ZIPS Adds To Corporate Team In All Departments, Strengthening Support To Franchisees And Service To Customers While Readying For Aggressive Expansion

By: ZIPS Cleaners
Published: October 6th, 2023

New hires bring extensive experience in garment care, marketing, data analytics, technology,
training and other key aspects of the nationally expanding franchise’s operations

The world is ever-changing, bringing new challenges and opportunities, from pandemic-born pivots to the ongoing emergence of new business and consumer technologies to shifts in consumer lifestyles, work habits and fashion trends. For a company founded on keeping the population comfortably dressed to impress for less, ZIPS Cleaners has responded to this evolution by fortifying its corporate infrastructure with experts in virtually every aspect of its operations, arming itself with the resources it needs to thrive in today’s market and plan for a strong and enduring future.

This past spring, ZIPS announced that it had added four new members to its corporate team, headquartered in Savage, Md. They filled three new positions that in each case expanded their respective departments, and a fourth recently vacated position with substantial experience launching and building a dry cleaning business. They included:

• Mike Waintraub, Director of Business Development, charged with attracting new franchisees and encouraging existing franchisees to add locations, and with building commercial business for all locations. Waintraub is the former founder/operator of Captain Dry Clean and Princeton Linen Supply, two Central New Jersey companies providing dry cleaning and laundry pickup and delivery services to residential, office, restaurant and hospitality clients. Earlier in his career, he was a Corporate Client Relationship Manager with UBS Wealth Management.
• Summer Williams, Information Technology Manager, a new position within the ZIPS Operations Department, responsible for generating and overseeing the scope of work on projects, testing and implementing new software and hardware features, conducting technology training, providing tech support and managing integration and development of solutions for payment processing, point-of-sale operations, app development, marketing technology, and cybersecurity. Williams previously was an IT Specialist with Bognet Construction, where she supported 80 employees, and a Geek Squad agent.
• Claire Hofmann, Digital Marketing Coordinator, a new position in the expanding ZIPS Marketing Department, tasked with assisting on digital marketing campaigns, helping manage website updates, conducting research, and supporting the successful execution of all marketing initiatives. Hofmann was previously Digital Content Producer at Flying Dog Brewery and a Marketing Coordinator at Atwater’s Traditional Food. She has experience managing social media, executing marketing campaigns, copywriting, and conducting email marketing campaigns.
• Megan Sterner, Controller, a dedicated position within SCL Consulting, the third-party accounting firm for ZIPS. Sterner handles critical financial responsibilities including cash-flow management, internal controls, financial statements, forecasting, modeling and more. She spent the past three years as a public accountant and has more than 12 years of experience overall.

More recently ZIPS conducted another round of appointments, this time naming a new head of marketing and bringing back a 12-year veteran of the company to serve in a new role:

• In August, ZIPS announced that it had named a member of its board, Mary Ann Donaghy, Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer, the highest-ranking position it has named in its Marketing Department to date. Adata-driven marketing leader with expertise in consumer insights and business analytics that drive brand building and business development, Donaghy has operated a consultancy providing fractional Chief Marketing Officer, Marketing Strategy and Marketing Research services, was Chief Marketing & Communications Officer for the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC), and Vice President of Marketing, serving as chief marketing officer, for the University of Maryland Global Campus. She also led marketing with The Bozzuto Group, a large multi-family real estate development and management company, was Executive Director, Marketing Strategy and New Product Development for AOL, and earlier worked on Procter & Gamble brands for Grey Advertising and led international sales and marketing of StarKist Tuna for H.J. Heinz. She is now applying her expertise to developing and overseeing marketing strategy and execution of initiatives to build brand awareness for ZIPS, drive new customers to ZIPS locations, and increase revenue per customer, while monitoring and elevating customer experience to maximize satisfaction and loyalty.
• And earlier this month, the company expanded its Training Department by announcing that Jennifer Hall, who had served as a Store Operations and Development Manager for the company from 2008 to 2019, had rejoined the organization as Field Training Manager. Hall is focused on identifying and monitoring training needs throughout the organization as well as helping to design, plan and implement training programs, policies and procedures to fulfill those needs. She also provides ongoing in-field training and is responsible for executing and validating the ZIPS Certified Trainer and Manager in Training programs.

“We are very fortunate to have added such seasoned and skillful new team members to our organization,” said ZIPS President/CEO Bob Barry. “All of our new hires this year represent expansion in their respective departments and enhancement of our services to our franchisees and customers. They enhance our infrastructure with their skills and experience while also increasing our bandwidth to support operations systemwide, and will be integral to our continued growth, evolution and success.”

ZIPS is currently engaged in a system expansion initiative. The company is seeking ambitious, business-savvy investors interested in taking part in the $10.5 billion garment care segment, independent and competitive dry cleaners wanting to align with a well-established brand founded on more than 100 combined years of garment care expertise, and existing single- and multi-unit operators interested in selling their business. To learn more about available opportunities, visit 321zips.com/own-a-zips/ or contact Director of Business Development Mike Waintraub at mwaintraub@321zips.com or (609) 468-7195.

About ZIPS Cleaners®

ZIPS Cleaners® provides consumer and commercial garment care centered around low-cost, in-by-9-out-by-5 dry cleaning as well as Wash N Fold laundry, pressed laundry, alterations and cleaning of household items. ZIPS was launched in the early 2000s when eight of the Baltimore-Washington Metro Area’s premier dry cleaners banded together as a unified brand offering same-day service at a single low price. With a combined 200+ years of dry-cleaning experience and business expertise, these founders created a streamlined process designed for easy replication by industry veterans and newcomers alike. Today, there are nearly 70 ZIPS locations throughout the United States, with more than 100 slated to open in the next several years.

Franchise opportunities with ZIPS are available in select markets throughout the United States. For more information, contact Director of Business Development Mike Waintraub at mwaintraub@321zips.com or (609) 468-7195, or visit 321zips.com/own-a-zips/.

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