Longtime Laundromat Owner on 23 Years of Service, Challenges, Community Impact

For more than two decades, Lee Ann Geurts has been a steady force in her Brooklyn Park community in Minnesota, running three laundromats that have become known not just for clean clothes, but for connection, comfort, and care. What began as a business venture for her...

Green is Good Business

Green Operations Increasingly Important to Feed Consumer Demand When Green Laundry Lounge co-owners Pulin and Krishna Dasai got into the vended laundry industry, they wanted to change a narrative: laundromats are water and energy-intensive businesses. “The...

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...

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Open for Business

Jan 28, 2015

Originally posted - Jan issue/2012 You've searched far and wide for that perfect laundry location or undervalued existing laundromat. You've met with every distributor and examined each manufacturer's spec sheets with a fine-toothed comb before selecting your new...

‘Face’ the Facts

Jan 28, 2015

Originally posted - Mar 25, 2013 If you are like me, a small-business owner, you most likely have heard of Facebook. You may even have a Facebook page for your business, but you may be wondering how to use Facebook practically to promote your business. I say...

A Plan Comes Together

Jan 28, 2015

Originally posted - Jun 11, 2013 In past columns, I've discussed the value of networking and the ideas I've picked up at industry events – ideas that have helped me save and make more money at my stores. A perfect example of this occurred last October, when I was in...

Headlines

Huebsch Announces Its Store Owner of the Quarter

Ohio Owner Grows Successful Four-Store Operation Huebsch has named Jim Adams the latest recipient of its Store Owner of the Quarter Award for the growth and success of his four Jennifer Haley's Coin Laundromats in Ohio. "Jim has an ambitious spirit and strong work...

Clean n Green Laundromat

Wayne and Nick Bernaiche Clean n Green Laundromat, LLC Glastonbury, Conn. Business Philosophy and Vision "Our vision for this store - and the trend we see occurring around the country with other new successful ventures - is that pride in the business, above and beyond...

Let’s Build on the Many Successes of 2015

As we head into 2016, I'd like to reflect on some of the successes of 2015. In my mind, the greatest accomplishment of 2015 was the Coin Laundry Association's revitalization of its LaundryCares Foundation. As many of you know, LaundryCares has been around since 2006,...

Wash with Wally: Mattress Pads, Mildew Odor and More…

I'm toying with the idea of opening a store that caters strictly to drop-off laundry customers, with no self-service business at all. The location I'm considering is densely populated, with residents in the upper-middle income range. What do you think? The drop-off...

Primus Partners with U.S. Distributors

Vended, On-Premises Laundry Equipment Now Available Through 15 Companies Primus has announced its partnership with 15 distributors throughout the United States. "With cutting edge technology and quality manufacturing, Primus is the industry leader in Europe," said...

‘My Biggest Mistake’

Store Owners Share Some of Their Laundry Business Miscues "We should not look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting by dearly bought experience." – George Washington Even successful, long-time laundry owners make...

What’s Next?

An Interview with Author and Demographics Expert Paul Taylor Paul Taylor is the author of "The Next America: Boomers, Millennials and the Looming Generational Showdown." The book draws on his work at the Pew Research Center, a non-partisan "fact tank" that provides...

Finding a Winner

The Four Factors That Determine a Successful Coin Laundry Location [This article originally appeared in the December 2009 issue of The Journal of Coin Laundry and Drycleaning. This is the first in an ongoing, periodic series, in which we will resurrect some of the...

Tax Tips for Self-Service Laundry Owners

Smart Moves for Your Money in 2016 In my opinion, the best tax shelter that exists is a retirement plan. The most common retirement plans are IRA's (Individual Retirement Accounts), profit sharing plans, 401(k) plans, SEP (Simplified Employee Pension) plans, defined...

More Thoughts Off the Top of My Head

Observations on Life and the Laundry Business - The Sequel Just over a year ago, I wrote a column in this space, which was entitled, "Thoughts Off the Top of My Head."And it was so well-received that I felt a sequel was in order. As I noted in the original article,...

The Ozone Revolution

If You Haven't Thought About Adding Ozone Injection to Your Laundry Operation, Now Is the Time to Start Considering It I was in my office at my store recently when one of my attendants came in and told me there was someone there who wanted to speak with me. As it...

University of Arkansas Kicks Off ‘Wash Time Is Talk Time’

Free Books Provided During Event at Westwood Laundromat On December 4, Westwood Laundromat in Rogers, Ark., gave out free children's books to its customers, kicking off the northwest Arkansas "Wash Time is Talk Time"program. This initiative is part of the Laundry...

Scaling Wash & Fold Operations

Learn how to grow your wash & fold from an offering into a money-making operation.

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This Month's Issue

Connecting, Learning, Advocating: CLA Maximizes Impact at Clean Show 2025
Member Spotlight: Finding a Niche in the Laundromat Industry
PlanetLaundry Podcast: Turning Setbacks into Success: Saichelle McNeill’s Journey
A Laundromat With Heart: Inside Cherry Drive’s Customer-First Approach
And More…

THE LATEST ON LAUNDROMATS

Industry News

Clean 2019 Registration Now Open

Registration is now open for Clean 2019, which will be held on June 20-23 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.The Clean Show is the world's largest exhibition of equipment, products and services for commercial laundry, drycleaning and textile...

TLC Tri-State Opens New Distribution Facility

TLC Tri-State Laundry Companies has opened a new, state-of-the-art, 101,000-square-foot distribution facility in Valdosta, Ga. The company recently moved from its previous headquarters in Waycross, Ga., which had occupied a series of smaller buildings totaling...

Aaxon Holds Successful Autumn Expo

Aaxon Laundry Systems, based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., recently hosted its 2018 Aaxon Autumn Expo, which drew laundry owners from across the state. Representatives from Huebsch – including Senior Regional Sales Manager Jason Fleck – presented the manufacturer's newest...

Statewide Laundry Hosts Fall Expos

Statewide Laundry - with offices in Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando and Miami - recently completed a three-day series of Laundry Improvement Expos. The company kicked off the 2018 shows on September 18 at an all-new venue, the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center...

Two New Opportunities for CLA Members

The Coin Laundry Association has announced two new opportunities for its members to become involved – as speakers and sponsors – with the organization’s upcoming CLA Connect LIVE events in 2019. All members are invited to share their expertise and...