original article here.)

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.

CHICAGO — Phil Arvin and his two partners opened their first Maytag-equipped coin laundry in Memphis, Tenn., last March. The 5,000-square-foot attended store is equipped with new energy-efficient 60- and 80-pound washers that are much larger than those in competing stores and thus could command a higher vend price, Arvin says.

But the group followed the suggestions of distributor Justin Laundry and established prices that are comparable to the laundries nearby, Arvin says. “Even though we’re offering a much higher quality product, we didn’t want to be perceived as the higher priced place.”

This is just one example of how the market can influence a laundry’s pricing strategy. But other factors are at work, too, and there are some basic premises that the self-service laundry operator should keep in mind when establishing or changing vend prices.

Criteria for Setting Price?

Upon what criteria should a laundry owner base his or her wash and dry vend prices?

“It really comes down to two issues,” says Kevin Hietpas, vice president of sales and marketing for Dexter. “No. 1 is what’s happening to his costs. How have costs impacted the viability and profitability of his business? Owners should have a good sense of where their business is tracking from a performance standpoint.

“No. 2 is where is he competitively. None of us exist in a vacuum, so you want to understand, ‘I might want to get to a certain point, but as of right now the market won’t let me go there all at once.’ That’s a secondary concern, because I think if the owner is providing good value, it’ll be reflected in his costs. He’s not going overboard with what he’s charging, nor is he under pricing for his service.”

“We have a lot of ‘rules of thumb’ in this industry,” says Gary Gauthier, national sales manager, vended laundries, Milnor Laundry Systems. “When it comes to pricing, it’s typically recommended that gross monthly receipts from washer/dryer revenues should be at least four times the monthly rent and at least five times the monthly utility expenses.”

A store owner needs to be aware of and factor in the competition’s prices when determining his or her own washer and dryer pricing, says Kent Walters, national sales manager for Maytag/Whirlpool Commercial Laundry.

“The owner’s goal should be to produce the best experience for the customer from ambiance to equipment and services—and the costs associated with washing and drying play a large part in this equation,” Walters says.

How Do Your Front-Load Prices Compare?

American Coin-Op surveyed its e-mail subscribers about their November 2011 front-load vend prices — their lowest and highest, and whether the prices had changed since the previous November. Those polled were not asked to identify machine capacities.

Results from the anonymous, unscientific StatShot survey show the lowest and highest prices varied quite a bit among the four regions.

In the West, customers could get a front-load wash for as little as $1.50. The lowest-priced front-load washes ranged from $1.50 to $3.75. Nearly 88% of these prices were unchanged from November 2010. The remaining 12.5% of respondents had raised their lowest-price wash during the 12 months.

The price range for the most expensive front-load washes in the Western region was $2.75 to $7.89. Every respondent reported these prices were unchanged from a year earlier.

Low-end front-load prices in the South ranged from $1.75 to $4.25. Approximately 62% of respondents had kept the same low price since November 2010, and 31.6% had raised the price. Just 5.3% had lowered the price.

Southern customers faced the widest price range of all regions — $2 to $17.50. Nearly 58% of operators reported having raised their high-end price since November 2010, and the remainder were unchanged.

In the Northeast, the most inexpensive front-load prices were $1.50 to $5.50. Just 6.7% of operators had raised their prices in the previous 12 months, while the remainder had kept the prices unchanged.

When it came to the most expensive wash, Northeastern customers were paying $2.25 to $8 in November. Approximately 21% of respondents had raised this price compared to November 2010, while the remainder had stood pat.

The most inexpensive front-load prices in the Midwest ranged from $1 to $4.50. Just 5.9% of operators had raised their prices since November 2010, while another 5.9% had lowered them. The remainder had kept prices unchanged.

On the high side of front-load prices, Midwestern customers faced a range of $2.50 to $8.79 in November. Some 12% of respondents had increased prices, with the remainder keeping the status quo.

Tuesday: Should you announce a price change?

CHICAGO — The cost of iron for new products is going up dramatically. Meanwhile, increasing utilities cost and escalating rent are eating up laundry profits.

I have been researching the best way for you to maintain your existence in this industry. When purchasing machines, you must seriously look at refurbished washers and dryers as an option.

The cost to purchase refurbished equipment is well under 50% versus buying new. The average “life cycle” for most owners to stay in this industry is three to five years. What’s the point of digging yourself into a hole you may never be able to dig yourself out of?

Now, the newer machines are more energy-efficient and offer warranties, which is important. But if the refurbished or rebuilt machines are purchased from a reputable company that stands behind the quality of its work, you will come out ahead, bottom line.

Recently, I did some consulting for an investor who decided to go 100% refurbished for his remodel. He saved about 58% of the total cost of going new, or more than $165,000.

Now, if you do the math and calculate what your monthly payment would be on the additional expense of buying new equipment, you are looking at eating right into your bank account big time.

Many laundries are closing across the United States, mainly due to high rents that need to be adjusted. If you’re just getting into the game, you’d better plan on doing some good negotiating to get your rent reduced to a level that will help keep your business going.

