An Interview with Laundromat Owner Frank Lambing<\/h2>\n

Frank Lambing is one of the laundromat industry\u2019s true pioneers. He opened Lamb Launderette on his family\u2019s farmland in Williamstown, N.J., in 1961. And he\u2019s never looked back. Today, still in the very same location, Lambing is serving a new generation of laundry customers with no signs of slowing down.<\/em><\/p>\n

He recently chatted with PlanetLaundry Editor Bob Nieman about the early days of the laundry industry, his advice to today\u2019s owners, and what he enjoys most about his life in the laundromat business.<\/em><\/p>\n

How did you first get involved in the laundromat industry? What attracted you to this business in the first place?<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I served in the Army from 1958 to 1960, I was stationed at Fort Sill in Oklahoma, and we used to go into the nearby town of Lawton to do our laundry at one of the two laundromats there. Of course, the laundromat industry was just getting started at that time. It was all very new to all of us.<\/p>\n

In fact, I still recall the very first machines I saw in that store. There was a small washer made by Westinghouse called the \u201cLaundromat.\u201d It was blue and had a capacity of about 10 pounds. It wasn\u2019t really a toploader or a frontloader \u2013 the opening for the clothes was tilted at an angle.<\/p>\n

As I would do my laundry there, I was forming a business plan in the back of my mind for when I got out of the Army. My family owned property back home in Williamstown, N.J., and that\u2019s where I was going to build my laundromat and give this new industry a try.<\/p>\n

So, when I was discharged, that was the beginning of it. I built Lamb Launderette, and I\u2019ve owned and operated just this one store the entire time.<\/p>\n

In addition, shortly after opening the laundromat, I also began working for the local post office \u2013 after all, I certainly had some extra time, given the flexibility of the laundry business. After 34 years of doing both, I retired from the postal service, but I continued to run the laundromat, and I still am.<\/p>\n

Are those aspects that first attracted you to the laundry industry still evident in the business today?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Absolutely. I\u2019m still offering an important service to the public, which I\u2019ve always done and love to do.<\/p>\n

How would you best describe the \u201cearly days\u201d of this industry?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Back then, all of the stores featured all toploading equipment. There were no frontloaders to speak of in those days.<\/p>\n

Also, when I first opened up, I remember all of the customers wanting very, very hot water. I think my water temperature back then was at least 140 degrees or higher \u2013 and everyone wanted a warm-water rinse as well. Of course, that\u2019s all changed now to cold rinses, and standard water temperatures in most laundromats is in the 120-degree range.<\/p>\n

In addition, back in the early days, at least in my market, customers would come in with just one or two smaller loads of laundry. Today, it\u2019s a much different story \u2013 there are much larger loads and more of them.<\/p>\n

What are the biggest changes you\u2019ve noticed in the industry over the years?<\/strong><\/p>\n

No doubt, toploaders are quickly becoming obsolete. Everything these days is about frontloading equipment. The manufacturers are making them bigger and better all the time \u2013 adding new features and efficiencies. And my customers love our larger machines, which go all the way up to 80-pound capacities.<\/p>\n

Another big change that I\u2019ve already alluded to are the larger, family-sized laundry loads going through the store now. Of course, maybe twice a year, I also get seasonal customers who come in to do their comforters, large bedding, sleeping bags and so on. So, I\u2019ve got my weekly customers and my seasonal customers, and they all gravitate to the larger equipment.<\/p>\n

What are the most dramatic equipment enhancements you\u2019ve seen?<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I started, it was all small toploading washers and 50-pound dryers, which were gas hogs. Of course, natural gas was very cheap back then. Now, we\u2019ve got frontloaders \u2013 available in much larger sizes \u2013 and 30- and 45-pound dryers in stack configurations. There also are reversing dryers, which I think have some merit.<\/p>\n

To me, the most dramatic improvements have been the advent of frontloading machines, larger-capacity washers and stack dryers, which greatly increased drying capacity within the same square footage.<\/p>\n

I believe the change in payment methods and options has been quite dramatic to the industry as well. Today, there are any number of ways to enable your customers to pay for their laundry. However, at my age, I\u2019m not ready for that technology, and I plan to remain on quarters. Plus, I have some customers who actually drive past a card-operated store just to come to my laundromat.<\/p>\n

