With pleasure we like to contribute to the Global Professional Textile Care Strategy Study. I currently serve as Executive Director and Chief AI Officer of the National Cleaners Association (NCA) in the United States. Founded in 1946, the NCA is one of the longest-standing professional textile care associations and supports garment care professionals through education, certification programs, operational guidance, and industry advocacy.

Our members represent a wide range of businesses across the garment care sector, from independent cleaners to larger multi-location operations. The association focuses on helping these businesses strengthen their operations, improve customer service, and adapt to the changing demands of the textile care marketplace.

Navigating Modernization

Over the past several years, much of my work has focused on helping the industry navigate modernization. Like many traditional service industries, professional textile care is experiencing significant operational and technological change. To support this transition, I developed what I call the SmartCare Operating System, a framework designed to help garment care businesses integrate operational systems, technology tools, and intelligent decision support while maintaining the craftsmanship that defines our profession. In practice, SmartCare gives operators a structured path to assess their current readiness, identify operational gaps, and adopt technology in phases rather than all at once.

International Networking

While my primary experience is within the United States garment care market, I have begun engaging with global industry leaders through organizations such as CINET and through participation in international industry discussions and events. With professional textile care, my experience spans several sectors including retail dry cleaning, luxury garment care, textile finishing, alterations, specialty garment services, and restoration. Through the association, I also work closely with equipment manufacturers, chemical providers, technology developers, and insurance partners that support garment care businesses.

Changing Market Perspectives

From a market perspective, the professional textile care industry is currently experiencing several significant shifts. Customer expectations have evolved dramatically over the past decade. Today’s consumers expect convenience, communication, and transparency similar to other service industries. This includes delivery services, digital communication, and flexible service coordination.

Modern Textiles

At the same time, garments themselves have become more complex. Modern textiles frequently include performance fabrics, stretch materials, delicate embellishments, and technical blends that require specialized knowledge to maintain properly. This increases the value of professional expertise within the garment care industry.

Workforce

Another important challenge is workforce development. Skilled textile technicians are becoming harder to recruit in many regions, which places greater emphasis on training systems, knowledge transfer, and operational efficiency. At the same time, new technologies are beginning to reshape how garment care businesses operate. Digital plant management systems, customer communication platforms, and operational analytics tools are improving visibility into business performance and helping companies make better decisions.

Successful Companies

In my view, the most successful textile care companies today share several common characteristics. They operate with strong process discipline, maintain high standards of quality control, and prioritize customer experience. They also invest in technical knowledge, ensuring their teams understand fabrics, stain chemistry, and garment construction.

Increasingly, successful businesses also understand their operational data. Owners who track key metrics such as cost per piece, labor efficiency, and customer retention gain important insights that allow them to operate more effectively.

Strengthen businesses

The National Cleaners Association works to support these areas by providing education, certification programs, and practical operational guidance. Our goal is to help garment care professionals strengthen their businesses while maintaining the professional standards that define the industry. Success for our organization ultimately means that our members operate stronger businesses, deliver exceptional service, and remain competitive in a changing marketplace.

Further Perspective

Looking forward, I believe customers will continue to expect greater convenience, transparency, and reliability from garment care providers. Delivery services and digital communication will likely become increasingly common. At the same time, consumers will continue to value expertise in caring for complex and high-value garments.

Garment Preservation

As clothing becomes more specialized and expensive, professional textile care may increasingly be recognized not simply as cleaning, but as garment preservation. Professional cleaners help extend the life of garments, protect delicate fabrics, and maintain clothing that represents a significant investment for consumers.

Challenges

To meet these future demands, however, the industry must address several important challenges. Workforce shortages remain a concern in many markets, and the transfer of technical knowledge from experienced operators to the next generation will be critical.

Operational efficiency is another important issue. Many businesses still operate with limited visibility into their performance metrics, making it difficult to identify inefficiencies or opportunities for improvement.

AI Readiness Gap

Technology adoption also remains uneven. Many businesses recognize the importance of digital tools and emerging technologies but lack the operational systems needed to implement them effectively. I often refer to this challenge as the “AI Readiness Gap.” Before a business can benefit from artificial intelligence, it needs clean operational data, standardized workflows, and a baseline level of digital literacy among its team. Without these foundations, even the best technology tools will underperform. Closing this gap requires practical education, clear frameworks, and tools specifically designed for service-based businesses like garment care.

Minimizing Environmental Impact

Sustainability is also becoming an increasingly important topic for the industry, particularly as regulatory frameworks such as the European Union’s textile strategy and Extended Producer Responsibility initiatives create new expectations around garment lifecycle management. Professional textile care already contributes significantly to the circular textile economy by extending the life of garments. Every time a garment is professionally cleaned and maintained rather than discarded, the environmental impact of textile production is reduced.

Many businesses are investing in more efficient equipment, better solvent management, water conservation practices, and energy-efficient technologies. However, the industry still has an opportunity to better communicate its environmental contribution to consumers.

Sustainability can serve both as a cost efficiency strategy and as a business opportunity. Operational improvements can reduce energy and water usage, while stronger sustainability messaging may also attract environmentally conscious consumers.

Improved Workflow Management

Technical innovation will continue to play an important role in the future of professional textile care. Technologies that improve workflow management, customer communication, and operational analytics are already helping businesses become more efficient.

Artificial intelligence and advanced data tools may also help owners better understand their plant performance and identify opportunities for improvement. Importantly, these technologies should not replace the expertise of textile professionals, but rather support and enhance their work.

Innovations

Looking ahead, several innovations may significantly influence the industry. These include AI-supported operational tools, fabric identification technologies, digital plant management systems, and improved customer communication platforms.

These innovations will allow textile care professionals to focus more on the high-value aspects of their work, including garment expertise, stain removal, and customer service.

Business Opportunities

For smaller companies, there will continue to be strong opportunities in the market. Independent cleaners often have deep relationships with their customers and a strong understanding of their local communities. However, smaller businesses will benefit from improving operational visibility and adopting practical systems that help them manage their businesses more effectively.

Another important opportunity for the industry lies in educating consumers about the value of professional garment care. Many consumers underestimate the complexity of modern textiles and the risks associated with domestic washing. By emphasizing expertise in fabric care, stain removal, and garment preservation, the industry can strengthen its position relative to home laundering.

Looking further ahead, the professional textile care industry has several promising long-term opportunities. These include luxury garment care, restoration services, textile preservation, and delivery-based service models. As sustainability awareness grows and consumers seek to extend the life of their clothing, professional garment care may become even more relevant.

Further challenges

At the same time, the industry must remain aware of potential challenges. Labor shortages, rising operating costs, and regulatory complexity continue to affect many businesses. Another concern is the industry’s visibility. Many consumers are not fully aware of the expertise required for professional garment care.

Industry associations play a vital role in addressing these challenges. Associations provide education, research, technical guidance, and advocacy that help businesses navigate operational and regulatory issues. They also create opportunities for collaboration and knowledge sharing across the industry.

Optimistic View

Looking toward the future, I remain optimistic about the role of professional textile care. Our industry is built on expertise, precision, and trust. The next chapter of the industry will depend on how well we combine that craftsmanship with modern operational systems and intelligent technologies.

Preservation Service

Our opportunity is not simply to clean garments better, but to position professional garment care as a preservation service that extends the life of clothing, supports sustainability, and delivers consistent value to customers.

If we modernize our operations while protecting our professional standards, the professional textile care industry will not only remain essential, it will define what responsible garment stewardship looks like for the next generation.

Dawn Hargrove-Avery

Executive Director & Chief AI Officer

National Cleaners Association (NCA)