Managing a Coin Laundry Business

What should you expect from your laundry equipment distributor?

Obviously, you get what you pay for.  The laundry equipment distributor is in the business of selling machines.  It is their livelihood!  However, what separates the “Great Laundry Distributors” from the average distributors is how they run and operate their business.  You will be investing a tremendous amount of time and money into building your coin-operated Laundromat and you want a “business partner” who will also act as a laundry consultant while looking out for your best interest.  This is a brand new venture in which you know very little about.  You will be investing hundreds of thousands of dollars (potentially your life savings) and this could be a recipe for disaster.  In the laundry industry, it is  rare in the current “cut-throat” business climate, but these “Great Distributors” do exist; all you have to do is look for them.  They will be more than happy to help you create the business of your dreams. 

The success of the Laundromat venture should be the driving motivation for both parties, not just the sale of equipment.  The “Great Distributor” is straight forward and honest and will indicate both the pros and cons of a situation.  Great Distributors will reveal the competition, provide demographics for the proposed store, and also show the potential pitfalls of the project.  In short, the Great Distributor is more interested in the success of your business, rather than just making a sale of equipment.  The definition of a "Great Distributor" is when a sales person will walk away from a bad location and forgo a big sale of laundry equipment instead of putting a customer in a marginal location.

Building a coin Laundromat business today is a lot harder than it was 40 years ago.  If all there was to opening a Laundromat was buying the equipment, then stores would be built from mail-order catalogs and the internet.  What you need today, is a distributor who can provide you with complete comprehensive services.  

Some of the characteristics of a great laundry equipment distributor are:

• Minimum of 10 years of experience serving your specific territory
• A real office & showroom (this shows an investment in the industry)
• A staff of service technicians (this shows that they service what they sell)
• A parts department (providing real access to parts to support your purchase)
• A list of satisfied customers.  Look for numerous repeat customers who have multiple Laundromats from that distributor
• Look for a distributor with an educational and comprehensive website
• Look for someone who has given back to the industry either in leadership (CLA) or in education (articles or videos)

There are many different types of equipment and many different types of distributors.

Here are a few services that HK provides for all of our customers:

• A FREE Laundromat site evaluation
• Assisting you with the Design & Layout of the store
• Demographics Analysis of the competition in the market place
• FREE Store Analysis & Revenue estimates
• Assisting you with his knowledge of store Construction, Building Codes, Permits, Layout, and Requirements of the Equipment
• Providing the Equipment the week you need it, (NOT 3 months before so you won't be paying your note while your equipment is still in its crate.)
• Providing a Complete and Quality Installation to the Manufacturer Specifications
• Provide in writing and stand behind the Equipment Manufacturer's Parts Warranty  (You paid for it when you bought the machine, your dealer should also honor it.)
• FREE Service Schools for our customers
• Factory trained Technicians to Service your Laundry Equipment, (This means competent, professionally trained mechanics who know the machines inside and out.)

There are laundry equipment distributors out there that will promise the world and always come up short.  As with everything today; it's “customer beware”.  Does the distributor have an office or do they work out of the house and their car?  Does the distributor have 10+ years of satisfied customers and suppliers? 

HK Laundry Equipment sincerely believes that it practices what it preaches.  We keep our promises!  Our success is clearly indicated by the fact that we have been involved in the new construction or renovation of over 1000 new Laundromats or renovations since 1967....not one of them is marginal....everyone is a success!

You now have all the information and 'trade secrets' to become a successful Laundromat owner. Now begins the hard work. Go out, drive around, and find yourself a location. Contact commercial real estate brokers and have them bird-dog locations for you.  Take this guide as a reference and see what other owners are doing. Visit coin-op owners, go to seminars and subscribe to the trade magazines, buy a book!

If you have a location in the New York or Connecticut area, Please give us a call for a Free Site Survey!

If you have any questions regarding Laundromats or locations, please feel free to call:

HK Laundry Equipment Inc.

Phone: 914-273-5757       

Toll Free: 800-229-457

 For More Information Frequently Asked Questions: