商业信誉的重要性

Family synergy is the foundation of Dependable Cleaners, but the longtime Denver business thrives under a structure of separate ownership. "All the family members are entrepreneurial," said Warren Toltz, Dependable's president and second-generation owner. He, his son Ken and son-in-law Jon Waldman each own a cluster of the company's 25 laundry and dry-cleaning stores in the Denver area, Pueblo and Colorado Springs. Yet, while each owner commands his own enterprise, Dependable's marketing, operating standards and approach to customer service are universal. "We have a strong sense of what people want, what we need to do to make customers come back.

We talk about that all the time," Waldman said. "That's what our business is all about." Toltz's wife, Ruth, is corporate director and his son, Steven, is legal counsel for the company, which last year reported $6.7 million in revenue. Revenue and income each have grown by 40 percent during the last three years, Toltz said. He joined Dependable 31 years ago after working in real estate, which proved invaluable experience for expanding the company. Store location is critical because convenience is a high priority among customers, Toltz explained.

The business grew most in the 1980s, despite Denver's depressed economy. Toltz attributes this success primarily to customer service. "My dad converted the business from 'central plant,' with a bunch of drop stores, to 'package plant,' where laundry and dry cleaning is done on site," at each store, Ken said. This makes it possible to offer same-day laundry service and tightens the link between the customers and the people who clean the clothes.

Most dry cleaners still send garments to a central location or contract service, he added. A number of Dependable locations offer all-night drops, extended hours and drive-through service. Dependable's focus on customers is not new. Warren and Ruth Toltz have continued the legacy of Ruth's parents, Jack and Esther Bugdanowitz, who founded the company in 1930.

The Bugdanowitzes remained involved until they died in the 1970s. Toltz encourages family to join the business, but emphasized that "it's important family members be successful for a period of time outside the business. Each brings more to the table ... and comes in with credibility." Waldman, who came aboard early in the 1980s, previously was general sales manager for KIMN radio station. Steven and Ken both joined Dependable two years ago.

Steven had been practicing law and Ken was marketing director for Boyer's Brothers coffee, also a family-owned business. Working for Boyer's "was a tremendous opportunity for me. I was very glad to learn from that situation." Much of what Ken learned included how not to run a business, as he watched father and sons feud to the point of litigation.

"One of the biggest problems of family in business is changing the relationship of being a parent and being a child," Toltz said. He added that the family does its best to keep work and social life separate. "You have to continually remind yourself that the person sitting across the conference table is somebody you are going to be sitting across from at the dinner table later that evening," added Waldman. "We work hard to keep the lines of communication open," Ken said. "My dad's not hearing anything from us he hasn't felt himself," having once been the new guy in management. Still, "finding that role that each person is comfortable in and that works the best for the business is a tremendous challenge," Ken said. He feels best suited to marketing, an area where Warren also has succeeded.

Dependable's marketing effort is executed primarily in the realm of community involvement, Toltz said. "We understand that by giving, we end up receiving." The company started the "Coats 4 Colorado" coat drive 15 years ago and supports "Reading, Writing and Recycling," a community campaign to raise money for KCNC-TV's Homework Hotline. Dependable donates 2 cents for every hanger brought in. Ironically, the elements of family that cloud a business also form the mortar that holds it together. With family comes commitment and dependability, Toltz said. "There's pride, in your work and the product you're providing."