Content about United States

CHICAGO — Ralph Wagner, who owns Wash ’n Dry Laundry Services in Morris, Ill., has been working in the coin laundry business for 14 years. His store an hour southwest of Chicago occupies 2,000 square feet and features Maytag equipment totaling 33 washers and 26 dryers.

Up until last June, his business was strictly a self-service laundry. But since then, his sales have risen 25%. Why? Wagner attributes it to an extra service he started last summer, one that many laundries may already offer: wash/dry/fold.

Getting into wash/dry/fold was something he and his wife had always wanted to try. Wash ’n Dry competes with a couple other Laundromats in the market of about 25,000 residents, but the economy and the lack of actual wash/dry/fold service in the vicinity pushed Wagner to pursue it.

“We feel right now, with the economy coming back, that [it was] a good time to start it,” he says. “In our area, we only had one other Laundromat that offered the service.”

Wagner reached out to Kevin Meyer, president of distributor Dolphin Laundry Service, Bensenville, Ill., to help him get started. “It’s a tough thing to get going, but it’s gone pretty well,” Wagner says. “A 25% increase in our revenue is pretty good.”

Chris Brick, regional sales manager for equipment manufacturer American Dryer Corp., explains that up to 80% of attended coin laundries in the United States offer some form of wash/dry/fold service. “Wash/dry/fold brings a different customer base to a lot of laundries.”

“Household washers [or] small equipment within apartment buildings can have trouble handling comforters,” says Meyer, “so it solves a need for prospective customers.”

Considering the convenience such an added service offers to customers, it’s no wonder that many coin laundries have decided to cash in.

Dick Ruel, national sales manager at equipment manufacturer Maytag Commercial Laundry, attests to the profit potential. “If it were not for wash/dry/fold services, some laundries would not turn a profit.”

How much does such a service contribute to a store’s total gross revenue? Gary Gauthier, national sales manager for equipment manufacturer Milnor Laundry Systems, says it varies from store to store, while Meyer cites a range of less than 5% to up to 30%.

Considering how many laundries offer this service, what considerations must one take to truly profit from wash/dry/fold? Brick says the key to mastering the service starts with organization.

SELLING WASH/DRY/FOLD

Taking the extra step to keep customers happy is one way to ensure that your wash/dry/fold service stays afloat, but what can owners do to extend their reach to prospective customers?

Gauthier suggests that owners establish a strong online presence and consider investing in search engine optimization (SEO) services, such as Google AdWords, to attract business. “An established, effective online presence is a customer comfort and an inducement to try a new service. Roadside signs and direct mail are additional efforts, but they are typically limited to drive-by traffic and specific geographic territories.”

Store owners reaching out to community causes is another way to bring in new customers, according to Brick. For example, your store could host a fundraiser for a local church youth group or athletic team, and have them, alongside an attendant and adult volunteers, wash, dry and fold customers’ garments to raise money.

Even if they split the revenue fifty-fifty … it’s a great way for that organization to raise money, and it’s a great way for your Laundromat to get people that may have never even thought about using the laundry for that service.”

Meyer, on the other hand, pushes the benefit of seasonal coupons, such as deals on comforter cleaning in the fall and spring. “It’s a good way to educate individuals who take advantage of the coupon and convert them to drop-off customers.”

The success of wash/dry/fold not only comes down to marketing, but how well versed attendants are in assisting customers, he says.

“If the attendants are supportive and educated enough to explain the drop-off service, it typically translates to a successful drop-off program,” Meyer says. “We have seen stores go as far as incentivizing attendants by commissioning them 5 to 10 cents per pound on orders they process.”

Marketing is all about staying in tune with the lifestyle of the community, Brick says. “You really have to look at each community. What is the avenue that my customer base looks at, reads [and] listens to, and that’s where you want to go to promote what you’re offering.”

DELIBERATING DELIVERY

You may want to consider adding delivery to your wash/dry/fold service—which Brick calls a “great service” in urban markets—but tacking this on to your operation presents an added liability. “That’s when you would get into the extra insurance involved because you’re putting somebody on the road.”

Meyer echoes the sentiment, saying, “Delivery adds cost and opens the need for additional insurance coverage, as transportation becomes part of the equation. This needs to be balanced with the size of the delivery area [or] how much the potential market is increased through pick-up/delivery.”

