CORONA, Calif. — When Hesham Abed decided to purchase A-1 Coin Laundry in an up-and-coming shopping center here in late 2015, he turned once again to Western State Design (WSD) for guidance.
WSD’s Steve Erlinger had assisted the college professor and his wife, Zana, upgrade another store in Moreno Valley, Calif., in 2014. Their original A-1, featuring state-of-the-art Dexter laundry equipment, continues to provide the couple with a solid secondary source of income.
Now, Abed hopes to duplicate their Moreno Valley success with the Corona A-1 Coin Laundry, backed by Dexter vended equipment and WSD’s experience and expertise.
The 2,200-square-foot Corona coin-op is located in a busy, recently upgraded shopping center that is anchored by a brand-new Walmart. “The high-traffic location is what first caught my eye,” Abed explains.
An existing laundry at that location was run-down and in need of an overhaul, he says. Equipment would have to be replaced, and the entire business space needed a complete facelift.
The first thing Abed did was to negotiate a long-term lease with the landlord. With the lease secure and a long-term business plan in place, Abed opened A-1 Coin Laundry here in December. He ran the business most of December using the existing equipment while he formulated his renovation plan.
Abed decided to brand this store in a manner similar to his Moreno Valley laundry, using the same high-quality materials, color scheme and laundry equipment.
The project, involving a complete floor-to-ceiling renovation and the purchase of a brand-new line of Dexter laundry equipment, was completed Jan. 15.
“He worked very quickly,” Erlinger says of Abed.
Abed purchased machines from the Dexter C series line in traditional Dexter blue. Equipment installed consisted of 34 energy-efficient washing machines (seven 20-pound T-300 washers, 11 30-pound T-400 washers, eight 40-pound T-600 washers, six 60-pound T-900 washers, and two 80-pound T-1200 washers) as well as 23 stacked dryers (17 T-30x2 dryers and six T-50x2 dryers).
Other equipment includes two Rowe 400RL changers with bill recyclers.
“I have had great experience with the Dexter coin-op laundry equipment; it is very attractive, durable and dependable,” Abed says. “It is also extremely efficient, allowing customers to complete their wash quickly in order to get back to their busy lives.”
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