National Clothesline

Fabric Restoration Service Team, a national franchise specializing in restoration drycleaning for the insurance industry, has expanded its presence with new qualified licensees in the Midwest, East Coast, and Southeast.

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

New coverage areas serviced by FRSTeam include North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, New York, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Nebraska, and West Virginia.

“We joined FRSTeam to benefit from their proven operating model and training structure. In addition, being a part of a national brand better positions us in this competitive market,” said Jim Hilker with FRSTeam by Hilker’s in North Carolina.

Jim Nicholas, president of FRSTeam, said of the new licensees, “We could not have asked for better quality operators to partner with for national restoration drycleaning coverage. Their integrity, experience, and enthusiasm make them a great fit with FRSTeam.”

Ron Patrie of FRSTeam by Fashion Care in Atlanta, GA, a former APRD member, said “FRSTeam provides a unique operations and sales infrastructure that meets the demands of the insurance and drycleaning industries. I learned that just being a part of a national group was not enough. The insurance carriers require consistency in terms of quality and service and FRSTeam has the solution for making that a reality.”

“I am amazed at how quickly FRSTeam was able to get me up and running,” said Mitchell Rogers with FRSTeam by Rogers Garment Restoration in St. Petersburg, FL, and formerly with APRD. “Immediately I received new leads, a web-based solution for managing my jobs and contacts, assistance in building my marketing plan to meet future sales goals, and help with regional sales efforts.”

Kermit Engh of FRSTeam by Fashion Cleaners in Omaha, NE, added, “There is comfort in being a part of a national brand. From the look and feel of the operational model of FRSTeam, the structure is detailed and will prove instrumental in my abilities to grow my restoration drycleaning business.”

FRSTeam serves the insurance industry by managing fabric-related items affected by a fire, water, sewage, or mold. Facilities, equipment, and services meet the needs of the insurance industry by delivering customer satisfaction and cost savings. FRSTeam has 20 years of experience specific to restoration drycleaning.

More than 50 trade professionals gathered recently for 3 1é2 hours of wetcleaning education, organized by Seitz, Inc., at the Radiant Leather Care plant in Riviera Beach, FL.

Upon arrival participants were greeted with drink and food after a long day of work and

difficult driving conditions that night. Alexander Seitz, president of Seitz Inc., welcomed the crowd and introduced Roland Dobbins, who produces and conducts the Seitz wetcleaning seminars.

Roland, a veteran in the garment cleaning industry who is now based in Las Vegas, NV, started the session by outlining the subjects to be covered during the seminar and presented a series knowledge challenges to keep audience members on their toes. Each winner was to take home Seitz products used during the wetcleaning process.

Dobbins explained the history and experience that Seitz has in chemical research and the production of professional garment cleaning products. Seitzwas founded in Frankfurt/Germany in 1885 by Heinrich Seitz, Alexander Seitz’s great-great-grandfather.

In a nutshell, he explained, wetcleaning is garment cleaning with little water and special protective and cleaning additives in a very controlled environment, with a minimum of agitation to preserve the garments. Difficult water-soluble soiling can now be treated professionally without retreating to traditional laundering or chemical drycleaning, he noted.

“Operators are eager to learn about new methods and new products that enhance the performance of their business and increase their profits. That is where the Seitz support system kicks in and helps professionals to broaden their knowledge and select the best products,” Seitz told the group.

The Albert Lea-Freeborn County (Minnesota) Chamber of Commerce recognized The Clothing Care Center for its outstanding commitment and service to the community

With input from community members, a special committee chooses the worthy recipients for the annual honors. The committee weighs the businesses’ involvement with the chamber and the community at-large, taking into consideration customer satisfaction, customer service, products and service offerings, affordability, professionalism, community involvement and business development and retention.

After individuals make a nomination, the businesses are then sent a questionnaire they can complete to help the committee sort through all the nominees. A point system is used to determine the winners in the different areas. It includes the businesses’ involvement in the Chamber of Commerce.

The Clothing Care Center “had a whole list of things they were involved in. They help out with cleaning the dance and band uniforms. They are involved with the downtown business association as well,” said Tim Lenhart, chairman of the chamber.

Several customers and employees wrote to the chamber about why they felt the business deserved the award.

In one nomination, a customer wrote: “Russ and Gladys (Heys) are business owners who lead by example. They work as a team and display a professional appearance. Their personal actions and spoken words are always upbeat, positive and inspirational.”

Gary Rumplik has joined Leonard Automatics as a sales representative dedicated to the drycleaning industry. A sales and operational veteran, he brings many years of knowledge and experience in drycleaning to Leonard.

Previously he was employed by Böwe Textile Cleaning as the eastern regional sales manager. His responsibilities included promoting, selling, training, and supporting of Permac drycleaning

machines, and Veit tensioning equipment.

He was also the owner of Solon Cleaners, in Solon, OH, where his drycleaning career began more than 30 years ago. The fourth generation of his family’s business that was established in 1947, he started as a presser, then cleaner-spotter, and then into management where he ran the entire operation for more then 25 years giving him a full view of the entire process from start to finish.

Rumplik will be dedicated to maintaining existing accounts in the drycleaning market sector as well as increasing Leonard’s market presence through establishing distributor accounts across the country. He will work from an office in his home in Ohio but will maintain contact with the corporate office in North Carolina.

Rumplik can be reached on his mobile phone at (704) 661-0944, in his office at (440) 543-6518 or by e-mail at grumplik@leonard-automatics.com.

Dan Bowe, a veteran of the laundry industry with ten years of experience, will lead the sales staff for the IPSO brand of Alliance Laundry systems.

In addition to his sales background with Alliance he also played an integral part in furthering the company’s growth through building strong relationships with its distributor network and customers.

“IPSO’s approach to the coin laundry market is simple,” Bowe said. “We want to help owners simplify their businesses by providing superior customer service and support, durable machines with easy-to-use controls.”

Also part of the sales team is Fred Sunman, who will continue to serve the same territory he has with IPSO as a regional sales manager. This includes the Midwest, western United States and all of Canada. Sunman has worked 24 years in the laundry industry and has been with IPSO for 5 1é2 of those years.

Mike McBride, who has been with IPSO since 2003, will take on duties as a regional sales manager for the Northeast and MidAtlantic territories. McBride has more than 28 years of experience in sales, many of which have been in textile and laundry industries.

Tracy Mummert will assume the role of regional sales manager serving the Southeast. With 30 years in the laundry equipment business, including 12 with IPSO, Mummert has installed, serviced and rebuilt equipment through the years. He also served for a time in the United States Marine Corps.

Pat Hicks will continue to support IPSO as a regional service manager. Hicks has been with IPSO for 5 1é2 years and has worked for 25 years in electronics, all within coin-operated businesses.

Paul C. Feigitsch has joined Martin-Ray Laundry Systems Inc. as a sales engineer and consultant for drycleaning and shirt laundry equipment.

Feigitsch bring more than 50 years of experience in the apparel care industry, including knowledge in equipment requirements, drycleaning and wetcleaning, shirt laundry, plant layout, work flow, systems, management, training and consulting. His experience also includes conducting seminars for the International Fabricare Institute and the Rocky Mountain Fabricare Association.

Martin-Ray Laundry Systems, based in Denver, CO, serves the Southwest and Rocky Mountain regions as a distributor of drycleaning, shirt laundry, wetcleaning, commercial and coin-operated laundry equipment, featuring such brands as Unipress, Fulton, Columbia/ILSA and Milnor. Consulting services are also available.