Lapels Dry Cleaning
Lapels Cleaners is a U.S. franchise system (founded 2000) operating 100+ branded garment-care stores and part of the 500+-store Clean Franchise Brands portfolio. It franchises five business formats using licensed GreenEarth liquid-silicone cleaning, serving retail consumers, corporate accounts, and franchise entrepreneurs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersHanover, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Lapels Dry Cleaning does
Lapels Cleaners (formerly Lapels Dry Cleaning), founded in 2000 and headquartered in Naples, Florida, is a U.S. franchise system specializing in environmentally focused garment care. The company operates under Next Step Franchising, LLC as part of Clean Franchise Brands, which was formed in 2021 with private equity backing from Greybull Stewardship and combines Lapels with Martinizing Dry Cleaning, 1-800-DryClean, Pressed4time, Dry Cleaning Station, and Bizziebox — collectively the largest dry cleaning company in the world with more than 500 stores across 40 states and 9 countries. Lapels-branded locations number 100+ domestically, and the corporate training team has over 70 years of combined dry cleaning and franchising experience.
The company's core technology is the GreenEarth Cleaning process, a licensed liquid-silicone dry cleaning solvent marketed as the world's only 100% environmentally non-toxic dry cleaning alternative, supplemented by non-toxic wet cleaning using computer-controlled washing machines and biodegradable soaps. Operational architecture follows a hub-and-spoke model: full-production 'Plant' stores handle cleaning, pressing, assembly, and packaging, while 'Satellite' stores and Pickup/Delivery routes shuttle garments to plants for processing. The company layers in convenience technology including a customer mobile app, self-service lockers (including locations inside select Target stores), 24-hour drop-off, an Automatic Rewards loyalty program, and free home pickup/delivery.
Lapels generates revenue through a combination of upfront franchise fees ($27,000 for Lapels Delivers, $30,000 for Satellite, $55,000 for Laundromat, $60,000 for Plant), ongoing royalties from franchised operations, and income from turnkey plant and satellite resales. End customers span individual consumers seeking eco-friendly garment care plus corporate and institutional accounts (e.g., U.S. Army and Air Force Exchange services, hotels, and enterprise employers in markets such as Cary, NC). Distribution runs exclusively through independently owned franchisees, with a formal franchise sales process including FDD review, corporate office visits to the former Hanover, MA headquarters, and a dedicated veterans program.
Lapels Dry Cleaning firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lapels Dry Cleaning
- Legal name
- Next Step Franchising, LLC
- Website
- https://lapelsfranchise.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Lapels Cleaners is a U.S. franchise system (founded 2000) operating 100+ branded garment-care stores and part of the 500+-store Clean Franchise Brands portfolio. It franchises five business formats using licensed GreenEarth liquid-silicone cleaning, serving retail consumers, corporate accounts, and franchise entrepreneurs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lapels Dry Cleaning industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Dry Cleaning Franchise Services
- NAICS
- Drycleaning and Laundry Services (except Coin-Operated) (812320)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Retail/Consumer Dry Cleaning (Storefront) (HSAJADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Dry Cleaning Pickup & Delivery (HSAJACAK), Dry Cleaning Plant Operations / Wholesale (Route & Subcontract) (HSAJADAK)
Keywords
Where Lapels Dry Cleaning is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hanover
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Lapels Dry Cleaning business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Franchise Fees: Initial franchise fees ranging from $27,000 to $60,000 depending on business model. Lapels Delivers franchise fee $27,000; Satellite Store $30,000; Plant with Retail Store $60,000; Laundromat $55,000.
- Franchise Royalties: Ongoing royalty fees from franchise operations including plant, satellite, and delivery route franchises. Revenue from ongoing franchise operations with recurring fee structure.
- Turnkey Plant and Satellite Sales: Sale of existing franchise resale opportunities including turnkey operations with established gross sales. Example: Augusta Dry Cleaning with gross sales exceeding $630k in 2025.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Lapels Plant with Retail Store - Full production facility with customer-facing retail space |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Lapels Satellite Store - Customer service point without cleaning machinery |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Lapels Delivers - Pickup and delivery route only (no brick and mortar) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Lapels Laundromat - Full service laundromat franchise |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Conversions - Existing independent dry cleaning operations |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Lapels Dry Cleaning product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lapels Dry Cleaning (operating as Lapels Cleaners) sells and supports dry cleaning franchise businesses and provides environmentally friendly garment care services. The company offers multiple franchise formats including Plant with Retail Store, Satellite Store, Pickup and Delivery Routes, Laundromat, and Conversion Programs, all leveraging GreenEarth liquid silicone cleaning technology as a non-toxic alternative to traditional petrochemical dry cleaning solvents.
