Betting on a Brighter Future

ROCKVILLE, Md. — Despite the pandemic still raging across the country, the owner of a 95-year-old drycleaning company is optimistic that the end is in sight — and is making moves to secure that future.

Parkway Custom Drycleaning recently moved from its location of 50 years in Chevy Chase, Maryland, to a new facility in Rockville, Maryland. The new 10,000 square-foot facility is nearly double that of the old location. Owner Jon Simon also says he is committed to retaining as many employees as possible, even during this challenging period.

The coronavirus isn’t the first time Simon has faced adversity after purchasing the business almost 20 years ago. He acquired the company just months before the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and weathered the reduction in demand that followed. The business also added new services to boost business during the Great Recession of 2008. As is the case with almost every other cleaner in the country, however, nothing can compare to the impact the coronavirus has had on Parkway Custom Drycleaning.

Simon closed on the new plant in March 2020, just as the pandemic was making its presence felt throughout the economy. Simon went ahead with the plans but also added new services to make up for the lost revenue. Branching out from a business primarily focusing on garment cleaning, Parkway now offers 13 different services, ranging from cleaning household linens to area rugs and more.

One of the reasons Simon is confident in the business’s future that Parkway has a reputation as one of the best cleaners in the Washington, D.C. area. In addition to serving the general public, Parkway restores and cleans items for the White House, numerous embassies, the Smithsonian, the Kennedy Center and other prestigious clients. It’s regularly awarded “best of” commendations and has been regarded as the area’s “high-end” cleaner for the past few decades.

The new home of Parkway Custom Drycleaning is 5455 Randolph Road in Rockville, Maryland. 

Even though it has felt the sting of the pandemic, Parkway Custom Drycleaning recently moved from its home of 50 years in Chevy Chase, Maryland to a brand-new facility in Rockville, Maryland. It’s owner, Jon Simon, believes that better days are ahead and wanted his business to be in the best position to secure that future. (Photo: Parkway Custom Drycleaning)

Parkway Custom Drycleaning’s new 10,000 square-foot facility in Rockville, Maryland is nearly double that of the previous location. (Photo: Parkway Custom Drycleaning)

Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].