From the Dependability People commercial Volume 51 Number 2 Wisconsin Maytagequipped laundry sees double-digit increases since opening! Bay View Maytag Laundromat Owners Steven and Janet Ste. Marie Visit mclaundry.com for digital brochures or for more information visit our website at MaytagCommercialLaundry.com
Cover Story WISCONSIN Maytagequipped laundry owners embrace new technology; reduce utility expenses to approximately 15% of sales 2 MAYTAG COMMERCIAL MERCHANDISER
Cover Story Steven Ste. Marie believes in looking at the bright side of things. Even though the economy has been in a slump, people living on Milwaukee s South Side thought he was out of his mind to consider putting a brand-new Maytag-equipped laundry on a busy corner, just two doors down from an old, run-down laundry. But he decided to go ahead anyway and he hasn t been disappointed with the results. I location, said owner believed in the idea that we could do well at this Steven Ste. Marie. I studied the traffic patterns in the streets and on the sidewalks. One time during a blizzard I sat in my car and counted more than a dozen pedestrians in an hour passing by the empty store front, even more on bicycles and this was when the snow was piled high. The neighborhood where the laundry is located is undergoing a renaissance. It is being transformed from a place that was less desirable to live to a trendy, upscale area for young professionals and students attending nearby colleges and universities. There are dozens of apartment buildings in the area. Many of them have been renovated over the past few years. A large number of college students live in those apartments and most provide little or no on-site laundry equipment, he pointed out. He purchased a vintage 9,800- sq.-ft. building on the corner of Kinnickinnic Ave. and Homer, two miles from downtown Milwaukee, and carved out 3,500-sq.-ft. for the laundry. Since there was a basement under the first floor, I had to tear out the old wooden floor joists and replace them with steel to support the laundry equipment, he said. That floor will be there a hundred years from now. The Bay View Maytag-equipped Laundromat opened in August of 2009 and, according to the owner, it s been going great ever since. July 2010 was our best month ever, and August was even better. We ve experienced double-digit increases for several months. We have considerable pricing power, raising prices several times already without a murmur from customers. Milwaukee is planning a water rate increase soon and I may have to again look at raising prices. According to Ste. Marie, one of the best decisions he made was to install Maytag Commercial Laundry equipment and to utilize the services and expertise provided by Bill Doerner of Great Lakes Commercial Sales, the Maytag Commercial Laundry Distributor serving the area. I love the Maytag equipment. It s the Cadillac of the industry and Bill and the Great Lakes team are the best in the state. I couldn t have done this big of a project without them. Open daily from 6:00 a.m. to MAYTAG COMMERCIAL MERCHANDISER 3
Cover Story The Bay View Maytag Laundromat is equipped with six Maytag 30-lb. multi-load washers priced at $3.25 a load. According to the owner, approximately 15 to 20 percent of customers upgrade to the Super or Ultimate Cycle options. 10:00 p.m., the store features two Maytag 60-lb. front-load washers priced at $6.25 ($6.75 Super Cycle/$7.25 Ultimate Cycle); six Maytag 30-lb. front-load washers at $3.25 ($3.75 Super Cycle/$4.25 Ultimate Cycle); 35 Maytag high-efficiency frontload washers at $2.00 ($2.25 Super Cycle); 10 Maytag top-load washers at $2.00; two Maytag 75-lb. multi-load dryers at $2.50 for 36 minutes of dry time; and 10 Maytag 30-lb. stack dryers at 25 cents for 8 minutes of dry time. He estimates 15 to 20 percent of customers upgrade to the Super or Ultimate Cycles. When he heard the cost of utilities for a typical laundry usually runs in the range of 20 to 25 percent of volume, he took this as a challenge to make certain his store did better. I kid you not, our utility expenses now run closer to 15 percent, he said, primarily because The 10 Maytag Energy Advantage 30-lb. stack dryers are priced at 25 for 8 minutes of dry time. 4 MAYTAG COMMERCIAL MERCHANDISER
