Drycleaning & Laundry Institute (Formerly IFI)
   




Getting the Word Out. Public awareness of fabric care issues is an important concern for DLI. DLI routinely issues Press releases on issues important to the industry.

CONTACT: Jay Calleja
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(800) 638-2627, Ext. 1501
March 10, 2005

2005 MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARDS NOMINATION DEAIFINE MAY 2

It’s not too late to honor a dry cleaner you look up to for one of DLI’s Meritorious Service Awards, but it soon will be. The deadline for DLI’s fourth exemplary service awards has been extended to May 2. Created in 1999, the Meritorious Service Awards signify the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute’s top honors for individuals or firms that demonstrate excellence in the industry.

A nomination form is available on DLI’s home page at www.ifi.org, as well as in recent issues of Fabricare magazine. DLI will announce the honorees at a special awards ceremony at Clean ‘05 in Orlando June 23. Descriptions of the categories open for nominations follow.

Positive Recognition for the Industry Award

This award goes to someone who has consistently worked to secure favorable publicity for the industry as a whole, raising the level of consumer awareness and helping dispel harmful myths about the drycleaning industry. Past recipients include:

  • 2003—Paul Gelpi, owner of Swan Cleaners, Columbus, Ohio
  • 2001—Barbara Harvey, owner of Fabricare by Fran, Severna Park, Maryland
  • 1999—Edward Boorstein, owner of Prestige…Exceptional Fabricare, Silver Spring, Maryland

Positive Recognition for the Industry—International

Created in 2003, this honor is the international counterpart to the Positive Recognition for the Industry Award. Emmanuel Azzopardi, owner of Queen’s Drycleaning in Balzan, Malta, was the first recipient.

Commitment to Professionalism Award

The Commitment to Professionalism award recognizes a member of the cleaning community who has significantly helped raise the standards of professionalism in the industry. Past recipients:

  • 2003—David Silliman, co-owner of Uptowne Drycleaning, Phoenix, Arizona
  • 2001—Donald Desrosiers, Tailwind Shirt Systems, Fall River, Massachusetts
  • 1999—Carmelia Bernardi, Woonsocket, Rhode Island

Legislative and Regulatory Award

This award seeks to spotlight someone who has actively worked on critical legislative or regulatory issues designed to make life easier for dry cleaners. This is always done through extensive volunteer work yet seldom fully appreciated. Past recipients:

  • 2003—Dale Kaplan, owner of Kaplan’s Careful Cleaners, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
  • 2001—John Neal, owner of Ineeda Cleaners, Hutchinson, Kansas
  • 1999—Abraham Cho, owner of Natural Cleaners in Middletown, New Jersey

Green Fields Award

The Green Fields Award goes to the person or organization that has made a lasting contribution concerning an environmentally related issue or initiative. Past awardees include:

  • 2003—Jamie Johnston, owner of Swift Cleaners in Jacksonville, Florida
  • 2001—Dr. Manfred Wentz, president of TextileCare International, Ltd.
  • 1999—Ann Hargrove, Lyons, Illinois

Allied Trades Award

The Allied Trades Meritorious Service Award recognizes a supplier or distributor who has provided long-term service of a substantial nature to the industry. Past recipients demonstrated an unwavering support for clothing care professionals.

  • 2003—Bruce Kahn, Field Representative for Aristo Craft Supply, Inc., Oxford, Massachusetts
  • 2001—Jan & Henry Parker, owners of Safety & Environmental Compliance Consultants Inc., in Beecher, Illinois
  • 1999—Ed Ustik of Phenix Supply Company, Atlanta, Georgia

Technology Trailblazer Award

The Technology Trailblazer Award was created to honor a person or organization that has developed significant new technology the industry can use to enhance efficiency and reduce costs. Because DLI has set the bar very high for this award, it has not been bestowed since 1999 when Exxon Chemical Company was recognized for producing DF-2000 solvent.

Making Nominations

To ensure a fair process, please nominate an individual or organization in one award category per nomination form. Additional entries will be accepted on separate forms. The cutoff date for all nominations is May 2. The organization name, address, telephone number, and signature of the person recommending the nominee are required to validate the submission. Some categories may produce no winners, due to category overlap or lack of qualified nominees.

The recipients in each category will be notified of the Awards Selection Committee’s decision in advance of the official announcement at Clean ’05 in Orlando. For more information, please contact DLI VP of Communications Jay Calleja at 1-800-638-2627, Ext. 1501.