Charging Forward to the New Millennium The changes that have occurred in the Drycleaning Industry over this decade are not surprising but yet speak volumes of the tenacity and vision of our leadership at both the national and state levels of organization. New government regulations, greater competition and the fear of costly contamination cleanups have forced many smaller drycleaning operations to fall by the wayside or sell the business at sometimes less than anticipated value. At the same time, however, we often hear of new entrepreneurs entering the business and we see successful firms acquiring additional outlets and expanding their operations. Despite the risks and the trepidation associated with an uncertain future, the industry appears on the whole to be doing very well. For those drycleaners, there has been a realization that success is not achieved by bucking various trends or resisting the regulators, but rather by trying to seek meaningful accommodation and accepting that which has become the preferred and prevailing standard. The true leaders of our industry, notably in Wisconsin, have concluded that: Despite all protestation, certain government regulations are here to stay. Increasingly the public (our customers) are willing to travel a bit further and pay a higher price for top quality service and patronize that drycleaner who is taking steps to meet the very highest standards of environmental awareness and action. Affiliation with industry trade associations is a value-returned investment that sets apart the leaders from the followers; the winners from the also-rans. Accordingly, the Wisconsin Fabricare Institute (WFI) has strived, especially in recent years, to drive up the level of quality and professionalism of individual drycleaners and the industry through meaningful educational and informational programming. We have worked closely with government in a spirit of cooperation rather than confrontation to make regulatory mandates as painless as possible. And, we have ENCOURAGED drycleaners to be environmentally responsible and visibly proactive. Without the Wisconsin Fabricare Institute and its various partners like the International Fabricare Institute (IFI), the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and others, members of the industry would be fighting a lonely, futile and costly struggle to realize high degrees of profitability and respect, much less to survive. We're proud of our achievements and we're ready to meet the continuing and new challenges of the coming millennium. We hope you share our optimism and are planning to move forward with us. There's a bright sunset beyond that horizon! By Brian Swingle WFI Executive Director

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