National Clothesline

After a nearly 10-year separation, the International Fabricare Institute and the California Cleaners Association have agreed to get back together in a joint affiliate relationship.

Under the joint affiliate program, cleaners who join IFI also become members of their corresponding state or regional association. Prior to California joining the fold, IFI had affiliation agreements with 16 state or regional associations covering 39 states and the District of Columbia.

Under the partnership, IFI brings to the table national-level representation, technical expertise, and a variety of member benefit programs.

The state and regional affiliates coordinate educational programs, local meetings, state-level legislative services and regulatory assistance, and other programs tailored to local membership needs.

The California association had been part of the joint affiliate program for years until it decided to go its separate way in 1996 and has operated as an independent entity since then.

The new affiliation agreement will be effective Jan. 1, 2006. Thereafter, new members will automatically become joint members of both IFI and CCA, as will those who already belong to both associations.

Members of each association can take advantage of the benefits and services provided by both groups, but members of CCA who wish not to join IFI may continue their CCA-only status as long as they keep their membership current with CCA. The same holds true for current IFI members who do not wish to join CCA.

“Those who become joint members will have their choice of all the benefits and resources from both associations — and almost all of those who are separately members of each will find that their single joint dues will save them money, said IFI CEO Bill Fisher. “I can’t think of a better way to start the new year.”

Gary Dawson, president of IFI, said the combined power of both memberships would lend strength to the industry’s position in legislative matters.

“I want to welcome all the California drycleaners with open arms. We will now be able to share our views with one voice in legislative matters,” Dawson said. “I certainly want to applaud the efforts of everyone involved in bringing the two organizations back together, particularly Lynnette Watterson and Barry Gershenson, who I know worked very hard to complete this agreement.”

“Working together has to be the goal,” said Watterson, CCA president and owner of Crystal Cleaning Center in San Mateo, CA. “I’m very excited about the re-affiliation because this will help strengthen the industry through unity. I feel very positive about it. We’re living in a world of such diversity that we simply can’t afford to not work together to achieve the goals we share for our members.”

Gershenson, IFI’s District 8 Director, worked on CCA’s team tasked with determining the feasibility and logistics of the re-affiliation. He is also a CCA past president and owner of Sterling Cleaners in Los Angeles.

“Being involved with the re-affiliation project was very exciting, and it was a lengthy process to make sure that both associations would benefit from the agreement,” Gershenson said.

“We’re very happy to be able to offer all the great programs available through IFI to the CCA members. The wide range of benefits and services, including the outstanding Award of Excellence program, will help cleaners in our state. As associations today, both IFI and CCA are dealing with the same issues, and by combining our strengths we will be able to offer more to our members.”

Gershenson added that he was gratified to be able to help realize a goal of former IFI District 8 Director Perry Pulos who had been working for a better working relationship between the two associations before he died in 2002 while still serving on the IFI board.

“I’m proud to have been able to continue the work Perry started and see it through,” Gershenson said.