Cover Story I love the Maytag equipment. It s the Cadillac of the industry and Bill Doerner and the team from Great Lakes Commercial Sales are the best in the state. I couldn t have done this big of a project without them. Steven Ste. Marie of the advanced energy-saving technology we built in to this store, from the Maytag Energy Advantage equipment to the lighting and monitoring system. One example is sensors in the ceiling that automatically dim the lights when no customer traffic is detected. When a customer comes in the lights turn up, he said. The store is monitored by remote camera surveillance, and there is a web-based thermostat system for temperature control, even fan speed. I can monitor what s happening in the laundry from any remote location where I have access to a PC or PDA, he said. He even opens the store and locks it at night using automatic door locks. In addition, he made certain the building was insulated from top to bottom to achieve maximum efficiency. The new Maytag equipment, especially the Maytag dryers, are great energy savers in themselves, he pointed out. The store offers two flat-panel TVs, study areas with free wireless Internet, a children s play area and a row of video, snack and soft-drink vending machines. I included energy- and sports-drink dispensing machines. These items alone have tripled my drink sales and boosted our profit margin. There s also an ATM, two bill changers and an eightcolumn soap vender. The owners held a Grand Opening with door prizes, a clown and reduced pricing, which they promoted in newspaper ads, flyers and signage. We want to support the neighborhood, especially events like team sponsorships and the local Neighborhood Association, he said. We also conduct a periodic drawing for gift cards and prizes, as a reward to frequent customers and to generate fun and excitement. Before deciding to open the To accommodate extra-large loads, the store offers two Maytag 75-lb. multi-load dryers priced at $2.50 for 36 minutes of dry time. Steven and Janet Ste. Marie worked closely with Bill Doerner (left) of Great Lakes Commercial Sales on planning and equipping the laundry. MAYTAG COMMERCIAL MERCHANDISER 5
Cover Story store, both he and his wife held full-time jobs. His wife continues to hold hers but he is now devoted full-time to the laundry and managing rental properties. The building houses the Maytag-equipped laundry as well as a retail shoe store, a furniture restoration business and an 1,800-sq.-ft. fitness center owned by a fireman. The fitness center is used primarily by police and fire department personnel. We haven t had any security problems, being right next door to a firehouse and because there s usually a police squad car or two in the area, he said. Operating a business of his own has been a lifetime dream for Steve. When I m in the laundry, which is often, I like to meet the customers, ask them how we re doing and use the feedback to make their experience even better. He s considered opening another store but premium locations like the one he found in the Milwaukee neighborhood aren t easy to find. When it comes to success in this business, the old real estate adage of location, location, location should be kept uppermost in mind, he concluded. US Capital Corporation provided equipment financing assistance for this project. The Maytag Mix 10 35 6 2 10 2 Maytag Top-Load Washers: $2.00 a load Maytag High-Efficiency Washers: $2.00 a load ($2.25 Super Cycle) Maytag 30-lb. Washers: $3.25 a load ($3.75 Super Cycle) Maytag 60-lb. Washers: $6.25 a load ($6.75 Super Cycle) Maytag 30-lb. Stack Dryers 25 for 8 minutes of dry time Maytag 75-lb. Dryers $2.50 for 36 minutes of dry time 6 MAYTAG COMMERCIAL MERCHANDISER
Maytag Sign Identification Program THE SIGN OF GOOD THINGS TO COME Put the power of the Maytag brand to work for you With more than 100 years in the business, Maytag products are well known for dependability and performance. If your laundry is Maytag-equipped, consider taking full advantage of the powerful Maytag brand name with high-impact exterior signs. Available in a variety of sizes and configurations, these signs were designed by professionals in identification and graphics to capture attention 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For complete details on Maytag s newly redesigned sign program, contact the Maytag Commercial Laundry Distributor serving your area. Maytag surveys indicate customers actively seek out coin laundries equipped with Maytag machines. Single-Face Flush Wall Mount or Double-Face Pole Mount Standard Sizes: 2'6" x 6' (Wall Mount Only) 4' x 8' 4' x 9' 5' x 10' 6' x 12' Channel Letters Standard Sizes/Options: 3'3" x 10'3" Lighted Channel Letters with Raceway 3'3" x 10'3" Lighted Channel Letters 3'3" x 10'3" Non-Lighted Channel Letters Single-Face Flush Wall Mount Standard Sizes: 2' x 8' 3' x 12' Custom sizes available for all options shown Custom face replacement and built-to-order sizes available on a per quote basis. Contact your Maytag Commercial Laundry Distributor for information and pricing. Interior Illuminated Window Display Signs Standard Sizes: 9" x 37.5" Single-Face Illuminated 12" x 49.5" Single-Face Illuminated MAYTAG COMMERCIAL MERCHANDISER 7
Wickenburg, Arizona Sunshine makes all the difference Maytag-equipped Arizona laundry greenest in the state! The new Maytag-equipped laundry operates out of a former branch bank office location and includes a drive-up for customers who want to drop-off and pick-up their laundry without getting out of the car. West Plaza Laundry Owner Darrel Stadel (right) worked closely with Coin & Professional Equipment Company s Mark Svancara on the project. Stadel points to the copper lines that bring solar-heated water to the heat exchangers on the back side of each the dryers. He estimates solar energy provides up to 75 percent of the energy needed to operate the dryers. 8 MAYTAG COMMERCIAL MERCHANDISER
