SEFA announces first winner of Bobby Landers scholarship
During its recent 2008 Southern Drycleaners Show in Savannah, the South Eastern Fabricare Association announced the first ever recipient of its Bobby Landers Educational Scholarship
to honor their long-time member who passed away in June of last year.
The award was given to Rod Garner of Eagle Cleaners in Albany, NY, who has owned
and operated his own drycleaning plant since 1995. He plans to use the
scholarship money to attend the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute’s general drycleaning course in Laurel, MD.
On hand for the presentation ceremony was Landers’ widow and son, Helen and David Landers. Also during the show, SEFA presented
the Landers family — including other son Mark Landers and daughter Lea Krueger — with a plaque to honor his memory.
The association decided to create two 1,000 scholarships to honor Landers for
his years of dedication and service for the industry after he passed away from
pneumonia at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.
In order to qualify for the scholarships, candidates must: be a member of a SEFA
plant in good standing; be recommended by their employer; be at least 18 years
of age; submit an application in writing; select and attend a DLI training
course within one year of the award; have a high school diploma or equivalent;
and turn in the application to the SEFA office at least 30 days prior to the
start of their chosen class.
The scholarships were a fitting tribute for a man who strongly advocated
education.
Landers served many years on SEFA’s board of directors. During his six-year stint as the organization’s executive director, he was instrumental in developing the widely popular
program of “Spot Safe” clinics and “I Comply” workshops.
Initially, he grew up working in the drycleaning business that his father,
Rupert, started in the 1920s in Atlanta.
Upon graduating from high school in 1952, he earned a business degree from
Vanderbilt University four years later.
He continued to work at the family business for many years before he bought it
in 1968. He sold it eleven years later and next purchased Cleaners Care, a
small plant in Stone Mountain, GA. He operated that business until 1985, a year
before he became the executive director of SEFA.
Previously, he had served as president of the association from 1975 to 1976. He
was also president of the Launderers and Cleaners Credit Union from 1972 to
1976.
Landers served in SEFA’s executive director post until 1992. At that point, he opted to continue
industry involvement as president of the Georgia Drycleaning Council, a group
that fought for state legislation to assist drycleaners with liability issues
surrounding soil and groundwater contamination.
Now that SEFA has handed out its first Bobby Landers Educational Scholarship, a
second one should follow soon. According to the association, it is “in the process of being awarded.”
The scholarship fund received quite a financial boost when M&B Hangers and Phenix Supply donated additional funds on behalf of George
Hosfield and Steve Brick, two salesmen for Phenix Supply who died recently.
