A solution borne of economic necessity
New Orleans will host a struggling industry in troubled economic times this
month for the Clean Show, which was born in the mid-1970s during another period
of economic difficulty. Back then, the U.S. economy was wracked by a double
whammy of high unemployment and skyrocketing inflation, exacerbated by energy
prices rising to previously unheard of levels. The drycleaning industry was
suffering its own “polyester recession” in which up to a third of the plants that were in business at the beginning of
the decade fell to the wave of do-it-at-home garments.
Out of that economic necessity the Clean Show was invented. Industry
manufacturers and suppliers could no longer afford to exhibit at several shows
annually for each segment of the textile care industry, so three trade
associations joined to put on a single show in 1975, dubbing it the Clean Show.
The idea caught on. Three more associations joined the original group of
sponsors and debuted the grandiloquently named World Education Congress of
Laundry and Drycleaning in 1977.
WECLD never caught on as an acronym, but the Clean Show did and it has been with
us every other year since. Its fortunes have mirrored those of the industry:
impressive growth through the 1980s that tapered off in the 1990s, reaching a
high-water mark near the end of the decade, then declines in participation
throughout this decade.
The decline has not been precipitous, but it has been steady. The all-time high
of 621 exhibiting companies was reached in 1999. There have been fewer at each
show since then, down to 484 in 2007. Just over 400 companies are expected this
year, the lowest total since the early years. As in the 1970s, economic
necessity is driving the decisions of companies and individuals today. The
creativity and forward-thinking that guided the show’s founders 34 years ago still exists in the industry. As the collective wisdom
and energy of the industry gathers this month, we look forward to, well,
looking forward.
Where to get the information you need
For business owners, there is no greater resource or cherished commodity than
information. While now may be one of the hardest economic times to be a
drycleaning plant owner, it is undoubtedly the best time ever to be an
entrepreneur who wants to arm himself with the knowledge and tools it takes to
be successful. After all, there is no shortage of ideas out there if you know
where to look and the process can be surprisingly inexpensive.
A good place to start is on the information highway at www.natclo.com. If you
visit the site’s “link” page you will gain access to hundreds of virtual gateways that lead to sites
for garment care companies, allied trades, government information pertaining to
drycleaning, as well as various trade associations and industry publications.
Of course, you are already holding one such publication in your hand — another inexpensive and invaluable tool at your disposal. This month, there are
certainly a lot of interesting and helpful columns. Incoming Drycleaning and
Laundry Institute President Dave Silliman discusses what life without DLI might
look like (see page 56). If cleaners stop supporting their trade associations,
then who will help support the cleaners? Hopefully, that is one question the
industry will never need to answer.
Within these pages, there are many other thought-provoking questions posed, such
as: how can you differentiate your plant from the competition (Harvey
Gershenson on page 30), how can you grow you business using word-of-mouth (Bill
Bishop on page 32), what can cleaners can expect from Congress in the near
future (Frank Kollman on page 38), and how important is using color in your
business (Dennis McCrory on page 40). There is even a column about where plant
owners can look to find good ideas (Ray Colucci on page 44).
One of the best places to find good ideas is at the one-stop shopping
convenience of an industry trade show, which offers a lot of bang for your
buck. If you’ve been trapped in the boiler room for a year, you might be surprised to learn
that there is a Clean Show right around the corner in the Big Easy. All the
aforementioned resources will be there, as will be one of the industry’s most irreplaceable ones: drycleaners. Networking with your peers is still the
best way to share information and learn new things, and it won’t cost you a dime. Of course, it could end up saving you a lot more than that
down the road.
