PlanetLaundry Podcast
America’s #1 Resource for Vended Laundry News & Info
PlanetLaundry is the official publication of CLA and is trusted by thousands of laundry professionals to deliver the latest news and industry-specific topics.
Getting Paid, Part 1
Payment Options and Considerations for Today’s Laundromat Owners [This is the first of a two-part feature on payment acceptance options for laundromat owners.] As a laundromat owner in 2022, you need to give yourself as many opportunities to succeed in your business...
Doing ‘Good’ Close to Home
Laundry Capital’s Commitment to Bettering the Communities It Serves It takes more than money and desire to better a community. Just ask Alex Weiss. He should know. Weiss is the owner of Laundry Capital Co. LLC – whose affiliated network of stores owns 80 Clean Rite...
The Power of a Pro Forma
Don’t Neglect One of Your Laundry Business’ Most Important Planning Tools Whether you’re purchasing and renovating an existing laundromat or starting one from scratch, a pro forma income statement is one of an investor’s most important tools in not only attaining...
Headlines
Alliance Acquires Laundry Equipment Services
Alliance Laundry Systems has expanded its direct distribution base with the acquisition of Laundry Equipment Services. The acquisition – Alliance’s fifth distributor asset purchase in the last two years – is the company’s latest move in a strategy “to bring...
Wash with Wally: Making ‘Scents’ of WDF Laundry
My store handles a good amount of wash-dry-fold laundry, and lately I’ve been using a lot of detergent and softener. When I approached my laundry attendants about this issue, they told me that many of the customers indicated that they wanted their clothes to smell...
Going Forward… (Part 1)
Industry Insiders Recap the Past Year – And Look Closely at the Factors Shaping the Laundry Business in 2023 [This is the first of a two-part feature article reviewing the year in laundry and taking a glimpse at what 2023 and beyond might hold for store owners.] It’s...
Milnor Honors Top Distributors
At this year’s Clean Show in Atlanta, Pellerin Milnor Corp. hosted a banquet and awards ceremony to celebrate outstanding sales efforts by its distributor network. “Pellerin Laundry Machinery Sales Company had a tremendous level of sales activity for 2021,” said Rick...
Business Bio: Avenue O Laundry
Jim and Melanie Cobb Avenue O Laundry Fort Madison, Iowa Before Getting into the Laundry Business… Jim is an operations manager for a general contractor, and Melanie is a realtor and property manager. Both owners remain in those positions. Store Opening June 2022...
Clean Brands Offers Laundry Services at U.S. Military Bases
Clean Brands has begun offering an array of cleaning and garment-care services at the Exchanges at U.S. Army and Air Force bases across the U.S. As part of the agreement, Clean Brands will provide laundry and drycleaning services in several formats. Those could...
CLA Member of the Year
An Interview with Colleen Unema of Brio Laundry in Bellingham, Wash. Colleen Unema is the owner of Brio Laundry in Bellingham, Wash. She’s also a nationally certified teacher, who taught the sciences for nearly 25 years – from the high school level to college classes....
Laundry Luv, LaundryCares Team Up for Free Laundry Event in Texas
The LaundryCares Foundation will welcome the community of Abilene, Texas, to experience a Free Laundry and Literacy Day event at Laundry Luv on December 7. Guests can enjoy complimentary laundry services and cleaning products, plus free food and fun activities for...
Whirlpool Named to 2022 Seramount Inclusion Index
Whirlpool Corp. has been recognized as an inclusive workplace by Seramount’s sixth annual Inclusion Index. The Inclusion Index helps organizations understand trends and opportunities in demographic representation; creates a road map to drive internal change; and...
CLA Hosts Inaugural WDF Workshop
Trade Association Holds Two-Day Event Focused on Full-Service Laundry Operations Nearly 200 laundromat owners and garment-care professionals – as well as those simply doing their initial due diligence on the wash-dry-fold, pickup-and-delivery, and commercial accounts...
CSC ServiceWorks Names Co-CEOs
CSC ServiceWorks Inc. recently announced that its board of directors has appointed Eric Robinson and Rod Castellanos co-chief executive officers and members of the board. “I’m honored to join Rod as co-CEO to lead and accelerate our company toward the opportunities...
