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.
Startup to Scale
How Western State Design Has Been Helping Laundry Businesses Thrive for More Than 50 Years For more than five decades, Western State Design has been a leading provider of turnkey laundry solutions across the vended, on-premises, and commercial/industrial markets....
Member Spotlight: Lab-Tested, Laundry-Approved
How Laundry Labs Plans to Change the Industry In today’s business world, efficiency and quality are paramount – and the commercial laundry industry is no exception. Recognizing the need for superior cleaning solutions specifically tailored to laundromat operators,...
I’d Like to Speak to the Manager
On the Front Lines with Some of the Laundry Industry’s Leading Store Managers In an industry once dominated by unattended, self-service operations, the role of store managers in laundromats has never been more critical. As laundries evolve into full-service businesses...
Headlines
Loads of Success
Splash ’Em Out’s Kelli Reed Discusses Her Leap into Laundry Entrepreneurship Kelli Reed is the owner of Splash ’Em Out Laundromats, headquartered in Lexington, Ky., where she operates nine laundromats and one commercial laundry operation. Kelli earned a degree in...
How to Market Your Amenities
Make Your Laundromat a Place People Love I recently renovated my house and faced a big challenge –furnishing it. I had the basics in mind but wanted everything to come together just right. So, I called a few furniture stores I liked, and one of them said something...
Aloha Laundry Life Acquired, Rebranded as kathy ireland Laundry
MainStreetChamber Holdings, a provider of intellectual property and brand licensing, recently acquired Dirty Laundry Solutions LLC, doing business as Aloha Laundry Life, and rebranded the company as kathy ireland Laundry. The company will focus on laundromat license...
Onnera Group Names New Head of Marketing
Onnera Group – an international business group providing equipment solutions worldwide, including laundry equipment – has appointed Dawn Nagle its marketing director in North America for the Fagor and Domus commercial laundry brands. With more than a decade of...
Cents Launches Call Center for Laundry Businesses
Business management platform Cents has launched Cents Assist, a call center and customer experience solution designed exclusively for laundry businesses. This new service combines AI-powered technology with human expertise to improve how laundry businesses handle...
Reimagining the Laundromat Experience
Technology, Design, and a Strong Focus on the Customer Have Set a New Standard for Store Amenities It’s no secret that today’s successful laundromats are embracing customer-centric amenities that transform what was once a mundane chore into a convenient, even...
Engaged Employees, Happy Customers
Building a Positive Workplace Culture in Your Laundromat Since I started consulting in 2005, I’ve heard a common sentiment among business owners and executives: “I just want people who work.” And why wouldn’t a business owner want this? After all, human capital theory...
Publication Recognizes Eastern Funding’s Karen Tennant
Karen Tennant, vice president of risk management for Eastern Funding, has been named to Monitor’s list of Top Women in Equipment Finance for 2024. The recognition highlights Tennant’s contributions and leadership within the industry, showcasing her dedication and hard...
CCI, PayRange Settle Patent Allegations
PayRange, a developer of mobile payment solutions for unattended retail, and laundry payment technology provider Card Concepts Inc. have reached a settlement in a patent infringement lawsuit brought by PayRange against CCI. As part of the mutually agreed-upon...
Milnor Names New Chief Operating Officer
Pellerin Milnor Corp. recently announced the promotion of Rick Kelly to executive vice president and chief operating officer. Kelly began his career with Milnor in 1988 and has served as vice president of sales and marketing since 2002. Throughout his 36 years with...
Full Throttle into Laundry Sales
An Interview with Samantha Peters of Advanced Laundry Systems Samantha Peters serves as a Dexter Laundry sales representative for Advanced Laundry Systems, headquartered in Golden, Colo. Peters attended Regis University in Denver, where she played on the lacrosse...
CLA, Laundromat Industry Defeat Tax Threat in Louisiana
When Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry called a special session late this year, it was clear that raising the sales tax rate and expanding the scope of services taxed were squarely in the lawmakers' crosshairs. Although much of the political conversation centered on...
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Scaling Wash & Fold Operations
Learn how to grow your wash & fold from an offering into a money-making operation.
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
SDA Unveils New Logo After Decades of Tradition
After decades of representing the Southwest Drycleaners Association (SDA) with its iconic cowboy hat logo, the Board of Directors voted to adopt a new logo marking the beginning of a new era for the association. The logo redesign process began last fall with an open...
Tide Laundromat Expands Footprint in Chicago
Tide Services, a subsidiary of Procter & Gamble, is expanding its Tide Laundromat footprint in Chicago with a new location in the city’s Lakeview neighborhood. The fourth Tide Laundromat in Chicago, this location is part of an expansion led by U.S. Laundry LLC,...
Whirlpool Among ‘Most Admired’ Companies
For the 15th year in a row, Whirlpool Corp. has been named one of the “World’s Most Admired Companies” by Fortune. Whirlpool was once again selected for this honor due to the company’s performance, management, products, and commitment to the communities around the...
Eastern Funding Announces Texas Workshops
Eastern Funding will host the next two events in its Laundry Business Workshop series on April 9 and 10 in Houston and Dallas, respectively. The workshops are open to existing laundromat owners, new investors, and other industry participants, including equipment...
CleanCloud Unveils New Automated Marketing Tool for Laundry Owners
Laundromat point-of-sale system provider CleanCloud has introduced Automated Flows – a built-in marketing tool to help laundromat owners run targeted, multi-step campaigns without additional software costs. With Automated Flows, store owners can set up multi-step drip...
FROM YOUR FAVORITE INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Columns
The Laundry Doctor
In Your Face
Never Stop Looking for Creative Ways to Get Your Brand in Front of Your Customers – And Potential Customers If you’re a regular reader of PlanetLaundry, you know that my fellow columnists Stephen Bean and Dennis Diaz are always talking about the importance of your...
The Business Mind
Vive La Différence
How to Use Diversity Marketing to Boost Sales and Grow Your Laundry Business For a long time, marketing efforts for companies big and small had one major common denominator. Essentially, they all targeted an older, white audience. Years ago, this strategy may have...
Wash With Wally
Wash with Wally: How to Safely Clean Bar Towels
We have accounts with several large restaurants to wash their bar mops, towels, and rags. I’ve heard of rags and towels – even clean ones – spontaneously combusting. Is there a specific process to help guard against this, as well as a recommended timeline in which to...
Viewpoint
Location, Location, Location
Over the last 42 years, I’ve had countless new laundry investors and existing store owners contact me for help finding new locations – more precisely, great locations. Although I would love to take out a magical crystal ball and have such a location jump out in front...
Digital Marketing
Home Sweet Home
How to Make Your Laundromat Feel Like Home to Your Customers… No Matter Where Home May Be Last summer, I decided to jet off to the Mediterranean. I thought it’d be cool to pick up a little bit of every language before I went. Trust me, my Italian was more spaghetti...
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.
