CANADA'S BEST CLEANERS - Key Persons
Catherine McCann offers a wealth of leadership and organization management expertise gleaned from her more than 18 years with Fortune 500 company AT&T, where she served in a variety of executive roles, including Global Sales Operations Director and Global Sales CFO. Since she co-founded Best Cleaners in 2005, the company has grown under Catherine's direction from its original three stores to eleven brick and mortar locations and been named to the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in 2011, 2012, and 2013. In addition, Catherine was named a "Woman to Watch" by the Business Review in 2010.
Under Catherine's guidance, Best Cleaners remains the only garment care provider in the Capital Region chosen to prestigious, national organizations like America's Best Cleaners and the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists. Best Cleaners was the first garment care provider in the Capital Region to be be certified by the Green Cleaners Council, and have been awarded top honors by All Over Albany.com and the Times Union Best of (9 years running), and many others. Best Cleaners maintains these honors via rigorous quality and service standards, remaining focused on the client, and creating an environmentally-friendly dry cleaning service.
Prior to starting Best Cleaners, Catherine held a variety of sales and sales support positions with AT&T. including Director of Sales Operations for the North West Global Business Sales division of AT&T, which accounted for $400M in recurring annual revenue for the corporation; Global Sales Operations Director; and Global Sales CFO based in Washington DC, which provided $2B annually to the AT&T coffers.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Partner
- Partner, Executive Director Read More.
Chris was Director of Business Development and Technical Director until January 2010 when he took the helm of Americas Best Cleaners as Executive Director.
Ed has been in the garment industry for over 45 years. Ed is best known for designing what American Drycleaner Magazine referred to as, "The Plant of the Future," in their October 1994 cover story. At the time he was operating the largest drycleaners in Palm Beach County - servicing Palm Beach, Jupiter Island, West Palm Beach, and Boca Raton. After being featured, Ed has completed over 100 designs projects, with several of them winning "Plant of the Year" awards by American Drycleaner. In addition to 3D designs for drycleaners, Ed has done residential and commercial property design as well as business valuations and acquisitions.
Ed D'Elicio owned and operated a few drycleaning plants one of them being the largest drycleaning plant in the State of Florida (14,000 sq ft) -- cover story of the October '94 issue of the American Drycleaner magazine - The Plant of the Future. Ed was the first major drycleaning route operator in Palm Beach County primarily serving Palm Beach, Jupiter Island, Singer Island, West Palm Beach and Boca Raton. He owned and operated one the largest tailor shops in South Florida with seven custom tailors. Ed has been an independent consultant since February 1995 having consulted to some of the largest independent drycleaners in the United States while operating dry cleaning management bureaus. Over the years Ed has conducted a series of seminars across the United States on various topics related to dry cleaning. Ed has also designed over 50 dry cleaning plants since 1999. Two examples are Jones Cleaning Centers, Fresno, CA (7500 Sq ft) which was awarded, ‘Plant Design of the Year Award for 2004' as well as Rey's Cleaners, Miami, FL (32000 sq ft) which received a Merit award nationally for central plant design in 2005. Ed has been on the forefront of computer integration and garment tracking systems, having integrated RFID technology and computerized conveyor systems into plant design. In addition to systems development, Ed is also involved in financial analysis, business valuations and route development for his clients. In 1999/2000, Ed founded America's Best Cleaners (ABC). Ed was also instrumental in introducing Mainetti USA the world's largest hanger company to the drycleaning industry and was on the forefront of introducing Liquid CO2 to the drycleaning industry as an environmentally friendly, stable, safe, gentle solvent. He also helped introduce Metalprogetti USA, based in Perugia, Italy, a high-tech conveyor company, to the US market.
Job Titles:
- Owner and Chief Marketing Strategist of Smart Fish Marketing
Katherine McGraw Patterson brings expertise and knowledge gained over 20 years' experience in marketing support for professional services firms. She first established an independent consulting service in Hong Kong in 1999, and after several years of success in the international market, Katherine returned to the U.S. in 2002, where she applied this critical experience in addressing the marketing needs of small businesses here in the U.S.
As the Owner and Chief Marketing Strategist of Smart Fish Marketing, Katherine has helped ABC create the ABC Affiliate Marketing Program, designed to bring cutting-edge social media marketing, email and online marketing, and traditional marketing packages to the Affiliates of ABC.
Job Titles:
- Technical Services Trainer
- Technical Services Trainer Read More.
Liz Davies has been involved in the drycleaning industry since she was 15 years old and was hired to work the front counter of Humphrey's Cleaners in Vancouver, WA. She worked her way to equipment operator at 18 and eventually to plant owner at Market Place Cleaners. Since leaving Market Place, Liz has become one of the industry's leading full-time consultants, working with owners and managers on everything from production and management through to overall quality and CSR training. In addition to being in high demand for her business skills, Liz has been a contracted equipment demonstrator for Unipress at various industry trade shows for over 20 years, widely recognized for her shirt pressing expertise. Liz has also presented educational seminars to owners and managers.
Job Titles:
- Production Management & Mechanical Consultant
Job Titles:
- Implementation Specialist