National Clothesline

The Association of Wedding Gown Specialists has partnered with WeddingWire.com to give gown care advice to brides who participate in the “Running of the Brides” at Filene’s Basements in cities around the country.

Frequently seen on national television, each “Running of the Brides” attracts hundreds of brides with bargain prices for thousands of brand name and designer gowns. When brides try on the gowns, they want to know whether the gown can be cleaned and altered before they buy, and AWGS members will be there to help them decide. Gift certificates good toward cleaning services at any AWGS location will be available, too.

“We have had a very productive relationship with WeddingWire.com for more than a year and this new program is a natural development of our partnership.” said Kermit Engh, AWGS president.

WeddingWire.com co-sponsors the Filene’s events and offers brides the chance to win a free gown. AWGS and its members are currently featured at the website, and AWGS’ executive director also writes for WeddingAces.com, the parent website’s online society of wedding professionals who blog about tips, tools, and ideas for engaged couples.

More than 1.5 million brides and grooms visit WeddingWire.com each month. Vendors featured at in the site also appear at MarthaStewart.com/weddings. Sonny Ganguly, chief marketing officer of WeddingWire.com was a featured speaker at AWGS’s annual meeting in February in San Antonio, TX, and is expected to present again in March, 2010, in Las Vegas.

AWGS, a not-for-profit trade association, serves as a marketing cooperative and a buying cooperative that can provide supplies such as archival-quality wedding chests at special pricing. Association members throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Ecuador and Mexico, specialize in the preservation of new gowns and restoration of vintage gowns, and the Association’s trademarked MuseumCare and ZeroCarbon preservations are endorsed by the Association of Bridal Consultants.

For more information about association, call (800) 501-5005 or visit www.WeddingGownSpecialists.com.

Evans Garment Restoration, LLC of Springfield, IL, announced that it has passed its triennial ISO certification audit and has been certified by UL-DQS for implementing and maintaining a Quality Management System to the ISO 9001-2008 standard.

The certification demonstrates Evans’ on-going commitment to following management practices for delivering quality products and services as well as continual improvement, the company said. The ISO 9001-2008 standards are often identified as an important component of an overall quality management system by many of the world’s businesses.

“The third ISO certification audit is a tough one,” said Mike Rusciolelli, president of Evans Garment Restoration. “Meeting the ISO standards for quality management is really tough to begin with and maintaining those standards requires a diligent effort. I’m very proud of our team of high quality personnel that are really dedicated to quality.“ He added that since executing the internal systems required to comply with the ISO standard, the company has seen improvement in quality performance and customer satisfaction ratings.

All Evans plants throughout the country are using the same systems developed to obtain ISO certification in the flagship Springfield, IL, plant, have passed Evans’ internal audits and are working towards full ISO DQS certification in the near future.

The Certified Restoration Drycleaning Network, an international organization of textile restoration specialists serving the insurance industry, has been named one of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. for the third year in a row, by Inc. magazine.

The Inc. 5,000, an extension of Inc. magazine’s annual Inc. 500 list, recognizes many businesses that are too big to grow at the pace required to make the Inc. 500, as well as a host of smaller firms. Taken as a whole, these companies represent the backbone of the U.S. economy.

Founded in 2001, CRDN reported growth of 72.1 percent, a result of ongoing education of the insurance industry about the cost-effectiveness of restoring damaged textiles instead of replacing them.

“We are extremely pleased to be acknowledged by Inc. magazine for the third straight year,” said Chip Bifano, CRDN’s president. “This recognition validates the continued efforts of our team at every level — from the corporate office to each local CRDN business — to understand the needs of the insurance industry and provide a valuable solution.

“Our focus on education and highly professional service has enabled us to make a positive impact on the lives of those we serve, namely insurance adjusters and their customers,” Bifano added.

Information on this year’s Inc. 5,000, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000.

CRDN specializes in restoring garments and other fabric items damaged by smoke, fire, water, mold or other contaminants. CRDN covers 94 percent of the U.S. and also operates in the United Kingdom and Canada. The organization’s web site is www.CRDN.com.

America’s Best Cleaners has partnered with EFIT, the European research association for textile care of Stuttgart, Germany, which certifies European drycleaners under its Fashion Care label.

EFIT has created standards for drycleaners in Europe. Both ABC and EFIT are affiliated with the Hohenstein Institutes of Germany.

ABC has been certifying, educating and promoting couture level drycleaners for the past ten years in the United States. Its mission is to align high-end drycleaners with high-end retailers and manufacturers.

