Hello, Dry Cleaners; this is Bruce Grossman from EZtimers Manufacturing. Since Lester Holt and Sean Hannity had prior engagements, John somehow maneuvered me into sharing my impressions and becoming your ONE TIME, SINGLE USE on-the-scene correspondent, covering the recent Dry Cleaning and Laundry Expo West show in Las Vegas. My impressions are going to be more from a vendor than an attendee. Since I was staffing my own Fixit-Academy booth and presenting two seminars, time for schmoozing and observation was limited, so to all of you who were not mentioned explicitly in my observations, my apologies ahead of time.
At last, a real equipment show! Having observed and participated in far more of these events than I’d like to admit, the Expo West had the retro feel of yesteryear’s great dry cleaning equipment shows. Several moving parts must work harmoniously for an equipment show to succeed, and the desire to attend is most important. The hunger for an actual equipment show was a significant factor in stimulating this show’s excellent attendance. Expo West was the type of show where the latest technologies and machinery were unveiled, many being displayed “LIVE” in actual operation. Additionally, Las Vegas is a fun venue offering “the good life” outside the show.
Providing free admission surely enhanced attendance. Most folks, including myself, would gladly trade a free buffet in exchange for low to no-cost admission. Having no admission fee was likely the reason I had the opportunity to speak with so many plant owners who brought along their staff, and those staff members are the people who operate and maintain the equipment being displayed.
Live action featuring operating equipment was indeed crowd magnets. Whenever I had the opportunity to look down the aisle, the big four of finishing, Unipress, Sankosha, Forenta, and Hi-Steam, were busy “steaming full speed ahead” (sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun), entertaining large crowds with their machinery IN ACTION. Richard Reese, Jim Groshans from Unipress, Ken Park, and Bud Bakker from Sankosha stopped by my booth to chat. Everyone seemed delighted with the show and commented on the size of the crowd, especially the high level of interest.
Despite my best efforts, there wasn’t sufficient opportunity for me to visit at any length with the cleaning machine manufacturers. However, I did meet Union Machinery’s Vic Williams in passing, and when asked to sum up his impression of the folks in attendance, I believe his word was “Enthusiastic.”
Vendors in the small fry category, like my Fixit-Academy and EZtimers Manufacturing, were almost continuously engaged. Intrest in the Fixit-Academy concept of learning machinery repair was intense, and the products from the EZtimers Manufacturing side of my operations sold well. Sales of my newest product, the Tattler IV steam trap tester, were especially brisk. On my right, Cobblers Direct and EZ Products International were being kept busy explaining their wares to interested potential customers. Zestos to my left and down the aisle and were also kept engaged. Likely, their approach to energy savings was spurring lots of interest. Across from me, Kelly Kelleher of Western States Design was doing her usual excellent job explaining the Milnor washer line to enthusiastic potential customers. Randy Barnett from Covers Etc. was busily engaged describing how his services will improve finishing productivity, quality, and customer satisfaction.
As to my observations on Expo West from a speaker’s perspective, I was honored to be chosen to present two workshops on steam traps and gratified to find the audience attentive. I enjoyed interacting more personally with audience members rather than on an instructor-student level. The
many questions and comments during and after the workshops reinforce my commitment to the Fixit- Academy, founded to teach the skills necessary for simple dry cleaning and laundry equipment repairs.
For the finale, to the Southwest Drycleaners Association and the California Cleaners Association, the two organizations that partnered to produce this excellent show, BRAVO WELL DONE! My personal thanks and gratitude to Liz Williams and Leslie Schaffer, who were instrumental in organizing and managing this event. They have also patiently endured my many inquiries while preparing for this and other equipment shows.
