As the American economy goes, so goes the dry cleaning industry, observers say.
“As people work less due to layoffs and a slowdown in the economy, they’re going to have less need for dry cleaning services,” said UTC economics professor Bruce Hutchinson.
The dry cleaning industry is in as big a slump as some local business owners have ever seen.
“If this is the normal, it’s going to be really rough,” said Lanier Chapman, co-owner of Brainerd Cleaners. “The average business is just trying to keep the doors open, keep their employees paid, and keep ’em working.”
Chapman, whose family-owned business dates back to 1946, said he was raised among the chemical cleaners that have now become a precious commodity to him.