RIPON, Wis. — Commercial laundry equipment manufacturer Huebsch reports it has named Dewayne Bohannon the latest recipient of its Store Owner of the Quarter award for his seven successful Wash-n-go Laundromats in South Carolina.
“Dewayne is an accomplished Laundromat owner with a keen grasp on what it takes to run a prosperous business. His authenticity and savvy business skills have made him an expert in the laundry industry,” says Kathryn Rowen, Huebsch North American sales manager. “Dewayne’s determination and dedication to providing the best experience for his customers make him an ideal partner, and we are certain we will continue to see increasing success from him.”
Before he began his Laundromat venture, Bohannon owned a wide array of small businesses, ranging from self-storage to coin amusement and arcade machines. He was looking to find a more stable investment during the economic recession, and research led him to the Laundromat industry. He had property management experience and was in tune with the real estate landscape and businesses in the community. He began looking for run-down or defunct Laundromats that he could buy and revamp.
Bohannon relied heavily on his commercial laundry equipment distributor Laundry Systems of the Carolinas and its sales manager, Chad Bradley, to help get his business off the ground. Bradley continued to advise him on the planning and introduced him to Huebsch Financial, which allowed Bohannon to finance his equipment through his manufacturer’s finance operation.
Bradley also assisted in the analysis of demographic information to ultimately help Bohannon acquire the right location for each Laundromat. This dynamic partnership led to the creation of seven profitable Laundromat locations, with more plans in the making, Huebsch says.
“I knew that Chad and Laundry Systems of the Carolinas could offer exactly what I was looking for,” Bohannon says. “Laundry Systems of the Carolinas was an extremely knowledgeable and trustworthy partner. They educated me on industry trends and taught me all the nuances of the business.”
Bohannon continuously looks for ways to differentiate his businesses from the competition and creates a welcoming environment for his customers, Huebsch says. He offers accessible hours, attendants on site, bill-to-bill exchangers and vending machines with laundry products, snacks and drinks.
Introduced in 2014, Store Owner of the Quarter recognizes Huebsch store owners who have excelled in entrepreneurism, technology adoption, innovation and superior customer and community service, the company says.
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