News at Arrow Fabricare Services

Wanna A Good Laugh...or two...or three???

2011-12-09T11:14:00.006-06:00

When Regis Philbin's wife, Joy, stained her expensive leather jacket on their nationally broadcast show, they sent it to Arrow. Here are some very funny clips from the show in which the event is discussed, both on Philbin's show and on KCTV5, which covered the story locally. The jacket was saved, of course!!!... thanks to Arrow. Watch and chuckle!

Chapter I

Chapter II

Chapter III

Is this a wonderful time of the year...or what???!!!

2011-12-01T22:39:00.002-06:00

No matter where you live...Kansas City or Naples, Florida the season inspires us to cheerier dispositions and charitable works. We wish everyone a most productive and happy holiday season.

Home Laundry Causing Ocean Microplastic Pollution?

2011-11-22T13:49:00.003-06:00

By now most Americans are aware of the Pacific Ocean's Great Garbage Patch, a Texas-sized clump of man-made trash floating in the middle of the ocean. But recently scientists discovered that home washing is a "major source" of "microplastic" pollution in the oceans.

Scientists have found pinhead-sized and smaller pieces of polyester and acrylic on shorelines and are tracing them back to home washing machines, according to an American Chemical Society report on a study in its Environmental Science & Technology publication.

In the study, a team of researchers combed 18 coasts looking for microplastics and found it in excess in densely populated areas. Testing showed the probable source to be wastewater from home washing machines. The team noted that 1,900 fibers can wash off a single garment. Worse, the team reported that the debris can contain hazardous ingredients that can be ingested by fish, then later, by humans who eat the fish.

In drycleaning, all microfibers are collected in the system's lint trap and none of the waste is allowed to flow outside of the plant. The report concludes, "Designers of clothing and washing machines should consider the need to reduce the release of fibers into wastewater and research is needed to develop methods for removing microplastic from sewage." Labeling all synthetic garments "dryclean only" could help save the day.

Arrow again a sponsor of the "Coats for Kids" campaign

2011-11-02T13:18:00.005-06:00

Arrow Fabricare has again jumped in to help out for the 5th year on the 9th annual Coats for Kids Campaign - beginning Monday, November 7th and continuing to collect through December 9th. Arrow is working in cooperation with KMBZ Radio to collect usable coats and winter jackets - and cash.

There's always a need, and once again this year, the tough economy has put a an even bigger more painful crimp in lower-income budgets. When we can offer clean coats and jackets for school-age young people before the blustery onset of winter, it's a wonderful help for so many families. Last year, more than 9,000 coats and jackets were collected, cleaned by Arrow and Pride, and distributed by volunteers from Sertoma and the U.S. Army to the Kansas City, Kansas, Kansas City, Missouri, Hickman Mills and the Independence school districts.

Again this year, Arrow will have a large coat collection box in the lobby at 39th and Troost. Arrow's residential route customers are asked to separate, and clearly mark the bag with their donated coats. The Arrow route representative will gather the donated coats along with the customer's regular order. Check your closet for outgrown and unused coats! All sizes are needed.

KMBZ Radio will be broadcasting live from Arrow's Front Counter at the plant in midtown Kansas City, 3838 Troost Avenue, KCMO 64109. You are welcome to drop by and make a donation of a coat or some cash and have a little refreshment also.

Live Broadcasts will be:

4 pm to 6 pm - November 11th and

7 am to 9 am - November 30th

Thank you for helping make “Coats for Kids” a success again this year!

A HEARTFELT TESTIMONIAL FROM A CUSTOMER OF OUR FIRE RESTORATION DIVISION

2011-10-27T11:32:00.004-05:00

"You can't improve on perfection. You took us under your wing and made us feel like family as we made our way through racks of belongings (after our fire). Taking me to see how the process worked made me even more appreciative of your hard work. Please don't change a thing (in the way you do business). It's a wonderful business. I believe Cindy D. with Allstate sent you to us. Whoever sent you, we will be eternally grateful. I will be honored to let everyone know of the understanding, personal and professional service you provided during such a difficult time. I truly hope no one would ever need to endure this. But the compassion you showed to our family will surely be rewarded to you and each of your hard-working employees."

Forever Grateful, Kurt, Kathy and Matt M. - Kansas City

Our new processing plant in central Kansas City, Kansas

2011-10-19T22:04:00.010-05:00

Here's a pix of Arrow's newest plant, just opened a couple of months ago. The address is 1330 Washington Blvd., Kansas City, KS 66102. It's about 22,000 sq. ft. and is designed to do all the processing for Arrow Fire & Water Restoration - www.arrow-fire.com - Blanc Plume Fine French Laundry - www.BlancPlume.com and Arrow Drapery -www.ArrowDrapery.com

Arrow attracts customers from far and wide!

2011-10-11T12:38:00.006-05:00

We were just looking at the statistics for our website traffic this morning and were reminded how Arrow has grown from a local dry cleaner into a national source of the finest dry cleaning, leather and suede cleaning and restoration, fine french laundry, wedding gown cleaning and preservation and much...much...more. It's become big business here on the corner of 39th and Troost in Midtown Kansas City.

Here are a few of where our customers are coming from...just in the last few hours:

Thornhill, Ontario

Greenhill, South Carolina

Tyler, Texas

Jackson, Wyoming

Nantucket, Mass.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Vallejo, California

Helena, Arkansas

Morris Plains, New Jersey

Newark, New Jersey

Brighton, East Sussex, United Kingdom

Singapore, Singapore

New Haven, Conn.

Woodsocket, Rhode Island

....and on and on and on! Plus a bunch from nearby our plants in Kansas City.

Many, many thanks to all our customers from all around the 50 states...and even some from across the seas. If you'd like to read what they have to say about us, here is a link to hundreds of testimonials.

Arrow's Best Buy During October

2011-10-09T10:01:00.006-05:00

Free Shipping for out of town

Customers...

Just Click this link...

Check this out...A rhythmic melody composed strictly from sounds produced in a dry cleaning plant...Enjoy!

2011-10-08T20:23:00.005-05:00

Nice letter to Escada praises Arrow Fabricare!

2011-09-28T09:14:00.005-05:00

The letter following was written to Escada and as you'll read, it was highly complimentary of Arrow Fabricare's work and service. Escada kindly forwarded us a copy. The letter follows, but first, here's a little background on Escada. It is a group of companies that ranks among the worldwide market leaders for ready-to-wear women’s fashion in the high-end segment. ESCADA is sold in over 80 countries worldwide. Arrow specializes in cleaning and restoring high-end garments and leathers, including fashionable handbags like the Escada bag shown above.

This letter to Escada is from their customer, Faith R., Katonah, NY.

"I am very grateful to Escada because 20 years ago I bought a black and white "zebra" like jacket which was quite expensive. It was quite a stretch for me financially since I had just graduated from business school.

"About a week after I bought it, I was taking the bus to work and sat on a seat that had water on it and the black ran into the white. Naturally, I was devastated. I took the jacket back and told there were no more jackets to replace it, but you offered to clean it. I was extremely skeptical about your ability to clean it properly given the extent of the stain. About two weeks later I received the jacket back from Arrow Fabricare Services in Kansas City. The jacket was perfect and I was thrilled. Since that time I have sent any hard-to-handle problem with my clothing to Arrow and they have never disappointed me (including recently re-weaving 35 cashmere sweaters for me when moths attacked my closet).

"Earlier this summer I was wearing a black and white Escada skirt when I was watering my plants and the skirt got wet and the black ran into the white. I spoke with the store manager on the phone about the situation and she was not particularly helpful. I sent the skirt to Arrow and they spent one month working on it and restored it to its original elegance.

"I wanted to take the time to tell you this story because while I thought the way this was handled by the store in New York was not particularly professional, I do have you to thank for introducing me to Arrow many years ago. They do remarkable work and if you ever have clients who need work done, they really do an outstanding job. Thank you."

Many thanks to Ms. Faith R. for her kind words. She is one of over 10,000 customers nationwide that put their trust and faith and treasured garments in our care every year.

Arrow's Open House at new processing plant!

2011-09-28T05:42:00.004-05:00

The Open House at the new plant located at 1330 Washington Blvd., Kansas City, KS 66102, was a lot of fun for the many Arrow employees, customers and vendors who attended. The afternoon was highlighted by a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Shown above doing the honors were: Jackie Gershon, Connie Mosier BlancPlume Division Manager, Stephanie Gershon, Bruce Gershon wielding the giant scissors, Connie Kenig Arrow Fire Restoration Division Manager, Bob Gershon and Arrow Drapery Division Manager, Brad Gershon. Our thanks to all that attended.

If you were unable to attend and would like a plant tour, contact Glenda Davis at: 816-365-1015 or by email: glenda@arrow-care.com

The Gershon Family is doing much the same thing as its ancestors did four thousand years ago!

2011-08-09T23:19:00.014-05:00

Four generations of the Gershon family have been cleaning clothing, leathers, draperies, rugs and many other household items in Kansas City since 1914. That’s nearly 100 years!

But that’s really just a few clicks of the historical clock when compared to the services of the ancestors of the Kansas City Gershons who were doing much the same thing many thousands of years ago!!! And that they were doing it under the specific instructions of God to Moses during the decades of wandering in the desert following the exodus of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery.

A reading of portions of the Old Testament of the Bible reveals that the nomadic clans were given certain responsibilities and duties during the travels of the Jews. Gershon was a son of Levi and Gershon's sons and family and descendents composed what became known as Gershonite clans.

Paraphrased biblical instructions of the Lord regarding the work of the the Gershon clans (the Libnites and Shimeites) read that they had some seven thousand five hundred men and boys at least one month old. The Gershonites job was to camp on the west side of the sacred tent, under the leadership of Eliasaph son of Lael. Their duties at the tent included taking care of the tent itself, along with its outer covering, the curtain for the entrance, the curtains hanging inside the courtyard around the tent, as well as the curtain and ropes for the entrance to the courtyard and its altar. The Gershonites were responsible for setting these things up and taking them down during their moves through the wilderness of the Sinai desert.

