CINCINNATI — An Ohio dry cleaner with nearly four decades in business is replacing its last perchlorethylene (PERC)-based machine, backed by state financing built for small businesses facing a federal deadline.
Apparel Care Cleaners, a veteran-owned shop at 8610 Winton Road in Cincinnati, is installing new drycleaning equipment through revenue bonds issued by the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority (OAQDA). Huntington Bank partnered with OAQDA to purchase the bonds, providing the financing behind the project.
“Access to programs like OAQDA’s makes it significantly easier for small businesses like mine to invest in safer, modern technology,” says Jim Wright, owner of Apparel Care Cleaners.
The new machine complies with a final rule from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that phases out PERC in drycleaning operations over time. The switch eliminates the toxic solvent from Apparel Care Cleaners’ operations and is meant to create safer working conditions for its employees, according to OAQDA. State Rep. Rachel Baker (D-Cincinnati) and State Sen. Louis W. Blessing III (R-Colerain Township) both issued statements backing the project, citing its benefits for workers and public health alongside the local economy.
OAQDA serves as Ohio’s Small Business Ombudsman, and the agency says it takes a proactive approach to helping small businesses cover the cost of air quality upgrades. The Apparel Care Cleaners project is supported by $79,108 in financing and $15,821 in additional financial assistance through OAQDA’s Small Business Clean Air Program. Since its creation in 1970, OAQDA has issued more than $6 billion in revenue bonds for air quality projects statewide.
“This project represents the kind of long-term investment OAQDA is proud to support, helping small businesses modernize their operations, create healthier workplaces, and sustain jobs that create economic benefits and serve their community for years to come,” says Christina O’Keeffe, executive director of OAQDA.
The project is expected to retain six full-time jobs at Apparel Care Cleaners and contribute nearly $550,000 in local economic activity, according to OAQDA. The agency also estimates the new equipment will help avoid nearly $491,000 in healthcare and environmental costs by reducing toxic emissions and exposure risks for workers, customers and the surrounding community.
“I’ve been in this industry serving the community for 40 years,” Wright says. “This project allows me to focus on providing quality garment care without compromising the health and safety of myself or my employees.”
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