WFI plans convention and table-tops
The Wisconsin Fabricare Institute does not want cleaners to be content with the
cards they’ve been dealt during hard economic times. Instead, the association seeks to help
members and non-members alike “stack the odds in their favor” at its 2009 annual convention and tabletop trade show.
The event will be held from Feb. 20 to 22 at the Radisson Hotel in Green Bay,
WI.
It will kick off at 6:30 p.m. on Friday night with a “Casino Night” reception and dinner.
During the following morning, the educational sessions will begin a 9 a.m. with
Steve Henshaw, the president and CEO of EnviroForensics.
His program on “Using Historic General Liability Policies to Fund Remediation” will offer attendees an overview of typical environmental issues that
drycleaners face, the value of historical and general liability policies, and
the typical chain of events that occurs when a site contamination is
discovered.
Henshaw has over 20 years of experience in the field and holds geology
registrations in numerous states. His company helps cleaners track down old
insurance policies that may cover site cleanup costs related to environmentally
hazardous materials used in the past that potentially contributed to the
contamination of the land.
Later in the day, Francis Xavier, an energy advisor for Franklin Energy, will
talk about incentives and rebates available for companies that institute an
energy conservation program.
Xavier’s company works through the state-associated Focus on Energy program, which is
overseen by the Public Service Commission. They conduct audits for businesses
on their use of energy and the savings that may be available to them if they
implement certain improvements.
The seminar will be held from 10:45 to 11:30 a.m.
Afterwards, cleaners can enjoy lunch with various allied trades who will set up
their tabletop displays to be viewed in the afternoon from 1:30 to 3 p.m.
When the trade show portion of the weekend concludes, WFI will host an auction
that will benefit its Educational Fund between 3 and 6 p.m.
There will also be a banquet dinner with awards handed out at 7 p.m. that
evening.
On Sunday morning, the educational sessions will resume at 9 a.m. with a program
on “Workers Compensation 101” by Ken Cass, senior loss control consultant for Integrity Insurance.
Cass is an expert on loss prevention and workers compensation issues. He will
use that knowledge to advise cleaners on the management of workers compensation
claims, the impact of medical only claims, lost time and large dollar cost
claims on future premiums.
The final educational program of the weekend will include a series of roundtable
discussions between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m.
The topics will be ones that are significant to drycleaners: the Drycleaner
Environmental Response Fund, equipment maintenance and spotting techniques with
popular industry speakers Dennis Schmitt and Tom Swink.
The headquarters hotel for the event is the Radisson located at 2040 Airport Dr.
in Green Bay. To make room reservations, contact the hotel at (800) 333-3333 or
(920) 494-7300.
Full registration packages are available for attendees at a rate of $150 for
cleaners and $125 for their spouses. That fee includes admittance to all social
events and educational sessions. Cleaners may also register for individual
events, as well.
The cost is the same for members and non-members.
 |
MILD sets busy schedule for early ’09
The Michigan Institute of Laundering and Drycleaning has released its schedule
for the first half of 2009. MILD plans a series of educational seminars that
will cover the topics of finishing, bleaching and spotting.
A program on finishing techniques is scheduled to take place on Thursday, Feb. 4
at Curtis Cleaners in Lowell, MI.
In March, MILD will host three programs on bleaching throughout the state. Dates
and locations include: Tuesday, March 10 at Gold Bond Cleaners in Ann Arbor;
Wednesday, March 11 at Janet Davis Cleaners in Berkley; and Thursday, March 12
at Plantenga’s Cleaners in Spring Lake.
On April 22, MILD will host a spotting seminar at a location be determined.
Finally, the association will host its annual convention at Shanty Creek Resort
in Bellaire from July 24-26. For more information, visit www.mildmi.org.
