NCALC 2026 Winter Meeting
Advance Registration is Required for Each Individual Attendee.
Employees of member companies, and their spouses and/or companions are eligible for the discounted member registration rates.
What: North Carolina Association of Launderers and Cleaners (NCALC) will hold its regular Winter Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina on January 30-February 1, 2026 for planned education, professional networking, association business meetings, and social functions.
Who: All NCALC members, friends, and spouses are encouraged to participate.
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We Appreciate Our Event Sponsors!
Your Company could be recognized here.
We are currently seeking additional sponsors for this and other events. Click here for details.
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Where: On Saturday, January 31, the planned education, networking, and the business meetings of the NCALC standing committees and Board of Directors, will be held at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Charlotte Uptown. Dinner socials are being planned for both Friday and Saturday evenings for attendees to enjoy fellowship with other attendees and to experience local restaurants. Specific locations will be shared with participating registrants.
Accommodations: A small block of hotel rooms has been reserved for our group at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Charlotte Uptown, 201 S. McDowell St, Charlotte, NC 28204. Our group rate is $159 per night for reservations made by Saturday, January 10, 2026. Reservations may be made online by clicking here for online reservations (preferred), or by phone at 833-372-7833 and identifying yourself as part of the NCALC 2026 Winter Meeting. Breakfast is provided 6:30-9:30 a.m. for hotel guests. Our group has reduced overnight parking rate of $15 per night or reduced daily event parking of $3 per pass.
Our Tentative Schedule of Activities (Subject to change)
Friday, January 30
- Early arrivals for individual fun activities
- 2:00 pm Plant Tour: Jones Dry Cleaning
- 6:00 pm Welcome Dinner Social at the hotel
Saturday, January 31
- Breakfast on your own
- 8:30 am Gathering for networking and coffee
- 9:00 am NCALC Standing Committee Meetings
- 10:00 am Networking Break
- 11:00 am NCALC Board of Directors Meeting
- 1230 pm Lunch provided
- 1:30 pm Education Session(s)
- Wet Cleaning vs. Dry Cleaning – Why Do I Need It?
- 5:45 pm Gathering at hotel for carpooling to nearby local favorite restaurant to join our group.
Sunday, February 1
- Breakfast on your own
- No planned group activities, participants depart
Educational Session(s)
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Plant Tour - Jones Dry Cleaning
Advanced registration is required. Participants will meet at 2pm on Friday afternoon at the plant located at 1601 E 4th St, Charlotte, NC for a guided tour which highlights implementations of technology in computers, sorting conveyors, 24/7 Kiosk, alternative cleaning solvents, auto baggers, new pressing finishing technology, route delivery technology and more.
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 Jimmy Lee will host us for a tour of his plant. Jimmy grew up in Charlotte working at his father's dry cleaning business until he went away for college. After graduating from college, he decided to go into the dry cleaning business. In 1989 he purchased three dry cleaning stores in the Charlotte market. Currently he operates one main production site, six drop store and four daily routes. Jimmy is known for his willingness to invest in new ideas and innovations to implement into making a better business. |
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Wet Cleaning vs. Dry Cleaning – Why Do I Need It?
We as dry cleaners have been attempting Wet Cleaning for years. Most of the garments are simply being laundered. However, you have been carefully washing in water some “Dry Clean Only” garments as well. However, this process was very laborious, time-consuming, and caused a struggle to finish. This was reserved for garments that were just too filthy to dry clean successfully. We carefully washed the garment in a sink or bucket. Used gentle detergent and then carefully squeezed out water and hung to dry in the boiler room. The next day we struggled to finish and sent out a clean garment that cost us more to produce than we charged for it.
Today, with the proper equipment, chemistry, and knowledge you are able to produce more in water than you can in traditional dry cleaning in the same amount of time, with superior results, and with higher profitability.
This session will include an in-depth discussion on Dry Cleaning and Wet Cleaning of yesterday and today. We will dive deep into the proper Equipment & Chemistry needed and more importantly… WHY.
The presentation will cover the initial investment and the proper training needed to properly produce wet cleaned garments, and help ease your mind about the difficulties of this big step.
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 Frank Briercheck has been in our industry for now 33 years. In 1993, he began as an owner of a rural Dry Cleaners near West Central Florida. Frank was operating a 4500sq ft central plant, 4 drop stores and multiple routes along will fire restoration as a separate entity all before it was considered “Main Stream” to do so. He added Tuxedo Rental and Sales to all stores in 1995 and began using Seitz products in 1999 (2 years after they began selling in North America) to begin processing his own leather cleaning.
In 2006, for family reasons, sold the operation and began a new career as the Sales and Marketing manager for Phenix (now FabriClean) Supply. In 2017 a friend lured him to developing Vended Laundry Stores and selling laundry equipment. Finally in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic and after both using Seitz in his plant and selling it at Phenix/FabriClean, Seitz offered an opportunity to join the company as the Director of Marketing and now Vice President of Sales for North America. He has traveled the nation and world visiting Cleaners and learning best practices that can be shared with others. Frank has mastered both Wet and Dry Cleaning, garment care, and plant operations. He enjoys teaching and sharing with others with special emphasis in Customer Service.
 Jacinto Abreu has over a decade of combined experience in chemical sales, service and technical support in Commercial, Event Rental, Healthcare, Hospitality and Vacation Rental Laundry, Dry Cleaning, Textile Restoration and Wet Cleaning. As Technical Sales Representative – North Carolina & Virginia | Seitz Chemical,Jacinto is committed to delivering innovative solutions that enhance quality, reduce costs, and strengthen customer partnerships across the North Carolina and Virginia territories.
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Dinner Social Outings: Our dinner outings are designed to give our participants opportunities for informal networking and fellowship while enjoying some of Charlotte's favorite restaurants.
On Friday evening, participants will gather at 6:30 pm for a welcome reception and dinner at the Fairfield Inn Charlotte Uptown.
On Saturday evening, participants will meet at preselected restaurants and join their assigned groups at 6:30 pm for informal Dutch Treat dinner outings. These outings provide an excellent opportunity for further networking and fellowship among our participants. (Please do not sign up unless you are actually planning to participate.) Reservations are being made for:
Supperland -- Southern Steakhouse meets Church Potluck. Located in a restored mid-century church in Plaza Midwood, Supperland, is a southern steakhouse with unusual, whimsical menu inspiration from our church building itself. Located at 1212 The Plaza Charlotte, NC 28205. Parking is very limited. Carpooling, or use of Uber or Lyft is recommended. Jimmy Lee is group leader.
The Open Kitchen -- Known for offering the first pizza pie in the Charlotte area in the 1950s, this hidden gen on Charlotte's west side offers a menu today that is a mix of Italian, Greek, and American cuisine and can satisfy even the most complex palate. Located at 1318 West Morehead Street, Charlotte, NC 28208. Patrick Collins is group leader.
Planning Your Visit to Charlotte: For ideas on things to do while you are in Charlotte, check out this website: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g49022-Activities-Charlotte_North_Carolina.html .
