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September 7, 2011
Clean Up Spotty Productivity by Gainsharing (Part 2 of 2)

EVANSTON, Ill. — By focusing on the cultural values of their growing foreign-born Latino workforce, drycleaning plants and laundries can boost productivity, lower per-unit costs and better meet ever-stiffer customer demands.

Most drycleaners have tried to motivate their workers for better productivity—with varying degrees of success. Those with mainly Mexican or Spanish-speaking workers find “gainsharing” gives them more productive employees and a greater competitive advantage. Why? Latin cultural traditions meld closely with gainsharing values.

GAINSHARING DIFFERS FROM PROFIT SHARING AND 401(K)

Gainsharing avoids the drawbacks of profit sharing and 401(k)-based retirement plans for several reasons:

September 6, 2011
Clean Up Spotty Productivity by Gainsharing (Part 1 of 2)

EVANSTON, Ill. — By focusing on the cultural values of their growing foreign-born Latino workforce, drycleaning plants and laundries can boost productivity, lower per-unit costs and better meet ever-stiffer customer demands.

Most drycleaners have tried to motivate their workers for better productivity—with varying degrees of success. Those with mainly Mexican or Spanish-speaking workers find “gainsharing” gives them more productive employees and a greater competitive advantage. Why? Latin cultural traditions meld closely with gainsharing values.

WHAT IS GAINSHARING?

Gainsharing is a group pay-for-performance program. Worker performance is quantified and given a dollar value. When workers top a threshold pre-set by management, they can earn a bonus. Employees receive half the value of their better performance, and the company, the other half.

June 27, 2011
DLI Names 2011-2012 Board of Directors

LAUREL, Md. — Each year, Drycleaning & Laundry Institute’s (DLI) board of directors holds elections in two districts to ensure a fresh perspective on the institute and industry. Director terms last two years. Presidential terms last one year with the president becoming chairperson of the board at the end of that year.

This year’s DLI board of directors lineup features:

July 17, 2008
Shrink Business to Grow Profitability

For certain operations in today’s economy, shrinking may be the first and best step toward growing stronger and more profitable. The strategy is contrary to the basic principles of entrepreneurial capitalism and its basic philosophy: “Grow or die.”

In general, the strategy flies in the face of standard operating procedure, but today’s environment offers less-than-standard operating conditions. Today, many people face unique circumstances that may also relate to drycleaning operations.

October 17, 2007
Economic Census to Tally Drycleaning Industry

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Census Bureau will send questionnaires to an estimated 42,000 laundry and drycleaning businesses next month, launching its 2007 Economic Census. Businesses receiving forms are required by law to respond by Feb. 12, 2008.

Performed every five years, the census measures industry output in all sectors and geographic areas. The report is a “cornerstone” of U.S. economic statistics and offers source data for Gross Domestic Product (GDP) numbers and other economic indicators.