ABC has certified more than 50 drycleaners who have met strict and independent standards. The FashionCare certification will be incorporated into the already stringent ABC certification as well as providing a standalone certification for drycleaners in the U.S. and Canadian markets.

EFIT, a federation of quality garment care specialists in Europe, evolved from FTR (Research Center of Textile Cleaning), which was founded in Frankfurt, Germany in 1953 and now has members in most European countries — France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Holland, Denmark, the Scandinavian countries as well as a number of other European countries — with members as far away as Japan. Now the United States and Canada will be added to that growing list with EFIT’s new partner, America’s Best Cleaners, creating the largest affiliation of certified garment care providers in the world.

Dr. Josef Kurz, deputy director of the Hohenstein Institutes and head of global strategies for Hohenstein, initiated the RAL 990 quality seal for drycleaners. At the time he was responsible for the development of alternative solvents for drycleaning and for the optimization of existing cleaning technologies.

In 2005 ABC adopted and enhanced the RAL 990 quality guidelines in conjunction with The Hohenstein Institutes for the United States and Canada.

“Our organization was impressed with the criteria and standards promoted by America’s Best Cleaners and we look forward to a long and beneficial relationship,” said Jasmin Qaud, EFIT’s marketing director.

In cooperation with the Hohenstein Institutes, high-end garment manufacturers such as Bogner and HUGO BOSS, with the support of DBT, a German consortium of manufacturers and retailers, EFIT improved and replaced the RAL 990 standard and implemented the FashionCare quality system in January 2008. Europe’s elite fashion houses are working with FashionCare to offer support in case of customer claims, ordering replacement garments in case of damage or loss and ordering trimmings and accessories

As part of its educational syllabus and relationship building, ABC has toured the Brioni factory in Abruzzo, Italy, the Zegna mill and Barberis mill just outside Biella, Italy, the Hermes store and family museum in Paris, the HUGO BOSS factories in Metzigen, Germany, and Cleveland, OH, the Swarovski factory in Watten, Austria, the Ferragamo museum in Florence, the Bogner factory in Heimstetten, Germany (just outside Munich), amongst others and will incorporate these existing relationships into supporting FashionCare certified affiliates worldwide.

At Clean ’09 in New Orleans, the International Committee of Textile Care (CINET), announced that it will provide public relations valued at $10,000 to support EFIT’s FashionCare initiative in 2009-10.