We guess it can be said that the Kansas City Gershons, owners of Arrow Fabricare Services, are running their business much as the clan of Gershon which traces its lineage many thousands of years. So when it comes to taking care of draperies, leathers and other items...who can claim more experience???!!! It seems that the Gershons have been destined to be in their business for a long, long time!

Move-In at New Plant is Underway

2011-05-26T08:49:00.004-05:00

As some of you already know, Arrow is opening another plant to provide additional capacity for our growing business.

Remodeling of the building located at 1333 Washington Blvd., in central Kansas City, KS has been been underway for the last four months.

Arrow's divisions that will be located in the new facility are:

Fire and Water Damage Restoration and Cleaning
Blanc Plume Fine French Laundry
...and, Arrow Drapery and Window Treatment Cleaning

The new plant has over 28,000 square feet of processing and administrative areas. Much new equipment has been acquired to handle Arrow's growth in clientele and volume.

As soon as the move-in is complete, we will post some photographs of the facility. Also, within a couple of weeks you'll be able to visit and take a tour.

Puma Sportswear displays a touch of corporate good humor

2011-05-16T09:14:00.005-05:00

Usually manufacturing corporations take themselves pretty seriously and a good sense of humor is often absent. However Puma Sportswear recently exhibited a nifty bit of creativity and mirth in a "care tag" sewn in to a sweatshirt/hoodie. On the back of the tag (see above), this garment care advice was offered to owners..."Wash This When Dirty". Good advice and no doubt makes those who wear Puma giggle a little and will probably encourage them to be recurring buyers. Arrow Fabricare Services concurs that this care label offers logical professional care advice. :-)

Record temperatures brings FOX4 News to Arrow's Plant

2011-05-09T17:17:00.006-05:00

Tune in tonight on Channel 4's FOX4 News at 9:00 p.m. for a feature on how Arrow deals with the high temperatures during this unusual spring hot spell at its dry cleaning plant. Plant Manager, Jim Roddy will be interviewed about the measures that Arrow takes to make the work place as safe and as comfortable as possible for its employees during periods of high temperatures. The hot spell is expected to last through Tuesday. The previous record high of 89 degrees for this date was set in 1963. It is expected to be eclipsed both today and tomorrow.

Some inspirational thoughts on Motherhood!

2011-05-05T13:35:00.004-05:00

"Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother."
Lin Yutang, Chinese writer

"A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie."
Tenneva Jordan

"No matter how old a mother is, she watches her middle-aged children for signs of improvement."
Florida Scott-Maxwell

"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother."
Author Unknown

"God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers."
Jewish proverb

"When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child."
Sophia Loren

Our favorite:

"And remember that behind every successful woman......is a basket of dirty laundry."
Author Unknown

Just what is DRY cleaning anyway???

2011-05-03T14:54:00.007-05:00

When clothing and other garments cannot be cleaned with water, they are cleaned with a dry cleaning solvent. Many articles of clothing are said to be dry-cleanable only. This means if they are cleaned with water they may be damaged. Therefore, these items are cleaned with an organic solvent other than water. Of course, the solvent ISN'T DRY! It just isn't water...thus it is considered dry.

For some interesting historical information regarding the origins of dry cleaning, click here.

ON SALE IN MAY - Specials on Fur Cleaning & Storage PLUS UGG restoration

2011-05-03T09:27:00.003-05:00

Send your fur or your UGGs to Arrow...Free of charge from out-of-town. Click here for your free shipping options. If in Kansas City, call 816-931-2452 for FREE PICKUP AND DELIVERY SERVICE!

Check into Arrow's "ON-SITE" Drapery and Window Treatment Cleaning

2011-05-03T09:11:00.005-05:00

Arrow Drapery can clean any type of window covering in any configuration right where it hangs, including:

Swags, Jabots, Balloons
Cornices, Valances
Pleated Shades, Fabric Shades
Blackout Drapes
Sun-Damaged or Fragile Materials
Vertical Blinds and Top Treatments

We GUARANTEE no shrinkage, no damage and no loss of sizing, resins or flame retardant.

We offer spray application of soil guards, flame retardants, deodorants, etc.

DRAPES ARE CLEANED WHERE THEY HANG

No need for time consuming and costly removal and rehanging of draperies. No “down time”.

NO TOXICITY/NO ODOR

No fear of allergy flare-ups or other problems from toxic chemicals

FIREPROOFING IS RETAINED

No need for costly re-fireproofing of drapes and other fabrics.

NO LOSS OF RESINS OR SIZING

Draperies keep their origina shape and stay looking like new longer. no more limp buckrams.

TOBACCO AND OTHER ODORS VANISH

Freshness is restored to the drapes and to the room

ON-SITE PROCESS IS THE GENTLEST AVAILABLE

Since the ON-SITE method cleans your draperies where they hang, they are not soaked and twisted in solution as in regular in-plant dry cleaning. This means no shrinkage and no damage to your valuable draperies and other fabrics

WE CLEAN ANY TYPE OF WINDOW COVERING

This includes blackout drapes, fabric blinds and shades. Conventional dry cleaning

methods can ruin rubber blackout draperies.

WE OFFER A TAKE DOWN AND RE-HANG SERVICE

If you are remodeling, painting, etc., we will bring your drapes/window treatments into our plant, clean and store them.

Call today to schedule your free estimate:

816-283-3473

Ask for Brad or Mike

Arrow's Newest Newsletter now issued!

2011-04-04T09:37:00.003-05:00

Read it here:

It's Back!!! Arrow's Annual Spring Leather and Suede Cleaning Sale. It's a good way to end the season!

2011-03-24T07:13:00.003-06:00

Click the image to enlarge.

'Tis a fine promotion at Arrow - March 15th through 22nd

2011-03-09T09:48:00.006-06:00

Click the image to enlarge...

Arrow's "GreenScene" website page will give you

a lot of information about our environmentally

healthy dry cleaning methods...for our lives and our planet. Click Here.

Friends on Facebook...seem to like Arrow. Here's a few samples of what they have to say!

2011-03-04T09:35:00.005-06:00

Kathy Gramlich Muehlbach
You did a fabulous job on a leather jacket I had for a very long time. It look like new again.
Nancy LeBrun Castner
You guys did an incredible job on my husband's deerskin jacket. It was old, dirty, and stained, but it was a great jacket and now, it still is.
Linda Olson
I had 2 leather coats recently cleaned & linings repaired. Both were over 10 years old and now look new again. Thanks for the great service!
David Bolene
Wow. It came back better than new. It's like a new coat but it's my old coat. You guys absolutely rock.
Sandy Grandstaff
Would have to be the very BEST company I have done business with!!!!! Check out their site and know that if you send any item needing cleaning to them they will do their very best to make it look new!!! Thank You Arrow!
Debra Jane Zeller
I love you guys. You work some kind of magic there at Arrow Fabricare.
Alisa Rodriguez
I send my leather garments all the way from the San Francisco Bay Area (Oakland) to get them cleaned with you guys! You are great!

"Like Us On Facebook"

2011-03-04T09:27:00.002-06:00

Like us today so we can update you with weekly or monthly coupons, specials and clothing care tips to keep your treasured garments looking impeccable.

Arrow can restore all your favorites, including handbags, uggs, leather and suede garments, furs, all your fine silks, linens, duvets, matelassés, tablecloths, and wedding gowns.

You name it Arrow does it!

If you join our Arrow Friends Group, we'll send you a $5.00 coupon good on your next $50.00 or more order.

Click Here.

Here's a nifty sale promotion for March! March Madness!

2011-03-04T09:25:00.002-06:00

Click the image for a bigger version.

Special Sale Offer - One week only! Any RED GARMENT 30% OFF!

2011-02-11T09:39:00.001-06:00

Click on the image for a larger view.....

It's SO-O-O-O-O-O nice to be appreciated!

2011-01-13T10:45:00.001-06:00

(From the web editors: We receive many testimonials, but occasionally we receive one that is so warm and personal that we like to call special attention to it. The sentiments expressed here are so kind we need to express our special thanks.)

"Dear Arrow Family Staffers,

Today, I joined your legions of families who are so grateful to you for the superb services you provide...so honestly and graciously.

I was welcomed so warmly by Amanda to the "the Arrow family" and by Brendalee another devoted grandmother, just like me! Whee!

I had such a happy morning, for you all create a world where everything is as it "should" be! This is so rare today and I want to thank you all and celebrate your goodness and kind, kind caring hearts. Most affectionately,

Jill B.
Kansas City, MO

Customer complains that we don't charge enough!

2010-12-30T09:41:00.003-06:00

This just doesn't happen everyday! Recently a good customer who lives in the Florida Keys sent in two leather and fur combo garments for repair and restoration.

One required re-lining. It was done and returned. But, through an oversight we forgot to charge for the re-lining.

To our surprise, the customer called in with compliments and to say thanks for the great job. She also told us that she thought that we didn't charge enough for the work! We checked and sure enough, we discovered our error.

Arrow sure has the greatest customers in the world. And we are extremely grateful. So, we wish this wonderful customer, Peggy K. of Summerland, FL the very best for the New Year. And we also wish a Happy New Year to all our 10,000+ clients throughout the U.S.

Here's a nice holiday letter just received!

2010-12-17T10:33:00.006-06:00

"Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all -
Now that I have Arrow Fabricare in my life, I can look forward to
holiday parties and weather that is hard on my boots!

Thank you Bob. My Worth jacket looks like new. I am going to recommend to every Worth representative to hand out your web site with all purchases."

Karen E. - Grand Rapids, MI

Arrow played a small role in the 1938 Kentucky Derby

2010-12-07T09:33:00.003-06:00

Overlooking Corinth Shopping Center at Somerset and Mission Road in Prairie Village is the final resting place of the Kentucky Derby winner of 1938...Larwin.

