Duraclean Journal of Marketing, Management and Technical Topics

The first standings for the 2008 Sales Contest are posted. The standings are located under "Franchise News" at www.duracleanfranchise.com or you can use the following link: http://www.duracleanfranchise.com/news/news.htm

Congratulations to Al & Tammy Jankowski of Plover, Wisconsin. They had the highest increase for the first period and scored ten points. Way to go. There is still time for everyone to rack up those points.

If you have any questions regarding the sales contest please call Danielle at 800-251-7070 x120 or email at danielle@duraclean.com.

Good luck to everyone.

Labels: 2008 Annual Meeting, Sales Contest

Detailed program and hotel information for Duraclean's 78th Anniversary Annual Meeting is now available on Duraclean's website.

To view the program information and for links to the registration form and to the Paris Hotel's site, please go to the Franchise Meetings link at http://www.duracleanfranchise.com/meetings/meetings.htm

If you have any questions please call Danielle at Central at 800-251-7070 x 120 or email at danielle@duraclean.com

See you in Vegas!!

Labels: 2008 Annual Meeting

Can Any Alternate Fuels be used in HydraMaster Machines?

Following is a bulletin from HydraMaster.

With the increase of availability and interest in alternative fuels, there have been questions on what alternative fuels can be used in HydraMaster equipment. The short answer is “None”.

E85 is an ethanol based bio-fuel that can be used in specially equipped vehicles in place of gasoline. The fuel systems require sensors to identify the concentration of ethanol in the fuel and adjust the amount of fuel injected, the fuel to air rations with E85 is higher than with gasoline. The fuel systems also have to be made of materials that are not adversely affected by the corrosive nature of the methanol. Since the majority of our equipment is carbureted, E85 is not a recommended fuel.

Bio-diesel is another product that HydraMaster gets quite a few calls on and this is an alternative fuel that there are even more variations of. You can find anything from B1, 1% bio-fuel to 99% petroleum, to B100 which is 100% bio-fuel. The most prevalent are B5 and B20, 5% bio-fuel and 20% bio-fuel respectively. While commercial vehicle diesel fuel systems produced after 2002 are compatible with 20% concentrations of bio-fuel, Briggs and Stratton only recommends diesel fuel with a minimum of 40 Cetane, they specifically say, “Kerosene or any types of alternative fuels are not recommended”.

Labels: Fuel Recommendations, Hydramaster, Truck Mount

Bill Ondratschek, Vice President of Franchise Operations, is congratulated by Vince Caffarello, Duraclean International, Inc. President

On April 21, 2008 Bill Ondratschek celebrated his 25th anniversary as a Duraclean employee. In 1983 Bill was hired as "Technical & Training Services Manager" and reported directly to Research & Development Manager Dick Hughes.

Bill came from a background of public education having spent nine years as a sixth grade teacher in Schaumburg, Illinois. He then worked in the drafting/engineering department of Kay-Ray, Inc. in Arlington Heights, IL. Kay-Ray provided equipment that monitored manufacturing and storage processes primarily in the food and petroleum industries. Bill worked with the company engineers on drawing the systems that were designed for specific customer applications.

Wanting a more physically active job experience away from the drafting desk Bill then moved on to North American Spring & Stamping in Elk Grove Village, IL. North American made a variety of parts for companies such as General Motors, Ford Motor Company and 3M as well as components for the aerospace industry. He worked as the "Finishing Manager" in a department that completed operations on parts that couldn't be done on the automated stamping and spring coiling machines. He was responsible for over 30 employees. His last position at North American was that of "Quality Control Manager."

After almost a three year hiatus from education Bill decided it was time to return to training and he answered a newspaper ad to work for Duraclean. His daily responsibilities included answering franchisee phone questions in regard to trouble shooting equipment and cleaning and spot removal problems. It was basically "baptism by fire" where he had to get on board quickly. Fortunately there were a lot of good resources in the form of Duraclean headquarters staff personnel and their experiences so he was able to accomplish this initiation in a relatively short time frame. Available were two former Duraclean franchisees on staff: Bob Scott and Jack Dudley. And there was the ever present Len Nysted, Duraclean's chemist, all of whom provided assistance to the "rookie."

The very first project he worked on was the training program for the new Fabricrafter upholstery and drapery machine. The development of the Fabricrafter system was mostly in place in regard to its operation. It now had to be fine tuned in regard to its physical appearance. As part of his training Bill attended a local two day upholstery and drapery cleaning training session through the Fabricrafter's manufacturer Kleen-Rite. It was conducted by noted trainer Murray Cremer. He then traveled to Santa Barbara, CA to meet the Kleen-Rite staff and view the current model of the Fabricrafter.

