National
Clothesline
One voice is louder than a thousand
Every time you open a newspaper, it seems
like another regulation against perc drycleaning has been
proposed, passed or, at the very least, pondered. By the early
2020s, it is possible (if not probable) that there will be no
more perc drycleaning in California or New Jersey and every
co-residential perc location in the states will be shut down.
Of course, if you open up the newspaper again, more
restrictions might be added to that list. For that matter,
other solvents might be targeted, as well. After all, some
regulators have already expressed concerns over hydrocarbon and
silicone solvents. Even wetcleaning could have a limited shelf
life if environmentalists or special interest groups turn their
attention toward water supply and sewer issues.
For drycleaners, the problem is not
opening the newspaper (so, don’t cancel that
subscription), nor is it the environmentalists who keep pushing
for more stringent legislation against the industry. The
problem is unification. Simply put, environmentalists and
special interest groups are adamantly driven, well-organized,
and speak for their cause of choice with one harmonious voice.
It is a loud and clear voice that lawmakers can’t help
but hear. In fact, it is impossible to ignore.
On the other side of it all is the voice
of the drycleaning industry which is more like a cacophony of
chaotic mutterings, with several voices screaming out for their
own interests to be heard. There is no collective message, only
a conflicting chorus that drowns itself out. That is the
problem the industry faces right now. Some drycleaners are
willing to promote their own technologies while disparaging the
solvent choices of others. In a misguided attempt to make
themselves look better, those cleaners make their competitors,
and, the industry as a whole, appear unhealthy and
untrustworthy. No wonder regulators do not listen to the
industry. Even cleaners themselves don’t seem to like
each other.
Fortunately, there is a bit of hope. The
International Fabricare Institute recently held a
“solvent summit” meeting, inviting cleaners,
suppliers and manufacturers together under one roof to discuss
strategies that might offset the legislative land mines that
loom ahead. Proponents of all solvents were invited, even
though perc remains the main target of regulators. Why? Because
what affects the largest portion of the industry, affects all
other cleaners, too. What makes one cleaner look bad, makes all
cleaners look bad. The future of the entire industry may well
rest on the ongoing success of the summit. Now, more than ever,
cleaners must unify. If the industry wants to be heard, then it
will take one, clear-cut voice to speak on its behalf.
Planning for tomorrow starts today
“Change is coming,” Michael
Tatch told a group of cleaners at a seminar during last
month’s Drycleaning and Laundry Expo in Atlantic City.
Tatch was speaking specifically of new
regulations that will change the way drycleaners operate, but
his admonition applies more generally, also. Change will be
coming from many different directions. That is certain. The
uncertainty lies in what those changes will be. In this regard,
the regulatory changes can be easier to deal with. The
government spells out in detail what you can’t do and
what you must do. The other changes we face — from
consumer attitudes to fashion and fabrics to the overall
economy — often can’t be foreseen until they are
upon us.
Tatch’s advice on how to deal with
coming regulatory changes can be applied across the board.
“Be flexible and objective. You can’t stay with
something that is no longer viable,” he said. He provided
a step-by-step method for analyzing the needs of an individual
cleaning plant and determining the future course that will
satisfy both those needs and those of the regulators. There is
no one-size-fits-all solution; each cleaner must determine
individually what’s best for the business.
One final word advice from Tatch: Take
your time in planning. But that doesn’t mean put off
until tomorrow, next month or next year gathering information,
studying the options and projecting what your needs will be. It
means do it carefully, and consider everything. That takes
time.
In a similar vein, Harvey Gershenson in
his column this month (page 24) discusses strategic planning
for your business that takes into account many factors that can
easily be overlooked. Take a look, take some time to plan and
don’t be taken by surprise.