This splendid horse was owned and stabled at Woolford Farm on this property which remained until the early 70s. The estate was owned by the son of the founder of Woolf Brothers Clothing company. A condominium complex now occupies the acreage, but Larwin's cemetery space is still preserved there (see photo to the left) as a tiny monument to this sports history icon.

Famous jockey, Eddie Arcaro was the rider on Larwin for this Derby win. And there in lies the connection to Arrow Fabricare Services. Bob Gershon, chairman emeritus of Arrow recalls that Arrow was the dry cleaner for the uniform worn by Arcaro in this Derby win.

Bob's recollection of this event, in which Arrow played a small part, was revived a month or so ago with a story in the Kansas City STAR about Larwin's tranquil resting place. You can read the entire story here.

The photo is courtesy of Roy Inman of the Kansas City STAR.

Arrow Fire Division ends season of Chiefs Tailgate parties with another win!!!

2010-12-06T06:34:00.007-06:00

Several score party-goers attended the 5th and final tailgate sponsored by Arrow Fire and Water Restoration Dry Cleaning. The review of those attending was that it was "a win!"....giving Arrow a 5 & 0 season of Arrow's Arrowhead parking lot fun and food. We were very pleased to receive from Hy-Vee grocers, a major Chiefs sponsor, their Chiefs/HyVee Tailgate of the Week award. HyVee put us up on the Jumbotron.

We were all very proud of the home team as it reached an 8 and 4 season yesterday at the stadium, with high hopes for an excellent break-out season under the new Chief's management, staff and players.

Brad Gershon, Arrow marketing, said "this was so much fun this year. I'm sure that we will be doing it next year also. Our many thanks to our customers, suppliers and vendors who joined us this season for the fun and games."

So, now it's in the hands of the Chiefs to continue their new-found and most-appreciated... WINNING WAYS!!!.

Speaking of Holiday Formal Wear Care...(below)...

2010-12-03T09:58:00.003-06:00

...we want you to know that after the season is over and your gown has been cleaned at Arrow, you might want to consider its special storage.

First, we don't recommend that you store it for long periods in the plastic bag that Arrow provides for temporary, safe transportation purposes. But we DO recommend that you take some steps to protect your special garment from dust and fading and also from insect/mite damage. Insects are often attracted to wools and silks and also cottons and some synthetic fabrics.

We suggest a small investment in Arrow's "Breathable Garment Bags". These handy and inexpensive bags come in both short lengths for suits and jackets in long lengths for coats and dresses and gowns. The bags are made of a synthetic fabric mesh that allows its contents to "breathe". This quality helps extend longevity of the garment.

"Breathable Garment Bags" can be purchased on-line by clicking here at a modest cost in either short or long sizes. Purchases in quantities of 10 or more is possible at even lower cost.

Formal Gown Care after the Holidays

2010-12-03T07:14:00.005-06:00

You don't want to allow an inadvertent spill or tear ruin the happy times this holiday season.

So don't worry. If the "bad" happens...it happens! And later Arrow will make it all better.

Every garment is individually assessed upon receipt to determine the best and safest method of cleaning and finishing. Fragile ornamentation is removed for separate handling.

Every precaution is taken to make sure that your garment is completed per your wishes and with complete safety.

Arrow will also professionally care for your leather/suede/textile handbags when they get a little dirty or scuffed or stained. Just call us at 816-931-2452 for free pickup and delivery at your home or office.

All our best wishes for the season and for 2011

2010-12-03T07:09:00.001-06:00

Please help needy children with "Coats for Kids"

2010-12-03T05:32:00.005-06:00

Arrow Fabricare has again jumped in to help out for the 4th year on the 8th annual Coats for Kids Campaign - continuing to collect through December 10th. Arrow is working in cooperation with KMBZ Radio, The Sertoma Club, Pride Cleaners and Gail's Harley-Davidson to collect usable coats and winter jackets - and cash.

“There's always a need,” says Neil Larrimore, KMBZ program director, “but this year the tough economy has put a huge crimp in lower-income budgets. When we can offer clean coats and jackets for school-age young people before the blustery onset of winter, it's a feat of heart.” Last year, more than 11,000 coats and jackets were collected, cleaned by Arrow and Pride, and distributed by volunteers from Sertoma and the U.S. Army to the Kansas City, Kansas, Kansas City, Missouri, Hickman Mills and the Independence school districts.

Again this year, Arrow will have a large coat collection box in the lobby at 39th and Troost. Arrow's residential route customers are asked to separate, and clearly mark the bag with their donated coats. The Arrow route representative will gather the donated coats along with the customer's regular order. Check your closet for outgrown and unused coats! All sizes are needed. Thank you for helping make “Coats for Kids” a success again this year!

Bedding and Household Goods Sale - October - Save 20%

2010-10-08T07:01:00.002-05:00

ALL FRENCH LAUNDRY

& Household Items

Bedspreads ~ Comforters ~ Coverlets ~ Duvet ~ Mattelassé ~ Pillows

Down & Feather ~ Table Linens ~ Napkins ~ Runners

ALL HIGH END BEDDING AND TABLE LINENS!

Save 20% in October Only!

Click here for all your FREE SHPPING options!

Happy Customers continue to praise Arrow on Yelp!

2010-10-01T07:27:00.004-05:00

Some time ago we showed on this blog some of the comments about Arrow on Yelp. If you are thinking of using Arrow for the first time and you are like most of us, other people's opinion would be important to you...good or bad to help you make your decision to utilize our services.

Fortunately for us, there are only good things about Arrow posted on Yelp! If you'd like to read some of them, click here. And, if you are a regular customer and you've got something nice to say about Arrow, be sure to add your thoughts or experiences.

This is a really nice testimonial!

2010-09-21T18:19:00.004-05:00

Click the image for a larger version.

Arrow knows how to tailgate! "fellow tailgaters rave about Arrow's home opener tailgate"

2010-09-20T10:10:00.010-05:00

Who could ask for a more exciting event? Chief's home opener, Monday Night Football. Arrow's Fire and Water Restoration division sponsored a tailgate party prior to the game for customers and vendors in the trade!

The atmoshpere was energetic and excited as Arrow wanted the opportunity to "schmooze" with good friends and customers. Arrow Fire and Water Restoration's big box truck was easy to spot in the tailgating madness, and it was altogether a great evening for fun and football.

Since then the Chief's have won their second game, making them 2-0 for the first time since 2005!!! Arrow is having another tailgate party prior to the third game of the season this Sunday the 26th. Everyone will be lifting their bloody mary's and breakfast biscuits in a toast to our revitalized home team. If you are at the game, please come by our tailgate...9 a.m. until kick-off at noon...to say hello. We'd love to see you, and Go Chiefs!

Know what's happening this month at Arrow Leathercare?

2010-09-10T09:53:00.005-05:00

It's our biggest cleaning sale of the year!

Our pre-season

Leather and Suede

Cleaning Sale!

Nearly every garment you send us

will be

$10.00 Off!

That's Jackets, skirts, vests, coats...what ever

$10.00 Off!

Combination leather and cloth garments

$7.50 Off!

And, you get a free WaterRepel™

Stain and Water resistance treatment at no charge!

This sale ends

at the end of September!

Don't miss out!!

Click here for information on how

to send your garments...at no charge

to Arrow Leathercare.

Arrow Leathercare Services - Making Magic with handbags...everyday!

2010-09-10T09:42:00.003-05:00

A picture speaks louder than a 1,000 words...so we won't say much about these two photos except to say that the photos are completely un-retouched. The bag was received in the deplorable condition shown in the photo just below with a massive stain on the bottom.

A short time later, Arrow's leather masters removed the stain, re-colored, re-energized and re-ally impressed the customer who sent her bag without much hope. Arrow is doing this with hundreds of bags every week. If you have a special bag that needs this amazing Arrow Care, send it to us. Click here to get a free UPS shipping label or to get free shipping materials sent to you to send your bag at no charge. Your choice! Just follow the instructions on this web page.

The very latest way to save at Arrow

2010-08-05T15:50:00.002-05:00

CONTINUALLY STRIVING TO GET GREENER

2010-08-05T15:20:00.000-05:00

From Bruce Gershon, CEO of Arrow.

"In my ever continuing effort to go green, while at the same time paying attention to Arrow's bottom line, I recently filled out a survey from my friends a Western Extralite. In this survey, I learned about ways to properly dispose of and re-cycle spent florescent tubes, and that there were programs available to take advantage of rebates from KCP&L, if we were to consider upgrading the lighting in our buildings.

"As I began to research the different lighting options, I learned that we could really improve the overall quality of our lighting, and at the same time save energy. Western Extralite, the electrical contractor and I walked our entire facility, we discussed my goals and priorities, the new lighting fixture options, and how they would improve the quality of our lighting. The next step was to contract for a thorough scientific evaluation of the lighting in our facility. Western, together with the contractor, KC One Service Company, crunched the numbers and prepared a proposal with three different options for the project. The first option was clearly the winner; in fact it was a “no brainer”. It called for replacing nearly every light fixture with new energy efficient fixtures that would provide better, more consistent lighting, at less than half of the energy cost.

"Another amazing thing that came of the study was that by using this new technology, we would end up with over 100 fewer fixtures, which would also save on the installation costs for the project. We then submitted our application to KCP&L for the rebate, signed off on the proposal, and materials were ordered.

"The project is now 100% complete, and the results are amazing, there is a day and night difference. The newly lit areas look brighter and cleaner and the staff even seems more cheerful! The investment was significant, but after the KCP&L rebate, along with the projected energy savings, it pencils out to a two year return on investment….what a deal!

We get greener, brighter, cleaner, happier, and save money to boot!"

