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.
Smooth Operators (Part 2)
From Preventive Maintenance to Equipment Repair, Store Owners Share Key Strategies for Keeping Their Laundromats Running Smoothly and Profitably [This is the second of a two-part feature article. You can read Part One here.] In a continuation of PlanetLaundry's March...
Smooth Operators (Part 1)
From Preventive Maintenance to Equipment Repair, Store Owners Share Key Strategies for Keeping Their Laundromats Running Smoothly and Profitably Houston laundromat owner Rob Maes was still a newcomer to the industry when he received his first wake-up call, as to the...
What Can the CLA Do for You?
“What can Brown do for you?” That was the popular slogan for UPS from 2002 to 2010. Simple in structure yet far-reaching in scope, the slogan engaged UPS’ multi-platform customer universe to think about its relationship with the company and how it might be expanded....
Headlines
CLA Names New, Re-Elected Members to 2023 Board of Directors
The Coin Laundry Association has announced five re-elected and one newly elected Board members, who will round out the organization’s 2023 Board of Directors. The Board election was ratified last month during the CLA’s annual meeting at the Clean Show in Atlanta. CLA...
Healthcare Group Offers Outreach at Philadelphia Laundromats
Philadelphia-based managed care organization Health Partners Plans is teaming up with Fabric Health for outreach at five laundromats in the city, according to a recent Philadelphia Business Journal report. Fabric Health will help Health Partners Plans members update...
Continental Creative Services Changes Name to Girbau Creative Services
Continental Creative Services, a division of Girbau North America, has changed its name to Girbau Creative Services. “We wanted to change the name to better align with our parent company, Girbau Global Laundry Solutions,” said Creative Services Manager Kim Foxcroft....
Speed Queen Laundry Franchise to Open in South Carolina
Speed Queen has announced that the first Speed Queen Laundry franchise in South Carolina is set to open in Greenville, with grand opening activities slated for September 7-14. The 2,800-square-foot location features touchscreen controls, washers with capacities...
Cents Acquires Starchup, Expands PUD Platform
Venture-backed technology company Cents has acquired Starchup, a provider of pickup and delivery, POS and drycleaning software. Through this acquisition, Cents stated it will be able to bolster its existing pickup and delivery platform by adding functionality and...
Business Partners to Open Five LaundroLab Locations in St. Petersburg Market
Laundromat franchise LaundroLab has announced it will expand its reach in Florida – with four entrepreneurs bringing five new locations to the St. Petersburg area. Carlie Canfield, Matt Denault and their spouses had been flipping single-family homes since 2019, when a...
HappyNest Expands Presence in Tennessee
Laundry pickup-and-delivery service HappyNest has expanded its availability within the Tennessee market east of Nashville through the company’s new laundromat partner, Antioch Coin Laundry. “We pride ourselves on offering unparalleled service from our staff, which...
Our Industry is Alive, Well… And Thriving
Having now had the opportunity to fully digest my time at last month’s Clean Show in Atlanta, I’m happy to report that the self-service laundry industry – as well as the residential wash-dry-fold and pickup-and-delivery segments of the business – are alive and well....
‘Helping Youth in Need’
New York Laundry Owner Shares His Thoughts on Adding a Literacy Element to His Business Model Multi-store owner Steve Levine may be the perfect role model for the LaundryCares Foundation’s literacy programs and Family Read, Play & Learn Centers. After all, he’s...
Huebsch Honors Top Distributors
Huebsch recently honored its top-performing distributors of 2021 at an awards ceremony at the Omni Hotel in Atlanta, held in conjunction with this year’s Clean Show. The manufacturer presented Aaxon Laundry Equipment of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with its Distributor of...
HappyNest Continues Chicago Expansion
Laundry pickup-and-delivery service HappyNest has expanded within the Chicago market, now available in eastern portion of the city through its new laundromat partner, Easy Clean Laundry. The company had expanded westward earlier this year. “HappyNest was the obvious...
ARM & HAMMER Laundry Partners with Dress for Success
ARM & HAMMER Laundry has continued its support of Dress for Success, a global not-for-profit organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence. Building on a two-year partnership, ARM & HAMMER Laundry will serve as presenting sponsor of the...
SPONSORED CONTENT
This Month's Issue
- Green is Good Business: Green Operations Increasingly Important to Feed Consumer Demand
- Women In Laundry: Lee Ann Geurts Loves a Challenge
- Store Profile: Kings Laundry Kicking it in Los Angeles
- Untapped Growth Opportunities
- And More…
THE LATEST ON LAUNDROMATS
Industry News
Lawmakers Look to Ban Natural Gas in Commercial Buildings
In January, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission created a flurry of controversy over a rumored proposal to restrict the use of gas-powered stoves in homes. Although fears over that federal proposal were exaggerated, state and local lawmakers have been active...
Service Taxes: An Update on State Sales Tax Expansion
State legislators continue to express ongoing interest in expanding the sales tax to new services, according to MultiState Associates, a government relations firm headquartered in Alexandria, Va. Here’s a look at where those efforts stand: Income tax...
Wash Day Offering WDF Services at Walmart Locations in Delaware
Wash-dry-fold and drycleaning services are now available at three Walmart Supercenters in Delaware. Through a new company called Wash Day, customers can drop off their laundry at the local Walmart and receive a text message when the clothes are ready to be picked up....
Alliance Laundry Systems Distribution Expands West
Alliance Laundry Systems has acquired the distribution assets of Taylor Houseman, based in Pittsburg, Calif. Taylor Houseman boasts more than two decades of experience providing commercial laundry solutions throughout northern California. “This acquisition further...
Cents Unveils New Marketing Tool for Laundry Owners
Laundromat technology provider Cents has launched an integrated marketing suite called Cents Accelerate – which provides the company’s customers with a website, email, and SMS marketing tools developed exclusively for laundry business owners. Created to enable laundry...
FROM YOUR FAVORITE INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Columns
The Laundry Doctor
The Magic Number
When Processing Natural Fibers, It's Critical That Temperatures Remain Below 80 Degrees Temperature is a key component within the overall cleaning process. And one of the most important temperature thresholds with regard to cleaning is 80 degrees. What's so important...
The Business Mind
What’s on My Bookshelf?
The ‘Best of the Best’ from the Author’s Own Personal Business Library I’ve had the same office in the same building for the last 15 years – from which my brother, Fred, and I run our laundry machinery distributorship. As with most repetitive actions, when I arrive to...
Wash With Wally
Wash with Wally: Installing an ATM
I just got into the laundromat business, and I’m considering installing an ATM in my store. My question is whether I’m better off buying a machine outright and installing it myself, or having an outside vendor own and install the ATM, with some type of commission...
Viewpoint
The Art of Building a Brand
Here Are the Keys to Establishing and Growing Your Laundry Business' Brand IdentityWhat is a brand and why is it critical to the success of a business? What factors must be considered when establishing a brand and brand identity? How is your brand communicated?...
Digital Marketing
Marketing Your Multi-Store Operation
To Grow Your Vended Laundry Business, Focus on Four Key Factors Here’s a fact that shouldn’t surprise you by now: More than half of all purchases are influenced by a digital presence. You, your neighbors and the strangers across town are all Googling (and maybe...
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.
