National Clothesline

Cleaners who have resolved to run a more profitable plant in 2007 may want to turn to the Michigan Institute of Laundering and Drycleaning’s four-part management series for assistance.

The program will begin on Friday, Feb. 2, with another session running each month through May.

The comprehensive series is designed to educate plant owners and managers in the entire spectrum of drycleaning and business issues.

All sessions will take place at the MILD Office, located at 3225 W. St. Joseph, in Lansing, MI.

The first program will be devoted to the topics of goal setting and planning, time management, and accounting/financial management including budgeting.

Those who attend will learn the percentages to aim for on their Profit & Loss statements, as well as how to attain cost efficiency when adding routes and stores. The importance of good figures and records will be emphasized, as well as how to figure the cost of producing shirts.

MILD’s second session is set for Friday, March 9. It will focus on the internal operations of the drycleaning plant, including its equipment, system procedures and technology.

Topics on the agenda include: figuring numbers for pieces per hour per operator, employee training, plant layout, progressive workflow and more ways to utilize staff.

On Friday, April 6, the association will host the third session which will outline the legal regulations and ethical practices for effective human resources.

Attendees will expand their knowledge base on a variety of topics, such as: employee handbook and job descriptions, wages and incentives, employee retention, benefits, proper training and expectations for employees, different management structures and employee safety.

The final session is slated for Friday, May 4, and will focus on sales and marketing, client and vendor relationships, and the diversification of services.

Cleaners will learn about the types of media and the different marketing and advertising plans, as well as advertising philosophy, customer surveys, budgeting, ad presentation and analyzing effectiveness.

Each session will begin at 9 a.m. and run until about 3:30 p.m. Breakfast and lunch will be provided to attendees. The cost for each session is $200 per person; however, cleaners can sign up for all four session and only pay $600 each.

For more information or to register, contact the MILD office at (517) 327-9207 or visit www.mildmi.org.

The Cincinnati Better Business Bureau recently awarded Widmer’s Dry Cleaners with its 2006 Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics.

The cleaners won in the for-profit business with 251 employees or more category. It was the first time a drycleaning business of any size has won the award in the Cincinnati competition, which was launched in 2001.

The Torch Award winners were chosen by a panel of independent judges who evaluated applications based on eight judging criteria established by the Council of Better Business Bureaus and the International Torch Award Program.

Widmer’s was originally founded in 1910. It now operates 20 stores, offering services in drycleaning, laundering, shirt care, upholstery cleaning, alterations, bridal gown preservation, garment storage, leather cleaning, shoe cleaning/shining, fire restoration and carpet cleaning.

WFI annual convention set for February

While it is still finalizing the program for its annual convention and trade show, the Wisconsin Fabricare Institute has already scheduled highlights for the event, which will take place Feb. 23-25 at the Radisson Paper Valley in Appleton, WI.

The three-day outing will include business sessions on Saturday and Sunday, along with its allied trades displays.

WFI also has planned a live auction and an Academy Awards Evening Banquet dinner where it will honor the industry’s leaders.

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Radisson Paper Valley at a rate of $89 for single or double occupancy and $99 for triple or quad. Call (800) 333-3333 for reservations.

Registration for all events will cost $150 per member.

For more information, contact the association by calling (414) 529-4707 or visit their web site at www.wiscleaners.com.