Celebrities use Arrow frequently

2010-07-15T08:22:00.014-05:00

Adam Lambert is in town today for a concert. No doubt you'll recall that Lambert is a singer, songwriter and actor from San Diego. In 2009 he finished as the runner-up on the 8th season of the "American Idol" television show.

As you can tell from the photo borrowed from his website, Lambert is a very bold, unusual and sometimes startling personality. His shows are very much the same. He wears unusual costumes that he frequently changes during his performances.

Yesterday, his production staff brought in a number of costumes to be cleaned for this evening's concert. We understand that Arrow was recommended by other entertainers for our excellent service and great care with unusual and very costly garments that are used in a concert performance.

Arrow is frequently trusted by many well-known national celebrities from across America. Here is a shot taken in the plant of some of the garments we're getting ready for the performance tonight.

P. S.

We just received this email from Adam Lambert's production staff:

"We just got all our stage cleaning back and it is all wonderful, Thank you guy's so very much and please thank Brendalee for me also. I believe we will continue to use you guys via fed ex for our leather cleaning and such."

Thanks again so very much,

Tara F.

Assistant Tour Manager

Adam Lambert - Glam Nation Tour

Employee makes a suggestion that will save Arrow thousands of dollars and save energy

2010-07-13T08:17:00.003-05:00

Danny Stewart, a plant employee, recently became the first winner of Arrow’s new “Creative Suggestions” recognition incentive program. He also won a $600.00 bonus for his idea.

With his suggestion for modifying the method of shutting down the boilers at night, Danny showed how employees can positively affect the bottom line at Arrow. His suggestion will save Arrow several thousand dollars per year in utility costs and also positively affect the conditions in the plant for his fellow workers. CONGRATULATIONS TO DANNY FOR HIS INGENUITY AND CREATIVITY!

A Special Kudo from Google...

2010-07-13T07:25:00.008-05:00

We received a letter from Google a couple of days ago notifying us that Arrow is a "Favorite Place on Google". As you surely know Google is the world's premiere search engine.

Google tells us that between December 1st of 2009 and February 28th of this year, Arrow was one of the most popular local businesses on Google, as measured by how many times people found our business listing on Google. More recently 4,167 users saw our listing on Google Local in the last couple of months.

Google tells us that in order to receive this recognition we ranked in the top 1% of all U.S. businesses in local Google search hits. If you'd like to see our Google search listing, just click here. You'll also see some reviews that customers have written about Arrow. They're all good! You can also find copies of hundreds of testimonial letters, emails and telephone calls praising Arrow on our website. Click here. Or you can always go directly to our web site at: www.ArrowFabricare.com for complete information.

July Handbag Special!

2010-07-13T07:12:00.005-05:00

Throughout July, Arrow is offering a special 15% discount on all suede, leather and textile and leather handbags for cleaning, repair and restoration. If you bring in two bags, you will receive the 15% discount on both bags and also receive a free Arrow tabletop purse hook. This is a $9.95 value.

Arrow's purse hook is a very attractive and useful accessory that comes packaged in its own black felt carrying bag. It is designed to easily hang your bag on the edge of a dining table or off a restroom counter keeping your bag off the floor. It allows you a very effective way to keep your bag clean and not exposed to unsanitary conditions found in many public places.

What's In a Tagline?

2010-07-13T07:04:00.002-05:00

We use this slogan in our advertising.

But do we really live by it, and believe it?

“With every garment, every employee, and every customer, Arrow cares”.

What I mean is; who cares? Who is Arrow? I'll tell you who I think Arrow is...

I think it is all of us.
I think it is our customer service people on the phones, and at the counter who take care to make our customers feel important, and that we care about meeting and exceeding their needs.
I think it's our check-in staff that takes extra care to make sure that our customer's requests are followed, and take special care to make sure that fragile hardware is covered or removed.
I think it's our route men that make sure our customers get their specials when requested, and go out of their way to make our delivery service convenient and courteous.
I think it's our cleaners, and finishers in every department that work so hard to remove spots, and wrinkles, and make their favorite garments look like new.
I think it's our restoration staff who is so careful and compassionate to families after they have suffered a sometimes devastating event, and help them put some order and comfort back in their lives.
I think it's our managers, and supervisors who work so hard to balance the responsibility of getting the work done, while looking after the welfare of their staff, all within the restrictions of the budget.

And for me, it means that as the owner of Arrow, I care about all of our employees, all of our customers, and their garments. I care about the environment, and the community that we live in, and I believe that if we all live by our “Arrow Cares” motto, we will always have loyal, happy customers, and a successful business!

-- Thoughtfully presented for our blog readers

Bruce Gershon, CEO

Arrow Fabricare Services

Who's responsible for this ruined garment?

2010-05-28T11:30:00.005-05:00

Every once and a while Arrow will assess on our blog, the history of a garment that didn't survive the cleaning process at another cleaner and give an analysis as to what happened. The purpose for this is to help make our customers more aware of the difficulties sometimes encountered in dry cleaning and the importance of choosing a knowledgeable, high quality company.

This garment is a ladies black polyester jacket with a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) inner film coating. The care label states: "dry clean only" with no International code symbols.

During drycleaning in perchlorethylene (perc), the PVC softening agent dissolved and the coat lost its softness. The jacket now appears stiff, puckered and crinkly.

Who's responsible? The manufacturer is responsible since the coat was not able to withstand the recommended care instructions without severe texture change. This jacket should be returned to the retailer or manufacturer.

Had Arrow processed this garment we would have anticipated this problem and cleaned the garment using lower power cleaning solutions. This problem and the resultant hassle of returning the garment, may have been avoided. This case history is courtesy of the Dry Cleaning and Laundry Institute.

Do you have wool-lined sheepskin boots that are ready for the trash?

2010-05-04T16:19:00.006-05:00

DON'T DO IT! Even if your UGGs are looking pretty UGG-ly, Arrow can clean and restore these great boots that are looking worse-for-the-wear from the past winter. And, do it during May for 15% off!!

Print this coupon and ship it to Arrow. The shipping is free! Click here to get your UPS shipping label or shipping materials for no charge.

Arrow's Fur Cleaning and Storage Sale!!! MAY ONLY!

2010-05-04T16:01:00.002-05:00

May is your opportunity to get your beautiful fur cleaned and stored for the summer season for just $69.95. This is a $20.00 saving.

Every natural fur jacket or coat requires careful attention to prevent hair loss, cracking, drying and loss of sheen. Arrow has an entire department dedicated to handle the specific needs of fur garments of all types. Also, Arrow has a new state-of-the-art temperature controlled fur storage vault for secure seasonal storage of fine furs. This is the time to give your fur the "spa" treatment and save money at the same time.

THIS IS A FIRST! A happy customer sends a kudo for our work...plus before and after photos!

2010-03-30T17:47:00.009-06:00

"On the recommendations of several friends, I brought what I was convinced was a completely ruined purse in for cleaning. A black roller pen had bled through the lining and out through the leather-leaving a giant ink splotch on the outside. Your professionals removed it COMPLETELY. The purse is as good as new (better, actually, since you also water-proofed it).

"Thanks so much! You've got a loyal customer (and an enthusiastic

recommender) for life."

Trish B., Kansas City

Ed Note: Many thanks Trish...for your business and for your kind and creative testimonial.

Bruce lectures college Business Entrepreneurship class

2010-03-29T10:50:00.008-06:00

Bruce Gershon, CEO of Arrow Fabricare Services was the guest lecturer during a Family Business class at Johnson County Community College in south Overland Park, KS in early March. The course work that the students had been studying during the semester included much of the following syllabus of this integrated course of academic studies. Many of these students were members of families that run proprietorships and corporations in the Greater Kansas City area.

What is a Family Business?
Family Business statistics
Family Business Challenges
Management vs Family Issues
Framework for Family Business
(three circle model of ownership/business/family
Owner Managed Businesses
Generational Issues
Genograms
Career Development
Policies

Bruce spoke informally with the class of students about his experiences as the third generation of the Gershon family to lead Arrow Fabricare Services since 1914. His remarks were very well received and he has been invited to return to a future class with other generations of the Gershon family participating...Bob, Bruce's father who has worked for Arrow for over 60 years, and his son, Brad, who has recently been working with Arrow.

Don't miss out on this Special Arrow Fabricare Sale in April

2010-03-26T06:51:00.003-06:00

Arrow's annual April Leather & Suede Cleaning Sale is exclusively for Greater Kansas City customers only. For customers nationwide, please click here for free UPS shipping of your garments to our plant.

Arrow staffers pitch-in on relief effort for Haiti

2010-03-26T06:46:00.003-06:00

Niecey Cranford, an Arrow employee who works in the administrative office took up the challenge to help the people of Haiti during their dreadful plight.

“I saw the stories on TV and wanted to help somehow,” she said.

Niecey placed donation boxes in the employee breakroom and soon they were over-flowing with such items as toiletries, groceries and other personal items. Once filled, she arranged to have the goods delivered to Heart to Heart International, a large philanthropic organization which has its headquarters in Olathe, KS.

Heart to Heart International continues to provide much needed relief to the crisis

1820s black tradesman added greatly to the history of the dry cleaning business

2010-03-26T06:43:00.004-06:00

The art of drycleaning dates back to ancient times, probably beginning with the advent of textile clothing itself. The ruins of Pompeii gives a record of a highly developed trade of "fullers" who were professional clothes cleaners. Lye and ammonia were used in early laundering, and a type of clay known as "fuller's earth" was used to absorb soils and grease from clothing too delicate for laundering. There are many stories about the origin of drycleaning, all centering on a surprise discovery when a petroleum-type fluid was accidentally spilled on a greasy fabric. It quickly evaporated and the stains were miraculously removed. The firm of Jolly-Belin, opening in Paris in the 1840s, is credited as the first drycleaning firm.

