HANOVER, Mass. — In a move that will form what is reported to be the largest drycleaning company in the world, Lapels Dry Cleaning and its equity partner, Greybull Stewardship L.P., recently announced the acquisition of Martinizing Dry Cleaning, 1-800-DryClean, Pressed4time, Dry Cleaning Station and Bizziebox.
With this merger, the new company — Clean Franchise Brands, LLC — will have more than 500 stores in 40 states and nine countries.
“This acquisition creates tremendous synergies among all of our existing and new franchisees across the country,” says Kevin Dubois, CEO and president of Clean Franchise Brands. “The merger gives us the collective purchasing power to significantly reduce operational costs for our franchises in the future.”
The leadership of Clean Franchise Brands sees this merger as only a starting point for the new company. "There will be no stores closed as a result of this transaction and, very much to the contrary, we see very rapid growth over the next 3 years to 1,000 stores,” Dubois says.
Dubois adds that there will be coordination between the various facets of the company to accommodate their customers’ needs. “For example, a Lapels Dry Cleaning Plant may provide the cleaning service for a 1-800-Dry-Clean operator,” he says.
The new company, which will be based in Tampa, Florida, will also offer multiple offerings for new and existing franchise owners, including, plants with retail stores, satellite stores, pickup and delivery, and the newly created Lapels Laundromat. Clean Franchise Brands will also offer a conversion program to independent drycleaning business owners who would like to receive marketing and technology assistance while they focus on running their businesses.
“Over the years, we’ve established Lapels as a unique franchise offering with a focus on environmentally friendly, non-toxic cleaning practices, as well as stellar customer service,” says Dubois. “That package has earned us a place in the Franchise 500 year in and year out. With this acquisition, we can provide a wide range of offerings to prospects all over the world. We’re excited about the future of all our new brands. The sky is truly the limit.”
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].