NEWPORT, R.I. — Tech-enabled laundry pickup and delivery service HappyNest hosted its 3rd Annual Partner Conference here in mid-June, gathering more than 60 partners from across the United States.
HappyNest supports over 130 laundromat partners in 38 states to bring the next-day pickup and delivery laundry service to residents and businesses across the nation. HappyNest processes over 30,000 pickups and over a half-million pounds of laundry every month, it says.
The two-day conference offered HappyNest partners the opportunity to network and share ideas surrounding growth, staffing, operations, and industry trends.
John MacKrell, HappyNest’s founder and CEO, called the conference “the most successful one yet.”
“It was an event organized by HappyNest and led by our partners,” he says. “We are always striving to do better and support our partners as they grow and increase their revenue. Events like our Annual Conference always reinforce the strong sense of community and collaboration.”
A welcome reception kicked off the conference, followed by a full day of presentations and discussions.
After a brief overview of the year and a roadmap for future growth, the group heard from Baltimore partner Charlie Russell and Virginia Beach, Va., partner Bryan Neal, who spoke on their experiences with recent HappyNest initiatives.
The agenda then shifted toward standardization and processes. Maryland’s Matt Zaleskas shared helpful insights on maintaining brand standards as well as tips for organizing supplies and training staff.
“The conference allowed me to come together with other partners and renew my unwavering commitment to the HappyNest brand,” Zaleskas says. “This time allowed me a unique opportunity to learn and share my experiences with other operators and corporate to constantly improve and build a process we are all proud of.”
The afternoon session, led by Detroit’s Aaron McLean, delved into staffing strategies and offered valuable insights on hiring, retaining and training staff for efficient pickup and delivery services.
Later, a panel Q&A session allowed partners to exchange impactful strategies and successful approaches in staffing, processing, and scaling their operations. Panelists featured Maryland’s Jennie Jimenez, Alabama’s Amber Knott, Florida’s Ralph Myers and Ohio’s Jon Williamson.
Partners also had the opportunity to engage with various HappyNest team members from departments including Partner Support, Customer Service, Commercial Sales, Technology, and Marketing.
“We work together so everyone succeeds,” says Neal. “We get to spend time with all the HappyNest departments to see what they are doing for us, and they ask the partners how they can do it better to grow our businesses.”
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