However, it is now known that Thomas L. Jennings, a free black tradesman who lived in the early 1800s, is notable for being the first black person to receive a patent for a unique clothes cleaning method. The patent in 1821 was 20 years prior to the Jolly-Belin discovery. It was the forerunner of the dry cleaning process. Jennings was a tailor. His skills were so great that people came both near and far to custom-tailor items of clothing. Thomas discovered that customers were unhappy when their clothes were soiled and had a hard time cleaning them because of the fabrics they were made of. Jennings experimented with different solutions and cleaning agents until he found the right blend to effectively treat and clean them. He called this method dry-scouring, now known as dry cleaning.

For more information: http://www.blackinventor.com/pages/thomasjennings.html

In the "Spot"light...Arrow and our own Brendalee Olinger

2010-03-26T06:38:00.002-06:00

Brendalee, our front counter manager, and Arrow Fabricare recently participated in the filming of an instructional video designed to assist in the training of Customer Service Representatives.

The video, produced by a company that specializes in producing training films, was written to demonstrate how good customer service skills would encourage and assure repeat customer business. Arrow was chosen as the location for the shoot as the concept embodied a hypothetical dry cleaning establishment. Brendalee was asked to participate as a performer due to her 25 years experience in the dry cleaning profession...and for her cheery and naturally friendly and helpful personality!

Arrow Leathercare receives a care question from France!

2010-02-24T10:02:00.004-06:00

We receive many, many leather care questions every year...but not too often from Europe. We guess that our reputation for the most professional care of special leather and suede garments has spread far and wide.

Hello. I bought a Schott cafe racer jacket in steerhide (the 641), and I want to know what product I can use to take care, clean and preserve it in time. I wear it on motorcycle and in the street. I live in France and the cost to send it to U.S. will be expensive. We can have Lexol products, Vanson leather balm and the other in the list of web direction I put after. At Schott GAIL talk about mink oil but we can find it only in the shoes greases like Kiwi, Famaco for boots and outdor shoes, or in the products for hrse s leather saddles. May be it's good for motorcycle jackets? Thank you for the answer and sorry for my english.

Mr Eric CAHUET

Our reply:

Eric,

You have purchased a finished horsehide jacket, finished means it has a finish on the leather that is basically a pliable paint especially formulated for that type of leather and for a specific use. My honest opinion is that you really need to do nothing, but wear it and enjoy it. For a period of time, you can wipe it off with a soft damp cloth, after it starts to get broken in, you may want to get a leather lotion similar to our Fine Leather Lotion, that has a very light wax in it that will provide a protective coating. I would stay away from silicone, or oily substances, that may serve to break down the leather finish.

Enjoy your new jacket!

Best regards, Bruce Gershon CGCP

Have you heard about "Yelp!"

2010-01-26T13:24:00.004-06:00

Who can keep up with all the social networking websites that have sprung and are springing up in cyberspace.

To be honest, we hadn't heard of Yelp until an associate brought it to our attention. We found that over 25,000,000 million people visit the Yelp website each month to get information about various enterprises across the country through reading reviews and criticism that other readers have posted there.

Just for fun, we searched for Arrow and what do you know...some of Arrow's customers have posted very positive comments about Arrow products and services. If you'd like to read some of them, click here. If you've got anything nice to say about Arrow, be sure to add your thoughts or experiences with Arrow.

Salvation Army and Arrow Clothing Program off to a nice start

2010-01-02T13:34:00.006-06:00

In October, 2009 the Arrow Fire and Water Restoration Division announced a new program in partnership with The Salvation Army. This program was designed to benefit both Arrow customers along with those in need through the Salvation Army. When Arrow is called in to clean the clothes, shoes and other household fabric items for a client who has experienced either a fire or a flood, many times those customers have clothing or other items in their home that they no longer needed or wanted.

Arrow came up with a plan to help out everyone!

Arrow's Fire and Water division now picks up those no longer needed clothing items, cleans them at no cost to either the the customer, the insurance company or The Salvation Army. Those items are then delivered to The Salvation Army, and the homeowner receives a tax deductible receipt for their donation.

The Arrow Fire and Water Restoration division is proud to announce that after only 2 months into the program, they delivered 32 bags of clothing to The Salvation Army on December 29th, 2009. Thank you so much to our Arrow customers who gave to those in need, during their own time of need!

Industry Association praises Arrow Fabricare's expertise and professionalism

2009-12-16T09:17:00.003-06:00

The Drycleaning & Laundry Institute, which is the drycleaning industry's most influential trade association, published a most interesting article in its December, 2009 magazine. The story relates Arrow's history and success as one of the most respected members of the association and also its recent achievement of earning the Institute's highest level of industry certification. Arrow is one of just a few drycleaners in America to reach this pinnacle of recognition. You may read the story by clicking here.

Happy Holidays from Arrow's Gershon Family

2009-12-11T15:29:00.007-06:00

Bruce Gershon, Bob Gershon, Susie Gershon Shatz

To all our friends and customers our best wishes for this wonderful holiday season and for a terrific 2010!

We wish you the special gifts of the season...

Peace, Joy and Lasting Happiness.

Like ornaments, thoughts of special people brighten the season and warm our hearts.

The "Green Scene" at Arrow Fabricare Services

2009-12-10T11:35:00.006-06:00

Arrow Fabricare has introduced Arrow GreenCare, a customer-care program addressing the community's request for environmentally-friendly methods of dry cleaning.

Dry Cleaning Alternatives
Fortunately, the dry cleaning industry has evolved sufficiently that we can now offer the public two fine alternatives to using "perc" or other harsh chemicals to clean their clothing. Any customer requesting green dry cleaning can be assured that their garments will be processed in either GreenEarth ™ siloxane solution or in Arrow's professional wet cleaning solution, using water as the primary solvent, with earth-friendly surfactants doing the soil extraction in sophisticated, computer-controlled machines. These special wetcare machines are designed to extract deeper soils while agitation and abrasion are kept to a minimum.

Voluntary and Mandated Emission Controls
Even before EPA rulings of the 1980's, Arrow regulated its liquid emissions by preventing any harmful runoff into sanitary sewers or surrounding land. We accomplished this with containment pans under any equipment that "might" be responsible for any solvent spill or leak. When the technology became available and advanced enough, we installed a soil vapor extraction system to provide additional monitoring. We use a specially-licensed recycler for disposal of potential contaminants such as still residue and left-over dyes that cannot be recycled onsite.

Degrading "The Plastic Bags"
While polyfilm coverings keep customers' clothing tidy and clean during transport, the polyfilm industry is only now beginning to recognize the need to reduce or eliminate the non-degradable film from landfills around the globe. Arrow is proactively offering degradable polyfilm coverings on Arrow GreenCare orders. The new films are designed to degrade into an earth-friendly dust or flakes within two years. We advise customers to remove the bags before storing their items long-term in closets or drawers because the degradation process will begin in approximately two years.

Re-Cycling Through Re-Use
In an effort to further protect your garments, Arrow introduced the re-usable Arrow GreenCare transport bag. It serves a dual purpose, depending upon its configuration. It is convertible as a convenient bag for transporting your clothing TO Arrow. When your garments are clean, the GreenCare bag converts to a covering for your clothes FROM Arrow! Hangers Away!

If you are among the many who find wire hangers collecting on the closet floor or in piles destined for the trash, Arrow will take them in and recycle them. If bagged, we will accept them at our counter location on Troost. We will pick them up from our residential route customers if they are bagged separately from the clothing and marked for pickup. Arrow is working with the Kansas City Rehabilitation Institute to send wire hangers to for a planned recycling program. www.rehabkc.org

Other Ways Arrow Targets"Greening"
Over the past few years, Arrow has trimmed electrical usage by managing electrical shut-offs in the plant. We re-roofed the building with white, sun-reflective roofing material and installed roof-mounted evaporative coolers. The building has limited-area air conditioning, thermal-pane windows, energy-efficient overhead doors at our docks, and all lighting fixtures are using "low-e" replacement bulbs.

A Growing Benefit: Eco-Affiliations
Each new customer coming to Arrow's GreenCare program will be honored with an Arrow donation to the Heartland Tree Alliance. HTA is a resource for helping to manage the "urban and community forest" in conjunction with Bridging the Gap. Kansas City's economic benefit from its trees exceeds $51 million and arborists are encouraging even more planting. www.heartlandtreealliance.org

Arrow is pleased to be part of the KCP&L "M-Power" initiative to manage future power needs while eliminating or postponing the construction of new generating plants. www.MPowerKansasCity.com

Also, as a member of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Arrow has committed to serving on the Chamber's Committee on the Environment. www.kcchamber.com

Arrow Fabricare introduces an amazing new product - "UrineOff"

2009-12-01T11:10:00.006-06:00

The name says it all! UrineOff is a pet urine removal formula that really works...effectively destroying urine, body fluid and organic stains.

UrineOff will eliminate old stains, speed up house-pet training, and is safe around pets. It can be used on pet bedding, flooring, carriers, and clothing. The basic combo pack includes a 16 oz. ready-to-use spray bottle with LED urine finder. The finder has LED ultraviolet light that finds the source of invisible odors - finds urine you can't see...and it is very easy to use. The finder is battery driven with an on-off switch. You simply darken the room, turn on the finder which shines an LED light. The light reveals pet stains by producing a blue fluorescent halo exposing the deposit.

Here is a customer testimonial recently received:

"Being an “animal” person, the name, Urine Off, grabbed my attention immediately. I have 4 dogs and 2 cats. Accidents are going to happen. I only wish I had found Urine Off sooner. The only room in the house that is carpeted is the guest bedroom. When my sister comes to visit and brings her brood there have been numerous accidents. I thought I was going to have to pull the carpet then Urine Off came into my hands. After one application the carpet looks good as new. The immediate results are awesome. This is by far the best product I have ever used. I recommend this to all my dog loving friends. It also removed the poop stains as well as the urine and the room smells great. Thank you Urine Off, you have a customer for life!"

