From linen rentals… to caring for family heirlooms… and everything in between! Steinbach Dry Cleaners is a family-run business operated by Susan Wollman and her daughter Julianna Sader. They purchased the business five years ago, strengthened by Wollman’s 30+ years of experience as a seamstress, and Sader’s interest in business and marketing.
Business has gone well for the pair, despite the changes brought on by the pandemic.
“It’s actually been interesting,” Sader reflects. “There have been some businesses that unfortunately didn’t make it through the pandemic. And there’s one dry cleaners in Winnipeg that we know of where the owners retired during that time. So we’ve gained clients from that. Today, we have customers coming in from as far as Brandon and Winkler.”
While not originally from Steinbach, Sader has loved growing into this community.
“We’ve lived here for almost 10 years, and it feels like a big small town. Doing business here is really cool because you get to know families very well.” Sader continues, “And when you’re out and about, you see all your customers- I think that’s awesome.”
While the most common items in their care are suits and dress shirts (with loads of formal wear during the grad and wedding season), they often receive some very unique items.
“We get a lot of people in who don’t know what to do with something at home. Things like handmade items, vintage pieces, and family heirlooms. They share that the item is very fragile, but can we make it look better or brighter?” Sader shares an example. “We recently had a few jackets brought in that were made from 150-year-old Hudson’s Bay blankets- someone had made jackets out of them.”
It is very clear to the owners and their team that oftentimes, people are actively trusting them with valuable and personal items.
“It’s interesting. When things like that come in, there’s a conversation that happens. You get to learn a little about your customers.”
Aside from dry cleaning, Wollman and Sader’s original purchase of the dry cleaning company included a vast amount of linens. But what to do with it all?
“I thought it’d be weird if we put them together,” Sader admits. “We needed a separate business name for that part of the business, so we created The Linen Closet Event Rentals. Nowadays, we’ve added décor to the linens, and customized signs for weddings. We also have vintage chairs and stuff like that that people can rent. It’s grown quite a bit in five years- we’re pretty busy. It’s nice to see it grow!”
Looking to the future, Sader hopes to add pickup and delivery to their list of services. She understands the balance needed between a rational and doable workday for her limited staff, and that there will always be customers who cannot make it to the store during business hours. Sader acknowledges that this will also likely boost linen rentals.
The success of the business could not have been possible without the support of the community, of which Sader is extremely grateful.
“I’d love to take this opportunity to thank everyone that has supported us, that we’ve gotten to know so well through the dry cleaners. We’ve made friends, and it’s so cool being part of the business community. We’re very appreciative of everyone’s business and support over the last five years!”
Steinbach Dry Cleaners can be found in Unit E at 22 Loewen Boulevard behind Victoria Plaza. For more information about services and rentals, visit www.steinbachdrycleaners.com and www.linenclosetrentals.ca.
