Wascomat’s Spectacular NY Nights Extravaganza

  November 10, 2008 – Inwood, New York – In September 2008, Wascomat invited its dealers who achieved specific sales goals to come to New York for a 5-day whirlwind vacation. The trip included airfare, accommodations at the posh Garden City Hotel, special dinners, and a first-class cruise aboard the luxurious World Yacht with spectacular views of Manhattan. Here are some highlights…

Wascomat dealers from across the United States, Canada, and Mexico arrived on a beautiful sunny day in New York on Wednesday, September 10 and spent the afternoon relaxing and sightseeing. To show their support, the President of Electrolux Laundry Systems traveled from Sweden to participate in the event, along with the Dryer Product Manager and VP of Sales for the Americas. That evening everyone enjoyed delicious food, cocktails, and music at Wascomat’s opening dinner reception. It was the perfect opportunity to meet new people and catch up with old friends. The very next morning, dealers attended a meeting where they learned about Wascomat’s latest innovations and heard success stories from their fellow dealers.

“The entire event was tremendous,” states Kyle Zabrin of Equipment International in Illinois. “The meeting was informative, and getting to know the other dealers and people that make Wascomat work was very interesting and beneficial. I now feel comfortable calling Wascomat dealers from Knoxville to Guadalajara if I have questions or need help.”  Later that night, dealers were invited to an extra special dinner in one of the hotel’s upscale dining areas. “The room was gorgeous with French doors to an outside balcony, and the band played until late into the evening,” states Dan Goldman, National Sales Manager for Wascomat. “We had a lot of laughs, exquisite food and drinks, it was the perfect ending to a perfect day.”

On Friday, dealers and their spouses enjoyed a day on their own to explore the sights of Long Island and Manhattan. Some visited the wineries out on Long Island’s north fork, others shopped, and some went into Manhattan to see the Statue of Liberty, World Trade Center site, Central Park, and the many museums. That evening, all guests met at Pier 81 in New York City to talke a world-class dinner and dancing cruise down the Hudson River. The views of the city were breathtaking – and for some, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “Seeing all the buildings and lights from the ship was something I will never forget,” shares Sharol Collard of Stalwart Machinery in Canada. “I may never have had the chance to do this on my own, and I thank Wascomat for the opportunity. I enjoyed every minute!”

Many attending this event were long-time Wascomat dealers. For example, Sav-A-Day Laundry Machinery in St. Louis, Missouri and Arrow Machinery in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma are both celebrating 50 years in business and have been Wascomat dealers since 1958. All the dealers were thrilled to be part of the event and very positive about Wascomat’s direction and vision for the future. “The dealers were eager to talk about  Wascomat’s superior dealer support services, how Compass Control is changing the way laundry owners do business, the company’s new marketing and advertising efforts, and Wascomat’s forward-thinking management team,” shares Neal Milch, CEO of Wascomat. “Our dealers believe in Wascomat and they know we believe in them.”

“I’m excited to be selling the best product on the market, and I’m happy to be working with a company that cares so much about its dealers,” states long-time Wascomat dealer Mike Hurrell of Golden State Laundry Systems in Rancho Dominguez, California. “We really enjoyed this trip, and it was thrilling to see some of the new innovations Wascomat will be introducing to the market over the next year, such as the TD4545 stack 45 lb. dryer.”

Howard Herman, President of Wascomat, was delighted to reward dealers with this special trip. “We knew it would be an exciting event, but New York Nights truly exceeded our expectations. We soon realized that we were experiencing something extraordinary. I have so many wonderful memories from this event and it’s something we’ll all always remember.”

  Wascomat dealers couldn’t agree more. “We were completely blown away at how much care and effort everybody at Wascomat put in to this event to make us feel welcome,” states Canadian dealer Frank Guido of Automated Laundry Systems. “It was something we’ll always remember and cherish.”

Wascomat made its first washer in 1902 and has installed over a million in North America alone.  The company delivers state-of-the-art commercial laundry and wetcleaning equipment, as well as financing solutions and business planning support. Wascomat is renowned for exceptional service and its products are engineered for quality, durability, and water and energy efficiency.

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dnagle@wascomat.com

Long time Wascomat fan falls for Compass in Greek!

Costas Perdikakis, owner of Freeway Enterprises, LLC, is a long-time fan of the Wascomat brand. Costas, who today owns three all-Wascomat laundromats and three car washes in Rhode Island, purchased his first business (a car wash) in 1981. In 1992, Costas was thrilled to purchase his first laundromat from now retired Wascomat founder Bernie Milch.

“Costas credits Bernie for this terrific opportunity,” states Tom Tobiassen from Wascomat dealer Nelson and Small in Portland, Maine. Recalling meeting Costas for the first time, Tom adds, “We met Costas on a cold call and eventually sold him some replacement washers. So, when he was recently ready to open his fourth laundromat, we went out to show him Wascomat’s latest innovation – the Compass Control washers.”

Costas came to this country on Columbus Day, October 12, 1969 from Greece. He attended the University of Rhode Island, became a U.S. citizen in 1974 and graduated with an Engineering Degree in 1975.

