There are two ways to get into the self-service laundry industry: construct a brand-new store or search for existing laundries for sale in your area. This program will focus on the pros and cons of constructing a new laundry from the ground up and the steps involved from beginning to store opening.
CLA will host successful store operators who will share their experiences in building a new laundromat and what they learned along the way. Attendees will learn why panelists chose to build a new store vs. buy an existing store, how they selected their location and what was involved in constructing the store. The program will allow plenty of time to ask your questions of the panelists.
Panelists include:
Topics to be discussed during this expert panel include:
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Panelist Bios
Robert Maes
Rob Maes graduated with a degree in marketing from Lehigh University in Penn. From 1985 to 2007, he worked in the chemical industry doing sales, marketing and logistics. In 2007, he joined the Coin Laundry Association and started researching the laundry industry. He has opened three new branded card laundromats since 2009 and purchased an existing coin laundromat in 2015 in an underserved north Houston market as an outside investor. Rob has achieved double digit growth every year by managing laundries full time with a focus on marketing and developing in-store drop-off laundry service and commercial laundry service with free delivery. He currently sits on the Coin Laundry Association board of directors and is a frequent contributor to PlanetLaundry magazine.
Colleen Unema
Colleen, a Washington State native, earned her BA degree in biology/science education from Calvin College in 1983 and completed graduate school at Michigan State University. She then went on to earn her master’s degree in education from Grand Valley State University. She taught high school science and college biology over a 25-year career. In 2012, she earned her national certification in biology education and promptly retired to open her first laundromat, Brio Laundry.
As sole owner of the Northwest Laundry Company, Colleen has operated Brio Laundry since June 2013. In spring 2019, Colleen opened a next-gen professional garment care facility called Brio Cleaners. The two Brios now have laundry covered from the do-it-yourselfer, to the work-force to the work-place. Brio employs sixteen (16) people, four to six are full time. Compensation includes hourly pay, commission or profit sharing, retirement benefits and medical benefits. NW Laundry Company has an advisory board of local smarty pants (former CFOs, retired CEOs and a mom).
The Business Plan for NW Laundry culminates with each business solidly past the million dollar mark in annual revenue; Colleen slated ten years to accomplish those goals. She has three more years to recover following COVID19, gain ground – at which time the entire operation is for sale.
Colleen and her husband, Barry, enjoy visiting their three grown children, all men—and the respective women in their lives. Barry is a partner in a local civil engineering firm and Colleen’s Friday night fix-it-guy.
Daniel Marrazzo is a life long resident of Bucks County who started in the construction business after graduating from The Military College of Vermont (Norwich University) in 1977. Working for residential clients doing renovations, which later grew to a larger company doing multi-million dollar commercial centers and health clubs. While building several commercial laundries, he decided to diversify into the laundry business building 6 stores and presently owning and operating four in both Bucks and Mercer counties. Many real estate projects have found him owning and managing several residential, commercial and industrial properties. Among them are two 35,000 square foot shopping centers. Marrazzo no longer builds for the public , but has several construction projects running of his own. He recently finished his fifth store in Burlington , NJ.
Marrazzo is a serial entrepreneur with interest in several businesses. He sits on the the Commissioners Committee for Economic Development in Bucks County, as well as the Properties Committee Chairman for the Washington Crossing Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He is a frustrated cook and golfer, and hosts a yearly Christmas dinner for a hundred homeless people in his warehouse in Penndel, preparing the meal along with his son, and other volunteers