NCALC plans Atlantic Beach events
The North Carolina Association of Launderers and Cleaners plans a packed program of industry speakers at its Carolina Clean ’08 convention in Atlantic Beach, NC, May 23-25.
Headlining the event will be two of the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute’s leaders: Bill Fisher and Barbara Harvey, who currently serve as chief
executive officer and president of the association, respectively.
Fisher will update cleaners on the status of perc and other solvents in respect
to the various regulations that have been passed and proposed across the nation
to help them decide how best to protect their business.
His program, entitled “Legislative and Regulatory Threats to Solvent Choices,” will take place at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Harvey, who is the first female president in DLI’s 100-year history, will devote her Saturday seminar session to the topic of
plant maintenance.
Though she is certified as a CED (Certified Environmental Drycleaner), CPD
(Certified Professional Drycleaner) and CPW (Certified Professional Wetcleaner)
and was selected for the Positive Industry Recognition DLI Meritorious award in
2001, she is still known endearingly throughout Severna Park, MD, as the “wench with a wrench” for her strong cleaning equipment maintenance skills.
She took her first preventive maintenance course from DLI in 1973 and has
learned many tips and tricks since. She’ll share those with attendees on Saturday morning at 9 a.m.
Prior to that educational session will be an industry update by another
widely-known industry leader, Carol Memberg. She and her late husband, Sol,
started National Clothesline almost half a century ago.
She also serves as executive director for the Pennsylvania and Delaware Cleaners
Association, and as a board member of the FabriCare Foundation.
During her lead-off program, she will offer her observations on the current
state of the drycleaning industry.
Also on Saturday will be two seminars on the Drycleaning Solvent Cleanup Act
(DSCA) program by Dr. John Powers, a supervisor in the Division of Waste
Management at the North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural
Resources (DENR), and Eric Swope, compliance coordinator for the DSCA.
Both men will discuss the past, present and future status of the DSCA program,
including the cleanup fund balance and the progress of sites that are being
remediated.
Compliance and survival
On Sunday, Henry and Jan Parker will speak on the topic of OSHA compliance and
how it relates to drycleaners. Their program will begin at 9 a.m.
The Parkers have been private consultants to the cleaning industry since 1993
and have many money-saving tips for cleaners who wish to avoid getting in
trouble with OSHA for matters such as injury reporting and employee safety
regulations, among others.
Rounding out the seminars for Sunday will be one by Martin Young, the owner of
Young Cleaners in Concord, NC.
Young is a DLI certified trainer and is a columnist for American Drycleaner.
His program, entitled “Survive or Prosper,” will explore how cleaners can examine their own operations and manage them for
better profit.
On the table
In addition to the educational seminars, Carolina Clean will also feature
tabletop exhibits that will be open to attendees on Saturday and Sunday.
There will also be plenty of time for social networking and fun. On Friday
evening, NCALC will host a seafood feast starting at 7 p.m. At the same time on
the following evening, there will be a luau where cleaners will have a chance
to bid on items in a silent auction.
The weekend’s festivities will conclude with the 8 p.m. banquet on Sunday night.
Various registration packages are available for the convention, including one
for $375 that includes admission to the Saturday and Sunday educational
sessions and the three evening functions. The cost for that package goes up $50
for those who register after May 15.
Hotel reservations are available at the show’s headquarters hotel, the Atlantic Beach Sheraton. Oceanview rooms can be
secured at a rate of $149 per night plus 12% tax.
To make reservations, contact the hotel at (800) 214-0258 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday through Friday and mention NCALC’s Caroline Clean ’08.
For more information on the show, or to register, contact the association’s office by calling (336) 389-9011 or visit its web site online at www.ncalc.org.
