SERIES: Consultants in the Spotlight
Ascend Consulting Group
Ascend Consulting Group is run by managing director Diana Vollmer. The Group seeks to aid business owners and their management teams to increase profits, company value and customer devotion. It’s a tall order that Ascend Consulting Group approaches strategically.
TRSA Celebrates Industry Milestones at 111th Annual Conference and Exchange
The Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) recently held its 111th Annual Conference and Exchange at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, CO, from September 24-26. The event brought together TRSA members, guests and TRSA staff to celebrate and advance the industry.
A New Columnist Debuts in November! — Watch for it.
A Report from the Dry Cleaning & Laundry Expo West
Kevin traveled to Las Vegas to attend the Dry Cleaning & Laundry Expo West, and came home enthused. Lots of activity on the floor, great speakers on a variety of topics, and a sense of industry excitement were key features of the show.
(Columnist Linley McConnell is on vacation this month, but will return in November.)
Have you turned in your Buyer’s Guide listing information yet? Why not?
If your company does business with the industry in Canada, we want you in our 2025 Buyers Guide. It’s a great resource for dry cleaners, wet cleaners, launderers and other business owners to find the supplies and services they need. We will automatically be contacting all companies that were in the Guide in 2024. If you weren’t in the Guide and want to be included, go to our 2025 Guide page.
Please white list Samantha’ Tkachuk’s email addresses so that she can reach you: samantha@fabricarecanada.com and samanthafabricarecanada@gmail.com. Thanks!
Fabricare Canada will be joining you
at the Clean Expo in Toronto.
Visit us in Booth 134!
OCTOBER 2024 FOCUS: Consultants in the Spotlight
If you’ve never used the services of a consultant in your business to move you to the next level, you may have a lot of misconceptions about them. This month, we’ll focus on different consultants and help you see if you can use their help in your company and it’s future.
SERIES: Consultants in the Spotlight
America’s Best Cleaners
You can’t be in the industry for long without hearing the name America’s Best Cleaners, but you may not realize what it really signifies. The consulting company offers two different, though compatible, services: Certifying top cleaners who are able to correctly process high-end fashion and other luxury items (CoutureCare Certification); and consulting on everything from production, to plant design, leadership development and skills training. ABC currently has 32 affiliates in the U.S. and Canada, and has connections to an international affiliate network elsewhere.
SEPTEMBER FOCUS: Best Plants Competition!
Throughout September we will be profiling plants that have been nominated as “Best Plant”, and then we’ll let our panel of judges decide which one they think deserves the title BEST PLANT 2024!
The New (and Only) Kid in Town
Though it is not officially one of our nominated Best Plants, we’re kicking off our series of profiles of great plants with the story of the latest entry into the market.
After 80 years of operation, the last retail dry cleaner in Thunder Bay closed its doors in August 2022. With a population of 110,000 people, residents of Thunder Bay and the surrounding region had to get creative with their garment care. Some people took their dirty clothes with them when they left town, just to get them cleaned!
But where some people see an empty glass, others see opportunity. That’s the Quality Cleaners story.
Series: Best Plant Award 2024
Towering Over the Prairies
Tower Cleaners, owned and operated by Tony and Sassa Stephen, was nominated by one of its suppliers (Chris White of Kreussler) as one of the best plants around. The company didn’t get there overnight.
Find out why Tower Cleaners is one of our nominated Best Plants for 2024.
Series: Best Plant Award 2024
The Value of Family
Brothers Martin and Alan Jamieson purchased Deluxe Dry Cleaners in Halifax, NS in 1986 from its founders. 20 years later, Martin became the sole owner of the company. He had been joined by son Kyle a year earlier, and the company has now passed down to Kyle.
The company was nominated as one of our Best Plants for 2024 by August Garcia of GreenEarth. Find out why!
Series: Best Plant Award 2024
A Ride to Remember
The latest nominee for our coveted Best Plant 2024 Award is Carousel Cleaners of Vancouver, BC.
First opened in 1950, the company has been in the hands of the Bastien family since 1972. Current owner Cam Bastien has faced some interesting challenges since taking over in 2009.
Just 4 years into his tenure, he got the gut-punching news that his landlord was not renewing his lease. What’s an eager young entrepreneur to do? Hint: Rolling over and going out of business was not one of the options on the table.
Series: Best Plant Award 2024
Life through Green-coloured Glasses
The final entry in our Best Plants 2024 competition is GreenClean Fabric Care Services, located in Woodbridge, ON.
President David Alonzi initially specialized in fire/flood restoration for contractors and insurance companies. The company has expanded to include garment cleaning, linens, draperies, shoes and other household items, and has room for storage.
His plant was nominated by August Garcia of GreenEarth. Find out why it makes the list!
Still cooking after all these years
Honestly, after viewing the images Kevin sent with this column, we were tempted to call it Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble! You don’t have to wait until Halloween to be scared out of your socks. You’ve got fright night right there in your plant….
Virtually everyone has a still on their dry cleaning machine, and everyone knows how to use it. Right? Well, maybe not, so let’s look into the still and see what’s cooking.
A visit to Classic Cleaners: Plant Excellence in Action
Last month my dad (Rob McConnell) and I embarked on a short trip to Indiana to visit Classic Cleaners. Based in Indianapolis, Classic Cleaners has 18 locations and a state-of-the-art plant that spans over 30,000 square feet! With this month’s theme centring on plant excellence, I thought I’d share my experience so you can benefit from Classic’s expertise.
