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FAIRFAX, Va. — Reid Bechtle is the newly appointed chief executive officer for ZIPS Dry Cleaners, the Mid-Atlantic dry cleaning franchise chain has announced.

This comes on the heels of the company’s recent acquisition by JPB Capital Partners, a Maryland-based private equity firm that makes control investments in lower-middle market companies located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast United States.

“ZIPS is the perfect opportunity to work with a proven franchisor and enhance a franchise network that is poised for aggressive growth,” Bechtle says. “Together with JPB Capital Partners, I look forward to moving ZIPS Dry Cleaners through its next phase of growth, including improved execution of the existing system and further geographic expansion of the concept.”

CHICAGO — Quick. Easy. Efficient. Who doesn’t love online banking? Be aware, though, of the danger: Hackers can access your account, drain your funds and threaten the survival of your business.

The risk is growing. Cyber attacks increased some 24% in the first half of 2012 over the same period the previous year, according to a new report from security firm Symantec. Reason? “Any time the economy goes down, white collar crime goes up,” says Bill McDermott, CEO of Atlanta-based McDermott Financial Solutions. “We’re seeing an increase in corporate account takeovers. It’s a huge problem.”

Banks commonly refuse to indemnify companies for funds stolen from commercial accounts. “A lot of people have the misunderstanding that banks offer to business accounts the protection offered to consumers,” says McDermott. “In fact, banks will not hold business account holders harmless for losses from cyber-fraud.”

BROWNSBURG, Ind. — William W. “Bill” Haiges, the co-owner and operator of commercial laundry and dry cleaning equipment distributor Haiges Machinery Inc., died Feb. 17 at the age of 66. Haiges oversaw the Indiana division of the company, which is headquartered in Huntley, Ill.

He was a 1964 graduate of Dundee (Ill.) Community High School and served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War.

Surviving him are his wife, Victoria; four children, Kimberly Haiges-Navarro, Darrin Haiges, Brian Haiges and Timothy Haiges; four stepchildren; and nine grandchildren. Other survivors include his former wife and the mother of his children, Diane Haiges; and two brothers, Robert Haiges and Lee Haiges.

Funeral services were held Saturday in West Dundee, Ill., followed by burial with military honors in East Dundee.

Memorials may be made to The Animal House Shelter, 13005 Ernesti Rd., Huntley, IL 60142.

To leave an online condolence, visit the Miller Funeral Home’s website.

LUBBOCK, Texas — The newest location from Texas-based Comet Cleaners Franchise Group can be found in a fast-growing part of Lubbock. The clean, modern store, which covers 3,500 square feet, features two drive-thru lanes with a canopy. Friendly, professional staff greet customers with bottled water.

Comet Cleaners offers dry cleaning and laundry services, alterations, and wedding gown preservation, as well as cleaning of household items and drapes. Same-day service is available until 2 p.m. on weekdays.

The production area—customers can see the plant from the front counter—includes a Union dry cleaning machine, Wascomat laundry equipment, and Unipress and Forenta finishing and tensioning equipment. Boiler room equipment is by Lattner Boiler. The plant utilizes DCCS workstations.

Comet employs 13 full-time-equivalent workers and generates more than $10,000 in weekly sales.

Owner Ron Caffey designed the plant layout, Mike Lowe was architect, and Gulf States Laundry Machinery was the project’s equipment distributor.

ADA, Okla. — William Everett “Bill” Taylor, owner of Commercial Equipment Co., an Oklahoma City-based distributor of laundry and dry cleaning equipment, died Nov. 7 at his home at the age of 79.

Only a few weeks earlier, Taylor had informed customers and suppliers by letter that the business was ceasing operations Oct. 31, 2012, due to his failing health.

Taylor had also owned and operated Ada Linen Service.

Surviving him are two daughters, Vicky Campbell and Kim Brown; a son, Jeff Taylor; two sisters, Polly Flatt and LaVaughn Lundgaard; two brothers, Stanley Taylor and Bryan Taylor; and 13 grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother and a son.

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. — John H. “Jack” Ruen Jr., former owner and operator of the Cleaners Hanger Co., died July 14 at his home at the age of 74.

Ruen was born March 10, 1938, in Detroit to John “Hank” and Marion Martin Ruen. He graduated from Detroit Catholic Central High School in 1956.

He was a third-generation owner and operator of Cleaners Hanger Co. in Detroit, and was active in the Textile Care Allied Trades Association (TCATA), where he served on the Board of Directors. Ruen retired from Cleaners Hanger as CEO in 1990 after a lifelong career in the family business.

Surviving Ruen are five children, 13 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be sent to the American Cancer Society or to the charity of the donor's choice.

