HARBOR / SOUTH BAY DRYCLEANERS ASSOCIATION
June Meeting Recap
Our business meeting at Orville & Wilbur's was very
nice and it was good that we had a little change in location. The food
was delicious! Our thanks to Larry Smally for setting up the meeting for
us.
We have sent out flyers for our Certified Environmental Drycleaning Courses.
The first dates we have set are July 20, July 21, July 24, and July 28
from 8:00 am- 4:30 pm. Please call (310) 370-6288 for your reservation
now (or return the enclosed flyer). The fees for the classes are: $75.00
Harbor-South Bay Members $125.00 Non Members $136.00 Non Members who wish
to join during class Classes will be held at the Carson Community Center.
The Treasurer's report reflects a healthy outlook for our association:
Checking account $7,571.66 Great Western CD #1 1617.37 Great Western CD
#2 2,601.79 Accounts Receivable 192.00 Total $11,982.82 So we have some
ideas in which we would like to use some of the money that we have. We
will be opening a new CD and we will be offering 1 free dinner per dry
cleaners at our upcoming event at Stevens Steakhouse on July 17. There
is a ticket included with Clean Lines that is good for your free dinner
when you call in your reservation to Bob Miller at (310) 370-6288.
We are looking into getting a suite for our members to get together for
cocktails and to relax at the Hyatt Hotel for the Long Beach CFI Exhibit.
We will keep you updated so that you may join us.
We are going to start selling our 1996 raffle tickets for our annual $1,000.00
drawing which we all look forward to. This years tickets will be going
for $10.00 per ticket, so they should be easier to sell. Congratulations
to Linda Galvan who was the winner of our 50/50 raffle.
President's message
Enclosed in Clean Lines is our announcement for the upcoming CARB classes sponsored by the Harbor-South Bay Drycleaners Association. A lot of work has gone into setting up these classes, so spread the word to everyone to support YOUR association by attending one of the classes in July. This will be an ongoing effort. There will be more classes every month for the rest of the year. Don't wait. Sign up by returning your paid reservation today.
Another compelling program in July will be our Joint Dinner Meeting with GLADCA. We are looking forward to Doris Easley's talk on "A Guide to Stress-Free Customer Service". Doris always presents thought provoking subjects that can lead to more profits on your bottom line!
There will be no association in August. Plan to attend the CFI convention and exhibit August 9, 10, 11 at the LONG BEACH Convention & Entertainment center and the Hyatt Hotel. See you there!.
A Word to the Wise
You Can Follow the Rules and Still Get Stuck!
Scott's Magnolia Cleaners started business in 1952 in the Magnolia residential district of Seattle. This has always been an upscale and prosperous part of the city.
Al Eng purchased Magnolia Cleaners in 1987. The plant was overhauled, with the old Prosperity machine being replaced by a new Union Perk-O-Matic, complete with refrigeration and automatic distillation. At the same time, Al had Safety-Kleen do a survey to insure that all rules and recommendations by environmental agencies and the IFI were followed and all operational equipment met the standards and that they functioned properly.
From the start, Al insisted that all employees be aware of the rules and follow guidelines and instructions regarding perc and other sensitive items (spotter fluids, used filters, boiler additive, still sludge, etc.). Al is the kind of person who does not want any problems, and he plays by the book. Five years go by, and then Union Oil Co. sued Al for damages because perc had been found underneath a Unocal 76 station a block away. It is well known that perc in an excellent degreaser and it can be found in some solvents utilized in the automotive trades.
Despite Al's attention to detail and awareness of ecology programs, he was still considered the "bad guy" even though the shop had existed there for 35 years before he bought it. There was no conclusive evidence that cleaners perc had "traveled" to the gas station. How can a prospective buyer of an existing plant know of any problems or misdemeanors of the past, if any, especially since in the past, spills and disposal were not given the attention they receive today?
How far would an "environmental audit" go towards negating such an action? The government, and especially the military, is perhaps one of the very worst polluters when it comes to solvent disposal!
