CRDN founders buy out partners
Wayne Wudyka, founder and CEO of the Certified Restoration Drycleaning Network
(CRDN), and business partners Jeffrey Snyder and Edwin Wudyka have completed
the purchase of the outstanding interest of CRDN’s business partners, giving the Wudykas and Snyder full ownership of the
company.
CRDN is an international organization of textile restoration specialists serving
the insurance industry.
Owners of Huntington Cleaners & Shirt Laundry in Huntington Woods, MI, the Wudykas and Snyder launched CRDN in
2001 in conjunction with David McKinnon, Bob Ufer and Lynn Drayton, owners of
Ann Arbor, MI-based Service Brands International.
Since CRDN was founded, Huntington Cleaners has served as the model for CRDN’s textile restoration services, providing a hands-on training module for the
company’s local franchised businesses that cover 94 percent of the United States as well
as Canada and the U.K.
“We expect that this new ownership structure will be transparent externally, with
no major impact on the day-to-day operation of the company, while more closely
linking Huntington and CRDN corporately and operationally,” Wayne Wudyka said.
At the beginning of 2008, CRDN had 146 franchises serving the insurance industry
with professional textile restoration services for homeowners who experience
damage to clothing and other fabric items due to fire, smoke, water or mold
damage. CRDN plans to add locations in the few remaining open U.S. territories
while developing additional international markets.
CRDN has been recognized by Inc. magazine, Entrepreneur magazine, Franchise
Times magazine and Franchise Market magazine, all of which independently track
franchise and business development.
Weiss offers consultling services
Arthur Weiss is offering his services on a consulting basis to help cleaners
analyze their business, and solve problems. He will provide practical
suggestions to increase business and bottom line results.
His credentials include hands-on knowledge of the industry. He has done
everything from sweeping the store floor and riding on the delivery van up to
owning his own businesses. He has worked in every aspect of production from
cleaning and pressing to supervising management staff.
Weiss grew his business from a small drycleaning retail store into one of the
country’s larger restoration plants, using his passion for sales and marketing to build
the restoration division by calling on insurance adjusters, claims managers,
vice presidents of claims, and restoration contractors.
Weiss said he can show how to build a restoration business to over $1 million
annually.
He also knows how to knock on doors to build routes and can teach sales reps to
achieve 50 percent year over year route growth.
“Teaching and seeing people grow and succeed is something I really have fun with,” he said.
In the past he has written columns for the National Cleaners Association and
National Clothesline, explaining things both simple to complex in an easy to
understand way to people at all levels and experience.
He also has a full portfolio of creative marketing and advertising concepts. In
his businesses, he developed direct mail programs and customer rewards and
retention programs. As a long time sponsor of Coats for Kids programs, he can
show cleaners how to appear on TV, radio and newspapers with several different
messages of interest to the media.
He knows how to use the environmental message in a positive way. While many
cleaners are fearful of environmental regulators, Weiss is on an advisory panel
to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and his plant
was used as a training site for its inspectors.
Oregonian named Tailwind Manager of the Year
Terry Cavanaugh was named 2008 Tailwind Systems Manager of the Year, the second
manager from Mt. Hood Cleaners in Sandy, OR, to win the award.
 | ||
“I interviewed Brad a few months ago while I was trying to make a decision on
this award,” Desrosiers said. ”He was surprised that she was still a candidate. His justification was that
Terry’s PPLH numbers had begun to fluctuate during the previous month or two. We
looked over her paperwork and by the time we were through, I knew that I had
found my manager of the year.:
It was not usual for Mt. Hood’s PPLH numbers to be in the low 20s, Desrosier said, explaining that this is the
total number of labor hours used — cleaners, pressers, inspectors, assemblers, baggers, everyone, divided into the
drycleaning pieces produced.
“Most drycleaners cannot attain 12,“ he said. “Terry was always over 19. But there is an asterisk. The numbers attained by
Terry and Mt. Hood are achievable because their business is largely fire
restoration work. Without restoration work, 16 to 18 would be an extraordinary
number.”
Something changed for a while at Mt. Hood Cleaners early last year, Desrosiers
noted. Fire Restoration work took a noticeable dip.
“While this is not unusual in the restoration business, what is unusual is the
way that Terry Cavanaugh handled it,” he said. “Some managers, when faced with change, point to the change as the reason that
they can no longer do their job as effectively.
“Not Terry. She knew that she had to do something differently. Yes, her PPLH
numbers did drop a bit, but they only dropped to the point that would still be
considered exceptional for a plant that doesn’t do a lot of restoration.
“The point is that the plant suddenly stopped being routine. That is the making
of a good manager,” he said. “Any manager can walk into a good situation and keep it good by doing little or
nothing. But the measure of a good manager is when the situation changes, the
manager changes his or her strategy to deal with the new situation, all the
while keeping an eye on the ball, never losing sight of the ultimate goal,
which is to run an efficient plant that runs at the highest possible rate of
profitability while maintaining top quality and service.“
Cavanaugh was awarded a framed certificate of recognition along with a
custom-made, engraved desk clock. Mt. Hood has been a Tailwind Systems client
for shirts, drycleaning and fire restoration since 2002.
Association execs gather for annual meeting
