Oregon Dry Cleaners Association

Wow! Let me say that again, WOW! What a convention!  If you missed this one you missed a really, really, really good one.

I was so fortunate to have a wonderful and very hard working convention committee.  Brian Olson as Chairman did an outstanding job orchestrating the convention. (Some people may say he micro-managed it), but for me, that was just perfect.  He told me what to do and when to do it, but not how to do it.  He left the words for me to furnish.  The other members of the committee, Leslie Kettenhofen and Karen Shinabery were right there assisting in all manner of ways both before and during the convention.  Thank you again.

Here are a few highlights:  Steve LaCesa an independent insurance agent gave a wonderful presentation on how to prepare IN ADVANCE of a “disaster”.  The disaster could be one of many different things, from a break-in, to water pipes breaking, a delivery van being in an accident or acts of nature.  We got a wonderful handout to help us evaluate our current insurance along with questions to ask our insurance agent to make sure we are covered.  Thanks also to John Ledger from AOI for helping us better understand the ins and outs of the state legislature.  He took some of the mystery out of the workings of the legislature and reminded us that they are our representatives and encouraged us to go to Salem and meet them.   Dick De Zeeuw of DEQ brought us up to date on what’s happening with clean-ups, the availability of insurance monies, inspections and later did instruction for the free PERC Leak Detectors provided through a federal grant.  Lastly, Nora Nealis from National Cleaners Association gave us a very informative talk about “Company Spirit”, how to get it, how to keep it, and what to do with it.  She later sent, by e-mail, a confidential employee survey which is available in the NCA members section for you to use.  During the banquet she spoke on how all the national associations are getting together and filing a suit against the EPA regarding their latest requirements.

It was so much information to take in but also a lot of fun.  Westport Supply Company was so generous providing us with many products to give away throughout the day and evening along with Peterson Equipment Company, Cleaners Supply, Everett Childers of American Drycleaner, and Jack Ellison of Western Cleaner & Launderer. We had great vendors like LMT Distributions, R.R. Street & Company, Imagine Cleaners Online, Columbia Dry Cleaning Machines, HartCrowser, Peterson Equipment, and Westport Supply.

The 40^th annual Tom Mosher award was given to Kathey Butters of Butters & Associates.  Kathey has been president of ODCA two times, owned and operated a cleaner in Salem before retiring and now travels around the state providing training to owners, managers and staff members.  She is also available to help out the plant owner who finds themselves with a serious staff shortage.  She has experience using three different solvents, serves on the DEQ Advisory Committee and is an active volunteer in her home town of Salem.  Congratulations Kathey!

There was so much going on it was hard to find time to just talk with other business owners which is one of my favorite things about convention.  Networking and gleaning new ideas from fellow cleaners. 

The venue was good, food plentiful, rooms nice and the staff was swell.

At the membership and board meeting a new board and district directors were elected, more about them next month.  Our Treasurer Gary Campbell gave our financial report, Webmaster Leslie Kettenhofen gave an in depth update on our website and beginning plans for next year were discussed.

It was a very full weekend and I had the pleasure of overseeing the whole event.  We had new members attending and also saw some long time members joining us this year. 

Be sure to plan your schedule so you can attend next year’s convention which is already in the planning.  I can’t tell you what will be happening but I do know for sure that it will be great and well worth your time.

That’s it for now and you will hear from me one more time next month!

Do you have engaged employees? You might think you know the answer but Nora Nealis, Executive Director of the National Cleaners Association (NCA), presented a program at the Oregon Dry Cleaners Association’s (ODCA) convention on “Company Spirit” and most likely you don’t.  Nora shared how an engaged employee verses an unengaged employee effects the atmosphere in the work place and that effect reaches all the way to the bottom line. Nora also explained the steps to create an engaged employee. It is a process but defiantly do-able, and in the end can be very profitable. Convention attendees’ also received a follow-up email from Nora with a “Confidential Employee Survey” to get them started. The program was well presented; Nora is a dynamic speaker with practical ideas. Most importantly Nora doesn’t just talk about “Company Spirit”, NCA practices it. Oregon NCA members experienced it just recently when Vivian, an NCA staff member, called to check on them after hearing on the news the storms hitting in Oregon. Now that’s what I call an engaged employee!