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Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Everet's September 2024 Laundry Newsletter
Wednesday, October 23, 2024
Everet's July 2024 Laundry Newsletter
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Wednesday, October 16, 2024
Make Old Washers New
Small chassis washers take a lot of abuse in laundry rooms and a laundromat.
Do you have some machines that look fine, maybe they are clean, but they just don't look bright and shiny anymore? Here is a quick 5-10 minute way to make the old washer look newer again:
Washer with cracked lens and what looks like dirt or rust
Remove soap drawer and any screws to take off front cover/panel/or bezel and any name plates and use any cleaning solution to remove the dirt
Remove broken lens cover and replace with a new one or at least clean the inside
Remove any name plates and clean them as well. If they are too worn or you can't read any writing or logos then see if you can order some new ones from the manufacture or your distributor
In addition to cleaning the panels and name plates, check to see if any of them still have plastic coating on them. Often times these parts are printed and then a plastic coating/wrap is put over them to protect the writing and logos. This is normally taken off at installation but a lot of owners leave it on thinking, correctly, that it will make the writing and logos last longer. Once that plastic gets wrinkled, ripped, scratched, or dirty it only serves to make your machine look old and dirty. Remove it!
Notice the difference!
Your customers will, even if they don't notice or say anything right away.
Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
LG Model Number Definitions
What do the LG Model numbers mean?
Below is a chart for DRYERS and the second is a chart for WASHERS
Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Politics Does Matter in Business
I know that I've written before that politics is something you don't want to talk about with clients.
Having said that please understand that elections still have a huge impact on businesses and hiring.
September and October is the time of the election year when job recs get put on hold, sales contracts are held up, and things kind of halt for a few weeks.
The points below are lessons I've learned over the last 25 years meeting with thousands of companies of all sizes and shapes and run by people of all backgrounds and beliefs. They all have the following in common when it comes to hiring and politics. These findings apply no matter who is running, who wins, when the election day is, and if the race is local, statewide, or national.
1. All companies have operation plans set up deal with whoever wins
In an election year all of the above slows to a crawl once September starts. Decisions are put off until after the election. Everyone gets gun shy about who might win. People panic and think the world will end immediately if person X or Y gets elected. They hedge their bets and wait to see who wins. Smart companies have plans on how they will operate if the plans of elected official X or Y get implemented. There is also a matter of actually seeing if a person will govern on the same promises they ran on. Remember candidates run in primaries to attract the extreme of their parties. Once they are the nominee they run to the middle in order to appeal to the most voters. Companies know this and shouldn't get too excited about the hype in the commercials played by the candidates or their opponents.
How they govern once elected is what makes the uncertainty for the company.
It's logical. Companies don't want to commit to package A that will benefit them if the polices of official X gets elected but will not benefit if official Y gets elected. So they have to wait and see who wins and how they will govern so they will not have wasted a lot of time and money.
2. New hiring usually gets put on hold
Every November of every even numbered year we have an election for 1/2 of the congress and every fourth November for president.
Hiring and buying decisions always start to go on hold in September or October.
Companies don't want to hire people only to see the policies of candidate X or Y causing them to fire those people a few months down the road.
September is usually a good month for hiring because everyone is back from summer vacation, school starts, college kids leave their summer jobs, the Christmas retail season starts reving up. In odd numbered years these good times usually last through October and sometimes later as retail hiring picks up as other hiring slows down. Companies will still hire to replace key positions but during this time the process usually takes a little loner even for essential positions.
3. Companies might play it safe and hold the rest of the budget to see what happens so they don't spend as freely
Companies still usually have a chunk of budget available and can commit to a package for equipment or a person before the end of October or even up to Thanksgiving and through December if it is an annual contract or something that is required for business. In an election year they might decide to wait a little longer for anything else before making the decision. See point one.
4. Companies hate uncertainty
Regular elections cause enough uncertainty.
Recall elections, special elections, elections held outside of their normal times confuse and frustrate businesses and hiring because of the uncertainty of what is going to happen.
In Wisconsin during 2011-2012 we went though two years of recalling every elected official and judge possible because one party or the other was ticked off.
Companies didn't know what to do because as soon as one election was over and companies thought they knew what was going to happen, another group of recall elections were scheduled for another group of politicians and that brought uncertainty back immediately into the market. Instead of signing contracts or hiring people, decisions were put off until after the elections again.
