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GAITHERSBURG, Md. — The MidAtlantic Association of Cleaners (MAC) recently held its Winter Board and Annual Meetings here, approving bylaw changes to streamline board functions and electing 2013 association officers, board members and committee members.

Officers for this year include President Ben Johnson (Americlean), Vice President Jamie Albano (Albano Cleaners), Treasurer Russell Kaplan (ZIPS) and Chair Dianne Chatelain (Presto Valet).

Elected to the Board of Directors were Michael McKay (Dryclean and Shirt Salon), Maryland; Patrick Dunlap (Classicleaners), District of Columbia; Buddy Gritz (Presto Valet) and Tammy Johnson (Americlean), Virginia; Charley Young (Peter Pan Cleaners) and Telly Svingos (Victors Cleaners & Launderers), West Virginia; and Tom McAllister (Kreussler Chemical), Jack Belluscio (Caled Chemical) and James Just (R.R. Street & Co.), representing the allied trades.

Committee members for 2013 include Tom Williams (Suffolk Quality Cleaners), Sally Veach (Fresh Dry Cleaners & Laundry), James Crowder (Edmondson’s Cleaners) and Dan Criswell (Prince George Cleaners).

CHICAGO — American Drycleaner has learned of the recent deaths of two prominent leaders in the dry cleaning community:

Frank F. Filling Jr. — Died Nov. 10, 2012

Frank F. Filling Jr., 94, of Landis Homes, formerly of Lancaster, Pa., died Nov. 10 surrounded by family.

Filling was the retired president of Filling’s Inc. Drycleaning, Men’s and Ladies Stores. He retired in 1987 after 53 years with the Filling Corp.

Filling once served as the president of the Central Pennsylvania Drycleaners Guild and the Pennsylvania Association of Professional Dry Cleaners. He was elected to the International Fabricare Institute’s Board of Directors and was instrumental in the formation of the Institute’s school in Maryland.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Mabel “Mae,” in 1999. He is survived by a son, daughter, two brothers, two sisters, and three grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Holy Spirit Lutheran Church, Lancaster, or the Millersville VFW Post 7294, 219 Walnut Hill Rd., Millersville, PA 17551.

WEST BABYLON, N.Y. — Kelleher Equipment is Columbia/ILSA Drycleaning Systems’ newest distributor in the Greater Los Angeles area, Columbia/ILSA reports.

“We are quite thrilled to have Kelleher Equipment as part of our elite dealer network,” says Stephen Langiulli, Columbia’s president.

Kelleher Equipment has always been an industry leader in the area of sales, distribution, service and support in the United States, according to Langiulli, who adds that the company, founded by John Kelleher Sr. in 1974, is a time-proven testament to hard work and ethics.

“It was indeed an honor to stand next to John Sr., Kelly, his daughter, and John Jr. at the recent Fabricare Show in Long Beach, Calif.,” Langiulli says.

Show visitors eagerly expressed their enthusiasm for the Kelleher/Columbia affiliation, he adds.

LAUREL, Md. — Jan Barlow, CGCP®, owner of Jan’s Professional Cleaners, Clio, Mich., has become the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute’s (DLI) second female president, and the organization has welcomed a host of new faces to its governing body.

DLI’s board of directors recognizes valued contributions and inducts new volunteer leadership. New directors are sworn in as their predecessors move to an executive office or become DLI senators, an exclusive title for previous board members.

Barlow succeeds Charlie Smith, owner of Village Square Cleaners, Reston, Va., who completed his one-year term as president.

David Machesney, owner of Pratt-Abbott Cleaners, Westbrook, Maine, became DLI’s president-elect. Allan Johnson III, owner of Peerless Cleaners, Corpus Christi, Texas, became treasurer.

DLI membership elected two dry cleaning professionals to district directorships: Brad Ewing, CED®, Nu Way Cleaners, Greeley, Colo., representing District 7, and David Suber, CED®, owner of Perfect Cleaners in Los Angeles, representing District 8.

RONKONKOMA, N.Y. — Irving Weber Associates (IWA) has been working with local insurance brokers to offer their drycleaning clients protection at competitive rates for many years, but efforts to advise dry cleaners that they don’t need to fire their current broker to gain access to IWA’s insurance program hasn’t reached the audience it had hoped, the company says.

