WEST SPRINGFIELD, Va. — ZIPS Cleaners has opened a new location here in West Springfield, the franchise’s 19th in Virginia and 71st nationwide. Co-owners Jeff Levine and Carlos Cadenas are multi-unit ZIPS franchisees.
“We drove by the shopping center and fell in love with the location,” says Levine. “We liked the vibe of it. The intersection of Rolling Road and Old Keene Mill Road, where we’re situated, is one of the busiest in West Springfield. There are no other discount cleaners in sight. It’s close to West Springfield High School, which could bring sponsorship opportunities and the chance to handle sports uniforms, band uniforms and other items from local companies and organizations. There was a lot to love.”
Besides the new store, Levine operates a ZIPS Cleaners in nearby Alexandria and recently acquired another store in Mt. Vernon.
Cadenas operates ZIPS sites in Falls Church, Va., and York, Pennsylvania; is a partner in a Sterling, Va., location with ZIPS franchisees Brett Vago and Kyo Kim; and with the same partners will soon open three locations of Mulberrys Garment Care, a sibling brand to ZIPS, in Northern Virginia.
“Carlos has known my dad for more than 30 years, so he and I have known each other since I was a teenager,” says Levine. “When I told him I was thinking of opening a ZIPS in West Springfield, he said, ‘Let’s open it together.’ Falls Church and Alexandria make up an area and if you add West Springfield to it, it closes the gap. We thought it would be great to have the whole area and decided to enter a partnership.”
“We’re delighted to be adding another store to our system and to increase our coverage in Virginia,” says Michael Waintraub, director of business development for ZIPS. “It’s great when we can help existing operators who see the value of our franchise program and brand. Jeff and Carlos have many combined years of experience and expertise as ZIPS operators, and we wish them great success with this store and all their locations.”
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