Leveling the Playing Field

John Um wanted to make sure small business owners could get fair pricing and access to reliable suppliers without needing to have significant buying power. As a leader whose career spanned several major retail and e-commerce companies, he had seen firsthand how hard...

Staying Fierce: Haley Gould Finds Perfect Fit in Vended Laundry

Haley Gould is the Director of Partner Success for HappyNest. She manages an internal team while leading more than 100 partners across the United States building a successful pickup and delivery operation in addition to running their laundromat business. A consummate...

Metrics That Matter

Profit, Performance, and Planning in Vended Laundry The laundromat business is like most businesses in that you need to do a lot of things right to be successful. But how do you know if it’s working? According to successful owners, you just need to look at the...

Startup to Scale

How Western State Design Has Been Helping Laundry Businesses Thrive for More Than 50 Years For more than five decades, Western State Design has been a leading provider of turnkey laundry solutions across the vended, on-premises, and commercial/industrial markets....

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Running ‘In the Margin

Apr 29, 2015

Here's How to Control Costs and Prioritize Your Self-Service Customers, While Building a Strong Wash-Dry-Fold Business Perhaps you returned from the recent Clean Show in Atlanta with a renewed interest in getting into the wash-dry-fold business, or maybe now you're...

Choosing a Lender?

Mar 27, 2015

Three Key Factors to Consider When Seeking Acquisition and Equity Financing Whether you're a new investor in the self-service laundry industry or a seasoned multi-store owner, there will come a time when you will need to invest – or reinvest – in your business....

Business Benchmarks

Mar 26, 2015

Store Owners Share the Economic Indicators and Metrics They Use to Gauge the Health of Their Laundry Operations As an entrepreneur, you likely fulfill several roles to keep your business running smoothly – and perhaps none is more crucial or daunting than that of...

Headlines

Laundry Owners Fight Back Against Chicago Water Tax

As earlier reported here and in PlanetLaundry magazine, the city of Chicago recently passed a new tax on all users of water and sewer in the city. The first increase of 7.5 percent will go into effect on March 1, and the tax will increase over the next four years to...

LaundryCares to Host Free Laundry Day in North Carolina

The Coin Laundry Association’s LaundryCares Foundation will host a free laundry day on February 8 at Laundry Land in Greenville, N.C. This event is scheduled to take place from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.“Free laundry days are the highlight of what...

Laundry Owners Warehouse Announces New Warranty Policy on Certified Used Equipment

Laundry Owners Warehouse, based in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., has announced a new warranty policy for used equipment. This comprehensive deal includes a 36-month warranty on frames and pulleys, 12-month coverage on seals and bearings, and a six-month guarantee on all other...

SAMCO, Steiner-Atlantic Now Offer Primus Equipment

Primus recently announced new partnerships with Miami-based Steiner-Atlantic Corp. and Southern Automatic Machinery Co., headquartered in Fayetteville, Ga. Steiner-Atlantic will now offer Primus laundry equipment to customers in Florida, while SAMCO will provide...

PWS Opens Laundromat Adjacent to California Headquarters

PWS has announced the opening of its 3,000th laundromat – the SpinCycle Laundry Lounge. This contemporary new store is located next to the company’s newly renovated headquarters in South Gate, Calif., and features some of the industry’s latest...

Reimagining Our Future Potential

Welcome to 2017! I’m honored to be serving as your Chairman of the Board for what I envision will be a historic year for the Coin Laundry Association. For the first time, we are embarking on a comprehensive process to reimagine the future potential of our trade...

Wash with Wally: The Keys to Cleaning White Items

At my laundry, we do a lot of commercial and residential drop-off laundry. Unfortunately, I have a tough time getting white socks to look really white. Any suggestions? Also, we wash white towels for a local physical therapist. We routinely receive towels with makeup...

New Year’s Resolutions

Laundry Owners Reveal Their Top Business Goals for 2017 Each January, many of us make a list of resolutions to help us live better lives throughout the year. Whether those resolutions are to eat healthier, work out more often, get out of debt or just be nicer to...

Business Bio: Marysville Laundry Station

Craig Wells Marysville Laundry Station Marysville, Wash.Before Getting into the Laundry Business…Craig used to work in a grocery store.Store OpeningJanuary 1, 2004Business Hours6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily, with the last wash beginning at 9:00 p.m.StaffThree...

A Tale of Two Stores

The Midweek Laundromat Doldrums Drove Owner John MacKrell to Seek Out Additional Business, Leading to the Creation of SpringboardIt was another quiet Tuesday. And, if John MacKrell were in the business of selling dryer lint, he would have told you – after a busy...

Do What You Like Best – And Never Give Up

An Interview with Chicago Laundry Business Veteran John VassiliadesJohn Vassiliades, president and CEO of J. Vassiliades & Co., began his career in the self-service laundry and drycleaning business more than 40 years ago. During that time, he has owned multiple...

Growing Your Business by Serving Your Community

Seniors and Other Niche Market Segments May Be Perfect Opportunities to Build Your Wash-Dry-Fold Clientele In many ways, doing wash-dry-fold laundry for seniors in your community can almost be considered a public service commitment. At my store, I have about half a...

This Month's Issue

Get Clear to Keep it Clean: Find Focus to Maximize Your Marketing Efforts
Women In Laundry: From the Washroom to the Boardroom
Store Profile: Southern Suds Changing the Game
Member Spotlight: Hutchinson Belt Drive Systems
And More…

THE LATEST ON LAUNDROMATS

Industry News

The Laundry Chute Expands College Services, Announces Partnerships

The Laundry Chute, LLC, has expanded its collegiate services in Pittsburgh and beyond for the 2019-20 school year, providing “peer-to-peer, on-demand laundry ecosystems to increase campus machine uses,” according to the company. To bolster its offerings, The Laundry...

Eastern Funding Hosts Successful New York Workshop

Eastern Funding hosted a capacity crowd at its most recent Laundry Improvement Workshop in Melville, N.Y. This event, which was the fifth in the series, was attended by a cross section of the laundry industry – including owners, potential investors, local distributors...

Registration Still Open for Upcoming CLA Connect LIVE Events

Register now to attend the following CLA Connect LIVE events planned for the next two weeks. These events are open to current and potential store owners, distributors and manufacturers: CLA Connect LIVE – Southern California September 10 in Santa Monica, Calif. “A...

Wash-Dry-Fold POS Promotes Gollahon to Equity Partner

Wash-Dry-Fold POS has named Sales and Marketing Director Ian Gollahon an equity partner in the company. Gollahon started with Wash-Dry-Fold POS in 2016, shortly after the company was established. “I was focused on fulfilling incoming orders, and I needed somebody to...

RICHCLEAN Names New President

The Board of Directors of RICHCLEAN recently announced the promotion of Matthew Gilman to president of the company. Matthew succeeds his father, Barry Gilman, in this position. Barry held the leadership spot at the company since its inception in 1975. “Barry decided...