Wickenburg, Arizona The West Plaza Laundry has 32 solar panels on the roof providing nearly 100 percent of the hot water for the washers and most of the energy needed to heat the 10 Maytag stack dryers using an engineering technique that forces hot water through heat exchangers installed into the back side of each dryer. Store Manager Debbie Jordan spends a lot of her time educating customers on the advantages of using the energy-efficient Maytag washers and dryers. Darrel Stadel was raised in Topeka, Kan., in a family that believed in risk-taking. He carried that entrepreneurial heritage with him to Wickenburg, Ariz., and for the past 35 years has been everything from a real estate broker, to a car wash owner, property manager, homebuilder, remodeler and now the owner of a new green Maytag-equipped self-serve laundry. He also owns Wickenburg West Plaza, the town s premier open-air shopping center in the community of 5,082 residents, 52 miles northwest of Phoenix. He acquired the mall, anchored by Alco and CVS Pharmacy, in 2005 and has had no trouble keeping it full, despite the current economic downturn. He did have one 1,600-sq.-ft. end-cap space, a former branch bank, vacant in 2009 and because retail was so challenged at the time, he decided to put in a self-serve laundry but not just any laundry. He wanted a coin laundry that would be recognized as one the most environmentally clean and efficient in the nation. I follow trends and it s no secret the in trend for businesses these days is green operations, he said. I looked around for the most energy efficient and most progressive firm in the industry to help make my laundry the best. I interviewed several firms and in the end chose Coin & Professional Equipment Co. (C-PEC), the Maytag Commercial Laundry Distributor in this area, to help with the equipment selection and design of the store. Dave Svancara and his son, Mark, have been invaluable it helping me get this laundry up and running. I couldn t have done it without them. Opened in November of 2009, West Plaza Laundry has 32 solar panels on the roof providing nearly l00 percent of the hot water for the washers and most of the energy needed to heat the 10 Maytag stack dryers using an engineering technique that forces hot water through heat exchangers installed into the back side of each dryer. We use natural gas to initially bring the dryers up to operating temperature and once the heat exchangers reach peak efficiency the gas cuts off and the dryers operate 100 percent from energy coming from the solar panels, said Stadel. I estimate we save as much as 75 percent of the natural gas we d normally use to heat the dryers and 90 percent or more of the gas we would use to heat hot water for the MAYTAG COMMERCIAL MERCHANDISER 9
Wickenburg, Arizona Dave Svancara and his son, Mark, have been invaluable it helping me get this laundry up and running. I couldn t have done it without them. Darrel Stadel The West Plaza Laundry offers eight ENERGY STAR qualified Maytag high-efficiency front-load washers at $2.25 a load ($2.50 with Super Cycle). washers. I m guessing we re one of the most energy- and cost-efficient self-serve laundries in the nation in terms of costs of utilities. He hastens to point out such savings couldn t be achieved in colder and cloudier climates, since we re blessed here with sunshine almost every day of the year. It s abundant and it s free. Wickenburg was named in 1868 for a gold miner, Henry Wickenburg, who struck it rich in the mountainous area. The year-round population is officially 5,082 but nearly doubles in the winter months when the snowbirds arrive to take advantage of the weather that reaches in the 80s from January through May. Initially, I didn t recognize how important these seasonal travelers would be to our business, said Stadel. Customers often have to wait for machines in the wintertime but the summer is slower. That s why we re advertising quite a bit right now to make sure the locals know that we re here and how environmentally friendly and convenient this store really is. When he began planning the laundry there were two other older self-serve stores in the community. One closed before his new store opened and the other is located two miles away. We tell everyone it costs no more to do laundry here and it s better for the environment. The word is quickly getting around. There s no extra cost to customers to go totally green, adds Debbie Jordan, store manager since it opened. My primary job is to help people understand the advantages, both in saving money and getting a better wash, when using the frontload washers instead of top-load machines that most of them have used all their lives. A lot of our customers are older and have never used a front-load washer. When they come in they invariably head toward the top-load machines. I ll visit with them and before long they ll try the frontloaders and be delighted with the results. But it does take effort to re-educate them. She also manages the laundry s drop-off service, which is growing in popularity. We run a 99-centa-pound special and also have a canopy-covered drive-up for people to drop-off and pick-up their laundry. They don t even have to get out of the car. We deliver it to them. Stadel says he expects volume to continue to improve. We have a diverse population here, with lots of renters and people living in mobile home parks. Most don t have laundry 10 MAYTAG COMMERCIAL MERCHANDISER