What did your laundromat cost you back in 1961?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I had $4,000 in a savings account, and I took out a $10,000 loan from the bank. That\u2019s what I started with, and I was scared to death that the business wouldn\u2019t make it. But here I am today.<\/p>\n

My parents previously had farmed that property. It\u2019s along the highway, and I knew it was a good laundry location. Of course, there were naysayers. I remember one old timer in town telling me I was crazy to build my store where I did \u2013 he said nobody was going to come all the way out here to do their laundry. Well, I\u2019m still here.<\/p>\n

The original store was rather \u201cplain Jane.\u201d It was 1,200 square feet, with a double row of toploaders and 10 50-pound dryers. Then, a few years later, the Big Boy and Mighty Boy washers were introduced to the market. They were early versions of frontloaders, and I installed some of those in my laundromat. Of course, I\u2019ve replaced my equipment regularly through the years.<\/p>\n

My store has always had plenty of vended snack and beverage options, as well as cigarettes back in the day. There\u2019s ample seating inside the laundromat, and I\u2019m also on a good sized plot of land. This is a rural area, so many customers like to park in the back and then sit outside while their clothes are washing and enjoy the trees and fresh air.<\/p>\n

In the 1980s, I doubled the size of the store to its current 2,400 square feet.<\/p>\n

In what ways have laundry customers changed over the years?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think laundry customers, basically, are still the same type of people they always were. Perhaps there\u2019s just a different economic structure now. They\u2019re more likely to be large families now, with much larger loads. Especially around the first of the month, they will come in with bags and bags of dirty clothes.<\/p>\n

In what ways have the laundromats themselves changed?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Beyond the changes in equipment that we\u2019ve already discussed, the stores themselves are larger. There are a lot of bigger ones now. In my opinion, some of these stores are too large for the areas they serve. However, that seems to be the way things are going.<\/p>\n

Again, many of the stores today are quite different with regard to the payment options they provide their customers as well.<\/p>\n

Do you think laundry owners have changed over the years?<\/strong><\/p>\n

To my way of thinking, if you\u2019re going to be successful in the laundromat business, you\u2019ve got to know how to handle a wrench and a screwdriver. I understand that some will disagree with this. However, there are a lot of little things that can go wrong at a laundromat, and you can\u2019t hire a mechanic to come in and take care of every little issue. It will cut into your margins, and you\u2019ll be done for. In that sense, laundry ownership hasn\u2019t changed.<\/p>\n

With that said, I know there has been an influx of professionals in this industry in recent years \u2013 those who may have been downsized from corporate America or who are looking for a solid business investment. The industry has big investors today, and some corporations are buying up stores and rebranding them. In this sense, ownership is changing.<\/p>\n

But I think there are still quite a few mom-and-pop operations doing well out there. Of course, you can\u2019t just sit back and let things go. You\u2019ve got to stay on top of your business. You need to reinvest and upgrade \u2013 and be there.<\/p>\n

Cleanliness and maintenance have always been the keys to success. I constantly tell my staff, \u201cThe store is only as clean as our dirtiest customer.\u201d People will come in and make a mess. Our operation is at the mercy of that dirtiest person.<\/p>\n

When you first got into this business, what did you charge for a load of laundry? What do you charge today?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the beginning, I charged 25 cents for a 12-pound washing machine, and 10 cents for 10 minutes for a 50-pound dryer. Today, that same sized washer is $3.00, and my 30-pound stack dryers vend for a quarter for six minutes.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk about your current activities within the industry. What is your day-to-day like? Take me through a \u201ctypical\u201d day for you.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The laundromat is located on one street, and my house is on a parallel street, with my property running straight through. Needless to say, I\u2019m in and out of the store every day. I\u2019m not there all day long, and my attendants never know when I\u2019m coming in. I like to arrive unannounced to keep an eye on things, especially cleanliness.<\/p>\n

I also have a camera system, so I can watch my laundry business from my house.<\/p>\n

