National Clothesline

Registration is open for the Pennsylvania and Delaware Cleaners Association’s Drycleaning and Laundry Expo in Atlantic City, NJ, next month.

Registration and hotel information for the September 25-26 show is available on PDCA’s web site, pdclean.org. Registration can be completed online or forms can be downloaded to fax in.

Registration for the exhibit is free for all drycleaners. PDCA members will receive two free tickets to show seminars and the Saturday evening cocktail party.

Full registration for non members, which includes the Saturday and Sunday seminars and the cocktail reception, is $50 until September 1 and $60 thereafter. Individual event tickets are also available. Registration for non-exhibiting allied trades is $300.

The Path to Profits is the theme of the weekend. Seminars will open on Saturday morning with Jan Caon-Barlow describing successful techniques for marketing in a down economy. A drycleaner whose business has flourished in the depressed Michigan economy, she has taught marketing in her home state and for DLI.

Jon Meijer of DLI will then speak on how to use social networking to promote and increase a drycleaning business.

On Sunday, PDCA vice-president Dale Kaplan will give a candid report on his experience after disaster struck his plant, including what he did right, what mistakes he made, and how the final outcome is affecting his business.

Finally, James Peuster, National Clothesline columnist and route development specialist, will explain how to start a route, how to maintain it, and pitfalls to look for once you have it going.

The exhibit hall, featuring the latest equipment, supplies and other requirements for drycleaning and coin laundry stores, will be open on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

More information is available by calling PDCA, (800) 822-7352.

The MidAtlantic Association of Cleaners continued its “Best of MAC” series with meetings in late June at Phenix Supply’s Richmond, VA, warehouse and District Cleaners Equipment Co. in Washington.

Over the past two years, the association has recognized 11 member plants in Maryland and Virginia and three individuals with its “Best of MAC” award. Phenix Supply and District Cleaners are the first two allied trades firms to be so honored.

The two firms hosted MAC meetings on the last weekend in June. At each event, attendees enjoyed a light lunch before hearing presentations on a variety of topics including packaging, supply costs, gas and electric rates, business insurance, purchasing used equipment and banking services. Updates on MAC/DLI activities followed the presentations.

Door prizes for the events were provided by Phenix Supply, Electric Advisors, Klinger & Associates, Crystal Clean, R.R. Street & Co. Inc., UNX Chemical, Epsilon Plastics, M&B Hangers, Kleerwhite Chemical, DLI, and Amato Industries.

For more information about Best of MAC and other association activities, contact Richard Ehrenreich, executive director, (800) 235-8360.