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.
The New ‘Green’ Standard
Running a Sustainable, Eco-Conscious Laundry Business is Good for the Planet – And Great for Your Bottom Line Sixty-two degrees. That was the average global temperature this past July, making it the hottest month on record, dating back to 1880. Last July also marked...
Forward Progress
An Interview with 4WARD Energy Solutions President Chris Ward Chris Ward is the president and founder of 4WARD Energy Solutions, a national energy consultant firm in Houston.4WARD focuses on educating commercial and residential clients as to their options to...
Diamonds in the Rough
What Makes a Laundry Ideal for a Successful Turnaround? There’s been a lot of talk about purchasing and retooling older, neglected laundromats. And, in recent years, it has proven to be a great strategy for many savvy laundry operators looking to grow their...
Headlines
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...
Speed Queen Laundromat Franchise to Open Flagship Location
Speed Queen has announced the construction of its flagship laundromat in support of the brand’s franchise model. The 12,250-square-foot store, located in Chicago, is scheduled to open this spring and will feature an array of equipment, with washer capacities ranging...
Venturing into the Future
An Interview with Clean Ventures Managing Director Peter Stern Peter Stern is the managing director of Clean Ventures, a newly formed venture capital fund created to attract and invest in growth-stage laundry companies. Stern also serves as senior vice president of...
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
CSC ServiceWorks Expands Social Impact Program
CSC ServiceWorks has announced it is expanding its social impact program, CSC CommunityWorks. In 2022, the company continues to extend its network of community center/local CSC branch partnerships in the company’s 40 markets – donating and servicing new equipment and...
HappyNest Expands Reach in Utah
Laundry pickup-and-delivery service HappyNest has expanded south of Salt Lake City and is now available in West Jordan, Utah, through its new partner, Midvale City Laundromat. This Midvale-based operation also provides PUD services to residents and businesses in the...
Industry Mourns Reed Hinrichs
HK Laundry Equipment co-founder Reed Hinrichs recently passed away at the age of 93. An icon in the laundry industry throughout New York and Connecticut, Mr. Hinrichs first established HK Sales in 1967, with his business partner Jim Kerr. The company started out by...
HappyNest Partners with Arizona Laundromat
Laundry pickup-and-delivery service HappyNest has expanded into North Phoenix, Ariz., through its new laundromat partner, My Laundry Room. HappyNest’s laundry services are now available in North Phoenix, as well as portions of Scottsdale. “Prior to partnering with...
EVI Completes Acquisition of Clean Designs, Clean Route
EVI Industries Inc. – headquartered in Miami – has announced it has completed the company’s acquisition of Clean Designs Inc. and Clean Route LLC, based in Lakewood, Colo. Known collectively as Clean Designs, the company is a distributor of commercial laundry products...
FROM YOUR FAVORITE INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Columns
The Laundry Doctor
Plan Your Work… Work Your Plan
Originally posted - Jul 18, 2014 When I first got into the laundry business, I was skeptical as to whether or not I needed to write a business plan. However, it was something the SBA required (or at least strongly encouraged), so I went through the process of creating...
The Business Mind
Lessons Learned From Life’s Superstars
Here’s How to Apply Examples Set by Extraordinary Individuals to the Successful Operation of Your Laundry Business Over the decades during which I’ve been curiously roaming this planet, I have been indeed fortunate to have encountered and known some truly...
Wash With Wally
Wash with Wally: Using Ozone, Removing Blood Stains and More…
I own a store in a town that has a total of eight self-service laundries, and every one of them offers free dry. I'm tired of raising prices on my washers every time expenses go up, while my drying remains free. My customers are overloading the washers and...
Viewpoint
Tech Talk: Streamlining Operations Through Technology
The first day of Clean 2015 in Atlanta wrapped up with a standing-room-only presentation by Brian Henderson, who serves as operations manager for Liberty Laundries, his family's three-store chain based in Tulsa, Okla. This packed educational session was held in the...
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.
