National Clothesline

Springtime at Callaway Gardens will be the setting for members of the South Eastern Fabricare Association and their guests who attend “Spring at the Gardens” from April 22-24.

Located in the southernmost foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Pine Mountain, GA, Callaway Gardens is an award-winning 14,000-acre resort and preserve brimming with natural beauty.

The soothing setting should prove conducive to learning, and there will be plenty of educational programs on the agenda.

Following a welcome reception from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday evening, SEFA will kick off its educational programs on Saturday morning at 8 a.m. with Ann Hawkins from NIE Insurance. She will present “Don’t get caught short! Do you have the insurance that you think you have?”

At 9:15 a.m., Bill Odorizzi, the vice president of sales for FH Bonn, will give attendees advice on how to gain the competitive edge through customer and employee satisfaction.

Also on tap for Saturday will be a roundtable discussion from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Those who attend are encouraged to bring their own topics to the discussion table.

In the afternoon, however, it will be time for relaxation. Those who wish to play a round of golf can set up a tee time. Other activities will be open to attendees, including: swimming, boating, fishing, wine tasting and garden tours.

Callaway also houses a butterfly center where 1,000 tropical butterflies, representing more than 50 different species, fly freely through the air.

Later in the evening, the allied trades will host a cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception from 5: 30 to 7 p.m. prior to a group dinner at Callaway, which will begin at 7:30 p.m.

On Sunday, SEFA will host a board of directors meeting at 8 a.m. which will feature reports from each committee chairperson on what the association has accomplished in the past 12 months, and what is on the schedule for the coming year.

The new term’s directors and officers will also be elected at the meeting.

There will be no registration fees to attend SEFA’s “Spring at the Gardens.”

For room reservations, contact Callaway Gardens at (800) 543-7121 and request the special SEFA group discount rate.

The official web site for Callaway Gardens is located at www.callawayonline.com.

The North Carolina Association of Launderers and Cleaners will be keeping its members busy in the coming months with its annual convention and a free Korean seminar on spotting and environmental compliance.

Set for Sunday, April 24, the seminar will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Tri-State Laundry Equipment Company at 1031 E. Mountain St. in Kernersville, NC.

Instructor Steven Chong from the Laidlaw Corporation will discuss basic spotting in the morning and Yongjin Kim from the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources will examine environmental compliance after lunch. The class will be taught in Korean.

Chong has been with Laidlaw for 18 years and has taught spotting and stain removal classes all over the country. Kim is assisting the DSCA staff in its efforts to better communicate with Korean cleaners in North Carolina. He has a broad base of experience in the environmental area.

Also down the road is NCALC’s Carolina Clean ’05, planned for May 27-30 at the Atlantic Beach Sheraton.

This year’s speaker list and topics will include: Ted Barry, vice president of operations for John Barry Associates, “The Importance of Measurement”; Bill Fisher, CEO of IFI, “How We Are Changing IFI to Better Serve the Membership”; Laura Barron, president of the Barron Group, “Finding, Motivating and Retaining Good Employees”; and Dan Martino, president of IFI and owner of Martino’s Master Cleaners in Kenosha, WI, who will deliver a keynote address on “Your New IFI.”

NCALC will soon announce speakers for seminars on marketing and regulatory compliance, as well.