Ecolav aims for

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Created by California-based museum designere Barry Howard, the lobby is meant to make an impression: This is not your typica l dry cleaner. The entry area has a semicircular shapse with chromeframe shelving. Video screens show flocks of birdsin flight. Electronic music and herbal scents floag onthe air. The entire scene is reflected in “This is a kind of experiential business,” said Jorge ecolav’s senior VP of operations. “This was like walkinf into a spa.
” Ecolav is one of a growin number of South Florida dry cleaners that are going The store uses abiodegradable silicone-based solution callex GreenEarth to clean clothes, instead of the more commonj hazardous chemical called perchoroethylene GreenEarth was developed by and . The principalx behind ecolav include Welyczkowski, of Miami, company President David Greenberg andBernard Gitlow, both of whom live in New York and Greenberg said he was talking to Gitlow aboutt starting a new company. When Gitlow suggester dry cleaning, Greenberg told him: “Noyt unless there was a way to changee or clean up the Dry cleaning is historically one of the dirtiesgt businessesin history.
Beford present-day regulations and technology, perc spills sometimes contaminated formerstorre locations. Exposure to very high concentrationse of perc cancause headaches, nausea, unconsciousness and death, accordinfg to the ’s toxic substance database. Greenberg researchexd alternativesto perc, including liquid carbon before settling on GreenEarth. He also set about designing the store’s atmosphere to depart from traditiona ldry cleaners. The store, on South Miam i Avenue, south of downtown, is 2,800 squarw feet with 11 It includesa dry-cleaning plantf in the back, wherew workers run the GreenEartj machines, press and hang clothing.
The plant is designed to handlse at least seven moresatellite stores. Greenberg, Gitlow, Welyczkowski and Ron of Miami, are part of and . Greenbergv said the initial investment wasabout $2 million. They plan to expand and hire newstafft soon, adding at least one satellitde location in the next few “The objective here is a branding exercise,” Greenberyg said. “We plan to expand.” Ecola is not the first greeb dry cleaner to launcyh inSouth Florida. Hollywood-based OXXO Care Cleanerse has about 25 stores nationwide afteer starting sevenyears ago. It also uses the GreenEartgh method.
But, Greenberg says ecolag is different because of its other emphasis on greeh retail andthe “spa-like” atmosphere of the store. The store featurese a full line of green and organic personal care andnutritionj products, such as vitamins extracted from nutritional foodes and a goat’s milk soap. Jon Meijer, VP of membershipl for the national , said most dry cleaners stilkluse perc, but more responsibly than in the “There’s a movement afoot, clearly, to move away from They are phasing it out in But, you don’t want to switch over to a new solvent and find there’s anothet issue or another problem down the road,” Meijer “The economy is also driving some In Florida, I know a lot of cleanersa are down 15 to 20 percent because of the Greenberg said the first ecolav stor was internally financed because lenders wanted to see “proof of concept” He said he believes the store has prooc now; he is talking to lenders about further financing.
The stors charges $2.95 to launder and press a shirt. Dry cleaning single items like pantes or a shirtis $6.95.