5. Decisions by activist judges impact companies create confusion
According to what I learned about the branches of government in social studies back in grade school, the judges of the judicial branch interpret the law (congress makes them, the executive branch enforces them). Judges do not make the laws and are supposed to be impartial.
Unfortunately we live in a world where judges are now biased toward one political party or another and that colors their interpretation of laws.
As an example look at Act 10 passed in Wisconsin (I'm not going to recount what the bill was about except to say the debate about it caused a lot of turmoil for everyone in Wisconsin but in the end benefited greatly the organizations that used it). The bill was passed and there were protests. A Madison judge struck the law down. There was a period of uncertainty while the bill made its way through the courts. When the bill was declared constitutional by the Wisconsin Supreme Court and then the US Supreme Court and made legal, businesses acted based on that law. A year later another Madison judge struck down the law again. Employers and businesses who acted under that law while it was legal suddenly don't know if they have to reverse what they did during the time the bill was legal. In 2025 the law is back in front of the Wisconsin Supreme Court because elections swung the political balance of the court opposite of what it was 13 years ago. It's a confusing mess.
Companies execute their business plans by these rules. Lawsuits are filed by people against the rules. Judges suspended those rules. Now companies don't know if they should continue to play by those rules or go back to the old rules.
What do they have to do about employees hired under new rules? If the new rules are found to be legal, then what does a company have to do about people hired under the old laws that they had to revert to following the invalidation of the new laws but before the new laws were declared legal again? Confused?
So are the companies because now companies don't know if they should still follow the rule of law as it is currently or do they wait until the court rules. In the meantime contracts are held up and people aren't put to work.
6. Confusion reigns again and slows down hiring and buying decisions
As salespeople and recruiters we have to plan for uncertainty in election years and understand that they will effect our sales and hiring no matter what you do.
That there will be uncertainty during election times is the only certainty you can count on. You will get frustrated waiting for people to make decisions. Count on it.
That there will be uncertainty during election times is the only certainty you can count on. You will get frustrated waiting for people to make decisions. Count on it.
The above thoughts are those of mine and are only observations and not meant to be an endorsement or implication of any political party, leaders, candidates, or anything else so don't imply that they are.
Wow. What does it say about our political climate that I even have to write that?
Go Vote!
I'm Ev, A Heck of A Nice Guy and I approve this message.
Wednesday, September 25, 2024
USED EQUIPMENT For Sale (Updated 9-27-24)
There is some used equipment at the Milwaukee warehouse that is for sale. Some is being sold by WASH and others are being sold by store owners. Please read carefully which is what and contact me for questions. All are available for viewing by appointment.
Maytag 40lb MFR Washers
2 available + 1 parts washer offered for free
$1,500 each for the working washers (PRICE DROP!!!)
If you buy both parts washer is included for FREE
sold by EVERET (ME)
sold AS-IS no warranty
Produced May 2013
Installed August 2013
Removed December 2023 & June 2024
Location one at WASH Warehouse and two at storage facility
These three 40lb washers were installed new at my laundromat and were serviced by WASH techs until they were removed. All three were working when they were removed.
33.75 inches wide
52.5 inches tall
32 inches deep
WASH will deliver machines to your location for $199 each or less depending on distance
WASH WILL INSTALL for $500 per washer
See interview with me below for more information:
=Are they working?
2 are working just fine and one has a bearing issue but still runs
=Aren't 40lb MFRs the ones that have bearing issues on a regular basis?
Yes. Of all the Maytag models these are prone to bearing issues
=If I buy these how do I know they won't have a bearing issue?
There is no guarantee. At time of removal the two were running nice and smooth.
I'm confident they will run long enough that at the very minimum you will get your money back and probably more
=If they are fine why did you replace them?
I only have space for 4 large washers. I had one 60lb and three 40lb so I replaced all the 40lb with 60lb washers
=Does the third washer work?
It runs but it does have a bearing issue so I would just use it for all of the parts like board, door, lock, etc.
=If they are so good why don't you keep them?
