National Clothesline

New staff assignments in conjunction with an internal reorganization have been announced by the International Fabricare Institute.

David Norford has joined IFI as director of marketing and will assist in communicating the benefits and services IFI offers to its affiliated professional cleaners. A former IFI director, Norford will continue in his position as executive vice president of the MidAtlantic Association of Cleaners while working for the national association.

Brian Johnson will be in charge of a new division, the Training and Technical Services Department. The new division merges IFI’s education and research departments. Johnson will continue to provide technical support and training to members as he has in the past while also being in charge of the IFI’s research projects, including administration of IFI’s Cleaning Performance Tests.

Jane rising will continue as manager of Education and Training at IFI.

Lorraine Muir is the director of the new Garment and Textile Services Department, which has been created by merging the International Textile Analysis Laboratory and the Textile Testing Department. Muir will oversee both areas of the new department, continuing her normal duties of managing the analysis lab while taking on the added role of issuing reports for IFI’s textile testing clients.

Adrienne Rybak will assist in promoting the textile testing lab’s service to cleaners.

The textile testing lab provides assistance to garment manufacturers in producing better garments and also serves as a source of non-dues revenue for IFI, which helps to keep a stable dues structure.

Darryl Crawford has joined the North American and Caribbean sales team of the Maineline Technology Group, developer of Compassmax software for the drycleaning industry.

Crawford has more than 20 years of experience in the drycleaning industry. He was employed as plant manager for five years in the 1980s for Professional Cleaners in Atlanta GA, then spent more than 15 years with Liberty Pittsburgh Systems, progressing to vice president of sales with responsibility for a region encompassing 26 states in the U.S., and eastern Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Maineline’s goal is to be a development, service and support company for its thousands of locations across North America. Crawford can be reached through Maineline at 800-354-2525 or directly at 678-296-5190.

Pariser Industries has promoted Arthur Fatica to director of product marketing for the drycleaning and wetcleaning divisions. He will manage the company’s marketing and product development efforts to further expand its presence throughout North America.

Fatica has more than 29 years of experience in the industry, the last seven as Northeast regional director of product sales and service for Pariser.

A donation from ZIPS Dry Cleaners to the MidAtlantic Association of Cleaners will help underwrite continuing industry representation.

A letter of appreciation to ZIPS Chairman Brett Vago, MAC President Charles Smith said, in part, “Your note and donation provided an emotional and fiscal boost which has served to strengthen our resolve in meeting this year’s challenge.”

MAC is the International Fabricare Institute affiliated association for professional garment care specialists in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. For information, contact MAC at (800) 235-8360.

Fabric Restoration Service Team, an independently-owned restoration drycleaners, ann-ounced last month that it is implementing a new program to sell license agreements across the United States.

Formerly known as Custom Commercial Dry Cleaners, FRSTeam provides fabric restoration services for wardrobes and textiles damaged by fire, water, sewage, and mold.

Insurance companies and their insureds benefit because restoration is significantly quicker and more cost efficient than replacing items with new purchases. In addition to clothing related items, the company restores items such as shoes, hats, leathers, furs, and plush toys.

“We’ve been developing our system and relationships in the insurance industry over the past 18 years,” said Courtney Nicholas, CEO, of FRSTeam.

“Now we’re ready for more growth,” Nicholas continued. “We expect to have a minimum of 30 licenses operating within the next three years. The ideal licensee is a large drycleaner with restoration expertise and capable of handling large volumes of work over a wide territory.”

FRSTeam has had a successful and growing operation over the last two decades. The company currently services California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Colorado, and New Mexico. It now is undertaking an expansion outside that coverage area by offering license agreements in territories not currently serviced.

“Our organization knows that the best way to expand nationally is to team up with experienced professionals who share in our vision and dedication to quality,” Nicholas said.

“We think we have an exceptional strategy what will allow our licensees to grow their independent businesses by working with national accounts, obtaining national brand recognition, leveraging expertise from others in the system, and improving job management through technology and automation. We have the right mix of services, procedures, and technologies; sustaining our growth is now all about finding the right partners.”

FRSTeam’s sole focus is the insurance industry. Its facilities, equipment, and services are tailored to meet the needs of the insurance industry by delivering the customer satisfaction and cost savings.

For more information, contact the company at (866) 374-3778 or visit www.frsteam.com.

Chris McGee of Rochelle Cleaners in North Carolina received a Cleaner’s Supply scholarship to attend the International Fabricare Institute’s Introduction to Drycleaning course in January.

Cleaner’s Supply offers four $500 scholarships each year towards attending IFI classes. Two of the scholarships are awarded by the IFI Alumni Society and two are awarded by the Korean Drycleaning Association.

For information about the Cleaner’s Supply scholarship or to apply, call Susan Bale, IFI Registrar, (800) 638-2627, Ext. 1603.

Leading Cleaners Internationale (LCI), with affiliates in Australia, Canada and throughout the United States, met in the Dominican Republic during the last week of February to discuss strategies and processes.

Affiliate presentations included retail alliance programs, branding, and serving the couture market.

Steve Boorstein, executive director, presented information on website design, customer service techniques and marketing ideas. The meeting also featured a brainstorming session.

LCI affiliates are expected to produce the highest quality work and must pass stringent 58-point certification criteria to remain in good standing as an affiliate. Each affiliate is “Secret Shopped,” audited and assessed regularly. Fabric care processes — proprietary and mainstream — are introduced at these meetings and shared equally by all affiliates. Marketing tools and ideas are also shared and refined.

LCI works closely with each affiliate to integrate the latest clothing-care techniques, and affiliates are expected to produce and introduce new processes for each meeting.

Drycleaners who are interested in becoming an LCI affiliate can contact Boorstein, (301) 320-7292, or visit www.leadingcleaners.com.

LCI board members include, from left, Nick Bancroft of Bancroft’s in Melbourne, John Hallak of Hallak Cleaners in New York City, and Chuck Horst of Margaret’s in San Diego, CA.

Colmac has promoted W.C. “Cam” Buffington as president and chief operating officer of Colmac Industries, Inc. He replaces Scott McMillan, who will remain as CEO and chairman, a position he has held since the retirement of his father, Roger McMillan in 2005.

Buffington will be the first president of Colmac Industries other than a McMillan since Jerry McMillan founded the company in 1957.

Buffington has worked for Colmac Coil for over 15 years and held the position of vice president since 1996.

He received a B. A. in Business Administration from Eastern Washington University and is past president/chairman of the board of directors of the EWU Alumni Association and past president of the Board of Advisors for the EWU College of Business.

Colmac is a manufacturer of garment finishing and pressing equipment for the commercial laundry industry. Its 200,000 sq. ft. corporate office, manufacturing, research and development campus is located in Colville, WA.