So, IWA has created a new division devoted exclusively to spreading the message that IWA wants to maintain local working relationships while providing dry cleaners and their local insurance brokers access to its coverage, says IWA President Adam Weber.

Christine (Tina) Brazier was selected to head the new division. “We want to educate the dry cleaners and their brokers about their access to our Fabricare Advantage Program, but also educate them on the many coverages designed to provide expanded protection to their business and that are rarely found in their current insurance products.”

John Leidner will serve as broker/agency liaison and Colleen Christner is responsible for marketing support.

ATLANTA — The Clean Executive Committee has selected Global Experience Specialists (GES) to serve as the official services contractor for the 2013 Clean Show in New Orleans.

Three companies submitted proposals for the June 2013 show. “GES did our show in New Orleans in 2009 and did a great job,” says John Riddle, president of Riddle & Associates, the Clean Show’s management company. “We look forward to working with them again in 2013.”

Chicago hosted the first Clean Show in 1977. United Exposition Service Co. was the official services contractor for that event and subsequent shows. GES purchased United in 1993, and the Las Vegas-based company has continued its partnership with the Clean Show for many shows since.

GES produces 3,000 exhibitions and events annually.

The Clean Show—officially titled the World Educational Congress for Laundering and Drycleaning—attracts people across all segments of the textile care industry, from single-owner, coin-operated laundry and drycleaning establishments to giant industrial and institutional laundries and textile rental companies.

SAN DIEGO — Margaret’s Cleaners’ 22,000-square-foot plant, formerly an upholstery fabric outlet, was designed from the ground up for servicing couture garments and accessories. Work on the two-story structure began in summer 2009 and continues today.

“That’s who we are,” says Chuck Horst, president of the family-owned company and the plant’s designer. “We’re always making changes. I have two departments in a temporary home as we’re still getting the remainder of those departments set up. … The plant is 95% complete.”

Margaret’s services more than 150 fine retailers. It offers delivery throughout Southern California plus Las Vegas, and nationwide through CleanByMail.

THEY DO

Two professional photo studios are available to keep up with photography demands. One studio is used to document wedding gowns and other garments, before and after cleaning and restoration. The other is used exclusively for Margaret’s luxury wardrobe storage and archive service called Garde Robe.

Star Distributing Commercial Laundry Equipment, Nashville, Tenn., is now offering the Wascomat, Electrolux and B&C Technologies product lines in Georgia and Alabama, the distributor says.


“We are excited to be expanding our operations to Georgia and Alabama with the B&C Technologies, Electrolux and Wascomat lines,” says Michael Davis, president of Star Distributing. “The expansion of our product lines will position us well for growth in Georgia and Alabama.”


Laundrylux distributes both Wascomat and Electrolux products. Wascomat creates economical machines found in neighborhood Laundromats. Its coin-operated machines help laundry owners save on water, energy and gas, the company says. Electrolux is well known for its high-end commercial washers and dryers.


B&C Technologies provides an array of on-premise laundry equipment from washer-extractors to tumblers to commercial ironers.


FAIRFIELD, N.J. — An outstanding business program, a resort area with much to see and do, and near-perfect weather combined to make the Textile Care Allied Trades Association (TCATA) Annual Conference in Park City, Utah, last month one of the group's best ever, the association says.

Jade West of the National Association of Wholesaler Distributors provided attendees with an overview of federal legislation and regulation having a significant impact on businesses that has passed or may be passed.

Best-selling author Joachim de Posada discussed the “marshmallow principle” of delayed gratification, the subject of a famous 1970s experiment. He explained how businesses might apply the principle to be more successful.

Economist Alan Beaulieu explained to attendees how they could make adjustments in their business planning to prosper in anticipated, predictable economic cycles.

At the closing dinner, several members were recognized for achieving milestone anniversaries. Foster-Stephens of Elk Grove Village, Ill., became only the fifth company to celebrate 75 years of association membership.

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:

NEW YORK — Trade shows are great for bringing together the industry’s most important players and prospects. But all that product-seeking and hand-shaking comes at a cost. Airfares, hotels and restaurant meals represent a hit to your bottom line.

Uncle Sam does offer some respite for the trade-show traveler, however. Prudent and thorough deductions of travel expenses on your income-tax returns can help soften the financial blow.