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.
Blueprint for Success
The Key Elements of a Laundromat Business Plan “If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin About 30 years ago when I was considering starting my first business, I met with my wife’s boss, who was a business owner, to get some advice. The first...
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...
Headlines
Fast Forward
Industry Insiders Review the Past Year – And Unveil the Key Factors That Likely Will Shape the Laundromat Business in 2025 As we prepare to turn the page on 2024, the laundromat industry is undergoing a remarkable transformation – driven by innovation, sustainability,...
Presso Teams Up with WASH Multifamily Laundry Systems
Presso recently announced a collaboration with WASH Multifamily Laundry Systems LLC, a leading laundry route operator serving multifamily properties and hotels. The strategic collaboration will bring Presso equipment to WASH’s current customers at certain WASH Laundry...
HappyNest Names Head of Product and Security
Laundry pickup-and-delivery service HappyNest has introduced Steve Staden as the company’s new head of product and security. Staden has more than 20 years of experience in software product management and cybersecurity. Prior to joining HappyNest, he served as the...
CLA Hosts In-Person Event on How to Start a Laundromat
CLA, formerly the Coin Laundry Association, marked a successful debut for its first in-person “How to Start a Laundromat” workshop, which was held November 12 at the Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center in Oak Brook, Ill. The inaugural event...
Industry Mourns Bill Brooks
William “Bill” Brooks, who served the laundry industry for more than 30 years, died last month at the age of 62. Brooks attended Berlin High School in Berlin, Wis., then Concordia College in St. Paul, Minn., where he played football. While studying at Concordia, he...
CSC ServiceWorks Appoints Chief Technology Officer
Laundry services provider CSC ServiceWorks Inc. has announced Andrei Girenkov as its new chief technology officer. Girenkov will lead CSC in strengthening and securing the company’s core digital systems, managing its payment technologies, and building on CSC’s...
The Power of Promotions
Unleashing Creative Tactics to Keep Your Business Buzzing Laundry owners are always seeking innovative ways to attract and retain customers. And one effective strategy is the use of promotions that not only drive traffic but also foster community engagement. By...
Hynes & Waller Wins Top Speed Queen Honor
Speed Queen has announced Hynes & Waller as the winner of its 2023 Distributor of the Year award. The Maryland-based distributor earned Speed Queen’s top honor for exceptional sales performance last year, as well as exemplary representation of the brand in their...
EVI Acquires O’Dell Equipment and Supply
EVI Industries Inc. has completed the acquisition of O’Dell Equipment and Supply, LLC, a distributor of commercial laundry products serving the vended and on-premises laundry industries. O’Dell, based in Jeffersonville, Ind., is EVI’s 28th acquisition in the...
UniMac Honors Top Distributor
UniMac recently announced that Southeastern Laundry Equipment Sales has received the brand’s 2023 Distributor of the Year award. Southeastern, headquartered in Marietta, Ga., has been a leader in the on-premises laundry market since 1976, serving clients in a variety...
SBA Disaster Loan Funds Exhausted, Agency Hopes to Secure Additional Funding in November
On October 15, the U.S. Small Business Administration announced it hit its limit for the disaster loan program. Along with SBA disaster centers, the loan application portal will remain open, and the SBA is encouraging those impacted to continue applying for these...
Rethink Laundry Marketing
Six Creative Strategies to Help Boost Your Business Without Breaking the Bank I love it when the brands I regularly interact with surprise me with deals on products from other businesses. It’s like a hidden treasure chest of options I never thought I’d explore. Just...
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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
LaundryCares Partners with LaunderPay on Donation Initiative
The LaundryCares Foundation has teamed up with LaunderPay, an all-in-one laundry platform focused on payment acceptance and business management, to launch the “Points for Kindness” donation initiative. Within the LaunderPay platform, any merchant who activates his or...
PayRange Acquires Laundry Operating System Turns
PayRange, a provider of mobile payment solutions for unattended retail, has acquired laundromat operating system Turns. The PayRange platform, now combined with Turns’ solution for full-service laundromats, provides single-store and multi-location laundry owners with...
Southeastern Laundry Equipment Sales Partners with Michigan Laundry Companies
Southeastern Laundry Equipment Sales recently announced a strategic partnership with two long-standing, Michigan-based companies in the commercial laundry sector – Universal Laundry Machinery, Michigan’s largest and oldest distributor of commercial laundry equipment;...
EVI Reports Record Second-Quarter Results
EVI Industries Inc. has announced its operating results for the three- and six-month periods ended December 31, 2024 – including record revenue and record gross profit for both periods, and record gross margin for the six-month period. Since 2016, EVI has executed a...
Wash-Dry-Fold POS Reaches Company Milestone
Wash-Dry-Fold POS founder Brian Henderson deployed his company’s first three point-of-sale systems as a practical and affordable way to manage employees at Liberty Laundry, his family’s chain of laundromats in Broken Arrow, Okla. After nine years of product growth and...
FROM YOUR FAVORITE INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Columns
The Laundry Doctor
PlanetLaundry Podcast, Episode 19: “How’s Business” with the Laundry Doctor
In this episode, Brian Wallace, President/CEO of the Coin Laundry Association interviews Jeff Gardner, the Laundry Doctor. You may recognize Jeff as a regular columnist in PlanetLaundry. Jeff is a laundromat owner, pickup-and-delivery business operator, and...
The Business Mind
Are You Annoying?
Look for Small Annoyances That May Be Bugging Your Customers and Silently Destroying Your Laundromat’s Otherwise Pleasant Atmosphere Believe it or not, you may be inadvertently annoying your laundromat customers without even knowing it. And, honestly, very few of them...
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
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....
Digital Marketing
Spinning Tales of Marketing Magic
How Simple Conversations and Clever Tricks Can Boost Your Business Beyond Just Clean Clothes Imagine strolling through your favorite mall. You know, the one where you always stop for a pretzel or to sneak a peek into that clothing store. As you’re wandering around,...
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.
