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.
A Lease You Can Live With
Industry Professionals Share Tips and Strategies for Successful Lease Negotiation Securing an optimal lease is crucial for laundromat owners, impacting both financial stability and operational success. In the competitive landscape of commercial real estate, especially...
Through Your Customers’ Eyes
Taking the Mystery Out of Customer Service In a former life, I used to sell mystery shopping services. And most of the mom-and-pop entrepreneurs I approached typically had trouble understanding why they needed it. However, they heartily agreed that “large” companies...
From Demographics to Dollars
Industry Experts Decode the Art and Science of Finding the Ideal Laundromat Location “Location, location, location.” You’ve heard it hundreds of times. It’s the key to retail success. It’s your magic wand to laundromat riches. Just find that ideal location. But what...
Headlines
LIG Health and Wellness Roundup
LIG Solutions, who CLA works with to provide members with healthcare options, has articles to help expand health and wellness awareness. • LIG Health And Wellness Round-Up – Fall 2024 Edition: a series of seasonal articles which you might find helpful • Produce You...
CLA Introduces Cash-Back Mastercard
CLA recently unveiled the CLA World Elite Business Mastercard, a financial solution crafted to cater exclusively to the distinctive financial needs of laundry owners. The CLA card offers up to 2.1 percent unlimited cash back on all purchases, 3 percent cash back on...
Elevating the Laundry Experience
Multi-Store Owners Launch Their First High-Speed Laundromat A new, 9,000-square-foot laundry recently opened in Rockford, Ill. – bringing a high-rental, low-income area renewed vitality and customers a quicker, more pleasant laundry experience. Kevin and Cindy Olson,...
Tech Talk
How Today’s Technology is Transforming Tomorrow’s Laundromat Industry In an era where convenience and efficiency are paramount, technology has become a game-changer for laundromats, transforming them from basic service providers into high-tech hubs of cleanliness....
Southeastern Laundry Equipment Acquires Cochrane Repair Service
Southeastern Laundry Equipment Sales, headquartered in Marietta, Ga., has acquired Cochrane Repair Service, a company specializing in commercial laundry equipment repair and maintenance throughout the Carolinas. Founded in 1983, Cochrane Repair Service provides...
Alliance Adds Industry Veteran to Sales Team
Alliance Laundry Systems has added Rick Case to its sales team. “Rick has a tremendous amount of industry experience and will make an immediate impact for our Alliance Laundry Systems Distribution team,” said Mike Hand, vice president, North America Commercial Central...
Alliance Distribution Expands West Region with New Acquisition
Alliance Laundry Systems has acquired the distribution assets of Bestway Laundry Solutions, headquartered in Corona, Calif. The distributorship is a leading provider of UniMac on-premises laundry equipment. “California is an area where we see excellent potential for...
How Well Do You Know Your Business?
The Keys to Making Smart, Data-Driven Decisions for Your Laundromat The laundromat business is simple, right? You find a location with excellent traffic flow, super visibility, stellar demographics – and Voila! Decades of profits and business success are yours. Well,...
Wash with Wally: Cross-Training Your Laundry Attendants
I recently hired a new attendant and have discovered that he possesses great mechanical skills. So, I was thinking of cross-training him to handle some of the more simple equipment issues that arise at my store, in addition of course to his attendant duties. Is there...
Wash-Dry-Fold POS Partners with Burq, Adds On-Demand Delivery Network
Wash-Dry-Fold POS – a provider of point-of-sale and operational management solutions for laundromats across the United States – recently partnered with on-demand delivery platform Burq, to offer laundromat owners the largest laundry delivery network in the country,...
Laundry Industry Mourns Bob Cowen
Laundry industry pioneer Robert Clifford Cowen, an ownership partner in B&C Technologies, passed away peacefully at his home on September 13 at the age of 102. Cowen began his career in 1956 as an engineer and quickly became a driving force in the commercial...
Eastern Funding Hosts Successful Workshops in California
Eastern Funding continued its Laundry Business Workshop series in Los Angeles and Orange County on September 10 and September 11. Both events drew strong groups of attendees, which included laundromat owners, prospective investors, and other laundry industry...
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
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...
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...
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
Relatively Speaking
How to Navigate the Minefield of Working with Family Members Years ago, after earning my master’s degree in clinical psychology, I went to work in my father’s foundry business as the company’s director of sales. At the time – and as is likely the case today as well –...
Wash With Wally
Wash with Wally: Removing Rust Stains
I have a rust problem at my laundromat. A few of my dryers have lost portions of their galvanized finishes in some spots – and, as a result, they are creating rust stains on some of my customers’ clothes and linens. How can I remove these rust stains? There are a few...
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
Spinning Success
Four Marketing Strategies to Implement in 2024 Toward the end of last summer, helping my nephews gear up for the coming school year taught me something interesting about making smart choices. In years past, we typically grabbed the flashiest, most popular items – you...
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.
