Non-Profit Founder Honored as Huebsch Store Owner of the Quarter

Published On: September 15th, 2014Categories: News

RIPON, Wis. – (Sept. 15, 2014) – Huebsch®, the expert in commercial laundry efficiency, has recognized Reginald Milton as the Huebsch Store Owner of the Quarter for his South Memphis Alliance (SMA) Laundromat and Resource Center (1046 South Bellevue Blvd.).

Milton, executive director of non-profit organization SMA, is the second recipient of the recently introduced award. Store Owner of the Quarter recognizes Huebsch store owners from across the country that have excelled in entrepreneurism, technology adoption, innovation and superior customer and community service, etc.

Founded in 2000 by Milton, SMA’s mission is to improve the health, knowledge and stability of young people, families and communities through social services, advocacy and mentoring. When the laundromat adjacent to the organization’s headquarters became available, the Memphis native took advantage of the opportunity to serve a community need while also generating funding for SMA.

“We noticed that many of the people who needed our support were also customers of the laundromat,” Milton noted. “Although the facility was very run-down, I could see the value in taking ownership and making it into a place where community members could do more than just laundry.”

Milton worked with authorized distributor L&M Laundry Services to replace the old equipment. Today, 20 washer-extractors with eBoost™ technology and four 20-pound top load washers provide SMA customers with a quality wash, while a combination of 12 30- and 45-pound stack tumble dryers and two 75-pound tumble dryers produce consistent drying results. Washer-extractors and tumble dryers equipped with intuitive Galaxy™ 600 controls make for easy customer—and store owner—operation.

In the space not occupied by laundry equipment, community and professional organizations provide customers with free social services—literacy training, job search support, eye exams and HIV testing—in between washing and drying.

“Reginald’s store is evidence of how a laundromat can empower a community and better the lives of its customers beyond clean clothes,” Kathryn Q. Rowen, Huebsch North American sales manager, said. “Huebsch is honored to be part of the SMA success story and we are proud to recognize Reginald as Store Owner of the Quarter.”

In just the first year of operation SMA Laundromat and Resource Center has made a bigger splash in the community than originally expected. When it opened, SMA forecasted the laundromat would generate $75,000 annually for the organization after deducting operating costs such as utilities and labor. More traffic than expected means the laundromat is on course to generate $150,000 this year.

“The staffs of L&M Laundry Services and Huebsch are so knowledgeable and I do not think the success of this project could have happened without them both,” Milton added.

To read more about Milton’s story, and the stories of previous Huebsch Store Owner of the Quarter recipients, visit Huebsch.com/StoreProfiles.