We are proud to partner with The Glass Slipper Project Chicago to help Junior and Senior girls get free dresses for prom. It's a highlight of our year! 

Recently a friend and I were talking about marketing. He told me something that really made me stop and think. “Tom, I appreciate the fact Zengeler is in their 161st year of business and all, but what I really care about are my shirts!”   

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He suggested we focus a bit too much on our longevity, and not enough on our processes. I must admit, we are extremely proud of our heritage, so this was a bit jarring.

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I reminded him that “family-owned” describes the 92% of American businesses that employ a majority of the nation’s workforce. And despite the truth that 30% of family businesses survive to the second generation and just 10% make it to the third, we now have five generations of Zengelers in the business.

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That said, he made a great point. He was in our Libertyville location several months ago when a huge new machine arrived. He asked me how it worked, why we needed it, and many other questions. I basically responded that it was the Cadillac of cleaning equipment, and we need to keep on the cutting edge to last as long as we have.

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As I reflected on our conversation, he underscored the fact that our customers don’t bring their cleaning to Zengeler for our years of service; they come to Zengeler because we are committed to a high standard. We have always challenged ourselves to be the best.

What does it take to be the best?  In my humble opinion it starts here:

• Happy employees who are treated with respect and appreciation.

• Commitment to the highest standards in cleaning processes.

• Investment in state-of-the-art equipment.

• Pledge to be environmentally friendly by practicing “green” cleaning initiatives.
   

We also need to be price competitive and more convenient than our competitors.

While we offer a continuous array of discounts to provide our customers industry-best quality at the very best prices, and we work hard to be the most convenient, there is always more to do.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on what you expect from us and your other service providers.

Thanks, Tom Zengeler