Ace Cleaners, North Andover

TURI provided a matching grant to Ace Cleaners in North Andover, Massachusetts, to help the small business convert its operations from perchloroethylene-based to water-based processes.

The analysis of two years of data shows that during its first year of operation as a wet cleaner, Ace Cleaners saved $1,844 and reduced electricity use by 15%. Download the case study for more details.

With a TURI $17,000 matching grant, Ace Cleaners purchased a new washer, dryer, and two pieces of tensioning equipment. The 2,300 square foot facility was fully operational as a dedicated wet cleaning facility by November of 2010.

The facility, owned by Angela and Yong Kim, operates with the same number of employees (four full-time-equivalents) as when it was a perc-shop, though one part-time person was hired to assist with shirt pressing. The facility cleans an average of 150 items per day using laundry equipment and about 120 items per day using professional wet cleaning equipment.