“When Costas saw that Wascomat’s washers could show instructions in Greek on the Compass display, he was sold,” explains Tom. “He was already impressed with Wascomat’s performance from years of using the machines, but this extraordinary feature sealed the deal for him.”

Although the Greek language option will most likely not be used in this laundromat, it illustrates how Compass Control’s many features, such as the numerous language options, can add that personal touch and ultimately influence customers to make that final decision.

Prior to starting his own business, Costas worked for 7 years in the Department of Environmental Management for the State of Rhode Island and for 12 years as President of The Olneyville Businessmen’s Association, the longest running businessmen’s association in the USA.

In addition, Costas made a continuous effort to remain involved in various community organizations since graduating college in 1975. He showcased his leadership skills by becoming the spokesperson for 43 Engineers at the University of Rhode Island and he was on the board of the fundraising committee to build the $56 million dollar athletic center at his Alma Mater. Costas is happily married with two daughters that are URI alumni as well (and are also in the laundry and car wash business), and a son who is an engineer working as a project manager for Ameresco of Boston.

“I do business with Nelson & Small because they give me great pricing and advice on building new facilities,” shares Costas. “I rely on their expertise and value their service and support. I also believe in the Wascomat product and I am excited to open a new store with new Compass washers. The fact that these washers can be programmed in Greek definitely caught my attention, but the real reason I bought Wascomat is because I know they are built to last, are the most efficient on the market, and my customers love them.”

  Tom adds, “Costas Perdikakis truly appreciates the opportunities he was given after coming to the USA. He is civic minded and has always given back to the community. We enjoy working with him – and we’re looking forward to many more years of working with Costas and his family!”

Three veterans forge new business (and win Compass washer!)

Three veterans Jacob Jake Freiburger, Andrew AJ Forysiak, and Sam Puccini have successfully brought the dedication, determination, hard work and responsibility they perfected in the service to their new business Suds Laundromat in Hampton, Virginia. They run a tight ship and their customers appreciate it and keep coming back for more. But even they couldnt believe it when they received the call from Wascomat telling them that they had won the Compass washer contest.

Their newly remodeled laundry had been open for a couple of months when they entered the contest and sent their entry form in to Wascomat. I remember thinking well never win, states Sam. But, the three of us have been pretty lucky, so we figured lets give it a try. To their surprise, they became the proud owners of a brand new Wascomat SU 140 G-Force Compass Control washer!

We are extremely impressed with the Compass washer and the support of Wascomats Regional Business Manager, Wayne Finley, states Sam. He has been a great resource. We appreciate the fact that Wascomat understands our future requirements and expansion plans and offers solutions to our problems. We are definitely Wascomat fans!

How it all began

While on duty, Jake and Sam met in 2001 immediately after Sept. 11th. When they met AJ in 2005, their similar backgrounds, sense of purpose, and work ethic helped forge a bond between the three men. They wanted to open a business together and after much research, decided a laundromat would be perfect. They then formed International Laundry Group, LLC.

More research followed they read everything the Coin Laundry Association had to offer, every trade publication and book, and talked to other laundry owners and industry experts. All three were looking for the perfect location when AJ called Jake with the news: he just bought a store called Suds Laundromat. Jake had looked at this store before. It was in a good location, but he had passed on it because it needed so much work. That hadnt deterred his partner. Knowing the location was right, AJ jumped in with both feet. The next thing you know, the three soldiers were side-by-side in the trenches, fixing floors, walls, plumbing, you name it. The newly remodeled Suds opened with a sign out front, Veteran Owned Business and discounts offered to service men and women and their families.

Today, business continues to grow. The location is a good one. The store is on a busy street with many community businesses. Since its a military town, many veterans, service people and families live in the area and prefer to use a laundry owned by fellow service men. Hampton is home to the U.S. Armys Fort Monroe and Langley Air Force Base, as well as NASA Langley Research Center.

The men keep the store meticulously clean, safe, professionally maintained, well-lit, and most of all, they treat every customer with respect and dignity. They are drawing upon their drive and military experience to make this store a success and to become a part of the community.

We dont have a life, laughs Jake. We live and breathe laundry right now and we run it like a military operation. We are determined to make it a huge success and open more stores and thats exactly what we will do. We have TVs and comfortable places to sit; the store is kept spotless and safe; we offer wash-dry-fold services; we have two full-time attendants who are always polite, helpful, and respectful; and we follow our golden rule: ABC Always Be Clean! We offer a discount to military families and we are constantly learning. We care about the community.

AJ agrees, The Suds project has been intense. From completely renovating the space to bringing back our client base, the Suds project has been quite a challenge. We are continually learning what it takes to successfully run a laundry operation and we use every resource available from participating on industry news boards and blogs to reading trade publications but the best source is good old-fashioned experience, and this project has provided its share.

We continue to look for ventures in the laundry business from renovations to complete build-outs, Jacob adds. Were excited about working with Wascomat on our future endeavors. Weve done a lot of research and Wascomat offers the premium product and service they are the highest quality machines and we dont have to worry about them breaking down. They are the work-horse of the industry and theyre built to last just like us!