But adding delivery could certainly be beneficial to the business. “We typically see the offering of delivery as viable and profitable,” Meyer says. “Some stores will charge a delivery charge as well to recoup related expenses.”

Though the idea of adding delivery to a store’s wash/dry/fold service can attract customers looking for even more convenience, Brick estimates that less than 2% of laundries offer such an option.

THE FUTURE OF WASH/DRY/FOLD

Many stores may wonder if starting, or even further developing, wash/dry/fold service is worth the risk. Brick admits that he’s seen some of the best and cleanest stores “do everything right” but the service didn’t pan out. “It is kind of a fickle thing.”

Despite this, he believes the payoff is worth the gamble. Not only can owners make extra profit, their overall business can see a visible improvement.

If you can afford to have that attendant there every hour that you’re open, the vandalism is reduced tremendously,” Brick says. “The store will be kept much cleaner, because you’ve got someone there wiping machines down [and] picking up softener sheets from the floor.”

Wagner sees this improvement in his store, as having an attendant present “builds a confidence” in customers. “If [a customer] has a problem, instead of leaving a note or calling, you can fix it right there for them or give them their money back. There’s never any miscommunication or issues, it’s all taken care of right away.”

With his wash/dry/fold service still in development, Wagner wants to hire a full-time attendant, plus he has other goals in mind. “I’m just in the process of learning [but] we are looking for a second location with our distributor,” he says. “Our strategy would be within 30 miles … from our location.”

Larger stores are becoming the industry norm, according to Brick, which could lead to stores taking on commercial accounts and an expanded customer base. “I think you’ll see more stores begin to do more with the non-traditional laundry customer, meaning the people that have a washer and dryer at home.

Because it’s a bigger [and] nicer store, they have no problems dropping their clothes off. I definitely think that wash/dry/fold will become a stronger revenue source for laundries as they continue to build bigger, nicer, cleaner laundries.”

All in all, for a wash/dry/fold service to really take off, it’s about creating a positive, lasting impression.

The success of wash/dry/fold will have more to do with who you hire, and what you put in place than just about anything else that you do,” says Brick. “The experience that you provide to that customer will lead to them coming back, and lead to them telling someone else.”

CHICAGO — Ralph Wagner, who owns Wash ’n Dry Laundry Services in Morris, Ill., has been working in the coin laundry business for 14 years. His store an hour southwest of Chicago occupies 2,000 square feet and features Maytag equipment totaling 33 washers and 26 dryers.

Up until last June, his business was strictly a self-service laundry. But since then, his sales have risen 25%. Why? Wagner attributes it to an extra service he started last summer, one that many laundries may already offer: wash/dry/fold.

Getting into wash/dry/fold was something he and his wife had always wanted to try. Wash ’n Dry competes with a couple other Laundromats in the market of about 25,000 residents, but the economy and the lack of actual wash/dry/fold service in the vicinity pushed Wagner to pursue it.

“We feel right now, with the economy coming back, that [it was] a good time to start it,” he says. “In our area, we only had one other Laundromat that offered the service.”

Wagner reached out to Kevin Meyer, president of distributor Dolphin Laundry Service, Bensenville, Ill., to help him get started. “It’s a tough thing to get going, but it’s gone pretty well,” Wagner says. “A 25% increase in our revenue is pretty good.”

Chris Brick, regional sales manager for equipment manufacturer American Dryer Corp., explains that up to 80% of attended coin laundries in the United States offer some form of wash/dry/fold service. “Wash/dry/fold brings a different customer base to a lot of laundries.”

“Household washers [or] small equipment within apartment buildings can have trouble handling comforters,” says Meyer, “so it solves a need for prospective customers.”

Considering the convenience such an added service offers to customers, it’s no wonder that many coin laundries have decided to cash in.

Dick Ruel, national sales manager at equipment manufacturer Maytag Commercial Laundry, attests to the profit potential. “If it were not for wash/dry/fold services, some laundries would not turn a profit.”

How much does such a service contribute to a store’s total gross revenue? Gary Gauthier, national sales manager for equipment manufacturer Milnor Laundry Systems, says it varies from store to store, while Meyer cites a range of less than 5% to up to 30%.

