National Clothesline

Mack Davis of Medlin-Davis Cleaners in Raleigh, NC, has announced his candidacy for the International Fabricare Institute board of directors in District 2, which includes North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and the District of Columbia.

The current district 2 representative, Barbara Harvey, will become president-elect of IFI

next summer at the end of her current four-year term.

Davis has been involved in the drycleaning industry throughout much of his life, beginning in his youth when he worked at his father’s plant. After attending college, serving in the U.S. Marines and working in several other businesses, he returned to drycleaning and the family business. His return to the industry also began a long involvement with trade associations, beginning with service on the board of directors of the North Carolina Association of Launderers and Cleaners. Over the years, he has chaired every NCALC standing committee and many of its special committess and has held most of its offices including two terms as president.

He completed his most recent term as president last year and now chairs the NCALC Trusteeship Committee. He also served on the North Carolina Legislature’s Dry Cleaning Alternative Technologies Studies Group in 2001 and has served continuously on the Stakeholders Group for the North Carolina Dry Cleaning Solvent Cleanup Act since its inception in 1997.

Davis is also familiar with the IFI board through his recent term as District Committee representative for District 2.

Davis began testing the waters for his candidacy in conversations with District 2 attendees at Clean ’05 and received the endorsement of Charlie Smith, past president of the Mid-Atlantic Association of Cleaners, and Garth Eck, president of the Pennsylvania Delaware Cleaners Association and current IFI District Committee member from District 2, as well as a number of IFI member cleaners.

“The responses were very gratifying,” Davis said “Everyone was very supportive although a few questioned my sanity.”

Members of the Uniform & Textile Service Association (UTSA) and the Textile Rental Services Association of America (TRSA) approved a plan to consolidate into one national association effective Jan. 1, 2006.

Each association held a special membership meeting in August to vote on the plan which had been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of the two associations in June.

TRSA and UTSA each serve corporations engaged predominantly in textiles service — providing commercial, industrial and institution accounts with laundered uniforms, linens, walk-off mats and other workplace textiles through rental agreements. Associate members of the associations sell services, equipment or supplies to textile service members.

The industry employs more than 110,000 people and its 2004 sales exceeded $11 billion.

“UTSA and TRSA members have taken a critical step toward ensuring the future success of our industry by unifying our efforts and resources,” said James Buik of Roscoe Co. in Chicago. He is chairman of UTSA and will lead the new group as its chairman.

Joining him on the new group’s executive committee will be Michael Potack of Unitex Textile Rental Services in Mount Vernon, NY, who will serve as vice chairman; Kevin Crotty of Van Dyne Crotty Inc. in Dayton, OH, who will service as secretary; Douglas “Woody” Ostrow of CleanCare in Pittsburgh, PA, who will serve as treasurer; and Stephen Donly of Aramark Uniform Services.

“The consolidation of TRSA and UTSA significantly strengthens our industry’s position Washington, DC,” Potack said. “A single national association with the strength of our combined sales volume and employment power certainly raises the decibel level of our message on Capitol Hill.”

The executive committee will conduct a search for the new organization’s first president and CEO, who is expected to be selected by Nov. 1. A new board of directors will be selected, also.

David Hobson currently serves as president and CEO of UTSA; Roger Cocivera is president and CEO of TRSA.

DoveCorp Enterprises Inc. of Toronto, Ontario, completed its share acquisition of Cadet Cleaners, a Toronto-based drycleaning franchisor with 67 outlets in the area. DoveCorp said the acquisition makes it the largest drycleaner in Canada, with anticipated annual sales of more than $10 million.

The two principal shareholders of Cadet, Jim and Gus Karagiannis, will form part of DoveCorp’s ongoing management team. Jim Karagiannis will serve as director of business development and franchising and Gus will serve as director and general manager of drycleaning operations.

“We are very excited to have the Cadet and Factory Outlet brands and locations to add to the existing Dove brands,” said Sam Mizrahi, president and CEO of DoveCorp. He said DoveCorp will continue to seek to expand by acquisitions.

For more than ten years, DoveCorp’s flagship Dove Cleaners division has been recognized by fashion and industry magazines asa premium drycleaners and laundry in Canada. At the same time, its Dove Depot, Meena Cleaners, and Natural Cleaners divisions operate in the mass market. DoveCorp has a 42,000-sq.-ft. production facility.

Cadet comprises four companies that manage and provide retail and commercial drycleaning services for 45 franchised and three corporate owned locations under the Cadet Cleaners banner and 16 franchised and three corporate drycleaning locations operating as Factory Outlet Cleaners.