Building a spotless reputation

Liberty Laundry is a locally owned and operated family business. Owner John Henderson (left) opened the doors of the first Liberty Laundry in 2005 to escape the corporate business lifestyle and as a way to provide for his family. Since then, he has been joined in the daily operation of the company by his wife Zela (not pictured), and two of his sons, Brian Henderson (right) and Operations Manager Sean Henderson (middle).

Since its founding, Liberty Laundry has grown to three locations and employs over 25 people. It was recently featured in First National Bank of Broken Arrow’s “Customers First” advertising campaign with the slogan “Building a Spotless Reputation.”

The Hendersons are members of the Coin Laundry Association. Both John and Brian have given presentations about multiple laundry management and drop off laundry services at CLA events, and John is a frequent contributor to the CLA’s monthly industry magazine, Planet Laundry.

Brian Henderson recently left Liberty Laundry and is now selling Point-of-Sale computer systems to laundromat owners. His new company, Wash-Dry-Fold POS, was developed after discovering there was no product on the market specifically addressing the needs of laundromats offering wash-dry-fold services. His products have been well-received by laundromat owners around the United States and several other countries.

Our Business Vision

John Henderson

Liberty Laundry’s founder, John Henderson, shares some insight into the Liberty Laundry way of doing business:

First, I would like to assure you that the reviews and testimonials on our website, Google Places, Facebook and elsewhere were not made up or written by us, and I am very grateful to the wonderful customers who have taken the time to share their thoughts.

People seem to be delighted when they finally find a laundromat that meets their needs – and I don’t mean one that simply has washers and dryers. We have found that people want a laundromat that is clean. They want to feel safe. They want a variety of equipment and they want all of it to be in good working order. They want a friendly person on staff who will take care of any problem they might encounter.

Is that really too much to ask of a laundromat? I don’t think it is. One visit to any of our three laundromats in Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, will convince you that we take our business seriously.

But, let’s dig just a little deeper. Why should a laundromat go the extra mile? Why do we clean our stores from top to bottom daily? Why are we attended, when many laundromats go unattended? Why do we try to make you comfortable when you visit our stores?

The answer is simple: we do it because it is the right thing to do. We try our best to live by the Golden Rule.

We run our business the way we do because we strive to treat people with respect and dignity. That is why we clean our stores. That is why we jump on repairing our machines quicker than a duck on a June bug. That is why we offer nice features like air conditioning, fresh coffee, and free wireless internet. That is why we only hire nice people. And that is why we have no problem taking care of any problem you might have when you visit Liberty Laundry!

And that is why people keep coming back. From a business owner’s perspective, it makes economic sense to take care of our customers because it fosters loyalty and return visits. From an eternal perspective, treating customers with respect takes on an even greater significance.

Awards

Coin-Op Beautiful Contest
Liberty Laundry in Broken Arrow was named one of the five most beautiful laundromats in the United States in 2006 by American Coin-Op (a laundry industry trade magazine) in its annual Coin-Op Beautiful Contest. Click here to see the article – PDF

Articles

Give Him ‘Liberty’…
Liberty Laundry was also featured in the March 2006 issue of The Journal, which is the Coin Laundry Association’s monthly magazine and is the most widely read and respected trade publication in the industry. Click here to see the article – PDF

With ‘Liberty’ and Laundry for All

The Tulsa World newspaper wrote an article January 2006 about Liberty Laundry placing in the top 5 of the American Coin-Op Beautiful Contest as one of the nation’s most beautiful laundromats.  Click here to see the article

‘Before I Owned A Laundromat…’
In the September 2011 issue of Planet Laundry (the new name for the Coin Laundry Association’s magazine as of January 2011, formerly known as The Journal), Liberty Laundry’s owner John Henderson was asked what he did before getting into the laundry business. His response is the next to last one listed here.

‘Where Are They Now?’
The March 2014 edition of CLA’s industry magazine Planet Laundry (formerly The Journal) follows up with past business profiles to “see just how their laundry operations, marketplaces and thoughts on the industry have changed (or perhaps remained the same) since [they] last appeared…” Article link

‘Scalability: Thoughts on Growing Your Business’
John Henderson shares his thoughts on the entrepreneurial stuggle of growing one’s business in the July 2013 edition of Planet Laundry. Article link

‘The Anatomy of a 504 Loan’
Financing a business startup is often one of the most challenging aspects of becoming a small business owner. John Henderson dissects one such method he used in the founding of Liberty Laundry in this October 2013 issue of Planet Laundry. Article link

‘Midlife Crisis: Searching for Relevance in the Coin Laundry Industry’
In this slightly-tongue-in-cheek article in the March 2010 edtion of Planet Laundry, John Henderson shares his thoughts on what led him to building a coin op laundromat. Article link

‘Store Design: Built to Succeed’
Other than location, the most crucial contributing factor to the ultimate success or failure of any self-service laundry is the layout and design of the store’s interior. Liberty Laundry owner John Henderson is quoted heavily throughout this very practical article about laundromat store design. Article link

‘Tapping’ Into Today’s Technology
Operations Manager Brian Henderson shares his insight into the competitive advantages of Liberty Laundry’s multiple payment method strategy, including credit card acceptance on all washers and dryers and now smartphone NFC payments. Article link

‘POS Systems: A Guide for Laundry Owners’
Operations Manager Brian Henderson discusses “Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Point-of-Sale System for Your [Laundry] Business.” Article link

‘Growing Pains’
Brian discusses some “HR Management Technology Tips to Help You Survive Your Business’ Growth” in this article detailing some of the systems he and the Liberty Laundry team developed to cope with the company’s expansion from one location with six team members to three locations with a team of twenty-five team members in a timespan of less than five years. Article link