NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The education program at this year’s Drycleaning & Laundry Expo East is aimed less at the plant than at the person running it.
DL Expo East runs Oct. 16-18 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, presented by the MidAtlantic Association of Cleaners and the NorthEast Fabricare Association. This year’s edition marks the event’s move to the Baltimore/Washington area.
Over two mornings of seminars, the schedule takes up team building, cash flow, the legislation headed toward independent operators and, in one session, the argument that the owner is the thing holding the business back.
Scheduled Speakers
Dr. Alex Ellis opens the Saturday program with “Building Your Best Team: Creating a Culture of Excellence.”
A leadership expert, author and motivational speaker, Ellis has been featured on CNN, Good Morning America, BET, Black Enterprise and The Steve Harvey Morning Show.
His session covers what organizers frame as a simple premise: “Great businesses are built by great leaders. Your business will never outperform the people behind it.” Attendees can expect strategies for building a culture where employees are engaged, accountable and motivated, along with methods for developing leaders at multiple levels of an operation.
Dave Coyle follows on Saturday with “From Operator to CEO: How to Double Your Profit in 90 Days.”
“Most dry cleaners don’t have a business problem,” the session description says. “They have an owner problem. The business can’t grow because the owner has become its greatest constraint.”
Owner of In The Bag Cleaners in Wichita, Kansas, Coyle has built an operation that has generated more than $200 million in services. He also created Maverick Drycleaners, which works with drycleaning and laundromat owners on building what he calls self-operating, self-growing companies.
John Stricker is scheduled to deliver the Sunday keynote, “Profit with Purpose: Building Financial Systems That Work.”
Stricker is a fractional CFO and business coach at Stricker Co. His session addresses a question familiar to a lot of owners: “Are you making money, but still wondering where it goes?”
His presentation will focus on building financial systems that help operators better understand cash flow, improve decision-making, and create a stronger foundation for long-term growth.
Maryland State Sen. Mike McKay will close the education program Sunday with “Policy, Politics & Progress: What Every Dry Cleaner Needs to Know.”
McKay will be joined by fellow legislators for what is billed as an open, interactive conversation rather than a formal presentation. Topics on the table include labor issues, environmental regulations, taxes and small-business policy. Attendees are invited to ask questions and raise concerns directly, and the session is designed to give operators a firsthand look at how the legislative process works.
DLI Hall of Fame
Saturday also includes the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony, where the 2026 inductees will be honored and each will offer brief remarks.
A companion panel, “Hall of Fame Insights,” brings DLI Hall of Fame members together for a discussion on leadership, customer service, employee development and business growth. James Peuster, founder of The Route Pro, and industry trainer and consultant Jane Zellers are confirmed. A third panelist has not yet been announced. The session is built around audience questions.
Attendee registration is open. Details on registration, the exhibitor list and the show floor plan are available at dlexpo.org.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].