Gayle P., Kansas City

The products are currently available for sale at Arrow's 38th and Troost counter and will shortly be available on for online purchase.

The prices of the products are:

Multi-Pet Combo Pack - A 500 ml spray with the LED UrineFinder included - $24.95
Urine Finder - sold separately - $12.95
500 ml spray bottle - sold separately - $11.95
32 oz. Carpet Treatment with injector cap - $11.95

Larger bulk sizes are also available.

Here's a unique gift suggestion...spa treatment for a favorite handbag!

2009-11-20T11:43:00.004-06:00

Arrow cleans and restores beautiful handbags for customers all over America. Many fine retail establishments, including Nieman-Marcus, send their handbag cleaning and beautifying work to Arrow.

How about this one-of-a-kind gift idea for the Holidays?

Give a favorite handbag, first-class restoration treatment at Arrow and have it arrive all wrapped up in cellophane and tied with a beautiful ribbon. Talk about a personal and unique gift. You will be forever complimented for your thoughtfulness and creativity! It's very easy to send the handbag...and the shipping is FREE! Click here to review your shipping options.

KMBZ Radio Sponsors a Remote Broadcast from Arrow Fabricare's Lobby

2009-11-20T11:24:00.003-06:00

Friday morning, November 20th, the bright red remote broadcasting van showed up on Arrow's doorstep. A large contingent of KMBZ personnel were on hand to assist Arrow customer's who arrived to donate coats for indigent Kansas City schoolchildren. Last year over 11,000 coats were cleaned and distributed by Arrow and others.

Shown below are Kansas City, Kansas schools' representative, Theresa Van Goethen along with Andrew Dunlap and John Frierdich, sales promotion personnel at KMBZ 980 radio.

Below, Arrow customer, Anna Wenzel, arrived with her cleaning and joined in with the staff for coffee and donuts. It was a lot of fun, and we hope by the end of the day many coats will be collected due to KMBZ's on-air broadcasts frequently during the day. Also in the photo, KMBZ on-air personality, Scott Parks is shown in conversation with KMBZ's remote engineer, Dave Rhodes (not shown).

ArrowCares™ - It's our slogan...and we truly mean it!

2009-11-16T10:46:00.007-06:00

You've no doubt heard of 3G and 4G telecommunication networks as the latest thing. Well the equipment shown in the photographs above and below is 5G in the dry cleaning business. Arrow recently installed this new machine, manufactured in Italy, in order to provide our customers with the very best in dry clean processing and service.

This behemoth (shown above from the reverse side) brings a new level of efficiency and speed that improves our service and improves our dry cleaning quality in difficult-to-clean garments. This is our ongoing goal....providing Arrow's customers with the best!

An interesting sidelight to this Arrow expansion story is a current study by The American Dry Cleaner Magazine, an influential publication in the industry that says that 45.7% of drycleaners responding to a survey say they plan to build or renovate a plant or store in the next year — and many will spend substantial amounts of money to do so. This is an amazing statistic when one considers that many dry cleaners are having a rough year (not Arrow...thankfully), some with substantial decreases in their revenue. We belong to a resilient community of business people and Arrow is proud to be a national leader.

Have you ever been to our Troost Avenue Counter?

2009-11-16T09:35:00.006-06:00

If you are a "pickup and delivery" customer, you may have never visited our attractive counter facility at our main plant on the corner of 39th and Troost in midtown Kansas City. Many Arrow customers choose to bring in their garments rather than having them pickup up. Reasons given are: they enjoy the especially helpful and professional personnel in our counter customer service department. Others say that they just like getting out of the house.

Check us out, soon. And while you are at it, please consider looking through your closet for a good "give-away" coat for our "Coats for Kids" campaign in conjunction with KMBZ Radio. In the lobby (see pix below) we have a collection box. Last year Arrow and others collected, cleaned and delivered to metro area school districts over 11,000 coats for children. Please help out if you can. We'll see you there!!!

Handbags, Handbags, Handbags!!!

2009-11-16T09:28:00.004-06:00

Racks and racks of HANDBAGS!!! This is the season to get special handbags freshened up for the holiday party season and for everyday use. Arrow Leathercare specializes in the cleaning and restoration of handbags...and every day we receive bags of all types and styles from all over the country.

If you have a bag that needs a little facelift, just go to the Arrow website shipping page to send in your bag(s) at no in-bound shipping charges to you.

Arrow answers some recent questions

2009-11-13T14:03:00.010-06:00

Q. What do I do about mold and mildew on

my leather jacket?

A. Arrow has very effective methods for complete mold and mildew removal for leather garments depending on the type of leather, and the finish, i.e. grain, suede, full aniline, cow, pig, lamb, etc. It sounds as though, your garment has been in a warm moist area, that has promoted the mold growth. Proper storage after cleaning would be a cool, dry, dark place, hung in a breathable bag. We recommend that you take advantage of our free in-bound shipping so we can look at it and give you an estimate for bringing your precious garment back to health. You can purchase Arrow Leathercare custom "breathable" garment bags for leather and fur in our online store.

Q. I sent my varsity jacket to a local dry cleaner and it came back noticeably shrunk. Is there anything that you can do?

A. We clean hundreds of varsity jackets every year, and don’t have any trouble at all with shrinkage. If you would like to send us one of your jackets, we would be happy to re-stretch, and block the body for you to the proper size. Please check our webpages. The page that defines your free shipping options is: http://www.arrow-care.com/shipcare

Bar-B-Q impressario, Ollie Gates, recommends Arrow

2009-11-13T13:50:00.004-06:00

We were pleased to receive a phone message a couple of days ago from Mr. Gates who runs six Gates and Sons Bar-B-Q restaurants, a successful grocery store merchandizing program and operates an on-line store for Gates sauces and seasonings.

"I just wanted to compliment Arrow on your shirt laundry. The work and the service is impressive and well-priced. Many thanks."

Arrow receives many testimonials every year. We thank all our customers who take a moment to express their appreciation and approval.

Arrow to again collect "Coats for Kids"

2009-11-04T09:20:00.004-06:00

Arrow Fabricare has again jumped in to help out for the 3rd year on the 7th annual Coats for Kids Campaign - November 9th to December 11th. Arrow is working in cooperation with KMBZ Radio, The Sertoma Club, Pride Cleaners and Gail's Harley-Davidson to collect usable coats and winter jackets - and cash.

Again this year, Arrow will have a large coat collection box in the lobby at 39th and Troost. Arrow's residential route customers are asked to separate, and clearly mark the bag with their donated coats. The Arrow route representative will gather the donated coats along with the customer's regular order. Check your closet for outgrown and unused coats! All sizes are needed. Thank you for helping make “Coats for Kids” a success again this year!

Energetic employee receives a very nice compliment

2009-11-03T09:00:00.005-06:00

Brendalee Olinger, Arrow's Customer Service Manager was praised highly recently by a customer who felt that she had given extraordinary service.

He writes: "(Arrow's) business and service was always the best. And recently I had a chance to challenge Brendalee with a cumbersome job including wedding attire...She was outstanding. Each problem was a challenge. Each issue was a service opportunity. Wow! You have a great one in her. I could write the whole story, but I'd be typing all day. She IS the Arrow image, pure and simple."

Kurt H. - Kansas City

Brendalee, who has over 25 years business experience in customer service has been on the staff at Arrow for nearly three years. We are very proud of our employees who always go the extra mile for Arrow and for our customers.

Order a pick-up at your home or office

2009-11-03T08:21:00.006-06:00

There's a link on the home page of the Arrow web site at which you can fill out a simple form and order a pickup on a scheduled date. You will find this link as shown above on the upper right hand side of the web page under the heading, QuickClicks. Or, you can click right here to go right to the page. This service is for established customers only and is a very handy option for Arrow customers who do not have pickup and delivery service on a regularly scheduled day of the week.

If you are not a regular customer with an open account, you may apply on the Arrow site at: http://www.arrow-care.com/delivery.html or you can call bring cleaning items into the Troost counter at 3838 Troost Avenue, KCMO and open a new account.

Do these guys look like they know what they are doing???...or what!!??

2009-10-21T08:52:00.004-05:00

When you walk into The Claymore Shop, (a very high-class men's store) in Birmingham, MI or its sister shop in Harbor Springs, MI, you'll have one of two reactions when you see the showroom staff:

1) You'll think..."Wow! This crew looks like they really know what they are doing, or...

2) You'll think..."Help! I can never look that good in my clothes."

But, don't be intimidated. They can help you look great, too! And get your sartorial splendor level up in the 90s.

For years, their satisfied customers have told us that The Claymore Shop has recommended Arrow for clothing care. See Arrow's testimonial page for a recent kudo by an Arrow customer.

If you're in the neighborhood, check out The Claymore Shop for high-fashion men's wear. We don't think that you'll be disappointed.

How to Get Organized Quickly for the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays

2009-10-08T15:26:00.004-05:00

The Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are almost here. The Christmas shopping and buying season is already underway. Friends and family, not to mention you and your family, are making plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas... traveling, hosting, etc. But is your home organized and ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas? If not, here's how to get organized quickly for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

1. First, don't try to do everything at once. Pick one room to clean and organize at a time. If you have a lot of organizing and cleaning to do, trying to do it all at once will probably overwhelm you, and you'll just give up and quit.

2. Next, as you clean and organize each room in your home, decide what you want to have “out” and showing. Throw out anything that you simply have no use for. Vacuum, sweep, mop, wipe, dust, and/or wash whatever in each room that needs cleaning.

3. Be sure to send all your special bedding to BlancPlume, Arrow's fine French Laundry. BlancPlume is expert in cleaning bedding, pillows, down and fancy and antique table linen. To send items, get a free UPS label and shipping materials here: Click. For more information go to: http://www.blancplume.com.

