National Clothesline

Leading Cleaners Internationale affiliates who helped Stuart Bloom christen his newly-constructed Rave Fabricare drycleaning plant in Scottsdale, AZ, last fall were impressed with Rave ’s quality, attention to detail, and commitment to excellence.

Affiliates from Australia, Canada, and across the United States who gathered at Rave also studied management techniques, public relations and advertising with presentations by LCI members Chuck Horst, Claude Foreman, Joe Lancaster, John Hallak and LCI Executive Director Steve Boorstein. John Brooks of Methods for Management facilitated the meeting.

Horst, of Margaret’s Cleaners, presented a seminar on time and information management.

Back for his first LCI meeting after recovering from Katrina, Claude Foreman of One Cleaners presented, “Recovering from Disaster,“ which helped affiliates understand how to bounce back when disaster strikes.

Joe Lancaster of Coral Gables Cleaners spoke about public relations and how to choose the right firm. Hallak reported on the status of LCI ’s branding project. “Now that LCI has grown to 24 locations and has cemented its place as Certified Couture Cleaners, we are updating our branding and image to reflect our commitment to the fashion industry, ” Hallak said.

Boorstein introduced the first in a series of proprietary projects on “Couture Garment Inspection” and reviewed web stats and search engine optimization.

Mark Rockcastle of R.R. Street & Co. Inc. provided information on Solvair, his company’s latest contribution to cleaning technology.

In accordance with LCI’s quality-control policies, affiliates are “secret shopped” regularly. Hallak Cleaners and Margaret’s Cleaners were presented with plaques for receiving the highest marks. “We secret shop our stores every month and it’s very gratifying to be recognized with such competition,” Horst commented.

Two LCI affiliates, New City and Oakwood Cleaners, were honored for meeting the requirements of LCI ’s Certified Couture Cleaner certification program, placing them in the company of Margaret ’s, Creeds and Davis Imperial, as the Five Star Certified Couture Cleaners.

More information on LCI is available on the group’s web site, www.leadingcleaners.com.

The Certified Restoration Drycleaning Network’s growth has been recognized by several franchise industry publications.

Entrepreneur magazine ranked the CRDN 13th on its list of the “Top 50” franchises of 2006, Franchise Market Magazine named CRDN one of the “Top 100 New Franchises,” and Franchise Times selected CRDN as an “Up and Comer” on their list of “100 Companies on the Verge.”

Since its launch in 2002, CRDN has grown to include 188 franchises in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada and now covers more than 94 percent of the United States.

Through membership in CRDN, drycleaners diversify their market by offering a comprehensive, simple solution for textile restoration geared to reduce the severity of insurance claims.

“As CRDN continues to gain recognition, drycleaners throughout the network are being increasingly rewarded for their standardized processes and performances as well, ” said Wayne Wudyka, CEO and founder of CRDN.

CRDN currently operates in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada. The organization can be reached by calling (800) 520-2736 or via the web at www.CRDN.com.