Considering how many laundries offer this service, what considerations must one take to truly profit from wash/dry/fold? Brick says the key to mastering the service starts with organization.

PROTOCOLS AND EQUIPMENT

For stores looking to get into wash/dry/fold, Brick advises owners to start with a solid foundation of policies and procedures.

Having a protocol on how to accept and organize garments is the first thing owners should lay out prior to starting a service. Establish procedures for weighing a load and asking the customer if they want any pieces spot-treated or loads separated by whites and colors, for example.

“Taking responsibility for customer goods means understanding fabrics and carefully processing those items,” says Gauthier. “Make sure that your wash/dry/fold staff takes the time to evaluate the goods they accept to ensure that they aren’t damaged.”

With a plan in place, owners may then turn their attention to equipment and the possibility of investing in new machines.

The experts agree that any coin store can start a wash/dry/fold service using the washers and dryers already in place, but there may be limitations.

“If all units within the store are top loaders, it limits your ability to process larger bulky items like comforters,” Meyer says. “[But] the majority of what a store will receive for wash/dry/fold is personals, which a typical coin store has sufficient machinery to handle.”

Wagner found this to be true, saying that he’s able to utilize the store’s current equipment for some of the customers he serves.

While he primarily processes residential wash/dry/fold, his initial goal was to go after commercial work. To date, Wagner has attracted business from what he calls “small commercial” accounts, catering to local hotels and senior housing facilities. For this reason, he installed a soaking tub and an Ecolab chemical and cleaning system for his machines.

Higher-capacity machines can process loads more quickly, but deciding which machines to invest in all goes back to a store’s policies and procedures, Brick says.

“If the customer wants to separate loads … then you’re going to use two smaller machines,” he says. “But if a customer does not want, or choose to separate [loads], then [you can] dump everything in a 60-pound [washer].

“In general, a 60-pound washer can handle the vast majority of commercial account needs a Laundromat might have,” says Meyer regarding higher-capacity machines. “However, if a coin store is in a market where an 80-pound machine might give it an advantage for attracting self-service customers, then that should be taken into consideration.”

Utility efficiency, a large profile for easy loading and unloading, and a five-year manufacturer-backed parts warranty are characteristics that Meyer looks for in assessing higher-capacity equipment.

Should a store that offers wash/dry/fold service make that equipment available to its walk-in customers? For Meyer, it’s all about catering to your customers, whoever they may be.

“We generally recommend making all equipment available to customers,” he says. “In practice, attendants will typically use the same one or two machines for wash/dry/fold accounts due to their proximity to the attendant station, or to high-visibility points in the store. But, there is no reason to limit availability.”

Though he limits the store’s cleaning system for commercial accounts strictly to employee use, Wagner has been able to process residential accounts while self-service customers are using the store’s washers and dryers, he says.

“We’re a smaller market so there’s always downtime,” he explains, adding that late morning and early afternoon is when the store usually experiences a lull in traffic. “We have enough machines for our market where there’s always some machines open. Most [customers] drop off regular loads for just one or two machines at a time.”

Check back Tuesday for Part 2!

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. — Industry veteran Gustavo Gutierrez has been named national sales manager of Commercial Laundry Systems for LG Electronics USA, the company reports.

Gutierrez brings more than two decades of experience to his new role at LG, where he will be responsible for developing and managing programs to differentiate LG in the route/multi-housing and coin/OPL markets in the United States.

“Gustavo’s extensive experience in the commercial laundry industry will take our leadership to the next level as we work to become a significant player in the U.S. marketplace,” says Stefan Meir, Commercial Laundry director, LG Electronics USA. “His vision and leadership will help lead to the continued expansion of our route network, as well as attracting new, high-quality distributors.”

Gutierrez comes to LG Electronics from Mac-Gray, where he served as a route sales manager in the South Florida market. While there, he also launched The Bid Shop, an online platform to connect service professionals with companies looking for proposals.

“LG’s innovative laundry products offer an exciting opportunity for our distributor network,” says Gutierrez. “My focus is to build on LG’s momentum to help the business grow further and enjoy a similar strong reputation in the commercial space as it has in the consumer laundry market.”
 

PLAINVIEW, N.Y. — Coinmach Service Corp. (CSC), which provides outsourced laundry services to multi-family housing, military housing, college campuses and hospitality industries across the United States, recently received the Best Partnership Award from LG Electronics’ Commercial Laundry Division.

