CHICAGO — Asked about their plans in advance of American Drycleaner’s upcoming Plant Design Awards, 45.7% of drycleaners responding to this month’s Wire survey say they plan to build or renovate a plant or store in the next year — and many will spend substantial amounts of money to do so. An equal percentage (45.7%) said they did not plan to pursue a renovation or building project; 8.6% weren’t sure.
Among those who answered “Yes” or “Not Sure,” the scope of their projects varied. More than a third (35.0%) said they are planning a completely new plant or store, while 15.0% said they would overhaul an existing plant or store. Another 15.0% said they plan improvements to the plant/store’s public areas only, while 10.0% will improve production areas only. Another 20.0% said they will make ongoing incremental improvements.
Among those planning plant or store improvements, more than two-thirds (70.4%) said they will buy new equipment or store fixtures as part of the project. Another quarter (25.9%) won’t buy any new equipment, and 3.7% aren’t sure.
What’s more, most respondents will dedicate substantial amounts of money to their plant projects. One-third (34.8%) say they will spend more than $100,000 on plant projects, 17.4% will spend $50,000 to $100,000, and another third (34.8%) will spend $10,000 to $50,000. Just 13.0% will spend $10,000 or less.
While the American Drycleaner Wire survey presents a snapshot of readers’ viewpoints at a particular moment, it should not be considered scientific.
Subscribers to American Drycleaner’s Wire e-mails — distributed weekly — are invited to participate in an industry survey each month. The survey is conducted online via a partner website. Each survey is developed so it can be completed in 10 minutes or less. Readers are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define operator opinions and industry trends.
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Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].