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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Beyond Washers and Dryers

Jan 23, 2015

Originally posted - Jun 10, 2013 For the last 20 years, multi-store owner Bob Meuschke has averaged an additional 17 percent to 20 percent over and above his gross laundry sales, thanks to his operation's ancillary profit centers. "I am very much pro-ancillary profit...

Cutting Costs….Without Cutting Corners

Jan 23, 2015

Originally posted - Mar 11, 2013 As a self-service laundry owner, you're no doubt always looking for new ways to bring in more business, to grow your market and to increase your profits. Of course, a great way to boost profits is by cutting expenses. After all, even...

Buyer Beware

Jan 23, 2015

Originally posted - Jan 25, 2013 George Morgan has seen it before. "A lot of people fall in love with the idea of being a laundry owner," said the president of Best Laundry Brokers, headquartered in Grass Valley, Calif. "They get so enamored with this feeling. They...

Headlines

Designing Woman

Originally posted - Oct 24, 2014 Deborah Burnett is an award-winning, internationally recognized registered interior designer, lighting practitioner, keynote presenter and author. Over her 30-year professional career, Burnett – a principal and partner in the Benya...

Coin Laundries: ‘One of Those Businesses You Look for If You Own a Neighborhood Center’

Originally posted - Nov issue/2012 An Interview with International Council of Shopping Centers Vice President Michael Niemira Michael P. Niemira is the staff vice president, chief economist and director of research for the International Council of Shopping Centers. As...

It’s the Economy, Stupid!

Originally posted - Sept issue/2012 An Interview with Leading Economic Forecaster Alan Beaulieu One of the country's most informed economists, Alan Beaulieu is a principal at ITR Economics, where he serves as president. Since 1990, he has been consulting with...

An Allied Force

Originally posted - March issue/2012 David Cotter has worked for trade associations for nearly 30 years, holding various positions at five different associations. He was named executive director (now CEO) of the Textile Care Allied Trades Association (TCATA) in 1993....

Think Like an Entrepreneur

Originally posted - Feb issue/2012 Cliff Michaels is a writer, speaker, strategist and entrepreneur. For more than 20 years, he has built companies in real estate, technology, publishing and consulting. He also is the former president and a board member of the Young...

Vital Signs

Neglect Your Store's Signage at Your Own Risk Because a laundromat is a self-service business, there is the tendency among some owners to have a "build-it-and-they-will-wash" attitude toward their stores. In other words, the focus is primarily on the equipment offered...

At Your Service: What Laundry Customers Really Want

Orginally posted - Sep 11, 2013 Attracting and retaining more customers are the keys to any successful business. As a result, figuring out just what it is your laundry customers really want or need to spend their money on – and then giving it to them – is the "holy...

Aiming High

Originally posted - Feb issue/2012 Corporate Pilot Opens New Laundry in College Town Ross Razak's work hours are hardly 9 to 5. So, he was looking to start a small business with just as much flexibility. Not surprisingly, he found exactly what he was looking for in...

‘Time’ Is On His Side

Originally posted - Nov issue/2012 New Entrepreneur Opens His First Self-Service Laundry in Upstate New York At only 27, Scott Carey can already see his future – and it involves dirty laundry. Hopefully, lots and lots of dirty laundry. After all, Carey is the owner of...

Bank on It!

Originally posted - June issue/2012 Former Banking Executive Cashes in with Eco-Friendly Coin Laundry After more than 30 years in the financial industry, Connie Ihrke finally knows what she wants to be when she grows up. A coin laundry owner. "In the banking business,...

Controlling His Own Destiny

Originally posted - May issue/2012 Memphis Laundry Owner Builds Strong Following, Plans Two More Locations Phil Arvin's self-service laundry business is nothing like his "day job." And that's one of the aspects he really enjoys about his year-old entrepreneurial...

From Pets to Professionals…..

Originally posted - Sept issue/2012 Montana Laundromat/Dog Wash Has Become the Area's ‘One-Stop Solution' Those looking for a quick and efficient self-service wash and dry or even more personalized laundry services – or just a convenient place to wash the family dog –...

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

Alliance Laundry Systems Announces Financing Program for Owners in Hurricane-Ravaged Areas

Alliance Laundry Systems has announced it will offer a finance program to laundry owners located in the hurricane-impacted regions of Florida and the greater Houston area. In an effort to get existing laundromat operators back on their feet, the company is offering a...

D&M Hosts Service Seminar in Chicago

More than 60 self-service laundry owners, managers and service technicians recently attended a Dexter Laundry service seminar, which is hosted annually by D&M Equipment Co. at the distributor's headquarters in Chicago.Those in attendance were treated to an...

Laundrylux Announces Disaster Relief Program

Laundrylux knows first-hand how destructive a hurricane can be, having suffered through Hurricane Sandy in 2012. "We had employees and customers who lost their homes and businesses, and were completely devastated by Sandy for a long time," said Laundrylux President...

Is Your Laundromat Open in TX or LA?

The Coin Laundry Association and its 501(c)3 charity, the LaundryCares Foundation, are trying to help the victims of the recent devastation which has occurred as a result of Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Louisiana. One of the primary directives of the LaundryCares...

Continental Launches Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief Program

Continental Girbau Inc. and its Houston distributor, Skyline Equipment Inc., have initiated disaster assistance for Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma business victims. This includes companies in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. The disaster...