Berkley-based Martinizing Dry Cleaning Expands to Affiliated Brands, Adds 210 Franchises

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Berkley's The Huntington Co., the franchisor of Martinizing Dry Cleaning, today announced its affiliated route brands, 1-800-DryClean, Pressed4Time, and Dry Clean Station, will be rebranded under the "Martinizing Delivers" name. With the addition of the 210 franchises, Martinizing Dry Cleaning will operate more than 600 locations around the world.

“The Martinizing brand is uniquely positioned to build on its industry-leading awareness, national presence, and storied history that spans more than 60 years,” says Wayne Wudyka, CEO of The Huntington Co. The added franchises will be rebranded with Martinizing Delivers as part of the name. For example, 1-800-DryClean will become Martinizing Delivers, Call 1-800-DryClean.

In turn, the new model for Martinizing Dry Cleaning includes residential and commercial pick-up and delivery, locker-based service, and on-demand service. 

"It's no longer sufficient to simply operate a retail dry cleaning location and expect meaningful growth,” Wudyka says. "Today's changing customer base, particularly the rise of the millennial generation, requires a diversified blend of service options to meet consumer needs and expectations. From our perspective, we are competing with how customers acquire goods and services; it's all about speed and convenience."

In addition, recent investments in the Chicago-based app DRYV, an on-demand dry cleaning and laundry company, enables Martinizing to expand both locker-based service and on-demand services.

"We are able to add locker-based service in offices, apartment buildings, parking structures — literally anywhere people live or work — to enable customers to drop off and pick up their cleaning on their schedule," Wudyka says. "Additionally, with on-demand service, where the customer uses a mobile app to select the timing and location for pick-up and delivery, we are adding the ultimate in convenience.”

The app will help reach more Millennials, he adds. “We already have Baby Boomers and GenXers as traditional customers.  The key is to tap into the large and fast-growing Millennial generation, which we are doing by providing service with lockers and on-demand pick-up and delivery.  Between what DRYV has done in Chicago and what we have done with DRYV’s technology here in Detroit, it’s clear that Millennials represent an untapped market that is ripe for the confluence of technology and quality service that we can provide.”

Founded in 1949, Martinizing operates in seven countries including the United States, Canada, Ecuador, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, and Peru. Locally, The Huntington Co. and its affiliates own and operate Huntington Cleaners & Shirt Laundry in Huntington Woods, Huntington Window Fashions in Troy, and Wesch Cleaners in Birmingham. The Huntington Co. acquired Martinizing in 2014.

What’s more, Wudyka launched CRDN, the Certified Restoration Drycleaning Network, in 2001, which is the largest franchise network of insurance textile restoration providers in the U.S.  Serving the U.S., Canada and the U.K., CRDN restores garments and textiles damaged by fire, smoke, water, and other contaminants. With more than 150 franchises and annual sales in excess of $100 million, CRDN is comprised of some of the largest and most prominent drycleaners in North America.