4. After the room is clean, now is the time to find a place for all the clutter plus odds and ends that are laying around. A simple rule: Everything has a home (or place) that it goes when not being used. When done using something, put items in their home, where they belong. Storage containers can be almost anything, depending on the size of the items being stored and what they are.

5. Closets can have hanging organizers on the door, both sides if you like. If you have a lot of shoes, these are great. Smaller and lighter items can be organized in closet organizers that hang from the clothes rack pole. Out of season clothing can be packed away until needed, making more space for what you wear right now. Get in the habit of hanging your closets in an organized manner so that you can find what you want quickly and easily.

6. For kitchen organizing, if you have a full size kitchen pantry, you can use a hanging door organizer for some of your lighter food items. Regular kitchen cabinets can benefit from shelf organizers, which basically gives you more shelving space. If you drink a lot of canned soda, a refrigerator can organizer saves a lot of space and organizes your canned drinks nicely and neatly.

With the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season coming, you can get your home organized quickly and super fast if you need to by using some of these simple home organizing tips with the help of Arrow and BlancPlume.

Some information courtesy of eHow.com - Clear Instructions on how to do (just about) everything. Visit http://www.eHow.com. More ideas for getting organized can be found from The Organizer Lady at http://www.theorganizerlady.com

Matelassé Cotton - What is it? How to care for it?

2009-09-24T14:25:00.003-05:00

Matelassé (pronounced matt-le-zay) is a French word meaning padded, lined or quilted. It is used to describe fabric that appears to be quilted but is not. The looms used to produce matelassé cotton were invented in 1801 by a Frenchman named Joseph Marie Jacquard. The process he developed is still used today to make matelassé fabrics which otherwise could only be produced by the hand-stitching and long hours of dedicated workers.

Jacquard looms are most often used to produce matelasse fabrics, with cotton being the most common material chosen for the special weaving process that gives the fabric its signature look.

Special laundering practices are needed to ensure the longevity of your matelasse cotton items. Luxury fabrics like 100 percent Egyptian cotton matelassé are all natural and can shrink or become damaged if laundered in home washers and dryers. A professional cleaner experienced in specialty fabrics is required to assure careful attention to these types of special linens.

Blanc Plume Fine French Laundry, a division of Arrow Fabricare Services, is America's largest French laundry. You can trust your fine linens and bedding to our care. For more information be sure to click here.

The photo above is courtesy of Anichini, Inc., one of America's finest manufacturer of high quality linens and bedding. Anichini recommends ArrowCare™ for their products.

Arrow performs 'miracles' cleaning and restoration of handbags

2009-09-24T12:08:00.008-05:00

Every week, Arrow brings back to life, gorgeous handbags that appear to have lived a pretty 'rough' life. They arrive looking worn-out and seemingly not worth the effort. But, every week Arrow creates more miracles in cleaning and restoration of bags that the owners had practically given up on.

Here's an example of their gratitude and appreciation in the words of a good Arrow customer:

"... I received my Miu Miu handbag back from Arrow Care…and the new “shade” is absolutely stunning! Thank you so much for your attention and guidance, even after hours, on how to restore her to beautiful condition. It is so wonderful to feel comfortable sending my most precious leather goods to you; I wouldn’t trust anyone else.

With the rich new tobacco color and the perfect condition, I truly feel as if I got a whole new bag out of this! Thank you again, and I look forward to working with you and your company again in the future. Best regards, Christine S. - Houston, TX"

An especially nice testimonial letter

2009-09-23T14:27:00.004-05:00

We get many compliments on our work and service, but this one is especially worth passing along to our customers and friends:

Hello. Years ago, my husband and I took a trip to Italy and I bought an extremely well-made, goat-skin, black car coat from Peruzzi in Florence. I thought for sure I wouldn't be able to wear it anymore due to its condition from all of the use it has seen. I hadn't worn it in 2 years since it was really looking shabby -- so before I tossed it out, I thought I'd give my favorite coat a second chance with your restoration service.

I was thrilled to receive a call from Bob to say that Arrow Leathercare received the coat and he was clear on what he would do to restore it. During this call, he also clarified on what I could expect (that it should look like new when he was done with the restoration). I also asked about the cost at that time and he quoted me a price.

I received my coat today and it is BEAUTIFUL!! It looks just like the day that I purchased it! Thank you for restoring my favorite coat! It will no longer only see the inside of a closet!

Best regards,
Lynn L., Raleigh, NC

Clothing Care Tips - Questions and Answers

2009-09-23T14:15:00.003-05:00

Here's a little advice from Arrow!

When you are planning to bring your clothing and/or linens into Arrow, DO NOT leave a pile of clothes on the back seat of the car. You may be busy and can't get to 39th and Troost right away. Sunlight and heat in a car with the windows up can cause your fabrics to fade and might actually weaken them. A little thing...but it could save you some difficulty.

Arrow's Fire & Water Restoration Division participates in a fun Bowl-A-Thon for charity

2009-09-23T13:54:00.006-05:00

The Heart of America Blue Goose organization recently sponsored a Bowl-A-Thon for the benefit of local charities. There were 40 members and others in attendance. The event raised nearly $900.00. Arrow's Fire and Water Restoration gang were pleased to participate in the fun and the fund-raising.

Shown in the photo above at the event are: Cindy Duane from Allstate Insurance Company, Connie Kenig of Arrow Fire and Water, Arrow owners: Stephanie and Bruce Gershon and Mike Kenig of Arrow Fire and Water Restoration.

Blue Goose is a fraternal organization of individuals who work in the insurance related industry. Its members are home office executives; field claims reps, auditors, underwriters, general adjusters, agents, brokers, investigators, contractors, regulators, appraisers, salvage, collision repair, attorneys, engineers, and a host of others like Arrow Fire and Water Restoration.

Arrow's automated notification by telephone

2009-09-17T07:19:00.003-05:00

Just as soon as your cleaning is ready for pick up, you will be notified by our friendly automated robot-phone. "Robbie" will call you and let you know when your garments are set to go. This is just another personal service for your convenience. ArrowCares™.

You too can get the unparalleled service of Arrow Fabricare the easy way! Free Pickup and Delivery!

2009-09-16T22:25:00.007-05:00

With pickup at your door, you won't have to carry your cleaning to the car and from there to 39th and Troost... and then have to pick it up at the appointed time. Then drive home - etc. You get the picture! At Arrow we try to serve you and make it as easy on you as possible. We provide Kansas City's finest dry cleaning and laundry services in a most civilized way!

Free Pickup and Delivery!

It's as easy as can be.

Call: 816-931-2452 and order a pickup.

Or, email and order a pickup.

Or, for the ultimate in convenience, sign up for regular weekly pickup and delivery service.

GQ Magazine asks for leather care advice...

2009-09-11T17:12:00.011-05:00

Question:
Hi Bruce. A reader who says he purchased a vintage leather motorcycle jacket from the 60s that smells musty is writing in to our advice column asking how to remove the smell. Our columnist says the jacket smells because it’s been in a damp environment for too long and he suggests hanging it outside on a sunny day and hanging it inside with an open container of baking soda or DampRid. Do musty smells in old leather usually come from the garment being damp? Is this the best way to get rid of the smell? I’m on a short deadline. Are you able to get back to me on Monday?

Thanks so much for your help.

Best, Randy Hartwell
GQ
4 Times Square, 9th Floor - New York, New York

Answer:
Randy...Your columnist's advice is not bad, and might do the trick eventually. We would suggest having the jacket professionally restored. We have deodorization and disinfecting methods to kill the mold/mildew that is causing the odor, as well as techniques to recondition the leather. We have done many such jobs with old and antique garments achieving superior results. If you have a moment, check out our website at www.arrowleathercare.com and blog at www.arrowfabricare.blogspot.com and look at a few of our hundreds of testimonials, and some of the FAQs. I hope this helps answer your questions. I'm happy to help anytime.

Best regards,
Bruce Gershon, President

Regis Philbin and Kelly love Arrow, too! You couldn't begin to pay for this publicity!

2009-09-10T12:15:00.005-05:00

This is a video clip of the "Live With Regis & Kelly" show. Click on the "forward arrow to begin".

Here's what happened.

The Story...
It was pretty exciting at Arrow on Wednesday morning, April 10th. The phones inexplicibly lit up. Every line was busy. People from all over the country were calling for information about Arrow's leather cleaning and restoration services, because they had seen Regis Philbin talking about Arrow Fabricare during his show.

Here's how it happened. Joy Philbin (Regis' wife), during a cooking demonstration on an earlier show, spilled oil on a beautiful and very expensive leather jacket. Show production personnel, after researching where to get the jacket cleaned and restored, learned from North Beach Leather's Manhattan store in New York City, that Arrow Leathercare of Kansas City was universally recommended as the best in the nation for fine leather cleaning.

So, the jacket was shipped to us...quickly cleaned & restored ...sent back to New York...and was opened by Regis & Kelly during the show the next day. They found a perfect job...and what thousands of our customers across the country already knew...that Arrow Leathercare is the best!!! Our many thanks to Regis Philbin & his wife for the wonderful coverage and very kind words. Please see Joy Philbin's note of thanks to Arrow on our testimonials page. To replay the video, click on the forward arrow at the bottom of the video player.

This blogging is also FUN!!!

2009-09-09T12:44:00.008-05:00

Sharing news about our company is helpful for our customers and hopefully good for our business growth. But, what we didn't expect it to be in particular is...FUN! Fun because of the many visitors we didn't expect to get. For example we are getting visitors to our blog from many parts of the world aside from the United States, Canada and Mexico. Here's a few from today...

Villers-le-Bouillet, Belgium
Jakarta, Indonesia
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Mililani, Hawaii

Although it's unlikely that we'll getting any garments sent from Indonesia, it's still nice so see the interest expressed by visits to our blog. Keep tuning in folks! We appreciate your attention.

