OUR PROCESS


John Mattioli says being an entrepreneur has far exceeded his expectations.


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“With our high quality, Parisian inspired service, and low prices,we estimate many people may save up to $1,300 a year in excessive drycleaning bills”.

When John Mattioli learned of Belk’s Parisian takeover and his subsequent layoff in August of 2006, he put on his entrepreneurial thinking cap and decided to move forward with something that he felt was a need not currently being served in the Birmingham market: discount dry cleaning services with excellent customer service.

“We truly think our discount dry cleaning service will be beneficial to many consumers, businesses, and their employees in the Birmingham area,” says Mattioli. Being a retailer, it is only fitting that John Mattioli would develop a strategy with the goal to become both the Wal-Mart and Parisian of the dry cleaning industry. Working on low margins, high volume, and excellent customer service to dominate the dry cleaning business was the core strategy.

He along with his wife, Holly, purchased Dry Clean City of Vestavia Hills in May 2007 from out of state owners. The business was a true diamond in the rough with good basic systems and a niche strategy that had potential, but was grossly neglected and never truly developed by the original owners. Within the first three months of their ownership, John & Holly reorganized all of the systems and developed an extremely efficient dry cleaning process and Parisian like customer service strategy. In July 2007 they started a corporate dry cleaning pickup and delivery service called Dropyourpantsatwork.com (changed the name to 5Stardryclean.com in January 2013). Mattioli’s new venture under his company name of J&H Dry Clean Express Inc., offers discount dry cleaning services to all types of businesses throughout the Birmingham area; 5Stardryclean.com picks up from and delivers dry cleaning to each of it’s client’s locations twice weekly for a fraction of the price normally charged for delivery dry cleaning.

“With our high quality, Parisian inspired service, and low prices, we estimate many people may save up to $1,300 a year in excessive drycleaning bills, and with gas prices soaring, we save our 5stardryclean.com customers unnecessary driving time and expensive gas use,” says Mattioli.

Why Discount Dry Cleaning?

With a unique concept designed to save individuals money, give them excellent service, and be kind to the environment, Dry Clean City of Vestavia Hills and 5 Star Cleaners use “green” cleaning products and processing systems. Their dry cleaning solvent and process is so safe that it is not even regulated by the EPA. “If we do everything right from the best customer service, and great quality, with quick turn around, and save people lots of money, we should be successful” says Mattioli.

 

From Parisian to Dry Cleaning

Although he initially had no knowledge of the dry cleaning business, Mattioli says that through all his years in retail he had something others did not: an understanding of apparel and extensive fabric knowledge.

“There are very few people that understand the science behind fabric and how to give garments the proper care to perform and look their best; Parisian gave me that knowledge,” says Mattioli. “I used what I had learned and am now applying that to my dry cleaning businesses.”

While working for Parisian, Mattioli ran a $25 million men’s designer apparel business, and at one point a $100 million ladies career apparel and designer business. “These experiences at Parisian involved all aspects of running your own business such as business management, planning, financials, and marketing,” Mattioli stated. “This was some of the best training anyone could have to transition into their own dry cleaning business.”

Something else that Mattioli attributes to his former employer is his client-oriented business philosophy, which is simply to treat them well.

“Parisian as a company taught me the mindset of always treating your customers with respect and taking care of them in a way that you yourself would like to be taken care of,” says Mattioli. “And although in my current venture, the business is to provide a service rather than sell an actual physical product, many of the same principles in retail apply.”

“I can guarantee you that there is not a dry cleaning business in the city of Birmingham that will give clients the type of customer service we provide,” says Mattioli. “And no matter how vast our clientele, that aspect of the business will never waiver.

John, and his wife Holly, added a second dry cleaning location at Valleydale Village, in Birmingham Alabama under the name of 5 Star Cleaners and moved their 5stardryclean.com business to that location. The store opened December 3rd of 2012. 5 Star Cleaners offers the households in the Inverness area of Birmingham discount dry cleaning and great service just like Dry Clean City of Vestavia Hills.

John extended his “High Volume, High Service” Discount Drycleaning to cover Valleydale Residents

5 Star Cleaners serves as the discount delivery dry cleaning & laundry service headquarters for 5stardryclean.com as of January 7th of 2013. The delivery division offers their service as a free benefit to area businesses. The business plan is to offer the same great customer service and value pricing with our delivery business that we offer in our dry clean stores. We are not your typical dry cleaner and we certainly won’t be your typical dry clean delivery service. We save people lots of money and give them excellent service, says Mattioli.

In addition to dry cleaning & laundry service, Dry Clean City of Vestavia Hills and 5 Star Cleaners also offer expert alterations service, area rug cleaning service, and wash, dry, & fold laundry service.

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