Ohio Bank Donates Books to Local Laundromats
The Kiwanis Club of Southern Hills Region in Ohio has received more than 100 books donated by the Southern Hills Bank in Georgetown. The bank recently collected books from its employees, clients and the Brown County (Ohio) Public Library. The books will be given to...
SPONSORED CONTENT
This Month's Issue
- Tech on the Rise: How Operators Are Using Innovation to Run Smarter, Faster Laundromats: From AI phone systems to real-time data tracking, operators and suppliers share how technology is reshaping the modern laundry business and what’s coming next.
- Business Profile: Delivering a Superior
Laundry Experience - Member Spotlight: Rick Rome –
Innovating Laundry, One Customer at a Time - Guest Column: How AI Changed Google Reviews (What Laundromat Owners Need to Know)
- And More…
THE LATEST ON LAUNDROMATS
Industry News
Milnor Salutes Top Distributors
Pellerin Milnor Corp. has recognized the leading distributorships within its dealer network, naming Western State Design – headquartered in Hayward, Calif., and founded in 1974 – as its top distributor of 2022 for machinery sales and service support to Milnor...
ACI Supports Adding New Laundry Products to EPA Programs
The American Cleaning Institute has recommended new product categories be added to the Environmental Protection Agency’s potential expansion of its Safer Choice and Design for the Environment programs. The Safer Choice and DfE programs allow companies to receive an...
ByNext Acquires Laundry Angels
ByNext, a tech-enabled clothing and premise care company, has acquired Laundry Angels, a tech-enabled laundry and drycleaning pickup-and-delivery services company based in New Jersey. The move is part of the ByNext strategy to expand its omni-services and omni-channel...
CG West to Host Customer Appreciation Days
Continental Girbau West will host a three-day customer appreciation event on September 12-14 at the company’s headquarters in Santa Fe Springs, Calif. This free event, which will run from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day, is open to current and potential CG West...
Eastern Funding Bolsters Sales Team
Eastern Funding LLC – a financial lender to laundromats, industrial laundries, car washes, commercial vehicles, and other businesses – has announced that Raina Bass has joined the company as loan officer. Bass, who will focus on commercial laundry financing, joins...
FROM YOUR FAVORITE INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Columns
The Laundry Doctor
A Profitable Partnership
Teaming Up with Your Local Drycleaner May Be the Ideal Way to Grow Your Laundry Business. Find Out How at Clean 2017! The Clean Show is just around the corner. And the 2017 event – which will be held June 5-8 at the Las Vegas Convention Center – marks the first time...
The Business Mind
Coming to Their Senses
Leverage the Five Senses to Impact Consumer Behavior As members of the human race, we all experience the world largely through our senses. And, by the way, so does the animal kingdom. However, unlike animals, we also boast well-developed intellectual skills that can...
Wash With Wally
Wash with Wally: Battling Bleach Stains
A few of my drop-off laundry customers have complained about small bleach spots on their clothes. However, we don’t use bleach on their clothes, nor do we place the garments where bleach could be splashed on them. The only thing I can think of is that maybe the bleach...
Viewpoint
Partners in Laundry
To say the least, business partnerships of any kind are always going to be challenging. In fact, the majority of partnerships I've ever seen have failed, rather than succeeded. What's the problem? I believe the issue is that a business partnership is much like a...
Digital Marketing
Marketing During Times of Crisis
Some Promotional Do’s, Don’ts and Considerations as We All Try to Navigate the COVID-19 Crisis It’s easy to get downhearted about the state of the world in the middle of COVID-19’s madness. With social distancing measures, self-quarantines in place and a heightened...
Strategic Corporate Allies Program
Our Strategic Corporate Allies support CLA’s mission through advocacy, education, and innovation to strengthen the industry, advance our members’ businesses, and prepare the next generation of laundry professionals for the future.
Interested in becoming a Strategic Corporate Ally of CLA? Contact President & CEO, Brian Wallace via email at [email protected] or call (630) 491-0499.