If you’re looking to stay in the game long term, and this is going to be your new life, then I recommend that you look at new products, especially if you’re planning on building a new Laundromat.

CHICAGO — Simply put, an outlook is an expectation for the future. But no one has the ability to see the future, so the best you can hope to do is to gather as much pertinent information as possible, prepare yourself for what you think will come, then have the flexibility to adapt your business to what actually comes your way.

As the ocean waves wash away the remnants of 2011, there are reasons to be optimistic that the self-service laundry industry will continue to bounce back in 2012. But that optimism will be tempered by a lagging economy and ever-present high unemployment rates.

In speaking with experts around the industry, it’s clear that an operator’s best course of action in 2012 will be a continued emphasis on running an efficient operation and taking whatever opportunities are available to promote their business.

PAST PERFORMANCE AND FUTURE RESULTS

While past performance is no guarantee of future results, it’s certainly a good indicator. From an operator’s perspective, business in 2010 was better than it was in 2009, according to our 2011 State of the Industry Survey.

Forty-two percent of operators reported an increase in gross dollar volume in 2010 compared to 2009. That was up nearly two percentage points from the previous year. The average 2010 business increase was 10.8%, up from 7.9% in 2009.

But 58% of respondents to our unscientific survey saw their laundry business decrease in 2010. That was two percentage points less than 2009, but a significant portion overall nonetheless. It’s apparent the recession that economic experts say officially ended in summer 2009 was still being felt last year.

There were also reasons for optimism on the supply side. Nearly half of respondents to our 2011 Distributor Survey said their business was better in 2010 than it was in 2009. Better yet, nearly two-thirds predicted in July that 2011 business would be better than 2010. Those whose distributorships thrived saw investors who were inspired by upticks in the economy, or who chose to look into the coin laundry business after losing their jobs.

Distributors whose business suffered in 2010 lamented over changing demographics, tight lending/lack of financing, and potential investors unwilling to spend.

IMPACTS OF 2011

Dick Ruel, national sales manager for Whirlpool and Maytag Commercial Laundry, says the continued sluggish economy and the “exodus of 1 million Hispanics” since the recession began have had the biggest impact on our industry.

People are doing laundry every other week now instead of every week, he adds.

The rising cost of utilities is having a major impact as well, says Setomatic Systems’ Jeff North, who owns the Newport (N.H.) Car Wash and Laundromat.

“While energy-efficient machines and hot water heaters are almost a necessity now, they simply can’t make up for the enormous increases in costs,” he says. “Water and sewage has gotten to the point in many municipalities that it has passed electricity and fossil fuels as the most expensive utility cost.”

His municipality is at approximately $15 per 1,000 gallons and is slated for two more 10% hikes in the next two years, North says.

In the South, where Raymond McMurry owns Pat’s Washtub in Lawton, Okla., the biggest impact on his business came from the weather.

“In 2010, we had bad ice storms and power outages, (and) therefore great sales because we had power. Hard to beat in the first half of 2011 with good weather.”

Second was the shaky economy. “We have seen a major dip in full service (wash/dry/fold, comforters, pressing), and self-service is on the increase. Commercial accounts are increasing somewhat due to outsourcing to cut expenses.”

Larry Larsen has more than 30 years of experience in the ownership, management and construction of Laundromats. “The continued severe recession with high employment and a loss of home-construction jobs has had the biggest impact in Southern California. Our unemployment rate hovers around 14%. If you’re not working, you’re not getting your clothes dirty.”

Another Californian, Andy Wray of ACE Commercial Laundry Equipment, says there are fewer laundry customers to be had because many people have migrated elsewhere to find work and a lower cost of living. And laundry owners there are fearful of losing even more customers by increasing their prices.

“Prices on utilities in the Laundromat have gone up at an alarming rate, and it has come to the point where owners just simply can’t afford to absorb the increases any longer. Capacity and volume have now officially made way for pricing and margins.”

Tomorrow: Attracting business in 2012…

NASHVILLE — Star Distributing Commercial Laundry Equipment is now offering the Wascomat, Electrolux and B&C Technologies product lines in Georgia and Alabama, the distributor says.

“We are excited to be expanding our operations to Georgia and Alabama with the B&C Technologies, Electrolux and Wascomat lines,” says Michael Davis, president of Star Distributing. “The expansion of our product lines will position us well for growth in Georgia and Alabama.”

Laundrylux distributes both Wascomat and Electrolux products. Wascomat creates economical machines found in neighborhood Laundromats. Its coin-operated machines help laundry owners save on water, energy and gas, the company says. Electrolux is well known for its high-end commercial washers and dryers.

B&C Technologies provides an array of on-premise laundry equipment from washer-extractors to tumblers to commercial ironers.

“We are looking forward to speaking with commercial laundry businesses in Georgia and Alabama about these great new products,” Davis says. “This is a great opportunity for us to help commercial laundry owners invest in and optimize their return on investment.”

LONDON — It wouldn’t be unusual to see coin-op washers and arcade games in the same laundry, but what if they were one and the same?

