NEW ORLEANS — A sizable share of Clean Show attendees got up early Friday to attend a Drycleaning & Laundry Institute-sponsored educational session that compared and contrasted six solvents in use in the dry cleaning industry today.
Panelists for the Alternative Solvents: Which is Best for You? session were:
- Jack Belluscio, president of Caled, representing GenX
- Tim Maxwell, president of GreenEarth Cleaning, representing GreenEarth
- Robert Blacker, director of technical services for RR Street & Co., representing hydrocarbon
- Sherry Emmrich, technical manager for Dow Chemical Co., representing Dowper perchloroethylene
- Greg Rinehardt, national sales manager for Adco, representing Rynex
- Dr. Manfred Seiter, technical director for Kreussler’s Textile Chemistry division, representing SolvonK4
Each of the companies had submitted answers to a prepared list of questions, which touched on cycle lengths, average costs, average solvent mileage, the number of machines using their solvent, disposal recommendations, and rumors or misconceptions about their solvent, among others.
Each company was given several minutes to comment on their solvent and its benefits, then the floor was opened to questions. Some dealt with decomposition, the potential costs of converting from one solvent to another, and if the solvents being discussed were considered “organic.”
American Drycleaner will be publishing a full report regarding this seminar in an upcoming print edition.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].