National Clothesline

Eight cleaners recently earned professional certification after taking exams through the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute.

DLI offers certification in

Professional Drycleaning, Professional Wetcleaning, and Environmental Drycleaning. Cleaners who earn all three certifications receive the designation of Certified Garment Care Professional. Two cleaners recently joined those ranks.

Brent Cantville, of Fashion Cleaners in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, passed all three tests in a two-week period to earn his Certified Garment Care Professional certificate.

“The tests were definitely difficult, but I attended the Basic and Advanced Drycleaning Courses at DLI last year and that experience gave me the base knowledge I needed to pass all three tests,” he said. “I skimmed the study materials DLI sent, but the course really set me up to pass the tests.”

Cantville, also an Award of Excellence Cleaner, intends to use the new certifications to further differentiate his business. “We’ll be using it in all our new marketing pieces. We’re building a new website, so we’ll definitely use the logos there. We’re also looking at new wraps for our trucks so we’ll make sure we build the logos into them as well.”

David Gianfrancesco of Courtesy Cleaners in RI, also achieved his Certified Garment Care Professional. “The tests would be pretty hard if you don’t have your hands in the business on a regular basis,” he said. “I’m here all day, every day, so I have to know it in and out, whether it be spotting, cleaning, pressing or what have you.”

The certificates will come in handy from a marketing perspective, he said. “We’re building a new website and we’ll be using those certificates there. We’ll work them in little by little,” Gianfrancesco said. Next up for Gianfrancesco is DLI’s Award of Excellence. “My next goal is to get the Award of Excellence and use that in marketing materials as well,” he said.

Other recently certified cleaners include Matthew Coghlan, Pittsburgh, PA, CED; Benjamin Evans, Waco, TX, CPD; Richard Heighington, Prince George BC, Canada CPW; Daniel Miller, Minneapolis, MN, CED, CPD; Patricia Robinson, Thomaston, ME, CPD, CPW; and Scott Worgo, Jonesboro, GA, CPD.

For more information on the certification exams, contact DLI Registrar Melissa Wagner, (800) 638-2627, ext. 1603.

Four Seasons Cleaners has announced it has merged with Blue Sky Cleaners and has adopted Blue Sky’s liquid carbon dioxide cleaning and wetcleaning methods. The company has five retail locations with 38 employees in Seattle.

Four Seasons Cleaners has provided full-service drycleaning since 1968 and offers services ranging from shirt cleaning to museum-quality wedding gown preservation.

The company has earned the King County Envirostar program’s highest five-star rating for its commitment to environmental responsibility.

Headquartered in Seattle’s Interbay neighborhood, Blue Sky Cleaners uses both liquid carbon dioxide and wetcleaning technologies.

The company launched its first Seattle facility in September 2008 and has been operating in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2005 as a CO2 cleaner.

“I’m proud to introduce Blue Sky Cleaners’ innovative method to our loyal customers,” said Dick Pakko, president of Four Seasons Cleaners.

“We’re adding to our well-known passion for quality and service with the upgrade to this proven alternative because it’s better for your clothes, better for you and your family, and better for the environment.”

Under the terms of the agreement, the Four Seasons brand will change to Blue Sky Cleaners. Four Seasons Cleaners’ retail locations, phone number, website (www.4seasonscleaners.com) as well as free pick-up and delivery routes will remain in effect.

Existing Four Seasons customers will see no change in their service, whether they use free pick-up and delivery, their neighborhood retail storefront or the Four Seasons Cleaners headquarters.

Four Seasons customers will also be able to use Blue Sky Cleaners’ headquarters as a pick-up and delivery location, as well as two newly opened stores in Capitol Hill and Laurelhurst.

“We’re very excited to join forces with a company whose dedication to quality is showcased by a four-decade track record of superior service,” said Mark Callaghan, CEO of Blue Sky Cleaners. “This marketplace is exceptionally ready for the next generation in garment cleaning and care, and Four Seasons is the perfect partner to help us introduce this innovative technology.”

Pariser Industries has announced the addition of Howard (Corky) Goldberg as regional sales manager for the greater New Jersey and New York regions.

Goldberg has 29 years experience in the industry as an owner/operator of a drycleaning and shirt laundering operation. In addition, he has served as vice president of the New Jersey chapter of the NCA for five years, working closely with trade organizations as an advocate of educational programs for the industry.

“Howard’s in-depth knowledge of drycleaning, wetcleaning, spotting, shirt laundering and work flow processes make him an invaluable asset to our sales and service team,” said Art Fatica, director of marketing and product manager of Pariser Industries.

Diamond Chemical of East Rutherford, NJ, has announced several company appointments.

Alan D. Gordon has been named senior vice president and will be responsible for sales and growth of the Laundry Division for North America. With more than 30 years of laundry industry experience, he has held many positions including district manager, regional manager, corporate account manager, director of corporate accounts and vice president of corporate accounts and sales.

Bryan Warner has joined the staff as vice president of technical service, bringing more than 25 of industry experience. His previous positions include technical service rep, regional technical manager, regional manager, national field technical director, corporate support manager and regional vice president. His experience and industry contacts have provided him with knowledge in all aspects of the laundering process with a focus on tunnel washer technology and efficiency.

His new responsibilities at Diamond will include management, field surveys and analyses, sales presentations, account start ups and technical support in the field.

Bob Smith has been named regional manager and will be responsible for managing, selling, servicing and growing laundry accounts in the Midwest.

He has more than 28 years of laundry industry experience as a maintenance engineer, plant manager, systems engineer, director of engineering, chemical systems installer and chemical technical representative in the laundry industry.

Diamond Chemical is a developer, manufacturer and supplier of products, systems and services to meet the changing needs of textile rental, institutional and hospitality laundries. For more information, call (800) OK-4-SOAP or visit the company’s web site at www.diamondchem.com.