National
Clothesline
200 help NCALC celebrate 100th
Approximately 200 people made a point of
attending the North Carolina Association of Launderers and
Cleaners’ 100th
annual convention, marking record numbers for the event.
During the centennial celebration, IFI
and SEFA presented NCALC with a plaque recognizing its 100
years of service to the drycleaning industry.
Several past presidents and their spouses
were present at the event, including many faces that had not
been seen in a while: Pat Whitfield, Graham and Mildred
Grissom, Nell Rose, Greg and Sheila Johnston, and Bretney and
Coleman Smith.
On Friday evening, Graham Grissom, who
served as president in 1970, regaled attendees with stories of
the past, including details on NCALC’s highly successful
“Cleanest Cities Contest” public relations campaign
in the late 1960s and the association’s battles with the
Prison Laundry System in the early 1970s.
The following morning, Bretney Smith,
Jr., shared recollections of his grandfather, Canie N. Brown,
one of the founders of the association in 1907, who also served
as its second president. Bretney Smith, Jr. was president in
1973-74, and his father, Bretney Smith, Sr., held the position
in 1941.
Adding some colorful history to the event
were several historical pictures and artifacts brought in by
various attendees showing how far the industry has come in 100
years.
The convention also offered educational
seminars exploring the future direction of the industry.
IFI President Gary Dawson delivered a
keynote address called “A Call to Professionalism,”
which encouraged cleaners to pursue more educational training
and certification — such as IFI’s Award of
Excellence — to distinguish themselves from their
competition. Dawson also discussed the status of the Fabricare
Foundation’s ongoing public relations campaign designed
to enhance the image of cleaners.
IFI CEO Bill Fisher also took to the
podium to examine the state of the industry. Although it is
improving overall, there is still much cleaners can do. Fisher
believes one problem in particular stems from franchisors who
resell unsuccessful franchises repeatedly to a neverending
supply of would-be millionaires, thus oversaturating the market
with cleaners.
Rounding out the Saturday’s
sessions was one on the Drycleaning Solvent Cleanup Act Program
by Scott Stupak. He was joined by Jenny Walker and Eric Swope,
who demonstrated the use of a halogen leak detector, which is
one of the proposed changes to the NESHAP.
Also on tap was a seminar filled with
customer service ideas by Golomb Group President Dennis
McCrory, who noted that consistent, excellent customer service
is the standard that every cleaner should strive to meet.
Representative Pryor Gibson stressed the
importance of personal contact with state lawmakers, and Tony
Pendola from NC DENR Small Business Environmental Assistance
Program highlighted some of the proposed changes to the PERC
NESHAP.
Rounding out the sessions was one by
“Dryclean Dave” Silliman, who emphasized how the
IFI Award of Excellence has opened new doors for him, including
an endorsement from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Also during the weekend, NCALC held its
annual meeting and installed its newly-elected officers and
board directors.
Immediate Past President Martin Young
passed along the presidential gavel to Gloria Cowell, the third
woman to be named president in the organization’s 100
years of existence. She co-owns (with her husband Keith) and
helps manage nine Cowell’s Cleaners in Craven, Carteret
and Pamlico counties.
Before being named president, Cowell was
the district director for NCALC from 2000-04 and administrative
vice president from 2004-06. She has been a member since 1990
when she first opened her first two drycleaning businesses
— one in Bayboro and one on Glenburnie Road in New Bern.
She will be joined by President Elect
Simon Vick, Vice President of Governmental Affairs Chris
Edwards, Vice President of Services Wes Sessoms, Secretary Tom
Volk, Treasurer Marvin Thomas and Sergeant-at-Arts Bill
Sessoms.
The board of directors now includes: Rich
Volk, District 1; Allan Cheatham, District 2; Brenda Honeycutt,
District 3; Lindley Smith, District 4; Roger Routh, District 5;
Larry Hill, District 6; and Tom Wilson, District 7. At-large
directors include: Young Bang, Joan Bartlett, Al Cardenas,
Patrick Cardenas, Greg Icenhour, Charisse Lassiter, Cathy
Richardson, Eddie Stephenson, Carol Strother, John Thomas, Rick
Kane, Kevin Lawson, Denny Shaffer and Bob Smart.