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January 11, 2012
Plant Design Awards — Grand Prize: Margaret’s Cleaners (Part 2 of 2)

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.

January 10, 2012
Plant Design Awards — Grand Prize: Margaret’s Cleaners (Part 1 of 2)

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.

The difficulty of getting into and out of La Jolla, site of its previous flagship location, and a desire for less cramped quarters were factors in taking on the $7 million project, Horst says.

October 26, 2011
StatShot: Northeast Only Region to Post Increased Dry Cleaning Sales in September, Third Quarter

CHICAGO – The Northeast was the lone bright spot for September dry cleaning sales, posting a 5.7% gain compared to sales for September 2010, according to the latest AmericanDrycleaner.com StatShot survey.

In comparing September 2011 sales to September 2010, the South saw a 1.2% decrease and the Midwest a 1.4% decline. The West was hit the hardest, with sales down 6.1% from a year earlier.

“Even with aggressive promotions, sales continue to slide in Southern California,” reports a Western operator.

The Northeast was also the only region to post gains in third-quarter sales from a year ago. They were up 2.8%. The other regions reported declining sales when compared to the previous year’s July, August and September: South, down 0.9%; Midwest, down 3.1%; and the West, down 4.8%.

September 17, 2010
California Cool

LONG BEACH, Calif. — It was a hot, humid August in most of the U.S., but everyone at Fabricare 2010 in Long Beach, Calif., seemed cool, calm and collected. Held every two years by the California Cleaners Association (CCA), the show benefited from unusually pleasant weather, even for Southern California.

November 3, 2009
Martinizing Dry Cleaning Acquires Dry Cleaning Station

LOVELAND, Ohio — Martinizing Dry Cleaning has increased its more than 529-store global presence with the acquisition of Minneapolis-based Dry Cleaning Station.

It’s anticipated that a combination of 10 Dry Cleaning Station full-service plants will initially convert to the Martinizing brand in four markets, including Denver; Southern California; Tulsa, Okla.; and Minneapolis, with other markets to follow, according to Jerry Laesser, Martinizing’s vice president of marketing and franchise development.

August 25, 2008
Despite Downturn, CCA Show Surprises

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Though many California communities have been hard-hit by the mortgage-lending crisis and slowing economy, most exhibitors and attendees were pleased with the California Cleaners Association’s (CCA) Fabricare 2008 show.

December 17, 2007
CNBC Suggests 'Dry Cleaner Economic Index'

CNBC correspondent Jane Wells said that drycleaners could be the source of a new economic index in a blog post Friday — at least in Southern California, where the entertainment writers' strike and flagging real estate market are hurting demand for all kinds of services.

April 4, 2007
Los Angeles Set to Study Perc Alternatives

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The City Council of Los Angeles may soon examine the relative benefits of all currently available alternatives to perchloroethylene for drycleaning. While no proposal has been introduced, a city ordinance could impose restrictions beyond those now mandated by other regulatory bodies.