HANOVER, Mass. — Kevin Dubois, CEO of Lapels Dry Cleaning, received the Franchise Executive of the Year award from the New England Franchise Association (NEFA), during its April 9 Franchise Relations Summit in Norwood, Mass.

His role in Lapels Dry Cleaning’s growth, commitment to greener dry cleaning processes, and community outreach efforts were among the reasons NEFA honored him with the distinction.

Murray Vetstein, NEFA president, considers Dubois a “most worthy recipient” of the award.

“Under [Dubois’] leadership, Lapels has raised the bar when it comes to its business practices, and how much the company and its franchisees give back to the communities they serve,” he says.

In the past 10 years, Lapels has created eco-friendly dry cleaning solutions, making it one of the few dry cleaners in New England to have “no hazardous waste in their process,” NEFA says.

“Considering the high caliber of franchise executives in NEFA and the area which the association covers—the six New England states—this truly is an honor,” Dubois says.

NEW ORLEANS — Every morning during Clean ’13, plus for a couple of hours each afternoon, attendees will have the opportunity to sit in on educational sessions aimed at saving them money, boosting their productivity or generally improving their operations or businesses.

Access to all seminars at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is included in the show registration fee and isn’t dependent on association membership.

THURSDAY, JUNE 20

• 8-8:30 a.m. — Meritorious Service Awards, sponsored by the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute.
• 8-9 a.m. — Coin Laundry Trends for 2013, sponsored by the Coin Laundry Association (CLA).

Learn where the coin laundry industry is going and how that may affect your business so that you can plan for profits.

CHICAGO — A majority of dry cleaners report they have given raises in the last six months, according to data from this month’s unscientific American Drycleaner Wire survey.

When asked if they’ve reviewed employee compensation in the last six months, 64.7% of respondents replied yes, saying they “raised pay on an individual basis,” while 23.5% “raised pay across the board.” Only 11.8% replied no, saying that they “did not raise pay.”

Coinciding with this trend, more than half of cleaners (52.9%) report that they pay their employees more than other plants in their market area. Roughly 41% of respondents have kept their pay rates about the same as other area plants. Just 5.9% report paying their staffers less than other plants in their area.

Just 17.6% of respondents report having had to lay off employees in the last 12 months for financial reasons.

NEW ORLEANS — So much to learn. So many people to see. And so little time.

You’ll face that predicament here at the Clean Show next month, especially now that the show is one day shorter than previous events. You are not alone: Confronted with crowded aisles and hectic booths, attendees too often return home with no more than a confused mass of general impressions.

You can do better. Trade shows can be powerful tools for boosting business profits. The secret is to plan for success, spend time wisely and prioritize tasks.

How to? Read these tips from trade show experts:

TIP 1: SET YOUR GOALS

“Before arriving at the show, make a plan with specific ‘keeper’ ideas,” says Mina Bancroft, a management consultant in Palo Alto, Calif. “Then prioritize them.”

Include specific descriptions of what you want to find at the show. Here are some possibilities:

NEW ORLEANS — The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center will host the world’s premier textile care expo for a fifth time when the 2013 Clean Show—officially the World Educational Congress for Laundering and Drycleaning—arrives on Thursday, June 20, for a three-day stay through Saturday, June 22.

It will mark the first time since 1981 that the Clean Show has been scheduled for three days instead of four, reflecting a “more concise and efficient” format designed to give exhibitors and attendees alike a better value for their investment, according to the Clean Executive Committee.

The Clean Show has been convening every other year since 1977 to present new technology, educational sessions and networking opportunities to all segments of the dry cleaning, laundry and textile care industry. This year’s event is expected to draw 10,000 trade attendees, according to Riddle & Associates, the show’s longtime manager.

PEMBROKE, Mass. — Do you have a map on your office wall? No? You should. I don’t mean a road map, but rather a map of your marketplace.

This map would depict your competitors, busy main drags, affluent neighborhoods, any information that tells you where your customers are coming from.

This is not something that you can purchase, so I suggest you get started making your own. Start with a town or city map that lists streets; have it blown up. Then fill in the information that you need.

Obviously there’s the town you’re in, but if you do business in neighboring towns, include them. Put in competitors in all directions. Color-code affluent high-use neighborhoods. Mark in busy shopping streets and commuter roadways. You might have to drive around and explore the territory in order to do justice to your project. The effort gets you canvassing the territory, which is a good thing to do, because you’ll continually make discoveries.

