Freedom from a 9-5 job:
After many years working with his parents in the restaurant business in Alaska, Case Harris moved to the central Oregon coast and bought his first Laundromat. Harris knew he wanted to start his own business, and he and his father explored many entrepreneurial options before deciding on the retail laundry business. This business provides the flexibility Harris was looking for in order to spend time with his family.
With the help of Western State Design, Harris opened the first Green Lightning Laundry featuring Dexter Express Commercial Laundry Equipment. Having found a winning formula, he then opened three more.
The Setup:
Harris chose to work with Western State Design because they offer full service support from site selection, equipment selection and layout, to construction and long-term service contracts.
Wanting to provide his customers with energy efficient equipment that saves time and natural resources, Harris decided on Dexter Express machines. These machines complete a wash/dry cycle in less than one hour, use less water and boasts high extraction which leads to a shorter dry time with significantly less energy consumption. Living in an environmentally conscious community Harris knew that Dexter Express was the right fit for his customers.
Staying open 24 hours a day without a full-time attendant leaves the store more vulnerable to vandalism and creates customer support concerns. Harris addressed both of these issues by choosing the EasyCard™ payment system. This system uses a refillable card instead of quarters to operate machines. This means the store is essentially cashless, which along with cameras, dissuades vandals. The system also provides remote access for Harris to address customer issues. Customers call Harris on his cell phone during hours without an attendant and he can log in remotely to refund money. As Harris expanded his business with new locations the ability to manage business remotely became even more important and this decision has proven invaluable.
Underserved Areas:
Jim Wright, the WSD sales person, challenged Harris to find an area for his first Laundromat that was underserved. This ultimately informed his final decision on the location and became his mantra for the next three.
The Results:
Harris now owns and operates four successful retail laundries on the central Oregon coast and lives life on his own terms.