CONTACT: Jay Calleja
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(800) 638-2627, Ext. 1501
December 3, 2004
DLI OF THE 21ST CENTURY UNVEILED TO ACCLAIM AT GRAND OPENING
New School, Office, to Promote Industry Growth
DLI’s new facility is ship shape and ready to fight. Only six months after DLI CEO Bill Fisher signed the lease on the new property DLI held its Grand Opening celebration at 14700 Sweitzer Lane in Laurel, Maryland.
More than 200 members and guests toured DLI’s new school and administrative buildings. Guests checked out the office wing, research, and analysis areas, admiring vintage pictures of DLI’s past as they toured. Of course, the showstopper was the new $1.8 million School of Drycleaning Technology, which teaches students the ways and means of doing drycleaning work through using the height of industry technology.
With more than $400,000 worth of new equipment housed in the school’s Practical Instruction Area, it’s easy to understand why members lingered a little longer at the school than the employee lunchroom. The training area served as a miniature Clean Show, complete with representatives from donor companies on hand to answer questions about the equipment they shared with DLI.
Mike Masoudi, owner of Signature Cleaners in Marietta, Georgia, had a good sense of the improvements because he had seen both the previous facility and the new one. “I was so excited because it was so state of the art. [This is] very good for me and the whole industry,” he said.
Not Your Great-Grandfather’s DLI
Amidst the machinery that drives our industry, a standing-room-only crowd cheered as Fisher doled out thanks and celebrated the achievement of DLI’s new home. In nearly 100 years the Institute has only changed locations a total of three times. Proving that less really is more, the move from 26,500 square feet to 20,500 square feet results in more efficient workspaces and lower energy costs.
During the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the DLI’s Grand Opening, Fisher paid testament to the hundreds of thousands of dollars in donated equipment that surrounded those in attendance. “I’d like to thank all of the manufacturers and suppliers and distributors who have so generously helped us equip this brand new facility,” he said.
“If you’ve looked around you’ve seen things like 13 brand new spotting boards from Cissell, and two suzies from Cissell, Sankosha tensioning equipment, Unipress shirt units, some of the new washers that we have are a new Satec Hydrocarbon machine, a new Firbimatic cleaning machine, two new Fulton boilers—I can’t go though all of it right now,” he said. “That is why we placed signs up identifying the equipment we received and the companies that have given it to us.”
Fisher continued, “Without that generosity and without what they’ve done for us you wouldn’t see this facility, and truly, without question, this is the best drycleaning training facility our industry has ever, ever seen.”
Fisher also recognized DLI’s Board of Directors for its foresight. “I want to thank the Board for having the vision to do this and to say, ‘This is something that we need to do for the members and the industry as a whole.’ The result was that DLI was able to put $450,000 into our reserves, which gives us the ability and opportunity to be there for you when the industry is in hard times as it is now and to give us the ability to equip this facility as it is now.”
Attending government dignitaries included Maryland Secretary of Business & Economic Development Aris Melissaratos, Michael D. Herman, Chief of Staff for Prince George's County, and District 21 State Delegates (DLI's new district) Barbara Frush, Brian Moe, and Pauline Menes.
Representative Moe spoke for the District 21 contingent and presented Fisher with a Maryland state flag on behalf of the Delegates and Governor Robert Ehrlich. “I was so interested to walk in here and see all the pieces of equipment you need to use to take care of a suit. I was amazed. I only have a washer and dryer at home...I never knew it was such a big job. My wife taught me how to iron,” Moe said. The crowd responded with a good-natured “Boo!” to which Moe retorted with, “But I don’t do my shirts, I take them somewhere else!”
Secretary Melissaratos was also impressed with the equipment. “This facility demonstrates the commitment of the industry, the commitment to infuse technology into the process,” he said. “I’ve been around industry at the highest technology levels for about 40 years, and I’ve not seen another industry where the suppliers were so committed to be able to put in a training facility with all of the state of the art equipment that the industry uses.”
Following the Secretary’s remarks, Bill Fisher, DLI President Dan Martino, and Secretary Melissaratos cut the ribbon that officially unveiled the DLI of the 21st Century.
Good Approval Ratings for New Building
Bob Aiken, President of NIE Insurance in St. Louis, Missouri, said he was impressed by the transformation of the building to suit DLI’s needs. “I got to see the building right after the purchase last spring,” Aiken said. “This was back when the ideas for changes to make it what it would become were still inside Bill Fisher's head and he was working to get them on paper. It's amazing to see how everything has come together.
“I saw the ‘before’ picture, and that makes the ‘after’ picture even more impressive. It is truly a wonderful facility, and I'm sure it will suit member needs for many years to come.”
Bruce Hillary, owner of Hilary’s Cleaners in Ottawa, Ontario, said he and his son-in-law also enjoyed the event. “The visit for us was a complete success as we got to meet many staff members of DLI as well as viewing the new facility.”
Hillary added that his son-in-law will be coming to the facility to take the DLI drycleaning courses in 2005. “This was a first class-event for us, and we look forward to maintaining a close relationship with DLI!”
Debbie Barnett attended the event as an DLI Senator (former Director). She posted her reaction to the event on the Fabricare Forum, saying, “Those of you who have taken classes at the old facility would appreciate the new practical area; it's well lit, well ventilated, and impressively equipped.
“As a past DLI board member, I'm very proud of what has been accomplished. It took tremendous determination and vision to reach the point DLI is at today, and it's thanks to your DLI Board of Directors, the DLI staff (who put in an ungodly number of hours laying tile, hanging 13,000 ceiling tiles, and ripping out walls?to name a few tasks), and the leadership of Bill Fisher.”
GreenEarth Cleaning President Tim Maxwell also attended the Grand Opening. “I had been to the old facility a number of times, and I did not think the new facility would be as open as it is based on that experience,” he said. “The new building has many meeting places for employees to come together and share ideas and it also has a great number of private offices where employees can focus on their tasks. My feeling, and the general consensus, is that DLI now has a far better place in which to conduct business. Bill’s vision of a smaller, but more efficient place to work has definitely worked out in a way that will benefit everyone.”
