CLA Celebrates 50 Years of Industry Service

By Planet Laundry staff | Jan 20, 2010

July 30, 2010

The images below are courtesy of Neil Polifka, Parts Distributors. If you have a historical laundry image to share, please send a jpeg of it to michelle@coinlaundry.org.

June 17, 2010

The Coin Laundry Association realizes that it would not be where it is today without the long-time support of the industry’s manufacturers and distributors. We thank the following for their sponsorship of our 50th Anniversary Celebration.

Diamond-Level Sponsors:

Platinum-Level Sponsors:

April 27, 2010

Lionel Bogut, California laundry owner and publisher of Coin Laundry News, shares his memories of the Coin Laundry Association’s early days.

March 31, 2010

Long before the Coin Laundry Association offered DIY Direct: CLA’s Laundry Advertising Solution, the association placed a consumer ad. Now, CLA members have access to professional, pre-formatted print ads, postcards and door hangers through DIY Direct. All advertising materials can be customized, printed and mailed – directly from your computer.

March 17, 2010

Celebrating 50 Years: An Interview with Long-Time CLA Member Byron Alsop

The CLA speaks with Virginia member Byron Alsop about his 30 years of experience with the association as a store-owner member. Click here to listen.

March 3, 2010

The images below are courtesy of Neil Polifka, Parts Distributors. If you have a historical laundry image to share, please send a jpeg of it to michelle@coinlaundry.org.

February 17, 2010

Thoughts on CLA’s Anniversary

You might say I was in on the birth of the association that became the Coin Laundry Association, the NALCC.

I was on the staff of the American Institute of Laundering, headquartered in Joliet, Ill.

This was an old, established association started in 1884 with the bulk of its members doing what was called “family laundry.” Households would routinely send out the laundry to be done for a modest sum, before the days of the automatic washer and dryer.

Coin laundries in the 1950s were mainly owned by investors, often doctors or lawyers, and these owners saw the advantage of professional advice. They tried to join the AIL and were refused admission by the board of directors.

I worked in the membership services department, which was headed by Ward Gill. The attitude of the board was very frustrating to Ward, who tried to persuade it that creating a special class of membership for this growing segment of the industry would not only bring in new revenue but also strengthen the association.

Unfortunately, his ideas were rejected.

As a former Army officer, Ward was used to taking action when he saw a good cause. He resigned from AIL and, with a group of suppliers and coin laundry owners, formed the NALCC. He was a strong leader who had all the experience necessary to set up the new association and manage its early trade shows. His NALCC was the future, and AIL was mired in the past. It has now been folded into the DLI and disappeared, except for some photos on the wall.

Congratulations on your 50th anniversary. I have followed the progress of the CLA over the years and believe it has remained on the cutting edge of technology and value-for-money as an association from 1960 to 2010.

January 29, 2010

Taking a quick look back at the association’s beginnings, this post includes the incorporation papers as well as a photo of the officers and staff at the time. Does anyone look familiar?

January 20, 2010

The Coin Laundry Association is celebrating a significant anniversary throughout 2010 – 50 years of service to the laundry industry. This anniversary blog will contain contributions from early founders and association partners, photographs and a few surprises along the way. You are invited to post your memories of CLA and personal stories below.

To get things started on the right foot, we’re introducing our special logo for this year. You’ll see it on the CLA’s Web site and on printed materials from the association throughout the year. This design eked out a win by two votes in our online poll!