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.
In the City
L.A. Laundry Owner Ronnie Morales Discusses Operating in a Dense, Urban Marketplace Ronnie Morales currently owns two Laundry 360 locations in Carson, Calif., which is located just outside of downtown Los Angeles. A former insurance agent for State Farm, Morales knew...
The ABCs of HVAC
How to Keep Your System Efficient – And Your Laundry Customers Comfortable For today’s laundromat customers, comfort is a key. And store owners who provide temperature-controlled interiors – especially during the brutal dog days of summer – have a definite leg up on...
Due Diligence… Done Right
A Step-by-Step Look at Purchasing an Existing Laundromat When you build and open a brand new vended laundry, you take the calculated risk of throwing a party and potentially having nobody show up. However, when you buy an established laundry business and you believe...
Headlines
On the Money
An Overview of the SBA’s 504 Loan Program The Small Business Administration’s 504 Loan program is a powerful economic development program that offers small businesses, such as laundromats, another avenue for business financing, while promoting business growth and job...
First Tide Laundromat Opens in Chicago
The first Tide Laundromat recently opened for business in Chicago, on the city’s far north side. According to the Procter & Gamble brand, it is a part of Tide’s strategic focus “to bring innovation and new technologies to the out-of-home laundry services...
Cents Announces $4.25M Financing Round
Cents, a leading business management and in-store operations platform for laundromat owners, recently announced a $4.25 million financing round. The round was led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with participation from Newfund Capital, Riverpark Ventures and 1517 Fund....
Enthusiasm for Our ‘Essential’ Industry
The laundromat business has proven itself to be recession-resistant, pandemic-resistant – and, yes, “essential.” As a result, the industry is growing at a rate at which I’ve never seen before. People are fleeing corporate America to build or buy laundromats. Current...
HappyNest Launches Fresno Location
Laundry pickup-and-delivery service HappyNest has expanded its operations into Fresno, Calif. “California became a big growth market in the fourth quarter of 2020 and that expansion is continuing into 2021,” said HappyNest founder John MacKrell. “We are excited to...
The New Investors
As Interest in the Laundromat Industry Grows, Who’s Getting into the Business… and Why? Melody Fanto has never been afraid of hard work. She has been a registered dental hygienist in Long Island, N.Y., for 30 years. In addition, she previously owned an auto repair...
Keep Your Customers Coming Back for More…
…Or Why You Should Eat Pizza with a Knife and Fork I recently popped open a very good bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, and poured myself a glass. That first sip was amazing. The flavor was beyond overwhelming. Unfortunately, a few minutes and a few sips later, I hardly...
RKU Standard Acquires Standard Change-Makers
RKU Standard Inc. – under the direction of Rob and Kathleen Unterborn – has purchased Standard Change-Makers Inc. from the McNutt family, which has owned the currency changer manufacturer since its founding in 1955. Standard Change-Makers was established by James R....
CLA, LaundryCares Name Project Manager
The Coin Laundry Association and its charitable organization – the LaundryCares Foundation – jointly have named Tanisha Moore as project manager. Moore, who joined the CLA in 2015, has served the association in various managerial roles, from membership services to...
PlanetLaundry Podcast, Episode 18: Interview with “The Laundromat Millionaire”
In this episode of the PlanetLaundry Podcast, Editor Bob Nieman interviews "The Laundromat Millionaire" Dave Menz, owner and operator of Queen City Laundry, a chain of full-service full-attended stores in Cincinnati, OH. This podcast is brought to you by Continental...
Creating the Right Atmosphere
An Interview with Mike Kelly of Atmosphere TV Mike Kelly began his sales and marketing career in the wine and spirits industry, having built and executed marketing programs for some of the largest spirits brands in the world. “When I came across the opportunity to...
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...
SPONSORED CONTENT
This Month's Issue
- Fast Forward: Industry Insiders Review the Past Year – And Unveil the Key Factors That Likely Will Shape the Laundromat Business in 2025
- Business Profile: The Community-Driven Mission Behind Wash Bar Laundromats
- Company Close-Up: Southeastern Laundry Equipment Sales Sets the Standard for Industry Excellence and Innovation
- Women in Vended Laundry: An Interview with Samantha Peters of Advanced Laundry Systems
- And More…
THE LATEST ON LAUNDROMATS
Industry News
States Address Rising Gas Prices with Tax ‘Holidays’
In March, U.S. gasoline prices hit an all-time high at $4.33 per gallon, surpassing the previous record set in 2008. Clearly, this is not news to laundromat owners who offer pickup-and-delivery services for their residential wash-dry-fold and/or commercial accounts...
HappyNest Expands Reach in New York
Laundry pickup-and-delivery service HappyNest has expanded within Westchester County, N.Y. – now available in Yonkers through its new laundromat partner, Lucky Suds. In addition to Yonkers, HappyNest laundry services are now available to residents and businesses in...
GNA Recognizes Lavanett as 2021 Canadian Distributor of the Year
Girbau North America recently presented Lavanett – based in St. Laurent, Quebec – with its second consecutive Canadian Distributor of the Year Award. Led by Earl Eichen, Lavanett was recognized for exemplary performance in the vended and on-premises laundry markets...
EVI Industries Acquires Laundry South, Expands into Mississippi
EVI Industries Inc. has acquired Laundry South Systems & Repair, based in Pearl, Miss. The deal marks EVI’s 19th laundry distributor acquisition. The addition of Laundry South expands EVI’s sales and service operations into the state of Mississippi and increases...
GNA’s Gary Clark Announces Retirement
Gary Clark, the technical service manager for Girbau North America, has retired after 27 years with the company. Clark started at GNA during its formation in 1995 and was among the first employees hired. “We’ve all been fortunate to work alongside Gary, to get to know...
FROM YOUR FAVORITE INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Columns
The Laundry Doctor
Fire and Water Restoration
Originally posted - Sep 12, 2012 I get calls from laundry owners all across the country about how to handle garments that either have been through fires or damaged by flooding. And, personally, I've done a good deal of work with a number of fire and water restoration...
The Business Mind
Going Off-Script
How to Raise Your Laundry Business Above and Beyond the CompetitionYou might assume – understandably so – that most customers select a specific laundry based essentially upon location, vend prices and hours of operation. But that just isn't so.Let me explain...
Wash With Wally
Wash with Wally: Cleaning Drain Lines and Lint Traps
Is there a chemical and/or preventive maintenance procedure that will keep our main drain line clean? Occasionally, we experience a backup of water, which seems to be due to a buildup of a black greasy residue within the line. Would you recommend a periodic flush of...
Viewpoint
Mid-Year Report Card
I hope the first half of 2015 has been successful for you and your businesses. Recent surveys and economic indicators are all showing positive results, and it looks to stay that way for some time to come. In addition, the Coin Laundry Association accomplished some...
Digital Marketing
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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.
