Remembering an Industry Champion

By Harry A. Kimmel III, APR PRSA

Alvin Reiner of the Mayflower Laundry and Drycleaning Company in Hartford, Connecticut, passed away in October of 2020. A very active member of the drycleaning community, he served as president of the Institute from 1983-1984, and Board member from 1978-1983. He also served as executive director of the North East Fabricare Association (NEFA), and the Hartford County Laundry Association.

Always quick with a joke, Reiner wrote the headline for his own memorial. One day while reading a obituary in the local paper, he told his daughter, Gail Reiner, obituaries were too expensive because, “They charge by the word.” He said his should read, “Al Reiner Dead, Cadillac for Sale.” With fullest respect, we couldn’t resist using this as a headline.

Continue reading “Al Reiner Died, Cadillac for Sale” →

Continue reading “The Clean Show Remains Dedicated to Industry Wellness, Postpones Clean 2021 to Summer 2022” →

Albert Einstein said: “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

The ultimate realization of this outlook is in our attitude. Having a positive attitude is more than coercing yourself to smile through what you perceive to be a bad day. It takes practice and training to acquire the attribute of a positive outlook and attitude. It is not a trait that is passed on through genetics; you have to want to learn the skill. This skill is more difficult for some than it is for others; therefore I work at it daily and I will stick with it even though I will likely never achieve mastery of this ability.

Continue reading “From the President: The Right Attitude” →

My name is Jess Culpepper and I am a drycleaner. There I said it. It sometimes feels as if we are addicted to our work and in need of intervention. In my case it is more of an allegiance and appreciation for this industry that has provided four generations of my family with an opportunity to live the American dream. For this next year it will be my privilege and honor to serve as DLI President. Culpepper Cleaners was started by my grandfather, Henry Allan Culpepper, in 1911. My dad, Richard Culpepper followed in 1949, I in 1978 and my son Ethan in 2011, representing our fourth generation.

Continue reading “From the President” →

By John Paul Roggenkamp

The explosive rise of the gig economy (which largely hinges upon providing convenient solutions to common challenges), the acceleration of the work from home trend, as well as loosening social standards for formal and business attire are all impacting brands, markets, and – yes – drycleaning. With a deadly virus still active in communities across the country, drycleaners will likely need to adopt a range of convenience-oriented and contactless solutions (such as route-based as well as curb-side garment pick-up and delivery). Wash-dry-fold (WDF) has become a particularly viable option for many drycleaners keen on expanding markets and boosting sales. DLI asked four leading figures in the drycleaning industry for their views on the benefits and drawbacks of the shift to convenience. Some of their insightful responses are presented below.

Continue reading “Convenience to the Rescue” →

Everything changed as Spring was starting. The novel coronavirus epidemic bloomed into a full-blown global pandemic and the economy stalled. Drycleaning sales across the U.S. and world dropped as much as 85% virtually overnight. The industry has since been in a long, slow recovery. This downturn is lasting longer than most drycleaning business owners first imagined.

From the start of the pandemic in mid-March, DLI began an ongoing effort to offer a host of COVID-19 updates and links to all professional cleaners DLI could reach, members or not. DLI quickly decided that COVID-related information was too important to the public health to restrict to members only and should be openly shared with the entire industry.

Continue reading “Working Together to Overcome the COVID-19” →

Last issue, I covered some easily-accomplished maintenance procedures on air compressors. This month I’ll discuss components in the compressed air system that remove water from the compressed air stream.

Continue reading “Compressed Air Moisture Control” →

Adapting, Overcoming, and Improvising, Into the “New Normal”
By Don Desrosiers, Tailwind Systems

You probably said it to someone today. Surely, you said it to yourself within the past couple of weeks; “I can’t wait for things to go back to normal.” Me, too. But, what exactly is “normal”?

Continue reading “COVID-19 Moved Your Cheese” →