SAN FRANCISCO — America’s Best Cleaners (ABC) has started the new year by launching its northern counterpart, Canada’s Best Cleaners (CBC), the organization reports.
“Couture-level dry cleaners in Canada have been asking us to bring an organization with the same value as America’s Best Cleaners north of the border for years,” says Chris White, ABC’s executive director. “While the ‘America’ in our name really denotes all of the Americas, it was understandable that these professionals would want a brand that reflected their own national pride.”
To fill this need, White and Ed D’Elicio, founder of ABC, decided it was time to launch CBC, the organization says. As with their counterparts in the U.S., CBC affiliates will be drawn from the top 10% of the market, with gross annual sales of $1 million (U.S.), and annual marketing expenditures of 2-3% of gross sales.
“CBC is looking for entrepreneurs who are driven to continually improve and grow their businesses,” says White. “We are seeking the best in the industry, business owners who value peer review and communications, and who prioritize personal and professional development, both for themselves and for their teams.”
D’Elicio agrees, saying that affiliates should willingly submit their businesses to regular, strenuous onsite inspections and testing; surveys of retailers and clients; and secret shopping reports.
“It’s this commitment to continuously better their quality and service that raises these dry cleaners to an elite position in the industry,” says D’Elicio.
ABC says that, much like its own process, CBC’s certification process is the “most stringent independent certification in the drycleaning industry.”
“Initially developed in conjunction with the Hohenstein Institutes, CBC’s standards are constantly updated based on market demands, advances in operating technologies, and style trends,” says ABC. “New affiliates can expect to undergo annual site inspections, monthly service and product quality monitoring, as well as expected attendance at regional and national development meetings.”
CBC is now accepting applications, White says. For more information visit www.americasbestcleaners.com.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].