Hal Sazzmann, AVP and CSC representative to LG Commercial Laundry, accepted the award on CSC’s behalf during the LG Commercial Laundry Global Customer Conference in Pattaya, Thailand.

“We are honored to receive this award and value our continued partnership,” says CSC CEO Robert M. Doyle. “LG’s advanced technology and superior reliability provides CSC with a clear advantage in the marketplace and meets CSC’s commitment to create a positive customer experience.”

CSC says it is the largest provider of LG commercial laundry equipment in the United States.

WASHINGTON — This fall, U.S. laundry and dry cleaning businesses will receive 2012 Economic Census forms from the U.S. Census Bureau. Selected companies will receive forms this month, but most will get them in December. The deadline for submitting the completed form is Feb. 12, 2013.

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke has called this census “indispensable to understanding America’s economy.” Taken every five years, the Economic Census “assures the accuracy of the statistics we rely on for sound economic policy and for successful business planning,” he says.

There are a lot of interesting facts from the last Economic Census available about laundry and dry cleaning businesses at business.census.gov. Examples there illustrate how Census Bureau economic statistics are used by local businesses for marketing and planning, as well as by government agencies and researchers.

To preview the forms, visit census.gov/econ/census/smallbiz/forms_info.html.

RIPON, Wis. — Net revenues for Alliance Laundry Holdings LLC, the parent company of Alliance Laundry Systems, were $128.9 million for the quarter ended June 30, a 9.4% increase from second-quarter 2011.

Second-quarter net income was $6.0 million, compared to $5.8 million for second-quarter 2011, a 4.5% increase. Adjusted EBITDA was $24.4 million compared to $21.5 million the previous year.

The overall net-revenue increase of $11.0 million was attributable to revenue increases in the United States and Canada ($8.5 million), Asia ($2.9 million), Latin America ($0.9 million) and the Middle East and Africa ($0.6 million). These increases were partially offset by a decline in Europe revenues of $1.9 million.

The overall net-income increase of $0.2 million for the second quarter was primarily attributable to improved operating income of $2.1 million, a decrease in interest expense of $3.8 million and a decrease in provision for income taxes of $0.6 million. Early extinguishment of $6.2 million in debt partially offset the gains.

Net revenues for the six months ended June 30 increased $24.0 million, or 10.8%, to $246.1 million compared to the first half of 2011. Net income for the period increased 9.3%, to $11.5 million.

“We are pleased to report a record quarter driven by strong organic growth in North America, Latin America, and Middle East and Asia,” says CEO and President Michael Schoeb. “Our diverse operations delivered record revenues and EBITDA despite continued headwinds in Europe, the negative impact of foreign currency, and higher raw material and distribution costs.”

Second-quarter results continue to demonstrate Alliance’s progress in executing strategies with an intensified effort on new product development, according to Schoeb.

Alliance recently completed a refinancing of its senior credit facilities, which dramatically reduces interest expense over the term of the new agreement. “This new credit agreement improves our financial position and provides the flexibility to invest in additional capacity and innovative new products, which positions the business for long-term growth,” Schoeb says.

Alliance Laundry Systems designs, manufactures and markets commercial laundry equipment under the brand names of Speed Queen, UniMac, Huebsch, IPSO and Cissell.

FRANKFURT, Germany — Every four years, Frankfurt hosts the Texcare International trade show. Also known as the World Market for Modern Textile Care, much of the show’s focus is on industrial laundry and dry cleaning.

But during the five-day event in early May, there were opportunities to see coin laundry equipment amidst the tunnel washers, rail systems and finishing equipment. A handful of U.S.-based exhibitors displayed or promoted coin equipment to an international trade audience.

Alliance Laundry Systems presented a sizable booth featuring a wide variety of equipment. One of its brands, IPSO, showcased a fully operational vended laundry. Visitors to the booth were able to see how the machines process clothing and linens and how advanced controls help owners increase energy efficiencies.

The display included eight of IPSO’s new HD softmount washer-extractors and three DR tumblers. The washers operated using the Cygnus standard control and were connected to a central pay system. The tumblers featured 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. “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.”

