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Steve Stevenson

President's Message

by George (Steve) Stevenson
Working For You Even In The Summer

How is your summer going? Summer is associated with a relaxed dress code and a casual style of living. Many of us enjoy picnics, outdoor activities and general rest and relaxation. Two of our Board Members gave up rest and relaxation to present an outstanding seminar. On June 9, Jane Zellers and Bob Edwards presented the “The Art of Stain Removal and Customer Communication.”

The seminar was presented at Wedding Gown Preservation Co. in Endicott, NY, was well attended by cleaners from a large geographic area, and received rave reviews from all that attended. In the stain removal portion of the seminar attendees learned how to recognize a problem garments. They also learned about fibers and fabrics and their limitations. Included in the discussion was garment classification as well as bleaching, dye stripping and digesting stains. In the Communications portion of the seminar the focus on how to create the most efficient lines of communication between your front counter and your production department, how to converse with customers about potential issues and how to keep everybody on the same page. Accolades are also do to the Schapiro’s (Michael and Jeff, and their co-workers) who were the perfect hosts and treated at-tendees to both breakfast and lunch. Events like this are why we are so fortunate to belong to PDCA and have association members like Jane and Bob.

Mark Pollock

Membership Director's Message

by Mark Pollock

As I write this column, the “dog days of summer” are upon us. Hopefully, we will all get through these uncomfort-able times and look forward to a cooler and profitable Fall season.

YOUR Association has been busy providing services and events intended to help our members maintain and grow their businesses.

In early June, PDCA partnered with the MidAtlantic Asso-ciation of Cleaners (MAC) to present the East Coast Leader-ship Conference in Baltimore, MD. Over two days, numerous speakers discussed topics such as marketing, finding and keep-ing employees, and strategies that drive sales and profits. I was honored to be part of a panel that looked at the “future of our industry”. The feedback from the 40+ attendees was overwhelmingly positive!

One week later, PDCA, in conjunction, with the North East Fabricare Association (NEFA), presented “The Art of Stain Removal and Customer Communication” at Wedding Gown Preservation Co. in Endicott, NY. PDCA Board members Jane Zellers and Bob Edwards used their knowledge and experience in speaking about fabrics, dyes, stain removal techniques, and how to explain potential issues to your customers. Their program was followed by tours of Wedding Gown Preservation Co. and nearby Cleaners Supply. Both speakers and the subsequent tours were highly appreciated by the several dozen attendees.

Looking ahead, we are planning more educational events later in 2023. I will be reaching out to you, our valued members, as plans are finalized.

As always, we appreciate your support of PDCA and vow to keep working to assist you in any way possible to make your businesses more efficient and profitable.

Please feel free to contact me at any time at 267-701-6045 or at mark@pdclean.org.

Mark Pollock

from...PDCA allied trade board member

by Bob Edwards,
A.L. Wilson Chemical Co.

PISSED OFF!!!!!

When you see the letters “P O,” what do you think it stands for? Most would say “PISSED OFF”. I’m going to give you two more words for your consideration: PIVOT and OPPORTUNITY.

We are in the era of post COVID and we are still recovering. Some of your col-leagues and competitors may no longer be around due to the untenable business conditions that occurred during COVID. Now, we are gradually getting some of our piece work back. Also, we may get some business from cus-tomers who patronized dry cleaners who were at one time con-sidered your competitors and who are now closed. However, despite the bump we may get from ex-drycleaners, I am hear-ing statements like, “Some of our customers still work from home. Where pre-covid they might have come in weekly, now we rarely see them.” Consumer attitudes are changing. Ties and suits will not be coming across your counter as frequently. Millennials may be our new customer base. They still need clothes, bedding and towels to be cleaned. They may be pro-spects for wash and fold services as opposed to drycleaning. Pivot and adapt to meet their perceptions. The dry cleaner who remains stagnant during this period of recovery, will still strug-gle to make a living … in short, this dry cleaner will be PISSED OFF about the work environment and his financial situation.

May I suggest to the PO’d dry cleaner, you need to PIVOT (not be Pissed)! While you keep one foot grounded in your business, take the other foot and “pivot” into new markets. Have you tried Wash and Fold? It can potentially be another revenue stream for you. Communicate with your employees to see if they have some suggestions. Tweak your business model; see where you might be able to create savings. What about automation to help with labor costs? Do a time study to evaluate and see if your work flow is moving efficiently. If you are not being creative and pivoting into previously unexplored areas, you will be a disgruntled or PO’d dry cleaner.

Now that you have begun to pivot, consider your challenges to be an OPPORTUNITY to bring in more customers, and increase revenue. Problems can be opportunities to find solu-tions which will help your business to grow. Now, is the time to do a full court press, and take advantage of the COVID re-covery phenomenon. Now, is NOT the time, for example, to say, “Oh we won’t be able to remove that heavy ink stain.” Take the garment in, and tell the customer you will do your best to get the stain out. Then call me, and we can work to-gether on the problem. Use your vendors as resources. We are happy to help.

We have three basic functions to prove to the consumer that we are the “go to” cleaner in town:

1. We must clean thoroughly, effectively and safely. Main tain the solvent and machinery in peak operating condition.

2. We must remove stains; and keep the best, professional, environmentally friendly products on hand. This is essential to do the job safely, efficiently and effectively.

3. We must finish the garments professionally; change pads and covers routinely; no double creases, and by all means advertise your handiwork with professional garment covers; make a professional presentation.

Now is not the time to cut back on quality soaps, solvents, spotting chemicals, pads and covers and garment covers. I’ll use the analogy of A THREE LEGGED STOOL. If any of those three functions above (clean, remove stains, and finish professionally) is missing, like the legs of a stool, when one is missing, the stool falls over. Or in our metaphor, your business takes a tumble in the eyes of the consumer. And… you will be Pissed Off. Consider PIVOTING and creating OPPORTUNITIES to help your business to thrive.