RIPON, Wis. — Commercial laundry equipment brand Huebsch® has named Curtis Berger the latest recipient of its Store Owner of the Quarter award for the growth and success he has achieved with his six—soon to be seven—Earlybird Laundry stores located in northern New Jersey.
“Curtis has seen tremendous growth since entering the laundry industry 15 years ago. He proves that a hardworking attitude accompanied by a supportive distributor and manufacturer will lead to success,” says Kathryn Rowen, North American sales manager for Huebsch, an Alliance Laundry Systems brand. “We look forward to seeing what the future holds for Curtis and continuing to support him on his journey.”
After receiving his Certified Public Accountant (CPA) accreditation and pursuing a career in mortgage-backed securities in New York City, Berger decided to leave banking and follow in his great-grandfather’s footsteps, pursuing a small-business venture.
He moved to New Jersey and opened his first drycleaning business in 1996. Five years later, Berger decided to sell that business and open retail Laundromats equipped with machines and technology that would allow him to manage multiple stores remotely. Since opening his first store in 2000, Berger has been able to open a new store every two years, and now owns and operates a half-dozen.
Throughout his journey, Berger relied on Cliff Ross, sales manager with distributor Metropolitan Machinery, to guide him in selecting durable equipment and viable locations.
“Cliff is familiar with the demographics of specific regions I’m interested in,” says Berger. “He is able to help me make location decisions by reviewing variables, including percentage of renters, people per household and income levels of the local population.”
This industry knowledge has made Berger a loyal Metropolitan customer, one who seeks to continue growing and expanding his Earlybird locations.
“I continue to choose Huebsch equipment not only because I have a strong relationship with my distributor, but because I have seen them evolve over the past 15 years, much like my own business,” says Berger.
Each quarter, Huebsch recognizes a store owner who has “excelled in entrepreneurism, technology adoption, innovation, and superior customer and community service,” the brand says.
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