b'FEATUREWhat If There Were No Clean Show?By Don Desrosiers, Tailwind SystemsA DECADE OR TWO AGO, HIGH-LEVEL COST GROUPS SO WHO NEEDS A CLEAN SHOW RIGHT?WERE MORE POPULAR THAN THEY ARE NOW. The No way. highestprofileonesweremadeupofthetoptier This will never work. For several reasons. drycleaners nationwide, even worldwide. They would 1. Everyplantisdifferent.Whatisgoodforonemeet annually at exotic locales such as Sydney and operator could be completely wrong for another. IfMaui. I knew many of the members. I couldnt help a peer buys a POS system thats great for them andwondering why groups like this lost their momentum they tell you so, it could be awful for you. Onlysome years ago. Was it a signal indicating the end of the the Clean Show affords you the opportunity to seeindustry?Was it a way to show apathy on the part of them all. 2. People dont like to admit that they made a mistake.the worlds biggest players?Or were these big players Its sad to say, but if someone buys something theybecoming more reclusive?Something was changing.wish they had not bought, they often dont admitI talked to a few members. I shouldve guessed what it. If its the worse thing ever, theyd probably tellwas happening. It was simple. Annual get togethers and you but if its just mediocre they will tell you thatmeetingsandconventionswerereplacedatavery their purchase was a fine one. Youre liable to makeconvenient time. Piece counts were down, sales were the same mistake. Only the Clean Show affords youdown, money was tight but the Internet was free and so the opportunity to see all your choiceswasemail.Electronictransmissions,Skype,digital 3. Lastly, the person you ask may not have done theirownduediligencethemselves.Theymightnotphotography - you could do virtually anything with known what else out there either.yourpeers.Mauiisgreat,butifthegoalreallyis Nothing will ever replace the Clean Show. business, it can be done electronically. So, at one time, you needed to go to a Clean Show to Don Desrosiers has been in the drycleaning and shirt laundering business sinceinvestigate a new drycleaning machine, shirt unit, or 1978. He is a workflow engineer and a management consultant who providesserves to shirt launderers and drycleaners in the United States, Mexico, andpants topper. That morphed into getting information western Europe through Tailwind Systems. He is a member of the Society ofaboutequipmentandotherimprovementsand Professional Consultants and the 2001 recipient of DLIs Commitment toProfessionalism Award. He can be reached at 186 Narrow Avenue, Westport,upgrades from your peer groups.Now it just takes an MA 02790 or at his office by fax (508) 636-8839; by cell (508) 965-3163;email:Hey Joe. I know you just bought a shirt unit. ore-mailattailwindsystems@charter.net.Hehasawebsiteatwww.tailwindsystems.com. The authors views are his own and do notNow I need one. Is that the way to go? represent official Drycleaning & Laundry Institute positions. THIRD QUARTER 2019 27'