Lee Wei Chen, an art design student attending Kingston University in London, has designed a video game that involves doing the laundry.

His “amusement washing machine” resembles an arcade-style video console, but the bottom half is a washer. Chen linked the circuitry of the two, so the washing cycle is dependent on the gamer’s progress.

Players insert three coins, which gives them three “lives” and turns on the washer. If the player fails to progress beyond a certain level, the washer doesn’t move to the next stage in its cycle until more coins are added.

Chen’s device was part of the university’s display during the London Design Festival over the weekend.

Do you think something like that would ever go over in the States? If so, parents might finally be able to take advantage of all that time their kids spend playing video games.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Titus Coin Laundry Equipment Co., a turnkey provider of coin laundry systems, reports that it has completed an overhaul of the laundry center in the Forrester Gardens Apartment Complex.

Titus completed the 900-square-foot renovation in four days, installing 12 new Speed Queen washers—one of which is a high-efficiency, handicapped-accessible, 18-pound front-load model—and 12 Speed Queen dryers. Titus and Summit Housing Partners hosted an open house for the complex's residents after the project was finished.

“New properties are always exciting as we get to develop a new relationship within the community,” says Robert F. Titus, account executive. “We had an impressive turnout for this renovation’s open house, allowing us the chance to meet many of the local residents. This opportunity to interact with the actual users of our equipment provides a lot of feedback, which aids us in future system deployments.”

CHICAGO — Upon studying the results of this year’s American Coin-Op distributor survey, there are reasons to be optimistic about the state of the self-service laundry industry.

Nearly half of respondents said business was better in 2010 than it was in 2009. Better yet, nearly two-thirds of respondents predict that 2011 business will be better than 2010.

Every distributor listed in the American Coin-Op Distributors Directory prior to June 1 was invited to participate in the unscientific survey.

2010 BUSINESS

Last year was a bounce-back year for many distributors, based on the survey results. Forty-six percent of respondents said business (sales of newly constructed stores plus replacement business) was better in 2010 than 2009. Approximately 21% said business was worse in 2010 than 2009, and 32.1% said business was comparable in both years.

In the 2010 survey covering 2009 business, only 15.6% said business was better in 2009 than 2008, while 49% said business was worse in ’09 than ’08.

For those experiencing a change in business in 2010, the No. 1 reason, by far, was the economy. But it’s interesting that it was cited either as a positive or a negative, depending on the respondent.

Those who thrived saw investors who were inspired by upticks in the economy, or who chose to look into the coin laundry business after losing their jobs.

Distributors whose business suffered in 2010 lamented over changing demographics, tight lending/lack of financing, and potential investors unwilling to spend. One businessman partly blamed his company’s downturn on the BP oil spill.

REPLACEMENT BUSINESS

Replacement-business figures also showed signs of improvement from our report one year ago. In replacement business only, 39.3% of respondents said business was up last year compared to 2009. That’s compared to 20% who saw their replacement business increase from 2008 to 2009.

Roughly 29% saw replacement business fall in 2010, and 32.1% said their level of replacement business was unchanged from 2009.

The figures in this category have proven to fluctuate over the last several years. In the 2009 survey for 2008 business, 40% of respondents saw replacement business rise, and only 29% saw business dip.

NEW-LAUNDRY CONSTRUCTION

American Coin-Op asked distributors how many new laundries they built and/or to whom they supplied equipment in 2010. Fifty-six percent of respondents built or supplied equipment to three or fewer new laundries. In the 2010 survey for 2009 business, this figure was 62%.

How many new laundries are distributors dealing with in some fashion? Here are the most popular answers from this year’s survey:

1. 2
2. 0
3. 1
4. 4
5. 5

Distributors were also asked if their 2010 new-construction total was more, less or the same when compared to 2009. Nearly 41% said new construction was up in 2010 (by comparison, that figure was only 14% in the 2010 survey for 2009 business), 37% percent said new construction was down, and 22.2% said new construction was the same in 2010 and 2009.

EQUIPMENT MIX

How to equip a store is a critical decision for an owner. Generating revenue is vital to an operation’s success, but overcrowding with equipment can be a detriment.

Fifty-four percent of the new stores had at least one top loader, down just a bit from last year’s figure (62%). (It should be noted that a handful of respondents chose to skip the top-loader question when taking our online survey, so the figure may be even a bit lower than 54%. It’s possible some respondents didn’t install any top loaders, and skipped the question as a result.)

More specifically, here are the most popular numbers of top loaders put into new stores in 2010:

1. 0
2. 6
3. 5
4. 10
5. 12

Newly constructed laundries in 2010 have 3.8 top loaders. (This figure factors in the stores with no top loaders.)

Here are the most common numbers of front loaders installed in newly constructed laundries last year:

1. 40
2. 30
3. 15
4. 12
5. 37

Newly constructed laundries in 2010 have an average of 26.9 front loaders. This is down only slightly compared to last year’s figure (27.3).

The average newly constructed laundry in 2010 has 32.1 dryer pockets. That’s compared to 32.6 dryer pockets in 2009.

Wednesday: Does size matter …