Bill returned to Duraclean in Deerfield, IL and wrote the manual for the unit. His wife, Cheryl, is the one who came up with the name "Fabricrafter" (a combination of the word "fabric" and "crafter" from "handscraftsmanship" which was used to refer to the method used with the original Duraclean "Foamovator" unit). The Fabricrafter was introduced to the Duraclean franchise network in a series of Regional Meetings in the Fall of 1983.

A live demonstration was given to Mr. & Mrs. Irl Marshall, Sr. Bill says that, "It was probably the hardest presentation I have ever had to give since we were showing a machine that was replacing the original machine and cleaning system (the Foamovator) that Mr. Marshall had developed over 50 years earlier. Fortunately he was impressed by how the Fabricrafter worked and the cleaning results on their furniture!!!!"

After the Fabricrafter Bill moved into the development of other service programs including water and fire damage restoration. In November of 1986 Bill started to report to Publications & Training Manager Vince Caffarello (a reporting relationship that continues to this day). In October, 1987 Bill was promoted to Director of Publications & Training with responsibility for the Print Shop, Graphics Department, Duraclean Journal, telephone support and equipment rebuilding.

Other Duraclean service programs for which Bill has worked on over the years in regard to research and development and training materials has been ceiling and wall cleaning, carpet inspection, deodorization, mold remediation, duct cleaning and ultrasonic cleaning.


Bill has past and current experience working with the many carpet industry organizations that provide cleaning equipment, chemicals and related training in addition to working with the carpet manufacturing industry. Starting in 1987 as a subcommittee member for the Carpet and Rug Institute located in Dalton, Georgia, Bill served on CRI's Carpet Inspection Subcommittee and then on CRI's Subcommittees for Carpet Maintenance and the "Seal of Approval Program" for Carpet Cleaning. Bill also served on one of IICRC's subcommittees that contributed to the most recent version of IICRC's S500 water damage standard.

Bill has also developed and presented three State of Illinois certified courses, one on water damage restoration (#13504), one on fire damage restoration (#13505) and the last on mold remediation (#17662). All are approved for insurance agent continuing education credits (CECs). Additionally, all three courses are accepted in 47 other U.S. states through the "Midwest Reciprocity Zone." In addition to Illinois, Bill is a licensed instructor in 8 other states and has presented approved CEC courses for insurance agents in South Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Colorado and Georgia. Bill is an Illinois licensed real estate CEC instructor.

Bill says that, "The past 25 years have really flown by. I've met and worked with a lot of nice and talented people in that time (and learned a lot from them as well). My thanks to all!"

Labels: Announcements, Ondratschek

Q: I want to make sure that I get the best performance out of my dehumidifier. What should I do?

A: Dri-Eaz provides suggestions on how to get the maximize performance out of your dehumidifiers. These include:

• Inspect the electrical cord for damage. Look for fraying, cuts, etc,


• Inspect the filter. If dust and dirt are visible, vacuum out the debris. Do not wash the filter as it will reduce the effectiveness of the electrostatic material.


• Replace the filter whenever it has been vacuumed three times or has been used on a mold remediation job.


• Inspect the filter cover (this can be done without removing the housing). Vacuum off visible dirt or wash with mild soap and water. Let dry and put back in place.


• Unplug the unit and remove the housing. Inspect the coils (allow to dry if wet), catch basin, float shaft and drain hose. Clean the coils when visibly dirty. (Dirty coils can cause the unit to overheat.


• Vacuum both sides of the coils until clean; be careful not to let the vacuum nozzle to touch the fins as that may cause damage by bending them.


• Remove dirt with an aluminum evaporator coil comb available from a refrigeration supply outlet. Follow product directions. If a sticky oil residue remains on the coils, use a squirt bottle to flush the coil using a small amount of detergent.


• Check the catch basin tray for debris/residue - wipe clean with a cloth.


• Check the drain hose. Look for obstructions. Disconnect and clean any debris present. Reattach the drain hose. Make sure that the "O" ring on the quick-disconnect is still in place.


• Inspect the pump system.
  

Labels: Dehumidifiers, Equipment, Maintenance, Technical

Credit Card Processing

In the past the processing of Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express credit cards has been debated. In December 2001 Duraclean decided to stop offering the service. Many responded that they were willing to pay a higher rate to have Duraclean provide the service and new restrictions for those requesting checks for their credit balances were established. The service was re-instated in February 2002.

It was our hope that Duraclean franchisees would see the value to accepting credit cards and arrange to obtain the processing service locally. Unfortunately this has not always been the case. Some franchisees have established their own service, some only use the service occasionally and use the credit to pay for their Duraclean services and others are using Duraclean like a bank requesting their entire credit balance on a regular basis.

As recommended by Duraclean’s independent auditor and effective June 1, 2008, Duraclean will no longer provide credit card processing for franchises requesting cash back. Only those franchises using the credit received to pay for their Duraclean services will be provided with the service. All others will need to establish a merchant services relationship locally to take care of their credit card processing. Your understanding is appreciated.

Labels: Announcements, management