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The Ohio Cleaners Association, along with online marketing company SiteInSight, will present Marketing Your Cleaners to Attract More Customers, a workshop at the New Albany (Ohio) Public Library, on May 8.

Attendees will learn how to get the most bang for their buck when setting up a website and/or online marketing; how to convince people to like their dry cleaning business on Facebook, and why social media is important for their business; and the importance of websites and search rankings and how they relate to other types of advertising.

To learn more about the event, call the OCA at 614-228-4716 or visit www.ohiocleaners.org.

CHICAGO — Dry cleaning sales were a mixed bag in February, with two regions reporting minimal to modest gains while the other two lamented losses around 6%, according to results of this month’s AmericanDrycleaner.com StatShot survey.

An unseasonably warm, dry winter helped sales rebound in February 2012, but the weather wasn’t quite so favorable this February.

The West had the largest month-to-month sales increase at 3.5%. The South followed with a slight bump of 0.5%. Respondents from the Midwest and the Northeast saw their sales fall into the red—by 5.3% and 6.6%, respectively.

“Volume is down. Nothing else has changed dramatically, but sales have dropped off in first-quarter 2013,” says a cleaner from the Northeast. “We are down almost 5%, and I am trying to figure out why.”

“Conditions are stable but not improving,” says a Midwest respondent. “January sales gains were wiped out by snow days in February.”

MILWAUKEE — American Drycleaner has learned of the recent death of James H. “Jim” Fitzgerald Sr., president of Herb Fitzgerald Co., a laundry and dry cleaning equipment distributor headquartered in Butler, Wis. He died Jan. 3 at the age of 85.

Fitzgerald is an inductee of the Wisconsin Fabricare Hall of Fame, among other industry honors he received over the years.

Surviving him are his children, Jim, Jeff, Dann and Janell; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, Dolores.

Memorial contributions may be made to Lumen Christi Catholic Church, 138 W. Buntrock Ave., Thiensville, WI 53092.

BERKLEY, Mich. — The Certified Restoration Drycleaning Network (CRDN), an international organization of textile restoration specialists serving the insurance industry, has added two new staff members to its corporate management team: Shawn Fair, director of training, and David Grant, national sales manager.

Fair is responsible for the development and implementation of internal and external training, enabling CRDN to enhance the breadth and depth of its educational programs. Prior to joining CRDN, Fair spent 15 years in executive sales, management and training in the telecom and wireless industries. He has served as a director of sales and as training executive.

The Textile Rental Services Association's agenda presents thought-provoking speakers covering issues that impact numerous facets of textile services operations. From economy-wide business and human resources trends to industry-specific topics, Annual Conference programming guides attendees’ results-driven strategic planning. This year’s setting in California’s wine country will offer unique social opportunities for participants and their guests. As always, the conference offers the industry’s best opportunity to network with the most successful entrepreneurs and operators serving every sector of the textile services marketplace.

Register: http://www.trsa.org/calendarevent/annual-conference

CHICAGO — Google the terms “dry cleaner” and “robbed” and you’re likely to find several news reports of incidents that have occurred in the last month or so. Yes, dry cleaners’ cash business can be an attraction for robbers, and minimally staffed drop stores can be targeted.

In this month’s AmericanDrycleaner.com Wire survey, members of the trade audience were asked if any of their stores had ever been victimized by criminals. Nearly 43% of respondents said their businesses had been victimized in the past.

Of those incidents, 83.3% involved an “in-person robbery of cash or merchandise” and 66.7% involved a “property crime such as burglary or vandalism.” One-third of respondents also said someone in their store had been involved in a “physical assault or serious violent crime” or “another type of crime,” including receiving counterfeit bills. Just 16.7% said they had been victimized by a “fraud or confidence game that cheated the business.”

GAITHERSBURG, Md. — The MidAtlantic Association of Cleaners (MAC) recently held its Winter Board and Annual Meetings here, approving bylaw changes to streamline board functions and electing 2013 association officers, board members and committee members.

Officers for this year include President Ben Johnson (Americlean), Vice President Jamie Albano (Albano Cleaners), Treasurer Russell Kaplan (ZIPS) and Chair Dianne Chatelain (Presto Valet).

Elected to the Board of Directors were Michael McKay (Dryclean and Shirt Salon), Maryland; Patrick Dunlap (Classicleaners), District of Columbia; Buddy Gritz (Presto Valet) and Tammy Johnson (Americlean), Virginia; Charley Young (Peter Pan Cleaners) and Telly Svingos (Victors Cleaners & Launderers), West Virginia; and Tom McAllister (Kreussler Chemical), Jack Belluscio (Caled Chemical) and James Just (R.R. Street & Co.), representing the allied trades.

Committee members for 2013 include Tom Williams (Suffolk Quality Cleaners), Sally Veach (Fresh Dry Cleaners & Laundry), James Crowder (Edmondson’s Cleaners) and Dan Criswell (Prince George Cleaners).

The National Cleaners Association (NCA) will present its two-day DEC Certification Course on May 5 and May 12 at a location to be announced.

For more information, call 212-967-3002 or e-mail ncaiclean@aol.com.

The National Cleaners Association (NCA) will present its Intermediate Stain Removal and Bleaching Course on March 24 at a location to be announced.

For more information, call 212-967-3002 or e-mail ncaiclean@aol.com.

The National Cleaners Association (NCA) will present its Intermediate Stain Removal and Bleaching Course on Oct. 27 at a location to be announced.

For more information, call 212-967-3002 or e-mail ncaiclean@aol.com.

The Southern California Cleaners Association presents Jane C. Zellers, CED, consultant, lecturer and former owner of dry cleaning establishments.

Zellers’ seminars provide her audiences with a comprehensive learning experience to take back to their jobs. “My goal is for each person to have the knowledge and confidence to handle routine problems as they arise,” she says. Her lectures and training programs have taken her across the United States and as far as England, Australia and New Zealand.

The Jan. 23 event at Steven's Steakhouse in Commerce, Calif., begins at 6:30 p.m., with dinner following at 7.

Call 714-494-9350 for information and to make a reservation.

Join us March 15-17th, 2013 in Dallas, Texas at the Southwest Drycleaners Association Spring Showcase, sponsored by FabriClean.

Learn important tips from prestigious guest speakers like DLI CEO Mary Scalco on how to increase your drycleaning sales, marketing, web development and management, social media, customer service and other other valueable topics to your company and clientele.

Tour FabriClean's Dallas facilities and enjoy complimentary lunch and beverages.

E-mail staff@sda-dryclean.com to learn more.