Clean Brands, the parent company of Martinizing Cleaners, Lapels Cleaners, 1-800- DryClean, Pressed4Time and Dry Cleaning Station, has launched its new Clean Exit program that provides existing, unaffiliated drycleaning and laundromat owners with an exit strategy. Clean Brands, which has more than 400 companies operating in 40 states and seven countries worldwide, plans to acquire existing companies, provide branding and appropriate systems and technology, utilize existing management, and ultimately match ownership to a new franchisee.
“We are building this new division with the goal of offering a business with an already established cash flow to an incoming franchise owner with the operations and marketing support of a franchise system that has been around for 75 years. It’s really the best of both worlds for an aspiring owner,” said Kevin duBois, CEO of Clean Brands. “We speak to many people that are looking to exit corporate America and take their financial future into their own hands, but don’t want to endure the ramp-up phase. With this new initiative, we can provide exactly that!”
Joseph Hebeka, recently hired as vice president of franchise re-development for Clean Brands, will head the program. He entered the drycleaning industry in 1997 and eventually became the owner/operator of Belding Cleaners in Grosse Pointe Park, MI. Hebeka grew his Belding Group to three stores and multiple delivery routes through several acquisitions.
“I’ve been in this industry for a long time. I love it, and I believe in it,” Hebeka said. “As an operator, I understand what so many are going through as they look for an exit plan. I’ve been on both sides and have empathy for potential sellers. I also have experience in evaluating stores, acquiring them, seeing what needs to be done and improved upon, and working with the existing management team or hiring new staff altogether.”
Adding to Hebeka’s experience is the backing of the powerful 75-year-old Martinizing brand, which was recently ranked the number one drycleaner in the nation by Newsweek magazine.
The magazine’s America’s Best of the Best 2024 rankings were identified from the results of an independent survey of more than 24,000 U.S. customers who have either made purchases, used services, or gathered information about products or services in the past three years. The top picks for dycleaning included: 1) Mar-tinizing dry Cleaning with a total 84.43 score; 2) Zips drycleaners with a total 83.89 score; and 3) Tide dry Cleaners with a total 79.09 score.
For those interested in learning more about the Clean Brands’ Clean Exit program, visit online at www.cleanfran-chisebrands.com/cleanexit.