Generations of Chattanoogans have had their clothing cleaned in Gordon Ledbetter’s laundry businesses, from the first launderette he opened in 1947 on Frazier Avenue to the last remaining location of his dry cleaning business, Gordon’s Cleaners, which is set to close at the end of this month.
“My dad got into the dry cleaning and laundry business about the time I was born, and I’ve grown up in it all my life,” said Jim Ledbetter, Gordon’s son. “Unfortunately, I’m one that’s tasked with closing it down.”
He took over the business when his father retired and continues to own the building that houses the cleaners at 1631 McCallie Ave. When Jim Ledbetter retired in 2017 at the age of 70, he sold the business to Roger Gass, his employee of 35 years,
“At that time, it looked like a real good deal for both of us, but unfortunately, when COVID came along, it has actually decimated the whole dry cleaning industry worldwide, and he just barely survived the last few years,” Ledbetter said of Gass, who declined to be interviewed for this story.
He said Gass had to lay off the majority of the staff, which was previously around 15 people, and the cleaning has been done off-site for the past two years.