Five years ago, the nation was struggling to recover from one of its biggest challenges in 100 years: the COVID-19 pandemic. While many companies struggled just to survive, Zengeler Cleaners, the Midwest’s oldest and largest family-owned dry cleaner, embarked on a long-term capital reinvestment program. The $5 million campaign included new equipment, infrastructure improvements, branding and, in one case, even relocating one of the company’s oldest stores. The goal: to strengthen every area of the business while positioning the company for sustainable long-term growth.
“Our company has been in business approaching 170 years, surviving everything from the great Chicago Fire, two World Wars, the Great Depression, the Great Recession and more,” said Tom Zengeler, President of the historic cleaning company. “My great-great-grandfather John Zengeler founded the company in 1857 on a set of values and standards that have been passed down to each generation. These values include commitment to the local community, the highest standard of fabric care for customers and respect for every employee of the company. Our reinvestment campaign demonstrates how those values continue to drive our decisions in 2026 and beyond.”
"Five years ago, the nation was struggling to recover from one of its biggest challenges in 100 years: the COVID-19 pandemic."
Zengeler pointed out several strategic advantages to the reinvestment program, starting with operating efficiency. The company purchased new equipment for both dry cleaning and laundry production at two separate locations, a move designed to capture the benefits of centralization, redundancy and the opportunity for growth. Using cutting-edge cleaning technology, these machines are designed to provide the best cleaning option for each article of clothing, assuring even the most delicate modern fabrics are properly cleaned while maintaining Zengeler Cleaners’ high standards of care.
Automation was a key driver of the upgrades, as well. One example was to increase the number of self-service kiosks that provided 24x7x365 convenience for Zengeler customers. Another significant addition was incorporating Metalprogetti’s Giulietta all-in-one system at the company’s Northbrook location. Giulietta is a compact dry cleaning auto-bagging machine designed to make order assembly more dynamic after the washing, pressing and sorting processes (see picture below). The automated clothing bagging machine bags the order for delivery to the customer, integrated with the store’s labeling machine to print bag ID labels using bar codes generated by the point-of-sale system.
“When our customers are asked why they choose Zengeler Cleaners, their responses almost always focus on quality,” continued Zengeler. “They expect us to treat them, and their dry cleaning and laundry, with the utmost attention and care. These capital investments help ensure we can deliver on those expectations. That’s why our upgrades included remodeling and rebranding our stores, just as we upgraded our processing equipment, so customers can see the enhancements as they walk into our stores. Each step communicates an important message: we value our customers, we are committed to their communities, and we are here to stay.”
Key Takeaways
- Five years ago, the nation was struggling to recover from one of its biggest challenges in 100 years: the COVID-19 pandemic.
- “My great-great-grandfather John Zengeler founded the company in 1857 on a set of values and standards that have been passed down to each generation.
- Zengeler pointed out several strategic advantages to the reinvestment program, starting with operating efficiency.
