RIPON, Wis. — Commercial laundry equipment manufacturer Huebsch® has named Mark Hickey the latest recipient of its Store Owner of the Quarter award. With the support and advice he received from his distributor, and by replacing outdated machines with new durable Huebsch equipment, Hickey’s two Spin City Laundromats have become successful businesses, the company says.
“Hickey is an accomplished Laundromat owner and is dedicated to providing quality customer service,” says Kathryn Rowen, Huebsch’s North American sales manager. “Hickey always puts his customers first and goes out of his way to make them feel welcome. We look forward to building this partnership with Hickey and watching his businesses continue to grow.”
Prior to investing in laundry, Hickey used his accounting degree to work his way up to treasury manager for Circuit City in Richmond, Va. The company closed in 2009 and he decided to move back to Memphis to be closer to his family. There, he began researching potential investment opportunities that would provide a stable income during the recession.
Hickey decided to purchase a Laundromat and turned to Mike Leake from Memphis-based Larry & Mike’s Laundry Services for guidance. Leake helped Hickey find and evaluate a number of existing stores that were available for sale, and Hickey purchased two of them — one in Millington, Tenn., and one in Horn Lake, Miss.
Hickey needed to replace some equipment right away and wanted to feature a single brand of equipment in his stores. Leake recommended Huebsch equipment based on machine quality and the manufacturer’s dedication to providing an innovative suite of products.
“There were already a few Huebsch machines in my stores and they were more durable and efficient compared to the other equipment,” Hickey says. “Mike Leake helped advise me on the equipment, as well as many other important decisions I needed to make in order for my Laundromats to succeed.”
A few years after acquiring his Laundromats, Hickey decided he wanted to move the businesses to new buildings to improve the look and feel of his stores. He worked closely with Huebsch Laundry Design services to determine the best store layout, as well as Huebsch Financial to finance his equipment replacement in order to provide the best mix of machines for his customers.
Both new stores were designed to provide customers with plenty of space. Hickey also offers a variety of amenities to make the experience at the new Spin City stores more enjoyable, including free Wi-Fi, wash/dry/fold service and vending machines, as well as an ATM at the Horn Lake store.
“The existing customers are happy with the new locations, and new customers are drawn to the businesses due to the extra space, amenities and Huebsch equipment,” says Hickey.
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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