You are here

Make It 38! Yankee Equipment Hosts Annual Vended Laundry Trade Show

Company president describes it as ‘incubator of ideas and dreams’

WALTHAM, Mass. — Officials with laundry equipment distributor Yankee Equipment say their recent St. Patrick’s Day Vended Laundry Trade Show attracted a “record number of registered attendees and high number of walk-in owner/operators coupled with industry experts from all segments of the industry.”

For the 38th consecutive year, Laundromat owners and operators from across New England filled the show floor during a March weekend to talk with Yankee Equipment and manufacturer representatives and learn about new products and discuss industry trends.

Seminars at the Westin Hotel on both days covered multiple topics. John Smith from Speed Queen discussed best practices in Remodeling and Remarketing Laundromats. Brian Wallace, president of the Coin Laundry Association, discussed how to determine the best time to replace laundry equipment. Ted Ristaino, president of Yankee Equipment, conducted an investment seminar for new Laundromat owners and potential investors.

Among the manufacturers sending representatives were Speed Queen, Card Concepts, ESD, SpyderWash by Setomatic Systems, Standard Changemakers, American Changer, NATCO, Hamilton Engineering, Milnor and Vend-Rite. AristoCraft and Package Supply participated with services and supply offerings, while Alliance Laundry Systems Finance and Eastern Funding offered finance packages.

“In some ways, the term ‘trade show’ no longer adequately describes what occurs during this weekend,” Ristaino says. “The weekend has become an incubator of ideas and dreams for store owners and managers to grow and expand their respective businesses. The focus our attendees had and the questions they asked were an indication of their insight, dedication and professionalism.”

Peter Limoncelli, Yankee’s CEO, has watched the event grow into an annual spectacle that has many Laundromat owners excited to get reacquainted with attendees they’ve met previously. “I witnessed many greeting on the floor and at the hotel lounge,” he says. “They are an amazing group with sharp business skills and an incredible work ethic.”

Yankee serves the New England market with the Speed Queen brand and Upstate New York with the Huebsch brand.

yankee final master logo web

“In some ways, the term ‘trade show’ no longer adequately describes what occurs during this weekend,” Yankee Equipment President Ted Ristaino says of his distributorship’s St. Patrick’s Day Vended Laundry Trade Show. “The weekend has become an incubator of ideas and dreams for store owners and managers to grow and expand their respective businesses.”

yankee setomatic award web

During the Yankee Equipment trade show, Jeff North (left), representing SpyderWash, and Michael Schantz (right), president of Setomatic Systems, present Gerry Guertin with the 2015 SpyderWash Salesperson of the Year Award. It’s the fourth straight year that Guertin has won the award while covering a primarily rural territory that includes Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Bruce Beggs at [email protected].