Another Alliance brand, Speed Queen, promoted its relaunch to the international market. Its various segments, including vended, multi-housing, on-premises and home, have been united under a single brand identity that includes a new look, feel and message platform focused on Speed Queen’s key attributes.

Maytag Commercial Laundry successfully launched a new stack washer-dryer combo for the international export market. “So far, it’s been very popular for both distributors as well as end-users,” says Craig Kirchner, director of global commercial laundry for Maytag. “We’re getting both in the booth to talk about it.”

There was a lot of interest from dealers and potential customers from Eastern Europe and the Middle East. “They’re interested in taking it on because there aren’t a lot of options out there, specifically in this smaller (8-10 kg) equipment. … I’ve talked to a lot of guys in Europe that are going to be put those in coin laundry stores … because they don’t have as much space like the big Laundromats in the United States. These are perfect for that type of venue.”

Dexter Laundry is seeking to open up new international markets and used Texcare International to introduce or, for a number of attendees, reintroduce its brand of coin and OPL laundry equipment, says Kevin Hietpas, Dexter’s vice president of sales and marketing.

“We’re very happy that customers seem to recognize us,” he says. ”They’ll comment, ‘Hey, we’ve heard of you. We’ve never seen you before.’ By reputation, they’re interested in hearing more.”

Dexter is active in Italy and is looking to become more active elsewhere, he says. “We’ll follow up with a lot of potential opportunities from here. Some will turn into customers immediately, others may turn into customers down the road. We’re trying to approach the show from a very long-term perspective.”

To be successful in international markets, it’s vital that a manufacturer have a reputable, reliable distributor network. “Developing a distributor is a long-term process,” says Lee Wilson, director of international sales for Dexter. “It’s a partnership. It’s not something where we’re going to come in here and we’re just going to sign up a distributor. We’ve got to get to know them, they’ve got to get to know us.”

LG Electronics, which launched its family of card, coin and on-premise laundry equipment at last year’s Clean Show, exhibited at Texcare for the first time.

Other Texcare exhibitors that were listed as offering coin laundry equipment included Fagor Industrial (Spain), Krebe-Tippo (Slovenia), Miele (Germany) and Renzacci (Italy). American Dryer Corp. and Pellerin Milnor Corp., which offer coin laundry equipment among their product lines, exhibited but were not listed in the Texcare guide under that category.

John Riddle, Riddle & Associates, and David Cotter, CEO of the Textile Care Allied Trades Association, manned a booth promoting next year’s Clean Show in New Orleans. “For us, we made a decision many years ago that the Clean Show was an integral part of the world community of laundry and dry cleaning,” says Riddle, whose firm has managed the Clean Show for nearly two decades. “The way you show that support is you come and participate in these types of events.

“We wanted to show support, we have a lot of American manufacturers here and we wanted them to know that we’re here. … Plus, it exposed the attendee, the operator, the dry cleaner, the coin wash dealer, in all these countries … to what the Clean Show really was.”

Texcare International registered a 3% increase in attendance from the previous show in 2008. Altogether, 15,800 trade visitors from 100 countries attended the trade fair. More than half of all visitors (52%) came from outside Germany.

There were 264 exhibitors hailing from 26 nations in Hall 8 and the adjoining Galleria. Top exhibitor nations after Germany were Italy, the United States, Belgium, the Netherlands and Great Britain.

ATLANTA — Four members of a Cobb County document fraud ring that made counterfeit Social Security cards, permanent resident cards, and other fake identification documents and then sold them from a Smyrna Laundromat have been sentenced to federal prison on a charge of conspiring to produce fraudulent identification documents, United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates reports.

The defendants, all from Mexico, received sentences ranging from nine to 28 months, plus two years supervised probation. Four additional co-defendants in the scheme have also pleaded guilty and await sentencing on various dates over the next three months.

The organization used a coin laundry located in Smyrna to facilitate the sale of the counterfeit documents and offered their services to illegal aliens who frequented the Laundromat.

Between March 2010 and August 2011, Homeland Security Investigations agents, U.S. Secret Service agents and investigators with the Governor’s Office of Consumer Protection purchased counterfeit identification documents at various locations in Cobb County, Ga., as part of an undercover operation.

The documents included Social Security cards, permanent resident cards and State of Georgia driver’s licenses. Using physical and video surveillance, agents determined the location of the organization’s counterfeit document production facility.

