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April 4, 2012
Thum Elected President of Southwest Drycleaners Association

SAN ANTONIO — Richard Thum, co-founder and president of Five Star Cleaners, was recently elected president of The Southwest Drycleaners Association (SDA)

SAN ANTONIO — Richard Thum, co-founder and president of Five Star Cleaners, was recently elected president of The Southwest Drycleaners Association (SDA) at its annual convention.

The regional trade association, with more than 300 members, is an affiliate of the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute (DLI). The 96-year-old association serves the professional dry cleaners of Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

Thum served as first vice president of the organization last year, and has served on the SDA board in various capacities for 28 years.

He launched Comet Cleaners in San Antonio in 1981 along with his wife, Sharlene, and the name was changed to Five Star Cleaners in 2004. The Thums own 11 locations across San Antonio.

Thum holds a bachelor of science degree in real estate finance from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and has a real estate broker’s license in Texas.

April 11, 2011
AWGS Meets in Albuquerque

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Members of the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists (AWGS) met early last month to elect officers, participate in interactive seminars and award the first annual Jack Barth Memorial Award of Excellence.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Members of the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists (AWGS) met early last month to elect officers, participate in interactive seminars and award the first annual Jack Barth Memorial Award of Excellence.

Initiated by Linda Stokes-Barth in remembrance of her late husband and his achievements, the award recognizes an AWGS member for outstanding contributions to the organization and advancement of wedding-gown care.

April 1, 2009
Life & Times in The Industry: Personal Memories from Those Who Were There

Hobbs, N.M., in 1932 was like nothing I had ever seen: A dirty, no-pavement, oil town with no place to live. Oil wells pumped all over town, and it smelled like rotten eggs. We found a shotgun house, outdoor plumbing and shared outside shower (cold), but we were glad to get it.

January 23, 2009
48th Annual Plant Design Awards: Special Honors Winners

Outstanding Central Plant: DC Center Cleaners, Woodside, N.Y.

Operator Albert Lee had already consolidated production into a central plant once to handle growth, and his continued success recently forced the operation to move again. This time, the company — now one of the largest on the East Coast — faced a massive project. The 20,000-square-foot space Lee had located in Queens required a complete overhaul, but it was the blank slate onto which he could draw the plant of his dreams.

May 5, 2008
America’s Best Cleaners Adds Affiliates at Awards

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — America’s Best Cleaners (ABC) announced that it added 40 more drycleaners to its roster of affiliates during its annual awards ceremony held in March. Kurt and Jodi Lucero, operators of The Cleanery in Albuquerque, hosted the event.

Joining ABC is contingent upon adherence to strict criteria. The certification is valid for one year, after which cleaners are retested on-site. ABC also proctors monthly quality tests and sends mystery shoppers to affiliates’ stores to test for customer service and quality.