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The Center of Cleaning Convenience

First-time laundry owners transform former convenience store

CENTERVILLE, Iowa — A number of vended laundry projects are completed around the country each year, resulting in brand-new or rejuvenated stores primed and ready to serve customers.

As a way to celebrate the hard work that goes into designing, building and equipping a modern self-service laundry, American Coin-Op created this Portraits of Success feature to recognize memorable projects of recent vintage.

And so equipment manufacturers were invited to tout their brand’s latest and greatest vended laundry projects, like this one:

First-time store owners Perry and Kim Daugherty opened the doors at FreshXpress Laundromat in August 2021 and their business has been delighting customers in and around Centerville, roughly 85 miles southeast of Des Moines, ever since.

At 2,800 square feet, FreshXpress is a self-service laundromat that’s open 24 hours a day and offers a wash/dry/fold service. Occupying a former convenience store, the laundry has been a great addition to the rural community.

Century Laundry Distributing, a Dexter authorized distributor, was a key partner in providing the Daughertys with the necessary tools and resources in pinpointing a location, determining the right product mix, financing, and installing the equipment.

Sales representative Joel Schulte led the first-time owners/operators—Perry is a farmer and Kim an elementary school teacher—every step of the way, including setting up a DexterLive and DexterPay system.

The Dexter Laundry Express washers offered for use at FreshXpress include four 20-pound T-350 units, six 30-pound T-450s, six 40-pound T-650s, four 60-pound T-950s and two 90-pound T-1450s.

Complementing them are 22 Dexter Laundry Express dryer pockets—10 T-50x2 stacks (100 pounds per unit) and two T-80s (80 pounds each)—offering a total capacity of 1,160 pounds.

The Daughertys served as their own general contractor, and the project—site selection, site inspection, plan development, demolition, construction, final installation, and opening—took nearly six months to complete.

Not including the purchase of real estate, the FreshXpress project cost roughly $625,000 for equipment and construction.

Watch for more Portraits of Success articles coming later this month!

The Center of Cleaning Convenience

First-time store owners (from left) Kim and Perry Daugherty had lots of help turning a former convenience store into FreshXpress Laundromat. (Photos: Dexter Laundry)

The Center of Cleaning Convenience

Dexter Laundry Express washers and dryers line the establishment.

The Center of Cleaning Convenience

Dexter Laundry Express dryers line the establishment.

The Center of Cleaning Convenience

Outside, the business name and purpose is clearly expressed in its branding, right down to the benches in front.

Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Bruce Beggs at [email protected].