						Gown specalists partner with WeddingWire.com The Association of Wedding Gown Specialists has partnered with WeddingWire.com to give gown care advice to brides who participate in the “Running of the Brides” at Filene’s Basements in cities around the country. Frequently seen on national television, each “Running of the Brides” attracts hundreds of brides with bargain prices for thousands of brand name and designer gowns. When brides try on the gowns, they want to know whether the gown can be cleaned and altered before they buy, and AWGS members will be there to help them decide. Gift certificates good toward cleaning services at any AWGS location will be available, too. “We have had a very productive relationship with WeddingWire.com for more than a year and this new program is a natural development of our partnership.” said Kermit Engh, AWGS president. WeddingWire.com co-sponsors the Filene’s events and offers brides the chance to win a free gown. AWGS and its members are currently featured at the website, and AWGS’ executive director also writes for WeddingAces.com, the parent website’s online society of wedding professionals who blog about tips, tools, and ideas for engaged couples. More than 1.5 million brides and grooms visit WeddingWire.com each month. Vendors featured at in the site also appear at MarthaStewart.com/weddings. Sonny Ganguly, chief marketing officer of WeddingWire.com was a featured speaker at AWGS’s annual meeting in February in San Antonio, TX, and is expected to present again in March, 2010, in Las Vegas. AWGS, a not-for-profit trade association, serves as a marketing cooperative and a buying cooperative that can provide supplies such as archival-quality wedding chests at special pricing. Association members throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Ecuador and Mexico, specialize in the preservation of new gowns and restoration of vintage gowns, and the Association’s trademarked MuseumCare and ZeroCarbon preservations are endorsed by the Association of Bridal Consultants. For more information about association, call (800) 501-5005 or visit www.WeddingGownSpecialists.com. Evans passes ISO certification Evans Garment Restoration, LLC of Springfield, IL, announced that it has passed its triennial ISO certification audit and has been certified by UL-DQS for implementing and maintaining a Quality Management System to the ISO 9001-2008 standard. The certification demonstrates Evans’ on-going commitment to following management practices for delivering quality products and services as well as continual improvement, the company said. The ISO 9001-2008 standards are often identified as an important component of an overall quality management system by many of the world’s businesses. “The third ISO certification audit is a tough one,” said Mike Rusciolelli, president of Evans Garment Restoration. “Meeting the ISO standards for quality management is really tough to begin with and maintaining those standards requires a diligent effort. I’m very proud of our team of high quality personnel that are really dedicated to quality.“ He added that since executing the internal systems required to comply with the ISO standard, the company has seen improvement in quality performance and customer satisfaction ratings. All Evans plants throughout the country are using the same systems developed to obtain ISO certification in the flagship Springfield, IL, plant, have passed Evans’ internal audits and are working towards full ISO DQS certification in the near future. CRDN named to fastest-growing list The Certified Restoration Drycleaning Network, an international organization of textile restoration specialists serving the insurance industry, has been named one of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. for the third year in a row, by Inc. magazine. The Inc. 5,000, an extension of Inc. magazine’s annual Inc. 500 list, recognizes many businesses that are too big to grow at the pace required to make the Inc. 500, as well as a host of smaller firms. Taken as a whole, these companies represent the backbone of the U.S. economy. Founded in 2001, CRDN reported growth of 72.1 percent, a result of ongoing education of the insurance industry about the cost-effectiveness of restoring damaged textiles instead of replacing them. “We are extremely pleased to be acknowledged by Inc. magazine for the third straight year,” said Chip Bifano, CRDN’s president. “This recognition validates the continued efforts of our team at every level — from the corporate office to each local CRDN business — to understand the needs of the insurance industry and provide a valuable solution. “Our focus on education and highly professional service has enabled us to make a positive impact on the lives of those we serve, namely insurance adjusters and their customers,” Bifano added. Information on this year’s Inc. 5,000, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000. CRDN specializes in restoring garments and other fabric items damaged by smoke, fire, water, mold or other contaminants. CRDN covers 94 percent of the U.S. and also operates in the United Kingdom and Canada. The organization’s web site is www.CRDN.com. ABC partners with European association America’s Best Cleaners has partnered with EFIT, the European research association for textile care of Stuttgart, Germany, which certifies European drycleaners under its Fashion Care label. EFIT has created standards for drycleaners in Europe. Both ABC and EFIT are affiliated with the Hohenstein Institutes of Germany. ABC has been certifying, educating and promoting couture level drycleaners for the past ten years in the United States. Its mission is to align high-end drycleaners with high-end retailers and manufacturers. ABC has certified more than 50 drycleaners who have met strict and independent standards. The FashionCare certification will be incorporated into the already stringent ABC certification as well as providing a standalone certification for drycleaners in the U.S. and Canadian markets. EFIT, a federation of quality garment care specialists in Europe, evolved from FTR (Research Center of Textile Cleaning), which was founded in Frankfurt, Germany in 1953 and now has members in most European countries — France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Holland, Denmark, the Scandinavian countries as well as a number of other European countries — with members as far away as Japan. Now the United States and Canada will be added to that growing list with EFIT’s new partner, America’s Best Cleaners, creating the largest affiliation of certified garment care providers in the world. Dr. Josef Kurz, deputy director of the Hohenstein Institutes and head of global strategies for Hohenstein, initiated the RAL 990 quality seal for drycleaners. At the time he was responsible for the development of alternative solvents for drycleaning and for the optimization of existing cleaning technologies. In 2005 ABC adopted and enhanced the RAL 990 quality guidelines in conjunction with The Hohenstein Institutes for the United States and Canada. “Our organization was impressed with the criteria and standards promoted by America’s Best Cleaners and we look forward to a long and beneficial relationship,” said Jasmin Qaud, EFIT’s marketing director. In cooperation with the Hohenstein Institutes, high-end garment manufacturers such as Bogner and HUGO BOSS, with the support of DBT, a German consortium of manufacturers and retailers, EFIT improved and replaced the RAL 990 standard and implemented the FashionCare quality system in January 2008. Europe’s elite fashion houses are working with FashionCare to offer support in case of customer claims, ordering replacement garments in case of damage or loss and ordering trimmings and accessories As part of its educational syllabus and relationship building, ABC has toured the Brioni factory in Abruzzo, Italy, the Zegna mill and Barberis mill just outside Biella, Italy, the Hermes store and family museum in Paris, the HUGO BOSS factories in Metzigen, Germany, and Cleveland, OH, the Swarovski factory in Watten, Austria, the Ferragamo museum in Florence, the Bogner factory in Heimstetten, Germany (just outside Munich), amongst others and will incorporate these existing relationships into supporting FashionCare certified affiliates worldwide. At Clean ’09 in New Orleans, the International Committee of Textile Care (CINET), announced that it will provide public relations valued at $10,000 to support EFIT’s FashionCare initiative in 2009-10.