In September 2011, agents executed a search warrant at an apartment complex in Marietta, Ga. Agents recovered document-making equipment, including computers and printers, and recovered electronic files containing more than 2,000 images of fraudulent identification documentation, including Social Security cards, permanent resident cards, birth certificates, driver’s licenses from more than 20 states, and various other documents. Firearms were also recovered.

“Manufacturing counterfeit identification documents is a serious problem in our community,” Yates says. “These defendants ran an operation that enabled many illegal aliens to get their hands on identification that made it appear as if they were legally in the United States. This crime impacts our community in many ways, not the least of which is the negative impact on the credit history and financial well-being of people whose Social Security numbers were unlawfully used on the counterfeit documents.”

“This case demonstrates the wide-reaching effects of the manufacturing and selling of counterfeit identification documents and its impact on innocent victims and our communities,” says Reginald Moore, special agent in charge of the U.S. Secret Service Atlanta Field Office. “The importance of cooperation among our law enforcement partners remains paramount to our ability to catch those that are involved in these types of fraudulent activities.”

TEXARKANA, Texas — A 35-year-old Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a 2008 fire that burned a northeast Texas laundry, according to U.S. Attorney John M. Bales.

Justin Rodney Glenn pleaded guilty in December to conspiracy to commit arson and was sentenced earlier this month to 60 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge David Folsom. Glenn was also ordered to pay $169,517.12 in restitution.

According to information presented in court, from about April 1, 2008, to June 5, 2008, Glenn conspired with others to burn down commercial buildings in order to submit fraudulent insurance claims and collect insurance proceeds.

He recruited and agreed to pay individuals to set fire to the Washtub Laundry, also known as Gary’s 24 Hour Wash and Dry, which burned on June 5, 2008. This caused a fraudulent insurance claim to be submitted to Certain Underwriters of Lloyds of London, resulting in a loss to the company.

Glenn was remanded into custody following the sentencing hearing.

NEW YORK — Business financing company Eastern Funding is once again supporting the United States Postal Service’s Operation Santa Claus by preparing, wrapping and anonymously sending more than 300 holiday gifts to more than 50 families around the country. Eastern Funding has a special focus on the coin laundry, convenience store and drycleaning industries.

Operation Santa Claus joins programs such as the American Cancer Society and Habitat for Humanity in receiving active and financial support from the company.

“This is a hands-on, team effort at Eastern, with company vans transporting presents and many families receiving hand-delivery by Eastern personnel and executives,” says Robert Fagan, Eastern Funding’s customer service manager.

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DANVERS, Mass. — When Marie and Bill Cassidy opened Scrubbles Laundromat, it was important to them that they made their customers feel at home, as evidenced by the periwinkle painted walls, retro wash-room décor and vase of fresh flowers, says the Danvers Patch. Wash, dry and fold is the laundry’s most popular service. The best part of owning this type of business, says Marie, are the personal relationships that are built. “Actually, at this point, I know everyone’s clothes without them even telling me,” she says.

See the full Danvers Patch story here.

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LARGO, Fla. — Thanks to a vigilant laundry owner, local police were able to catch a would-be robber in the act, reports the St. Petersburg Times. The owner was at home watching a feed of his store’s surveillance cameras when he spotted suspicious activity. He called police, and officers found a suspect trying to wrest open a coin collection receptacle. With locksmith tool in hand, the man reportedly said, “OK, you got me.”

See the full St. Petersburg Times story here.

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Concurrent Technologies Corp. (CTC) has been contracted by the United States Mint to conduct research and development for more economical alternative metallic materials for the production of circulating coins, and owners of coin laundries are among the stakeholder groups it is polling.

“CTC will undertake studies to identify issues with current coinage materials and recommend potential alternative metallic materials for future coins,” says Dr. Joseph R. Pickens, CTC chief scientist and technical lead for the two-year contract. “Our metallurgists will consider a wide range of coinage alloys and fabrication processes and propose their best recommendations to the United States Mint.”

CTC will address various factors, including the acceptability of new metallic materials; costs of metallic material, fabrication, minting, and distribution; metallic material availability and sourcing; durability; effect on sorting, handling, packaging and vending machines; appearance; resistance to counterfeiting; and commercial and public acceptance.