Wickenburg, Arizona The 10 Maytag Energy Advantage 30-lb. stack dryers are priced at 25 for 8 minutes of dry time. For extra-large items, the store offers two Maytag 75-lb. dryers. Owner Darrel Stadel (right) chats with C-PEC s Mark and Dave Svancara, owners of the Maytag Commercial Laundry distributorship serving Arizona from offices in Phoenix and Tucson. facilities at home. This is an agricultural area, so we have a lot of rural people come to town for services. With our giant capacity Maytag washers and dryers we attract customers with comforters and blankets and other bulky items that won t fit into the smaller equipment they have in their homes. Amenities include two TV monitors, hot and cold beverage vending, snack machine, men s and women s restrooms, an eight-column soap vender, two change machines and tables and chairs for relaxing. The store is open 7 days a week, 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., with the last load in by 8:00 p.m. Like most business people, Stadel is concerned with the economy, but remains optimistic. I ve been around long enough to know things do come back. With the efficiencies and technology built into this store, I m confident we re well positioned for future success. He points to the busy West Wickenburg Way highway that runs along the front of his shopping mall. That highway used to be the main road that folks traveled from Phoenix to Los Angeles and vice-versa. When the Interstate opened, business owners figured it was the end of the line for them. But look at the traffic out there today. Busier than ever. It just takes a little faith. Maytag multi-load washers help attract non-traditional customers looking to wash items such as bedspreads, comforters and other items too large for home laundry machines. The Maytag Mix 7 8 4 3 10 2 Maytag Top-Load Washers: $1.75 a load ($2.00 Super Cycle) Maytag High-Efficiency Washers: $2.25 a load ($2.50 Super Cycle) Maytag 40-lb. Washers: $5.00 a load ($5.50 Super Cycle) Maytag 50-lb. Washers: $7.00 a load ($7.75 Super Cycle) Maytag 30-lb. Stack Dryers: $0.25 for 8 Minutes of Dry Time Maytag 50-lb. Multi-Load Dryers: $1.00 for 24 Minutes of Dry Time US Capital Corporation provided equipment financing assistance for this project. MAYTAG COMMERCIAL MERCHANDISER 11
To find the independent Maytag Commercial Laundry Distributor serving your area, visit MaytagCommercialLaundry.com and click the Distributor Locator link. Commercial Merchandiser Froehlich Communications, Inc. 309 Court Avenue, Suite 234 Des Moines, Iowa 50309 Financing as low as 3.99% Fixed * on Maytag Commercial LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT Limited Time Why wait? Now is a great time to upgrade to new Maytag Commercial washers and dryers. Act now for low fixed rate financing, plus take advantage of potential year-end Section 179 tax deductions ** up to $500,000, disability access tax credits ** up to 50%, the best warranty in the business and significant utility savings that can put more money in your pocket month after month. Act now for year-end savings and HOT RATES! Contact your local Maytag Commercial Laundry Distributor or call U.S. Capital Corporation at 1-866-374-0722 for complete details. * Rate effective as of November 1, 2010. 3.99% Fixed for 12-month term. 24-, 36-, 48-, 60-, 72- and 84-month terms available. Minimum 3+ years business ownership required. Replacement and expansion equipment purchases eligible for finance promotion. Financing for newer owners and start up laundry projects available. Subject to credit approval and individual s creditworthiness. Restrictions apply. See distributor for details. Offer valid for a limited time and subject to change. **Not all taxpayers are eligible for these deductions and tax credits. Consult with your tax advisor before making decisions based on this information. Published by Maytag for owners of Maytag Commercial Laundry equipment in the United States, Canada and foreign countries. For further information or address changes, write Froehlich Communications, Inc., 309 Court Avenue, Suite 234, Des Moines, IA 50309. Registered Trademark/ Trademark of Maytag Corporation or its related companies. Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.