National Clothesline

The North Carolina Association of Launderers has named Rick Armstrong as its next executive director, taking the reins from the late Sto Fox.

Armstrong has experience as both a drycleaner and in industry trade association management. He is also the executive director of the Midwest Drycleaning & Laundry Association which has members in Indiana and Kentucky. He is also a past president of the Indiana drycleaners association, a past district director of the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute, and a past president of the Cleaners and Laundry Association Executives group.

Armstrong, a third-generation drycleaner, resides in Richmond, IN, where he and his wife, Dixie, operate one plant and two dry stores. He got his start in the business helping his father and grandfather while he was in grade school. The company once had nine stores in three towns before selling some of those stores and expanding the Richmond location by adding a tuxedo warehouse.

Armstrong’s office address is PO Box 306, Richmond, IN. He can be reached by phone at (765) 939-6630 or fax at (765) 935-3473.

Also at its late September board meeting NCALC agreed to a working arrangement with Diane Vollmer of Methods for Management to set up management groups for association members. These are groups of non-competing business owners who meet regularly to focus on improving profits, reducing costs and increasing sales simultaneously.

Methods for Management has facilitated management bureaus since 1960 with consulting assignments throughout the United States and around the world. NCALC will receive residual income from MfM for each participant in the group.

Peter Blake will lead two evening “Talkin’ Shop” workshops on social media and marketing in Tennessee for the South Eastern Fabricare Association.

The programs will take place in Franklin, TN, on December 5 and in Knoxville, TN on Dec. 6, both from 7 to 9 p.m.

Those who attend will learn three steps to developing a marketing plan, how to use social media, 10 things that can immediately increase sales, effective ways to communicate with customers, how to use available tools, how to get a free website and the tips and techniques for using Facebook, Twitter, Groupon, texting and Web navigation.

The cost for each workshop is $29 for SEFA/DLI members and $59 for non-members.

To register or for more information, call (877) 707-7332 or visit www.sefa.org.

Procter & Gamble’s Tide drycleaning franchise continued its expansion into Georgia with the opening last month of its second Atlanta location.

The Roswell, GA, location on Holocomb Bridge Road also includes a Mr. Clean Car Wash, another Procter & Gamble franchise. John Ngan is the franchisee and Nick Hardy is manager of the Roswell location.

Chuck Schoonover, Atlanta general manager for Tide's drycleaning franchises, said the Roswell location was originally planned to be the first of 10 locations to open in Georgia, but the Tide store in Duluth ended up opening first back in August. The Roswell store opened Nov. 9.

The new Roswell store hosted a public grand opening in conjunction with Mr. Clean Car Wash, offering discounts and a donation to Our Military Kids, Inc.