By Becca Anderson

The 2026 DL ExpoWest, held March 27–29 in Dallas, TX, was an event full of activity. The show floor included 75 booths, with some running equipment—notably pressing and finishing systems—as well as demonstrations of POS software and cooling/heating units. The show was well attended, though actual numbers have not yet been released by the show organizers.

The cornerstone of the show, however, was the 10 hours of education sessions that gave attendees a chance to hear from speakers like Brian Wallace (CLA) and Dave Coyle (Maverick Cleaners). Other sessions featured speakers bringing information on topics like Growth and Innovation, Speed Spotting, Business Insurance, Staffing, Using AI in the Drycleaning Industry, Bridging the Gap to the Next Generation, and Machine Maintenance. A panel of three dry cleaners answered questions about “Own Your Cleaners, Don’t Let It Own You.”

If all that has your head spinning, you have some idea of the significant amount of information conveyed in just two short days. Here are a few highlights from a number of the presentations, though by no means the whole thing.

Five Trends Driving Growth in WDF and Laundry Delivery, by Brian Wallace, CLA.

• WDF and Delivery are prime growth areas because Millennials and GenZ are natural outsourcers of tasks they don’t want to do, and Gen X and Baby Boomers need the services.
• Technology is enabling the growth, with apps for frictionless customer experience, optimized logistics, and use of third-party partners like DoorDash for facilitation of pickup and delivery.
• WDF and Delivery are not easy! There is a risk to those who aren’t well resourced and committed to the service.

Perspectives on Growth & Innovation for Cleaners of all Sizes, by Ajay Prakash, Rinse.

• Customer behavior is changing. They don’t just want clean clothes, they want to be cared for.
• Garments are changing as dress codes and society change. There are new opportunities in that.
• As you grow, keep the core business strong, then grow. Don’t expand if you aren’t keeping the core idea (clean clothes) at the forefront.
• If you aren’t delivering an amazing customer experience, none of the rest matters.

Own Your Cleaners, Don’t Let It Own You, panel discussion

Including Ricardo Torres (Tiffany’s Coutour Cleaners), Nicolas Abuawad (Laveseco Universal), Bobby Patel (Kona Cleaners) and Brian Fish (Red Hanger Cleaners).

• You don’t need/necessarily want to do business as your parents or the previous owner did it.
• Find your own strong suit, then put your ego aside and get others to do all the rest. “There’s always someone in your company who can do the job better and free you up to do other things.”
• If your business requires YOU to run, it is worth a lot less when you try to sell it.
• Don’t feel guilt for finding good help that allows you to step back from day-to-day operations and focus on the whole company.

Speed Spotting—Rethinking the Rules of Stain Removal, by Bill Rothrock, Yale Cleaners, Tulsa, OK.

• Bill is a huge proponent of “defending your solvent”. Keeping other chemicals that get into it to a minimum, so that it can do its intended job effectively.
• He advocates not prespotting. “90% of all stains can be removed by a well-maintained drycleaning machine.”
• His system is to hang garments immediately out of the machine, check for stains, and do any post-spotting at that time. He says this system will reduce chemicals used by and spotting labor by 90%, and protect solvent efficiency.
• Your spotting area should be clean! “Are you willing to invite your customers to come see your spotting board and your techniques?”

Cleaning up your Bottom Line: Revenue Strategies that drive Profit, Dave Coyle, Maverick Cleaners.

• Don’t confuse activity with progress.
• The #1 goal of your business is to generate profit for yourself. Profit is like oxygen for a company.
• To double your profits, do one of three things: (1) increase prices, (2) cut expenses, (3) double your revenue. The easiest one to do is #1.
• Get your prices right for your desired client. You don’t have to price according to the market or what you think the market can bear, but what the clients you are targeting will pay.
• Be different, not better. Don’t follow competitors. But do copy things that are working in other industries.
• Go fishing when the fish are biting. In drycleaning, that is the 10 weeks of Spring and 10 weeks of Fall.

Bridging the Gap between Your Business and the Next Generation, by Katey Kratz.

• Katey shared statistics that should have shaken most of the audience to the core regarding what Millennials and GenZ think about drycleaning and their plans to use it. She emphasized that most drycleaning customers are Baby Boomers and GenX, and they will eventually age out of the market or no longer need the services. The up and coming generation is confused as to what drycleaning is or that it is even still around.
• Millennials and GenZ are very willing to outsource chores they hate, and 68% of Millennials she surveyed said laundry was their most dreaded chore. They are candidates for services, but they have to be the right services and have to be explained to them clearly.
• The new generation was raised online. You have to go where they are online (Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Neighborhood sites, etc.) and communicate in ways that are informative, interesting, and far more than just a notice and a coupon.

I came home with 27 pages of notes beyond these highlights. To get all that, you had to show up. So plan to be there next year.

On the Floor

The conference was well set up, with a large meeting room upstairs in the convention hall and a separate meeting area right on the show floor for convenience. The floor-level sessions had plenty of seating, but for some talks it was standing room only.

And the Winner is…

In a true show of industry respect and cooperation, the folks at National Clothesline allowed us to park a drawing box in their booth for those who wanted to enter to try to win a copy of Over the Counter, the customer service training book we’ve edited and reissued in both English and Spanish. (See more information here.)

Erin Horne from GreenEarth pulled the winning name: Courtney from George’s Cleaners. A copy of the book has been sent to her, with our best wishes.

In addition, the DLI booth was very active when it was announced that people could enter to win free courses (online or in person) from DLI.

Keep an eye on our Conferences & Events page for notices of the next DL Expo event, and book yourself in.

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Interested in easy Customer Service Representative training?

Check out Over the Counter!