1. Can you please share with us your current position/job and profile of the organization you work for?
Executive Director of the Canadian Fabricare Association, an association of textile care professionals who adhere to a code of ethics and are environmentally responsible.
2. In which countries and market sectors of Professional Textile Care did you work and did you gained experiences?
Canada and the United States
3. Could you please describe the most important characteristics and trends of the current PTC markets in terms of customer/market demand characteristics and trends?
Change in direction of concentrating on the 20% of customers who represent 80% of the total sales.
4. What do you see as the most important success factors for today’s PTC companies?
Concentrating on providing quality cleaning and high-end service to customers.
5. What are your organization objectives and when would you consider your organization to be successful?
Grow membership and get government recognition of our concern about regulations that msy csuse an undue hardship to cleaners across Canada.
6. What do you consider the most important future demands of clients in PTC markets?
They expect professional cleaning and pressing of their garments and returned on time.
7. What are key issues for the PTC companies to fulfill future demands of clients and PTC markets?
Educating customers that those expectations of quality cleaning and service come with a corresponding fee for service.
8. How important is sustainability / circularity for your current business performance and what do you do to improve your performance as an organization?
Provide customers with information that answers their concerns about getting their clothes back on time and cleaned properly by environmentally concerned cleaners.
9. Do you see sustainability as an important driver for (new) business or as a factor for saving costs?
Advising your customers that your system meets current regulations and reduces the need for causing environmental concerns for future generations.
10. Do you see technical innovation as a key factor to enhance your business performance, and what technologies are essential to provide sustainable and profitable PTC services in the future?
Employing new technology as it is developed and incorporating it in your production and reduction of use of solvents, water, detergents, etc.
11. What do you see as the most important innovations of the (near) future and how do you believe these innovations will change the way the industry operates?
New wet cleaning technology already has reduced the number of cleaners using solvents but finding solutions to new problems such as microplastics that may affect our cleaning systems needs to be addressed.
12. According to many publications, a transformation of the PTC industry towards more customer and IT driven processing, is seen as essential to be successful in the future. What is your policy to adapt your business/service model to changing market demands?
Cleaners are already being advised on how AI can assist them in production, as well as other factors in operating their business.
13. We have seen an enormous increase in scale of operation of PTC companies. Do you see there will be attractive opportunities also for the more smaller companies and what is needed for small companies to be successful?
Concentrating on providing quality cleaning, pressing and top-notch service will allow smaller companies to be successful.
14. How do you feel the PTC industry can take more market share in the markets of textile cleaning, compared to domestic washing?
Promoting contracting out the chores of home washing, ironing, wash/dry/fold and showing customers that they can spend more family time or recreation.
15. What do you see as major opportunities for the professional laundry and cleaning industry for the longer term future?
Diversification including purchasing and operating laundromats, looking for new businesses such as cleaning and pressing for retail clothing stores, distributors, etc.
16. What do you see as major threats for the PTC industry in the coming years?
Continuous negative stories about the cleaning industry and headlines for a cleaner that did not follow regulations and caused a major spill, etc.
17. What would you say industry (inter-)national associations should do to support the PTC industry professionally, now and in the future?
Promote through social media and the press that proper cleaning extends the life of a garment and reduces the footprint of discarded garments.
18. What is your vision on the future perspective of the industry?
For those cleaners who follow regulations, provide quality cleaning and service, treat their employees and customers with respect will be successful.
19. What is your key-message to your professional PTC colleagues for now and in the future?
Continue to learn more about your industry, visit trade shows and look for innovation that can help your business, attend conferences and listen and learn.
—— Mr. Sidney H. Chelsky
