An Interview with Carol Dang of Elite Business Investments
Carol Dang is the vice president of Elite Business Investments Corp., a laundry equipment distributorship and business broker headquartered in Valley Village, Calif. – a company she founded in 2008 with her husband, David.
However, Carol’s journey in the laundry business began 40 years ago.
She got her start in the industry in 1983, as a credit manager for Reliable Sales Inc., a Maytag distributor and route operator. Two years later, Carol earned her real estate license and began a career in sales.
“I was the first woman salesperson in the laundry industry,” she noted.
In 1989, Dang was recruited by PWS Inc., a Speed Queen distributor. During her time at PWS, she was presented the President’s Club Award in 2001, 2002 and 2004 for exceeding annual sales quotas, along with being singled out in 1993 for outstanding sales of new stores.
Today, in addition to Elite Business Investments, Carol also is a partner in Elite Laundry Systems, a route operation that she and her family started in 2016. In addition, Dang currently owns a laundromat, which just recently launched a pickup-and-delivery service.
What piqued your interest in the laundry industry?
I never realized how big the industry was until I actually began working in it. I especially enjoy the way it has evolved and changed over the years – and how it continues to evolve.
What do you consider to be the most valuable resources from which to learn more about the industry?
The Coin Laundry Association is an outstanding resource, along with the various articles in the trade magazines. Of course, you need to become fully engaged in the industry and always be sure to ask questions. I am constantly learning from my peers, as well as today’s laundry owners.
What do you enjoy most about working in the laundry industry?
I enjoy meeting new people and learning from them. I like to see my clients become successful, and I love to see what they each add to their stores and their overall businesses.
What do you find most challenging?
I’d have to say that the most challenging aspect has been dealing with landlords, as well as working with clients who don’t want to take advice and then wonder why their laundry businesses aren’t doing as well as they had hoped.
What advice would you give to other women looking to get into this industry?
Learn as much as you can, attend seminars, read and, most importantly, listen to those who have experience and can help guide you.
If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?
If I could do it over, I would have become involved with CLA early on, rather than waiting until after we started our company.
What can laundry industry leaders, community leaders, etc., do to encourage more women to enter the laundry industry in more male-dominated roles – such as store ownership, engineering, R&D, distributor/manufacturing management, and so on?
I was told by my first boss that this is a male-dominated industry and that it would be difficult for me to succeed in it as a salesperson. I truly believe that the growth of women within this business has to start at the top. The industry’s leaders need to start advancing women and encouraging them to reach for the top.
I’m noticing several more woman laundromat owners than in the past – and that’s very encouraging. However, I see very few women on the engineering and R&D side of the industry. I think it would be great and very beneficial for the manufacturers to reach out to universities in order to attract more talented women to these roles, as well as promote women from within their own organizations.
Where do you see the industry heading in the next five years?
Over the last 39 years, I’ve seen so many positive changes and a lot of growth in this industry. I have no reason to believe that the laundry industry won’t continue to grow and evolve.