I don't have a place for them as the store is small and I don't want them to go through winter in storage
I don't have a place for them as the store is small and I don't want them to go through winter in storage
=Why is one at the warehouse and the others are at a storage facility
A hotel owner was buying one and it was set to be delivered when the hotel closed so the delivery truck left it at the warehouse
=Can I come see it?
Yes. Just let me know
Maytag 80lb MFR Washers
3 available
$5,000 each
sold by WASH
sold AS-IS no warranty
Produced 10/2005
Installed new
Removed October 2023
Location WASH Warehouse
These three 80b washers were installed new at a WASH owned laundromat and were serviced by WASH techs until the store was sold and they were removed. All three were working when they were removed and have been inside the WASH warehouse since.
These are being sold by WASH and will be looked over by a WASH tech prior to sale
43.25 inches wide
57 inches tall
41 inches deep
WASH will deliver machines to your location for $199 each or less depending on travel distance
WASH will install for $500 each plus any other materials
Consult with me for exact charge
ADC ADG758V Dryers
4 available
$500 each!!!!!!!
sold by private owner
sold AS-IS no warranty
Produced ?
Installed new around 2014?
Removed March 2024
Location WASH Warehouse
These four 75lb dryers were installed new at a WASH owned laundromat and were serviced by WASH techs until the store was sold and they were removed. All four were working when they were removed and have been inside the WASH warehouse since.
These are being sold by a private owner. Price reduced!!!
38.25 inches wide
75 inches tall
47 inches deep
WASH will deliver machines to your location for $199 each or less depending on travel distance
You are responsible for install and any repairs!
Laundromats in Europe
You can go on vacation but you can't always take the work out of your travels.
Recently I visited Normandy in France along with Belgium and Germany.
In past trips to Europe I didn't see any laundromats as we know them so this time I tried to pay particular attention.
In Cologne, Germany I saw this particular laundromat.
It was small, about 1,000 square feet.
It had Primus washers and dryers. Primus has been the best selling brand of commercial washer in Europe for years, and was bought by Alliance about 10 years ago.
I checked the data plates and the dryers were made in Rippon Wisconsin!
I've used Primus equipment in several locations and Primus used to make washers for Maytag.
It did cross my mind to go into the computers and see what settings they had for all of the cycles in terms of water levels, temperatures, times, etc. however I'm not going to mess with others stuff without them knowing me so I didn't.
Seven kilograms is about 15lbs. At the time I was in Europe it was $1.10 per Euro, so a 15lb wash was $4.40. This same machine we would call a 20lb washer in the US. If you figure 15 cents per pound price that makes this washer $3.00 in the US, so quite a bit more expensive in Europe.
Bigger washers said 15 kilograms which is about 33lbs. Those vended at seven Euros or about $7.70 US. I would guess a common price on a 30lb washer in the US is $4.00 so again Europe was a bit more.
Dryers were set for full cycle drying approximately 45 minutes for three Euros. That is pretty close to prices I have seen in the US.
The laundromat was clean, bright, seemed safe, and all of the machines were working so it followed the four rules of owning a successful laundromat!
In Brussels, Belgium I saw this laundromat.
It was smaller than the one in Cologne. This store had Wascomat in it for washers and dryers.
Again I was tempted to check the settings but held off!
Prices were the same and the sizes were the same as the one in Cologne.
Normandy region in France has a bunch of small towns. I didn't see any laundromats, however at some of the grocery stores and hardware/home goods stores (kind of the equivalent of Menards), they had these outdoor laundry kiosks.
Most had three machines and some had six. You got your choice of two differnet sizes of washers and one or two dryers. All of the equipment in these kiosks that I saw was Wascomat (to be fair they could have also been the sister brand of Electrolux) but I wasn't sure since the name plates were covered by the kiosk panels. The controls were Wascomat like.
The one thing that baffled me about the kiosks was they all had a 20 kilogram washer (about 45lbs), however the largest dryer was only 18 kilograms (approximately 40lbs). How can someone stuff a full washer of 20 kilos into a smaller dryer of 18 kilos? I asked two people using the kiosks. Fortunately both spoke English and both agreed you can't stuff a full washer into the dryer. They told me it only took someone using the kiosk one time to learn that. Afterwards you made sure not to stuff the washer and to leave space so you could put the entire washer load into the dryer.
If you travel anywhere let me know what kinds of laundromat facilities you see.
Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy
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