Product overview
Lapels Cleaners is a franchise-based garment care company offering environmentally friendly dry cleaning and laundry services. The company operates multiple franchise models: Plant with Retail Store (Hub) as the foundation with full processing equipment, Satellite Stores for customer pickup/dropoff, Pickup and Delivery Routes (Lapels Delivers) for territorial route coverage, and Lapels Laundromat for full-service laundromat operations. Core services include dry cleaning, wash/dry/fold, shirt service, tailoring, wedding gown preservation, suede and leather processing, and storage services. The company differentiates through its proprietary GreenEarth Cleaning process (100% environmentally non-toxic using liquid silicone) and technology offerings including mobile app, locker systems, and on-demand delivery. Customer programs include Automatic Rewards loyalty system, VIP Program, and 24-hour drop-off. In 2021, Lapels acquired Martinizing Dry Cleaning, 1-800-DryClean, Pressed4time, Dry Cleaning Station, and Bizziebox under Clean Franchise Brands, becoming the largest dry cleaning company in the world with 500+ stores across 40 states and nine countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Plant with Retail Store Franchise (Hub) Full production facility with customer-facing retail space that handles all onsite laundering and provides walk-in dry cleaning, shirt service, tailoring, and other services. Functions as the hub in the hub-and-spoke model. Minimum net worth $350,000 (approximately $100,000 liquid).
- Satellite Store Franchise Pickup and dropoff locations without cleaning equipment. Shuttles garments to hub stores for cleaning, pressing, assembly, and packaging. Focuses on customer service, dry cleaning drop-off, tailoring intake, and other revenue streams. Minimum net worth $250,000 (approximately $40,000 liquid).
- Lapels Delivers (Pickup and Delivery) Franchise Territory-based franchise with no physical store. Builds routes with free pickup and delivery services for residential and corporate customers. Lowest investment franchise option.
- Lapels Laundromat Franchise Full-service laundromat franchise opportunity marketed as the most technologically advanced laundromat concept. Provides complete garment care services beyond traditional dry cleaning. Highest investment tier.
- Conversion Program Program converting existing independent dry cleaning operations into Lapels franchise locations. Provides national brand recognition, 20+ years of operational experience, marketing, technology, sustainability practices, and customer engagement support.
- Lapels Cleaners Dry Cleaning Service Consumer-facing dry cleaning and garment care service offered through franchise locations. Includes same-day dry cleaning, shirt service, tailoring, wedding gown preservation, suede and leather processing, box and fur storage, shoe repair, home delivery, and 24-hour drop-off. Uses 100% environmentally non-toxic GreenEarth liquid silicone cleaning technology.
Quantifiable outcome
- 500+ stores in 40 states and 9 countries
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Lapels Dry Cleaning
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Lapels Dry Cleaning technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Lapels Dry Cleaning partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and minor.
- U.S. Army and Air Force ExchangestrategicAgreement to provide dry cleaning and laundry services at Exchanges at US Army and Air Force bases across the U.S. Services include satellite stores, lockers, pick-up and drop-off boxes. Agreement runs through 2025.
- GreenEarth CleaningcorePartnership agreement with GreenEarth, the dry cleaning industry's only non-toxic cleaning alternative. Uses liquid silicone solvent instead of petrochemicals for environmentally friendly dry cleaning.
- TargetminorPartnership to host lockers in select Target locations for customer convenience and contactless pickup/drop-off services.
- Martinizing Dry CleaningcoreAcquired along with 1-800-DryClean, Pressed4time, Dry Cleaning Station and Bizziebox to form Clean Franchise Brands. Combined entities created the largest dry cleaning company in the world with 500+ stores.