CHICAGO — In today’s competitive business environment, it makes sense that every dry cleaning plant operator is seeking ways to increase profit. But one can increase prices only so much. And with any potential labor savings having generally been rung out of most plants, operators must find other ways. Simultaneously, environmental impact is a major concern.

One of the areas in which to save, yet one that is often overlooked or glossed over, is the high cost of energy: electricity, heat and water. Hence, prudent dry cleaning plant operators are, or at least should be, having a critical look at this expense and seeking ways to reduce this financial drain.

Best of all, energy costs are among the expenses that can be reduced without negatively affecting product quality or staff productivity. The direct cost of energy generally represents about 6% to 18% of total operating expenses. For those who also have an attached coin laundry, it consumes between 15% and 20% of revenue. Both depend on which part of the country you are in and your plant’s efficiency.

Join us for the Affiliate Meeting and Reception Friday June 21, 2013 at The Bourbon Vieux 501 Bourbon St New Orleans, LA 70130.

The Affiliate only meeting will run from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM followed by an open reception for Affiliates and vendor partners from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM.

We have reserved a block of rooms in the New Orleans Marriott for GreenEarth Affiliates. To book your room and receive the GreenEarth Affiliate discounted rate, please click here.

See you in New Orleans!

CHICAGO — March proved to be a challenging month for dry cleaners across the nation, as the West was the only region to post sales gains, up 1.5% compared to March 2012, according to results from the latest AmericanDrycleaner.com StatShot survey.

Despite this, market conditions in the West remain mixed, according to respondents. One cleaner in the region explained that conditions were “increasing slightly” while admitting that other cleaners haven’t been as fortunate. “[There were] five dry cleaners in town, now I'm the only one.”

Though other cleaners in the region provided similar reports, some are seeing improvement. “It’s [been] getting better for [the] last six weeks,” says one respondent from the West. “I have started using online advertising to add new customers.”

LAUREL, Md. — The Drycleaning & Laundry Institute (DLI) and the Textile Care Allied Trades Association (TCATA), both sponsors of the Clean Show, are partnering to host a “blockbuster meet-and-greet networking party” for DLI members and top industry suppliers at the upcoming Clean 2013.

All DLI and TCATA members are welcome at the party slated for 5:30 to 7 p.m. Friday, June 21, in the Royal Sonesta Hotel’s Grand Ballroom.

The cooperative effort between major industry associations is designed to strengthen ties between cleaners and the companies who supply them. The party is a way for both associations to thank members for supporting the industry, says DLI CEO Mary Scalco.

“The bond between cleaners and their suppliers is incredibly strong,” she says. “One of our most important roles at the Institute is to create opportunities for our members to associate, network, get together, or whatever you prefer to call it. By working with TCATA on this event, we are creating an informal atmosphere where suppliers and cleaners can relate on a personal level.”

COLUMBIA, Md. — Private equity firm JPB Capital Partners has invested in Value Drycleaners of America LLC, the parent company of ZIPS Franchising LLC (“ZIPS”), one of the largest franchisors of retail dry cleaners in the Mid-Atlantic region. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

ZIPS began in 1996 with a group of eight dry cleaners in the Baltimore-Washington region and has grown to 36 franchise operations in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C.

“We believe that ZIPS has created great brand awareness and a unique model within the dry cleaning industry,” says Jim Bolduc, senior managing director of JPB Capital Partners. “With this foundation in place, and the combination of our capital and our team’s knowledge and experience in both retail and franchise operations, we believe that we can move the concept through its next phase of growth including improved execution of the existing system and further geographic expansion of the concept.”

CONCORD, N.C. — In a previous edition of American Drycleaner, readers like you were given a “heads-up” about what to expect from the fashion styles entering the marketplace (Fashion vs. Fabricare, November/December 2012).

The Federal Trade Commission’s recent request for comments on garment care labeling is a symptom of the continuing problem facing our industry.

The manufacturer’s focus on marketability and profitability at times runs contrary to serviceability. It is the obligation of the garment care professional to recognize that the customer’s item has a unique set of handling characteristics and then determine the best way to protect those unique characteristics while reconditioning the item for continued use in the future.

That is a mouthful, I admit, but I hope you get the point. “They” design the garment and “we” have to clean and finish the garment.