After a difficult year in 2009, the Clean Show made a successful comeback this year with most exhibitors enthusiastic about the attention they had received.

Certainly there was plenty to attract visitors and the official figures confirm that there was a substantial increase in visitors compared with the previous event.

The Clean Show claims to be the largest textile care exhibition and although slanted towards USA/Canadian markets, it also attracts an audience beyond these, in particular from South America, Australian and Asian markets, but also some European visitors. As with many shows, exhibitors see this as a place to consolidate and expand distribution networks as well as introducing technologies.

Perhaps the most significant change was in the drycleaning sector. None of the companies I visited had perc machines on view and all said this was the first time this had happened. This change reflects the move to phase out perc, which is gradually spreading across the USA.

The alternatives are now numerous. Kreussler’s Solvon K4 is one of the most recent but many more were also on view including Rynex3E, DF2000, Drysolv, hydrocarbon and GreenEarth. Most machine manufacturers were marketing their products as being adaptable for any of these solvents. The Ipura system, which has been based on hydrocarbon, is now available for GreenEarth as well.

Several big names in the laundry sector were introducing significant changes. Jensen and Kannegiesser were both showing technologies established in Europe to North America for the first time.

Pellerin Milnor showed the latest developments in its PulseFlow water-saving technology for its CBW tunnel washers. PulseFlow has progresse dsignificantly since the concept was introduced in 2009 and last year received the Hohenstein Institute’s certificate for Innovative Technology.

Alliance Laundry Systems has reviewed its approach and is now putting its main focus on its brands, Speed Queen, which concentrates on coin-op, Unimac, focused on OPL equipment, Heubsch and Ipso, which has a strong European following, but is also international.

Electrolux featured both the Wascator brand, traditional for this market and the Electrolux name, which is now being introduced as the premium brand under which innovations will be developed. The company also introduced its Lagoon wetcleaning system to the USA.

The Clean Show executive and its organiser, Riddle & Associates, have also made a significant change for future events by reverting to the three day format for the 2013, 2015 and 2017 events. They say this is in response to some exhibitor and visitor demand.

LCN understands the format may be reviewed in the future.

However, asking around the stands I found that the move might not be as welcome as originally thought.

The contra argument is that the cost and time taken to build the stands is considerable and will have to be recovered in a much shorter time, particularly given the winding down in business that generally marks the last day of any show.

Janet Taylor – jtaylor@laundryandcleaningnews.com