I attended the New England Coin Laundry Association's annual meeting at Paparazzi an Italian restaurant in Burlington, MA. I was suddenly reminded of the tremendous amount of talent and expertise of the laundry industry all in one place and at one time. There were probable 60-70 people in attendance and many who were long time and multi store owners. There were also distributors and salesman from all of the major laundry companies covering all of the New England states. This was a room filled with a tremendous amount of talent and experience in the coin (or vended) laundry industry. This room was filled with industry leaders, authors and contributors who help support the Laundry industry. This was a common meeting ground where distributors who are strong rivals' meet and shook hands and for the evening came together to have dinner. This is where rival store owners came to celebrate the local coin affiliate rather than fight over customers.
Why did I drive all the way up to Burlington Mass to have a Veal Parmigiana dinner? My excuse was that I was with my sister and we both own a Laundromat in Southbridge, Mass. But in reality the real reason was to be with fellow Laundromat owners. Why would I spend most of 1 whole day to eat food with strangers? I love talking and learning about Laundromats. Maybe it's in my blood, maybe it is an acquired taste, but for whatever reason I am always trying to run smarter not faster. My quest is always how can I run my Laundromats better and more efficiently?
Within this small ballroom there were centuries of experience available and just waiting to be asked questions. There were generations of experiences on how to do this or what to do about this problem. This was like walking in to the libraries of Alexandria and having all of this knowledge available for just the asking.
My standard question to anyone in the room was where they from are and what is their biggest problem or challenge? If I asked a fellow distributor the answer, they usually said I was their biggest problem. If it was a Laundromat owner it was likely Laundromat competition, water rates, employee problems, or the need to get more business, or how do I market my Laundromat and may other problems. But this was the room that for one evening was filled with the biggest and brightest Laundromat operators and distributors in all of New England. If these people didn't have answer, then the problem was probable not a real problem.
When people ask me why they should spend $200 a year to join the CLA all I have to do is say come with me on a cold November night to a Restaurant called Paparazzi in Burlington, Mass and we will see some of the best oracles in all of new England.
