The American Drycleaner Podcast

Workplace Violence & Prevention

After a deadly shooting at a textile care facility earlier this year, preventing workplace violence has gained a new focus for many dry cleaners. Carol Dodgen of Dodgen Security Consulting and Jay Juffre from ImageFIRST discuss warning signs, training, prevention and more.

Automation Must-Haves for Your Plant

Whether it’s to serve customers better or to offset a tight labor market, dry cleaners are increasingly turning to automation. We discuss this trend with Christopher White, executive director of America’s Best Cleaners, and Will Waterstraat, managing partner of Seattle-based Helena Cleaners.

Buying Out the Competition

When dry cleaners want to expand, they can either open new stores or buy out competition looking to get out of the business. We explore this topic with Gary Glover of Puritan Cleaners and Arthur C. Anton, Jr. of Anton's Cleaners. 

Training and Promotion

Mark Scott came up through the ranks to become the owner of Bakker’s Fine Drycleaning in Kirkland, Washington. Here, he provides owners with tips on identifying team members who are ready for more responsibility.

Special Report: LA Cleaners, Associations Fight Proposed Poly Bag Ban

Lawmakers in Los Angeles recently met to consider banning single-use plastic bags, and dry cleaners feared that the poly bags they use would also be affected. Industry trade organizations quickly rallied to make sure the drycleaner’s voice was heard during this discussion.

Preventative Maintenance for the Win!

Jerry Moore of Moore Services highlights the benefits of performing regular preventative maintenance on your equipment — and warns of the risks of neglecting this important task.

Continuing Education

Brian Johnson of the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute (DLI) joins us to examine the value of taking part in virtual and in-person continuing educational opportunities.

Pleasantly Surprising Customers

Kyle Matthews of Detroit’s Janet Davis Cleaners offers ideas and outlooks for boosting the customer experience in your store, making you the only cleaner your clients consider.

Making the Most of a Trade Show

Messe Frankfurt’s Greg Jira joins us to discuss the benefits of attending industry trade shows, including ways to prepare prior to the event to get the most out of your time there. We also get a preview of Clean Show 2022.

Cleaners, Raise Your Prices!

Kermit Engh of Methods for Management explores why dry cleaners should not be afraid to raise prices when their own cost of production is on the rise. We discuss reasons why most customers will understand this trend, as well as strategies for dealing with those who don’t.