- 1-800-DryCleancoreAcquired brand now part of Clean Franchise Brands portfolio
- Pressed4TimecoreAcquired brand now part of Clean Franchise Brands portfolio
- Dry Cleaning StationcoreAcquired brand now part of Clean Franchise Brands portfolio
- BizzieboxcoreAcquired brand now part of Clean Franchise Brands portfolio
- ClickTecsminorDigital marketing agency retained to accelerate digital campaign. Based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Developed franchise website redesign and Facebook/LinkedIn campaigns targeting franchise prospects.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Lapels Dry Cleaning competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tide Cleaners: National dry cleaning franchise backed by a major consumer brand with eco-friendly positioning and a comparable tiered-format growth strategy; competes for the same franchisee pool and consumer wallet share as Lapels Cleaners.
- Oxxo Care Cleaners: Eco-friendly dry cleaning franchise also using GreenEarth Cleaning technology; the closest direct technology overlap with Lapels and the clearest competitor for the same environmentally focused franchisee prospects.
- ZIPS Dry Cleaners: Large U.S. dry cleaning franchise chain with comparable same-day, pickup-and-delivery, and multi-format unit model; competes head-to-head for franchisees and end customers in many of the same regional markets.
- Pressed4Time: Sister brand under Clean Franchise Brands specializing in route-based pickup and delivery for corporate accounts. Overlaps directly with Lapels Delivers and corporate-account franchisee offerings.
- Martinizing Dry Cleaning: Sister brand acquired in 2021 and now part of Clean Franchise Brands. Offers franchise dry cleaning with a comparable hub-and-spoke footprint, making it the most direct functional peer and benchmark for Lapels' franchise economics inside the same parent.
- CD One Price Cleaners: Franchise dry cleaning chain with flat-pricing marketing and a similar neighborhood-store franchise model; overlaps with Lapels' Plant and Satellite formats and customer value proposition.
- 1-800-DryClean: Sister brand under Clean Franchise Brands focused on pickup-and-delivery and route-based dry cleaning. Closely aligned with Lapels Delivers and Satellites and serves as a direct internal comparable for franchise unit economics.
Broad incumbents
- Comet Cleaners: Established multi-store dry cleaning chain with broader geographic reach; competes in many of the same local markets as Lapels and is typically on the same Franchise 500-style shortlists.
- Heritage Cleaners: Multi-regional dry cleaning franchise with comparable store-plus-delivery service mix; targets franchisees seeking a larger incumbent system rather than Lapels' pure eco-tech positioning.
Others
- GreenEarth Cleaning: Technology licensor whose liquid-silicone cleaning process is Lapels' core differentiation; not a competitor but the enabling infrastructure partner whose industry footprint frames who Lapels is competing against in the eco-cleaning niche.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lapels Dry Cleaning social profiles
Digital presenceLapels Dry Cleaning financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lapels Dry Cleaning leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Lapels Dry Cleaning subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Lapels Dry Cleaning funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lapels Dry Cleaning M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lapels Dry Cleaning
What does Lapels Dry Cleaning do?
Lapels Dry Cleaning (operating as Lapels Cleaners) sells and supports dry cleaning franchise businesses and provides environmentally friendly garment care services. The company offers multiple franchise formats including Plant with Retail Store, Satellite Store, Pickup and Delivery Routes, Laundromat, and Conversion Programs, all leveraging GreenEarth liquid silicone cleaning technology as a non-toxic alternative to traditional petrochemical dry cleaning solvents.
Is Lapels Dry Cleaning a public or private company?
Lapels Dry Cleaning is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Lapels Dry Cleaning founded?
Lapels Dry Cleaning was founded in 2000. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Lapels Dry Cleaning based?
Lapels Dry Cleaning is headquartered in Hanover, United States, in the North America region.
How does Lapels Dry Cleaning make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Franchise Fees are the primary driver. The others are franchise Royalties and turnkey Plant and Satellite Sales.
Who are Lapels Dry Cleaning's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tide Cleaners, Oxxo Care Cleaners, ZIPS Dry Cleaners, Pressed4Time, Martinizing Dry Cleaning, CD One Price Cleaners and 1-800-DryClean. Broad incumbents are Comet Cleaners and Heritage Cleaners. GreenEarth Cleaning is listed as an others.
Does Lapels Dry Cleaning have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lapels Dry Cleaning.
What industry is Lapels Dry Cleaning in?
Lapels Dry Cleaning's product category is Dry Cleaning Franchise Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAJADAA, Retail/Consumer Dry Cleaning (Storefront), with a secondary code of HSAJACAK, Dry Cleaning Pickup & Delivery. Its NAICS code is 812320.