In addition, I\u2019m the director of a community bank, so I\u2019m involved with that operation. And I\u2019m in my 63rd year as a volunteer fireman. I no longer \u201ceat smoke,\u201d as we say, but I\u2019m involved at the executive end. I\u2019m still around the firehouse regularly. So \u2013 between the laundromat, the bank and the firehouse \u2013 those all are parts of my typical day. There\u2019s no grass growing under my feet.<\/p>\n

What has been the biggest mistake you\u2019ve made in this business?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve always thought I should have made the laundromat larger at the very beginning. I was only 23 years old at the time. And, in taking on that loan, I was thinking, \u201cHow am I ever going to pay this back?\u201d But, as I look back, I should have made the store bigger. All in all, what I did was successful.<\/p>\n

As I mentioned, I ended up expanding in 1987. Right before that, a salesman was trying to convince me to put a pizza shop alongside the laundromat. But I went to the Clean Show that year, and it was there that I decided against the pizza business. I came home, proceeded to knock a hole in the wall at my store, and just went from there. Of course, I went into the new space with all new equipment.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s been the most gratifying aspect of your life in the laundry business?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The most gratifying aspect has been meeting people and developing lasting relationships with the customers \u2013 it\u2019s having them know me by my first name. Some customers will tell me how they were here years ago when their mothers would bring them to do the family laundry. And now they\u2019re back as customers themselves. Those kinds of stories make me feel good. There are a couple of generations of laundry customers that have been through this store.<\/p>\n

In fact, I recently bought a new pickup truck, and the salesperson told me he used to go to the laundromat with his grandmother and run around the back of my building. And, just the other day, I was at the local Walmart, and someone came up to me and said, \u201cHi, Mr. Frank, love your store!\u201d And that\u2019s music to my ears.<\/p>\n

More interesting is the fact that my parents owned a small grocery store in Williamstown. It was on the same block as the laundromat is now, and my mother ran that store for 40 years. I\u2019ve had the laundry for 60 years, so between us, the Lambing family has operated businesses in this town for 100 years. Our name is known here. My mother treated people well, and so have I. And they\u2019ve treated us well.<\/p>\n

What business lessons did you learn from your parents?<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you have a store like they did, you\u2019re in it seven days a week. It\u2019s not a 40-hour-a-week job. Giving service is the key \u2013 having a good product and providing excellent service. So, in essence, I\u2019ve been in retail all my life.<\/p>\n

In general, what\u2019s the key to longevity in this industry?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It goes back to maintenance and cleanliness. Always.<\/p>\n

What advice do you have for those considering getting into the business?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The best advice is to know your market area and the neighborhood in which you plan to open your business. In fact, I can point to a few particular laundromats that are overbuilt in certain areas \u2013 and I know those owners are having a rough time of it. So, always do your due diligence when it comes to site selection. Know who your customers are going to be.<\/p>\n

Also, I\u2019ll never forget my mother\u2019s words to me. She said, \u201cFrankie, when you\u2019re in business, you\u2019ve got to spend money to make money.\u201d It\u2019s a common saying, but it\u2019s so true. You have to stay on your toes, continually improve your laundromat and keep looking at the business in this way. You can\u2019t just keep old equipment running and assume it will be \u201cgood enough.\u201d You\u2019ve got to constantly enhance the experience \u2013 so spend money wisely to make money.<\/p>\n

What keeps you active and enthused about this business after all these years?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Simply, I enjoy it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An Interview with Laundromat Owner Frank Lambing Frank Lambing is one of the laundromat industry\u2019s true pioneers. He opened Lamb Launderette on his family\u2019s farmland in Williamstown, N.J., in 1961. And he\u2019s never looked back. Today, still in the very same location, Lambing is serving a new generation of laundry customers with no signs of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1230,"featured_media":10205,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[98,243,244,245,9351],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-articles","category-feature-1","category-feature-2","category-feature-3","category-highlights"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/planetlaundry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/planetlaundry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/planetlaundry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planetlaundry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1230"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planetlaundry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10204"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/planetlaundry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10204\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10207,"href":"https:\/\/planetlaundry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10204\/revisions\/10207"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planetlaundry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/planetlaundry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planetlaundry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planetlaundry.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}