BALTIMORE — Discount Dry Cleaners LLC, Laurel, Md., and its owner, Mehret Sium, 58, have been convicted of improperly disposing of hazardous waste in Maryland’s Anne Arundel County, reports state Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler.

Sium, on behalf of her business, pleaded guilty to illegal disposal of hazardous materials. She personally pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to comply with hazardous waste transportation requirements.

The convictions stem from a March 9 incident when the Maryland Department of the Environment Hazardous Response Team was contacted regarding a suspected hazardous drum dumping on Dicus Mill Road near Millersville.

Investigators from the Attorney General’s Environmental Crimes Unit found 18 drums varying in size from 5 to 35 gallons that contained hazardous waste from dry cleaning solvent. Numerous containers had no lids, and none was properly packaged, labeled or marked pursuant to Department of Transportation regulations. The drums were traced back to Discount Dry Cleaners.

CHICAGO — In February, after 14 years of study, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) named perchloroethylene a “likely” human carcinogen in its Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) database. And after more than two decades of increasingly stringent regulation on the industry’s solvent of choice, the announcement seemed like the final nail in perc’s coffin.

Ironically, the decision actually protects perc’s position in dry cleaning, at least for the time being. “Everyone has the misconception that the category perc is in has changed,” says Faye Graul, executive director of the Halogenated Solvents Industry Association (HSIA). “It has not changed at all. The report says perc is safe for use in dry cleaning.”

EPA expressed no concerns about consumers wearing clothing cleaned in perc, and the IRIS report could ease the drinking-water standard required for environmental cleanups. And with a recent, recessionary lull in regulatory activity, only co-located facilities and plants in California and a few other areas see the possibility of a full phaseout ahead.

CHICAGO — If there is one investment philosophy that approaches universal agreement among financial advisers, it’s the need for careful diversification in every portfolio in order to minimize risk, but exactly what does diversification mean, and how can you tell if your investments are truly diversified?

One popular TV show on finances features a segment called “Am I Diversified?” in which viewers call in, give the host their top five holdings and the host lets them know if they are properly diversified. According to Jason Whitby, MBA, CFA®, CFP®, AIFA®, senior financial adviser with Miami-based Investor Solutions, it’s not that simple. “The idea of five-stock diversification is mostly refuted by the financial community,” he says, “which tends to agree that the number of individual stocks needed for diversification is actually closer to 30.”

TAMPA, Fla. — Members of the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists met here last month to celebrate the group’s 25th anniversary, elect new officers, and participate in presentations with wedding industry experts.

The nonprofit trade group, with members located in the United States, Canada, Ecuador, Mexico and South Africa, specializes in gown cleaning and preservation.

A highlight of the conference was the presentation of the annual Jack Barth Memorial Award of Excellence. Initiated by Linda Stokes-Barth in remembrance of her late husband’s achievements in the drycleaning industry, the award recognizes a member for outstanding contributions and service to the association and its members.

This year’s honoree, Ken Grippi of Dependable Cleaners in Boston, began his career 45 years ago with his father at Beacon Cleaners. Beacon merged with Dependable Cleaners in 1972, and Grippi is currently Dependable’s technical training consultant and preservation and restoration expert. A member of the association since 2003, Grippi serves as national training director.

COLD SPRING, Ky. — Two valued Fabritec International employees and veteran contributors to the dry cleaning industry have died in recent months, the company reports.

Retired Vice President Bob Knippling died Jan. 12 at age 85. Knippling, a U.S. Army veteran who served during World War II, graduated from college with degrees in chemistry and biology. He joined then-Emery Industries in 1951 as a chemist.

While with Fabritec, he was in charge of the Stamford distribution and Emerbrite divisions, and he worked closely with Fabritec’s salesmen. Knippling made major research contributions during his 50 years in the industry. He served as Fabritec vice president for 20 years before retiring in 2001.

Retired Sales Support Manager John Geer died Oct. 22 at age 78. After receiving a physics degree, Geer began his dry cleaning career with his family’s business in Marion, Ohio. In 1976, he joined Fabritec (Emery Industries at the time), where he became director of technical services.

CHICAGO — Judging from my e-mail, it’s not difficult to find savers and investors who are questioning the conventional wisdom when it comes to investing their money. With the stock market on an erratic, volatile course that seemingly leads nowhere, and yields on cash investments such as money markets and CDs almost nonexistent, more and more income-seeking investors are breaking the old rules by dipping a toe in waters they would have considered too risky a few years ago.

Instead of sticking to the philosophy that calls for portfolios laced solely with a careful mix of quality stocks, well-rated bonds and cash, these hardy souls are venturing into eyebrow-raising investments such as junk bonds, commercial real estate, options like puts and calls, and equities in emerging markets in an effort to improve the anemic and unpredictable returns they’ve been enduring of late. According to one adviser, taking on even a little more risk requires overcoming fear of foreign markets.