The American Drycleaner Podcast

After a deadly shooting at a textile care facility earlier this year, preventing workplace violence has gained a new focus for many dry cleaners. Carol Dodgen of Dodgen Security Consulting and Jay Juffre from ImageFIRST discuss warning signs, training, prevention and more.

Whether it’s to serve customers better or to offset a tight labor market, dry cleaners are increasingly turning to automation. We discuss this trend with Christopher White, executive director of America’s Best Cleaners, and Will Waterstraat, managing partner of Seattle-based Helena Cleaners.

When dry cleaners want to expand, they can either open new stores or buy out competition looking to get out of the business. We explore this topic with Gary Glover of Puritan Cleaners and Arthur C. Anton, Jr. of Anton's Cleaners. 

Mark Scott came up through the ranks to become the owner of Bakker’s Fine Drycleaning in Kirkland, Washington. Here, he provides owners with tips on identifying team members who are ready for more responsibility.

Lawmakers in Los Angeles recently met to consider banning single-use plastic bags, and dry cleaners feared that the poly bags they use would also be affected. Industry trade organizations quickly rallied to make sure the drycleaner’s voice was heard during this discussion.

Jerry Moore of Moore Services highlights the benefits of performing regular preventative maintenance on your equipment — and warns of the risks of neglecting this important task.

Brian Johnson of the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute (DLI) joins us to examine the value of taking part in virtual and in-person continuing educational opportunities.

Kyle Matthews of Detroit’s Janet Davis Cleaners offers ideas and outlooks for boosting the customer experience in your store, making you the only cleaner your clients consider.

Messe Frankfurt’s Greg Jira joins us to discuss the benefits of attending industry trade shows, including ways to prepare prior to the event to get the most out of your time there. We also get a preview of Clean Show 2022.

Kermit Engh of Methods for Management explores why dry cleaners should not be afraid to raise prices when their own cost of production is on the rise. We discuss reasons why most customers will understand this trend, as well as strategies for dealing with those who don’t.

Jeff Jordan of Fabritec International shares ways he’s found to form a team atmosphere in a business. We discuss why it’s important in a drycleaning company, the role of management in fostering this feeling in a plant, and how to avoid common morale killers. 

Dave Coyle of Maverick Drycleaners joins us to explore online reputation management — what it is, why it’s important and what dry cleaners can do to make sure they are putting their best foot forward online to attract and keep customers.

Monika Manter of Balfurd Dry Cleaners discusses growing into a leadership role in a family business, the decisions that need to be made along the way and, when the time comes, how to make a smooth transition for everyone involved.

Jon Simon of Parkway Custom Drycleaning shares his experiences of starting a new plant, from selecting the location to moving his operations to setting up shop — along with the surprises he found along the way.

Brian Butler, president of Dublin Cleaners, joins us to discuss how to deal with customer complaints, including ways to train your staff to deal with customer claims, methods to avoid conflict with customers, what to do when conflict is unavoidable, and more. 

Jennifer Marquardt, a partner in Arthur’s Executive Cleaners, shares her experiences of adding young adults to her client base — including what they’re looking for, what they expect and what they might not know a cleaner can do. 

Tom Zengeler, president of Zengeler Cleaners, discusses the value of charity drives — how to start them, how to operate them and what they can mean for both your community and your cleaning business.

Diana Vollmer, a managing director and senior consultant for Ascend Consulting Group, joins us to discuss the importance of marketing for dry cleaners in any type of economic condition, what goes into a successful campaign and more.

Joel Jorgensen, VP of Sales for Girbau North America, discusses the advantages that offering or expanding your company's wash-dry-fold services can bring during these uncertain times. 

Brian Cass, co-owner of Martinizing Metro Milwaukee, shares some practical daily, weekly and other tips for keeping the drycleaning workplace safe and clean.

Listen as Joe Hebeka, owner of The Belding Group, talks about both sides of the equation: buying and leasing a garment care property. "It's all about the cash flow," Hebeka says, "look at every situation individually."

Security begins with the garment care location. Alex Yearout, owner of Complete Cleaners, discusses leadership, the power of a smile, having lighting to reassure clients and staff, and using video to solve "the mysteries of missing pieces." Security, he adds, is about providing a safe workplace.

Coaching, collaboration and teamwork help create an unforgettable front counter team, relates Todd Ofsink, CEO of Todd Layne Cleaners. To nurture that customer-first mentality, he says it's sort of like being a parent. And he's looking for that caring, special person who can shine at the front counter.

DIVERSIFICATION IS CRITICAL TODAY MORE THAN EVER. Learn how CRDN trains and helps dry cleaners diversify the services they provide. CRDN is the largest textile and electronics restoration franchise network in the world with 152 locations throughout the US, Canada, and the UK, and we’re growing! CRDN franchise partners have been providing emergency response as a formalized network for 19 years, wor...

Let redundancy permeate your cleaning operation and all throughout your business, relates Zach Kinzer, owner of Bridgestone Cleaners. He describes having backup coverage in equipment and people as the key. Always "be able to flow," he says.