OSHKOSH, Wis. — Continental Girbau Inc. (Continental) recently opened several new locations of its Express Laundry Centers™, a turnkey vended laundry store that utilizes the company’s brand of equipment, services, marketing assistance and management support.
The Express Laundry Centers offer a 60-minute wash-dry-fold, quick customer turnover and low utilities, according to the company.
“Express Laundry Center is a complete store solution available to investors only through Continental,” says Joel Jorgensen, company vice president of sales and customer services.
Express Laundry Centers not only deliver quick customer turnover, it also touts lower utilities than laundries equipped with hard-mount washers, according to Jorgensen.
Among new Express Laundry Center investors include Dan Sofranko, owner of Perfect Wash Express Laundry Center in Huntington Beach, Calif.; Joe Olivo, owner of Express Laundry Center in Cleveland; and Phil Irwin, owner of Waters Express Laundry Center, Tampa, Fla.
“Express Laundry Centers have what other laundries don’t,” says Irwin. “I owned a McDonald’s franchise, and I like how franchise owners share information and strategies.”
Continental explains that Irwin was attracted to the center’s “franchise-like concept,” adding that he sees its lower utilities as “the icing on the cake.”
Irwin opened Waters Express Laundry Center 10 months ago, according to Continental. His machines turn an average of 6.3 times per day, yet utilities make up just 9.7% of revenue. Average turns and utilities cost at Irwin’s store are “far better than the national average,” the company adds.
Continental also reported on two of its investors who have gone on to own multiple stores.
Operator Danny Delmarco owns two Express Laundry Centers in South Carolina, while Shane McKinney owns two Express Laundry Centers: one located in Miles City, Mont., and the other in Watford City, N.D.
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