IDC Convention 2000
(Canberra, Australia)
Wrap-Up
By Marcia Todd, Publisher, Fabricare Canada magazine
Members of IDC experience unique and intensive convention sessions every time the annual congress meets. They also experience the culture of the country in which they are visiting, and make new and lasting friendships there. The experience is much richer than it would be as an ordinary tourist, and provides insights that extend beyond the industry and national boundaries.
The name of the Convention this year was Dream Clean 2000. IDC members joined Australians in the Australian capital of Canberra. Organizers were Nick Moufarrige (organizing chairman) and Peter Hudson (president of IDC). The agenda was packed solid, from breakfast at 7:30, right through to the unique evening entertainment, which ranged from a demonstration of hypnotism to a night in an interactive high-tech science facility. It culminated in a formal banquet in Canberra's Old Parliament House with the Hon. Margaret Reid (President of the Australian Senate) as speaker.
Keynote Address
The Keynote speaker was Jim Barry, who traced his history in the industry from his 1982 purchase of a 10-store dry cleaning business in Kansas City, MO to his position as CEO of the Johnson Group USA and is subsequent sale last year to Delias Cleaners. He described his current involvement with the development of the solvent GreenEarth. Barry feels the biggest deterrent to future growth in the dry cleaning industry is the threat of environmental cleanup costs. He emphasized that by working to develop and market an alternative solvent, which is said to cause no environmental problems, he believes he is helping to ensure that dry cleaning remains an industry of tremendous opportunity.
Environmental Panel
Brian Tonkin of Australia led off a panel discussing environmental strategies. Tonkin pointed out that the 1,200 dry cleaners in Australia must be certified in order to purchase perc. Australia's national association worked with the government to produce a certification program. Bill Fisher, CEO of the International Fabricare Institute, pointed out that the consumption of perc in the U.S. has dropepd by 70% since 1990. In his opinion, because of the publicity in the U.S. about perc, it is difficult to be a perc dry cleaner today.
Dr. Ralf Doring of Seitz described the situation in Germany following the government's strict regulations concerning perc, which were announced in the 1990s. Today perc, hydrocarbon and water are all utilized in plants.
Canada awaits the imminent publication of new Environmental Regulations for the country, as well.
Computer and Marketing Panels
A panel consisting of Jeff Markman of DCCS, Jim Hudson of Soft Warehouse, and Don McDaniel of SPOT, demonstrated the ways in which dry cleaners could cultivate their customers and reward their big spenders.
Best marketing ideas was the topic of the next panel. Mark Wellington of New Zealand described how he was able to persuade his radio station to let him run five-second reminder announcements (Don't forget the dry cleaning!) during the morning drive-time programs. His advertising agency created a motherly figure as the icon for his newtone Dry Cleaners and he found a look-alike to play the part. This look-alike was sent to the shopping area at intervals to put coins in expired meters and leave a flyer under the car's windshield.
Donn Frye of Prestige Cleaners in Scottsdale, AZ showed a video that described the broad and comprehensive marketing efforts by his company, which offers drive-in convenience to its customers. Petra Knecht of the Hohenstein Institute in Germany described her program of marketing the institute's services to members and prospects. Jeff Markman of DCCS computers described how a customer database could be used for effective marketing.
The Younger Generation
A panel of younger dry cleaners brought new perspectives to the audience. Gareth Tawton, who is a manager for Bell's the Cleaners, described his hiring and training program. He hires for attitude and trains for skills. Each new employee starts as a presser and has the opportunity to move up to easier jobs. In hiring he looks for people with a balanced lifestyle, such as those who are active in sports. He has a structured interview and training program and provides frequent feedback to his staff. He is a firm believer in providing his staff with a comprehensive company manual.
George Masselos described the benefits of belonging to a cost group and the impact this has had on his profits. Eddie Mannis of Prestige Cleaners in Knoxville, TN described the way he has built his company in the last 15 years. He believes it is important to redecorate stores every three to five years. The final speaker, Mark Bogiatis, discussed the importance of being businesslike when turning a business over to one's children. Don't lend them the money to make the down payment -- make them borrow it on their own. And don't let them use your accountant or lawyer for the purchase.
Panel on Solvents
The final panel covered the subject of solvents. Janet Hickman of Dow Chemical discussed perc, and pointed out a large portion of the perc being produced today is used in the manufacture of a fluid to replace freon in air conditioning units. Karl Chehade spoke on hydrocarbon and stated that he preferred it because this solvent can handle a wide variety of items safely. John Phillips, who manages sales in 14 countries for Seitz chemicals, pointed out that 70% of all garments can be cleaned in water. Ron Benjamin of GreenEarth said there are 29 affirmation sites for his solvent and that the time-weighted average exposure is less than 1 ppm. With a transfer unit, it is 3.5 ppm. Dr. Manfred Wentz, executive director of IDC, spoke on CO2 technology. He pointed out that, at the present time, triacetates perform poorly in CO2 and that there are no effective detergents developed for CO2 as yet.
IDC Fellowship Winners
Each year, scholarships are awarded to young people who are related to IDC members and who are free to travel abroad and visit outstanding plants. The reports of their journeys are always a highlight of each convention. Bridget Murphy of Penguin Cleaners in Australia visited plants in England, Ireland and Scotland, while Takeo Matsumoto of Matumoto Nikkosha Co. Ltd. in Japan spent his time in plants in the U.S.
Awards and Honors
The IDC banquet, held in the Old Parliament Building, began with the traditional flag ceremony. Tom Gosselin was installed as president for 2001, and Simon Murray of the U.K. became first vice-president. Retiring president Peter Hudson was given the International Drycleaner of the Year Award for outstanding leadership, by executive director Manfred Wentz. Hudson presented the President's Award to executive director emeritus Bill Pulley. Tom Gosselin received the George M. Shepherd Award for excellence.
Note: Marcia Todd is an active member of IDC, and attended the Convention in Canberra, Australia in 2000. She is the publisher of Fabricare Canada magazine. This is an excerpt from her report to her readers about the Convention, reprinted here with permission.
The next International Drycleaning Congress will be held at the Biltmore Resort in Phoenix, AZ, October 3-7, 2001.
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