AKRON, Ohio — Owners of City Cleaners recently opened a 3,000-square-foot vended laundry adjacent to the family’s locally based drycleaning plant. Fully attended and equipped with high-speed Continental Girbau laundry equipment, Laundromat City shortens the laundry process to less than 60 minutes, the business says.
“My family has been in the dry cleaning business for 120 years,” says Jeff Sitz, City Cleaners president/owner. “But, this is our first vended laundry. We purchased the bank building next to our drycleaning plant and it made sense to transform it into a vended laundry. That way, the two businesses could share some labor and equipment. The community responded well, and we’ve made it really nice.”
To bring the project to fruition, Sitz worked closely with Scott Vlahos of Advantage Equipment Inc., a full-service laundry equipment distributor also based here, who assisted him with laundry design, equipment mix, installation and training.
The renovated building now touts efficient, high-speed laundry equipment; drop-off wash/dry/fold service; and amenities that include free Wi-Fi, soap/snack vending machines, flat-screen TVs, and a children’s literacy center. Using the laundry’s FasCard payment system, customers operate machines using either debit, credit or loyalty cards.
“Our soft-mount washers definitely set us apart because they allow for quick processing where our self-service customers can get in and out in less than an hour,” Sitz says.
The laundry’s Continental ExpressWash® Washers — in capacities of 20 to 80 pounds — produce extract speeds up to 400 G-force for greater moisture removal and shorter dry times.
“Plus, our big washers are great for cleaning family-sized laundry loads and bulky comforters, sleeping bags and rugs,” adds Sitz.
On the full-service side, Laundromat City offers drop-off wash/dry/fold. Or, if needed, the business provides pickup and delivery services.
Laundromat City, which opened for business in February, is enjoying healthy growth, according to Sitz: “Each week is better than the last and business is still climbing.”
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Bruce Beggs at [email protected].