NZ Drycleaners achieves international recognition

14 October 2005

Local Drycleaners achieves recognition on international stage

For the first time in New Zealand Regal Drycleaners has become one of the world's best, joining a small and exclusive group of the finest drycleaners internationally.

Regal Drycleaners has reinforced its market position with elite World's Best Drycleaners' recent announcement that it is now New Zealand's exclusive affiliate. Only 32 drycleaners throughout the world have met the stringent criteria and standards required to join this association.

While Regal Drycleaners is already recognised as Auckland's finest drycleaner, Managing Director Darryn Kendall's vision to have his business acknowledged as 'world class' is now a reality.

When Kendall bought Regal Drycleaners in November 2001 he knew that his skills as the former National Head of Property Finance within the Bank of New Zealand Group would be advantageous as a business owner.

"I approached the World's Best Drycleaners organisation as I felt our business would successfully meet all aspects of the assessment criteria and I thought we stood a good chance of being selected as an exclusive affiliate."

"This international recognition demonstrates that Regal Drycleaners made smart strategic changes," Kendall says.

"In the past four years, quality has underpinned all our activities, whether that be the drycleaning services provided, customer services, employees or the technology we use."

It is this focus on quality and standards that led to Regal Drycleaners' recognition as one of the world's best drycleaners. Its high-end couture care and environmentally-friendly processes sets it apart from others.

The criteria for selection meant the business needed to subject itself to a rigorous screening process. It included looking at the type of services on offer, quality of product, latest processing equipment, financial soundness and on-going employee training programme. The majority of fashion designers and retailers in the market must also recommend the drycleaner.

Kendall believes if he and his team hadn't concentrated on repositioning Regal Drycleaners as the premium drycleaners, specialising in designer and couture garments, it would not have been commercially attractive to the World's Best Drycleaners association.

"It has all been part of an education process for us as we've worked with clients, the fashion industry and clothing manufacturers to introduce them to high quality drycleaning, and more importantly delivered on it."

As part of becoming an affiliate, world-renowned drycleaning experts Ed D'Elicio and Chris White of World's Best Drycleaners arrived in Auckland from New York last weekend to work with Kendall to review Regal Drycleaners' strategic business plan moving forward.

Chris White made his name in drycleaning through his dedicated care of high-end couture and vintage garments. He become "drycleaner to the stars", caring for and restoring garments for celebrities such as Elton John, Gladys Knight and Princess Diana as well as fashion designers Valentino, Yves St. Laurent and Versace, to name a few.

For Kendall, he sees this as a golden opportunity to learn about global best practice and how it can be applied in New Zealand.

"I'm very excited about working with Chris and Ed to improve and expand our business, to get insights into working smarter and to ensure we continue delivering top quality service to our customers."

Regal Drycleaners has an annual turnover in excess of $2 million, and has enjoyed a company revenue growth of 65 percent over the past four years.

ENDS

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