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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Second Time Around

Jan 26, 2015

Originally posted - Sep 24, 2013 Avenue Coin Laundry in Libertyville, Ill., opened its doors for the first time this past July. However, store owner Ron Parsons is hardly new to the self-service laundry industry. "In 1979, I bought a place called the Carousel Coin...

‘Landlord and Tenant’

Jan 26, 2015

[ Originally posted - Feb 25, 2014 As the president of Alabama-based Joy Enterprises, Mark Joy is clearly one of the leaders within the franchised fast-food business in his state. With nearly 20 Subway restaurants, a half dozen Long John Silver's locations and a...

Giving Back

Jan 26, 2015

Originally posted - Nov 19, 2013 Jeff Lindemann likes to say that he's probably not the best businessman. However, the facts are the facts. And the former police officer and his wife, Mandy, currently own and operate not one or two - but three - successful businesses...

Headlines

Remote Possibilities

Orignally posted - May 01, 2014 Roseville, Calif., November 2012 – The phone rings at 11:30 p.m. Caller: Hello, Ms. Dower? Me: Yes? Caller: This is Roseville Police Department. Me: How may I help you? Roseville Dispatcher: You have a customer who has called 911...

Seeing the Light

Originally posted - Feb 26, 2014 An energy-efficient retrofit from T8 fluorescent lighting to state-of-the-art LED tubes at Holmen Coin Laundry in Holmen, Wis., will deliver savings on the owner's electric bill of more than 60 percent. Owner Karl Maas operates 31...

Less is More

Originally posted - Oct 04, 2012 All five of my laundromats are strictly self-service operations – no wash-dry-fold service, no commercial accounts, no coffee shop. I do just one thing… and strive to do it very well. As small-business owners, we get offered all types...

‘Tapping’ into Today’s Technology

Orignally posted - Dec 01, 2014 For the most part, our industry is the same throughout from store to store. Each laundromat features basically the same setup: washers and dryers for a set price, folding tables, carts, maybe some vending machines and possibly an...

Be Your Own Competition

Originally posted - Sept issue/2012 "I have been up against tough competition all my life. I wouldn't know how to get along without it." – Walt Disney Next to vend price, there isn't a more combustible topic of conversation among laundry owners than competition. In my...

Less is More

Originally posted - Oct 04, 2012 All five of my laundromats are strictly self-service operations – no wash-dry-fold service, no commercial accounts, no coffee shop. I do just one thing… and strive to do it very well. As small-business owners, we get offered all types...

Making a Name for Ourselves

Originally posted - Mar 27, 2012 What is our industry's brand? I'm fond of the following motto that I derived from the insightful consumer research conducted by the Coin Laundry Association: Our customers want time-savings and convenience in a clean, safe environment...

Take Notes – And Then Take Action

Originally posted - Aug 15, 2012 Each year, one of the most valuable things a self-service laundry owner can do is attend distributor shows. And please notice that I didn't just say "your distributor show." The reason for this is because I personally go to several...

A Time to Reflect A Time to Move Forward

Originally posted - Dec issue/2012 As I write this column in late October, it seems to be more of a time of positive activity than a time of reflection. I just recently returned from the Coin Laundry Association's Excellence in Laundry Conference in Palm Springs. And,...

Open for Business

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

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...

Now Trending…

Originally posted Dec.issue/2012 Eight Trends and Issues Sure to Impact Your Business Life in 2013 "I don't set trends. I just find out what they are and exploit them." – Dick Clark Yes, your small-business world can change quickly. And, yes, outside forces and new...

Stain Solutions Guide

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This Month's Issue

House of Laundromats: Real Estate Trends and What to Watch
Member Spotlight: Bringing a Century of Expertise to the Evolving Laundromat Industry
PlanetLaundry Podcast: Reimagining Community: How the Hub Laundromat Cafe is a Change Catalyst in Detroit
Women In Vended Laundry: How Adrienne Hurrington Keeps the Wheels Turning as SAMCO
And More…

THE LATEST ON LAUNDROMATS

Industry News

Illinois CLA Continues to Battle Chicago Water Tax; Ordinance Introduced

As reported here earlier, Chicago has begun implementing a large tax on city water. The first tax of 7.5 percent was put in place in March and will continue to climb over the next four years, until it reaches a rate of 30 percent. What's more, this doesn't take into...

Dexter University Hosts Service Academy

Dexter Laundry recently hosted many of the industry's leading service technicians during its Dexter University – Service Academy. Representing more than 200 years of experience in the laundry industry, the Service Academy attendees included technicians who are...

Big Fish ’17 Raises Big Bucks for LaundryCares Foundation

The social group known as Big Fish held its annual outing this past September, with an aim toward fishing, fellowship and fundraising. This year's gathering of laundromat industry veterans yielded plenty of lunkers at Tetu Island Lodge in northwest Ontario, but the...

Aaxon Event Draws New Investors

Aaxon Laundry Systems, based in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., held its second annual Aaxon Autumn Expo on October 3 at the company's headquarters. Leading industry vendors - including SpyderWash, ESD, Imonex, Rowe and others - were on hand to meet with attendees about their...

CLEC Expands Territory in Mississippi

Commercial and Coin Laundry Equipment Co., based in Gulf Breeze, Fla., recently completed the purchase of Delta Laundry Equipment Co., headquartered in Greenwood, Miss. This marks the second acquisition for CLEC." CLEC has been in a steady state of growth over the...