Many thanks to all those who visited this blog this morning

2009-09-09T10:25:00.005-05:00

We sent out an email to our best customers early this morning and already many have visited our new blog as a result. We appreciate your patronage and also your interest in the "doin's" at Arrow as reflected in our newly started blog.

As a reminder, we have a sale going during September on leather or suede garments, handbags or footwear. Send in two items: the first is regular price...the second is 1/2 price. This is the first time we have made this offer. We suggest you don't miss it. Click here for information about our free shipping to Arrow. You'll need coupon above for this sale. Click on the picture of the coupon and it will open in another page. Print it and submit with your order.

Frequently Asked Questions

2009-09-08T09:20:00.006-05:00

Subject: Wrinkles in Leather Garments

Q. How can I remove wrinkles from my leather jacket?

A. Unless the wrinkles are a design feature, you can use a low-temperature dry hand iron. Never use steam. Place brown paper between the iron and garment and constantly move the iron to avoid the overheating the leather. Too much heat will cause discoloration and damage to suedes and leathers. Be very cautious though. It is possible that you could cause irreversible damage to the garment. It is safer to entrust your garment's care to Arrow Leathercare. To send a garment, click here for your shipping options.

The Leather Apparel Association - A reliable source of information about the leather apparel business

2009-09-03T16:31:00.008-05:00

Established in 1990, the Leather Apparel Association (LAA) was founded by a group of retailers, manufacturers, tanners, cleaners and suppliers from across the United States whose purpose was to help focus the marketing directions of the industry. LAA members today account for approximately 60% of America's retail dollar volume in leather apparel.

Today, nearly 20 years later, members of the Leather Apparel Association are not only poised at the very top of their professions, but also stand firmly behind their goods and services. When purchasing a garment or service by an LAA member, consumers can be sure that they are getting the very best the leather industry has to offer. The LAA emblem - with its easily recognizable coat hanger logo can be found on members' apparel hangtags and on stickers in the windows of retail members' establishments. Very simply, the LAA represents good product, good service and good business.

Only a few dry cleaning institutions across America are recommended professional cleaning professionals for leather and suede cleaning. Arrow is one of the few.

Bruce Gershon, chief executive officer of Arrow Leathercare is one of the six member Board of Directors of the LAA.

How to tell an Arrow Fabricare hand-laundered shirt

2009-09-03T10:46:00.014-05:00

Arrow Fabricare prides itself on producing the finest quality in shirt cleaning and pressing. Whenever you have your dress shirts laundered at Arrow you can expect:

• The interior collar to be scrubbed and clean. You will find it also smoothly pressed with no wrinkles • Your collar stays will be replaced • You will find no stray threads or cracked buttons • The front placket will be smoothly pressed along with having smooth cuffs with no ripples • The shoulders won't have any puckering • The body will be crisp and wrinkle and mark free • Buttons will be replaced • The sleeve placket will be crisply ironed and wrinkle-free.

If you are having your shirts done somewhere other than Arrow, check the results using the regular/everyday standards of Arrow Fabricare shown above. Our slogan is "ArrowCares™". And it shows in how we launder your shirts. Give us a try.

Arrow Fabricare's fine linen and bedding cleaning division, Blanc Plume, offers this advice for asthma and allergy sufferers

2009-09-01T15:19:00.007-05:00

The 70 million people with asthma and allergies in the United States may find a new bedding certification program helpful.

The asthma and allergy friendly certification program, administered by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America in partnership with the international research organization Allergy Standards Limited, has been introducing scientific standards for bedding and other types of products. Medical experts advise that reducing exposure to allergens and irritants, such as dust mites, pet dander and formaldehyde should be a critical part of a patient's asthma and allergy management plan, the foundation says. Only bedding items that pass the rigorous scientific testing protocols and meet the strict standards adopted by Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America are certified asthma and allergy friendly.

The standards are designed to ensure that products don't contain harmful chemicals, can withstand routine machine wash and dry instructions, and under normal use and care, won't allow household allergens to accumulate at high levels.

Click here for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation web pages that will help you find certified products, get information about certification standards, asthma and allergy information and allergen reduction tips and tools. And, of course, be sure to send your special laundry to Blanc Plume.

A reader submits this information about what could be lingering on the bottom of your handbag

2009-09-01T08:30:00.006-05:00

Our thanks to this reader (who wishes to remain anonymous) who provided this very informative but possibly upsetting story.

"Have you ever noticed girls who set their handbags on public toilet floors, then go directly to their dining tables and set it on the table? Happens a lot! It's not always the 'restaurant food' that causes stomach distress. Sometimes 'what you don't know will hurt you'!

My mother got so upset when guests came in the door and plopped their handbags down on the counter where she was cooking or setting up food. She always said that handbags are really dirty, because of where they have been. It's something just about every woman carries with them. While we may know what's inside our handbags, do you have any idea what's on the outside? Women carry handbags everywhere; from the office to public toilets to the floor of the car.. Most women won't be caught without their handbags, but did you ever stop to think about where your handbag goes during the day.

We read about some testing that was conducted at a testing laboratory in Utah. It turns out handbags are so surprisingly dirty, even the microbiologist who tested them was shocked. Microbiologist Amy Karen of Nelson Labs says nearly all of the handbags tested were not only high in bacteria, but high in harmful kinds of bacteria. Pseudomonas can cause eye infections. Staphylococcus aurous can cause serious skin infections and salmonella and e-coli found on the handbags could make people very sick.

So the moral of this story is that your handbag won't kill you, but it does have the potential to make you very sick if you place it on places where you eat. Use hooks to hang your handbag at home and in toilets, and don't put it on your desk, a restaurant table, or on your kitchen countertop.

Experts say you should think of your handbag the same way you would a pair of shoes. You'd never think about putting a pair of shoes on your countertops, its the same thing you're doing when you put your handbag on the countertop.

Watch where you put your bag...or better yet send it to Arrow for a thorough cleaning and rejuvenation. It will be much more hygienic and look so much better too. Click here for shipping information to send your bag to Arrow. Arrow also has a very attractive pursehook at a reasonable cost for hanging your purse off the edge of the table when dining. Click here for more information.

Bruce Gershon announces major computer systems upgrade for Arrow

2009-08-30T14:02:00.006-05:00

"Well, the day has come that I have been dreading for several years now; our 20+ year old point of sale computer system has become obsolete. We were one of the first cleaners in Kansas City to computerize, and the system that was the latest greatest in 1987, will no longer be supported or updated", said Bruce Gershon, president and CEO of Arrow.

"Of course we have upgraded the system many times over the years with new equipment, and every available update and new module offered, but now we must make the big leap. We will be installing our new system on Sunday, August 30th, and be up and running on Monday morning the 31st. The new system will offer some very significant new capabilities for tracking customer preferences, communicating by email, text, and the new touch screen monitors will increase our accuracy. Since the new system operates on the Windows platform, we won't be worrying about it ever becoming obsolete.

"Our software company, DCCS (Dry Cleaning Computer Systems) is one of the oldest, and best in the dry cleaning industry. They will be on hand doing installation and training for an entire week. Although we have been in the planning stages for months, we know that stuff happens, but we are hopeful that the installation will be perfectly smooth."

Steve Clements, DCCS Software Technician is shown working on the massive change-over and upgrading of the database from the old system to the new system. He was assisted by DCCS technician Scott Logan in the installation of all the new terminals throughout the plant.

Arrow employee, Marsha Jackson, featured on KSHB-TV

2009-08-30T10:47:00.002-05:00

On April 25, at approximately 11:30 p.m. Marsha Jackson, an employee in our shirt laundry department heard a loud noise outside her home in midtown Kansas City. She knew it was bad because the house shook. When she ran outside all she saw was a big ball of metal. A man had crashed into a light pole and was completely crushed inside his car. She had no idea how many were even in the car at that point. Marsha immediately called 911 and remained on the line until the rescue crew arrived. At this point there seemed to be only one man in the car. She began talking to him to let him know that help was on the way and started praying until the paramedics arrived which was in about five minutes.

She later found out both his arms were broken, his leg crushed, pelvis broken, and he had many broken ribs and lacerations. The man's wife said if it were not for Marsha he most likely would not have survived. He is now out of the hospital and slowly recovering.

For her charitable actions, Marsha was honored on Fox 4 news on the PAY IT FORWARD program. The photograph above shows Marsha being filmed by the television station at Arrow’s Troost Counter. We applaud Marsha and we at Arrow are very proud of her. Marsha has been a dedicated employee at Arrow for 14 years.

The voices of Arrow's Leather & Suede Department

2009-08-28T09:36:00.006-05:00

We receive numerous compliments for the courteous and knowledgeable service that Arrow provides to our nationwide leather and suede cleaning customers. Most of the contact is by email and by telephone. The persons behind the voices on the phones are Susie Shatz and Bob Gershon, shown above.

Bob has been working at Arrow since age 21 after being discharged from the Air Force at the conclusion of World War II. He joined the family business with his father, Joseph Gershon and older brother Mel Gershon. Mel left the business about a year later to pursue his love of chemical engineering and inventing. Joseph Gershon founded Arrow in 1914. Bob took over the reigns of the company upon his dad's death in 1963 due to a fatal automobile accident just two blocks from Arrow. Bob's son, Bruce Gershon is now the CEO. Although Bob is 83 years old, Arrow can't do without his expertise and contacts in the business so he continues to work everyday in spite of recent heart surgery. Needless to say, he loves the work!

Bob's daughter and Bruce's sister, Susie Shatz works along side Bob, organizing and expediting the hundreds of leather and suede garments, handbags, gloves, shoes and UGG boots that pour into Arrow every day from across America. She also uses her prodigious experience and talent in sales and marketing by working with our wholesale accounts, manufacturers and retailers of leather and suede garments.

Curious what Arrow Looks Like Inside?

2009-08-27T15:06:00.000-05:00

Click here for a short video.

Arrow achieves the Dry Cleaning & Laundry Institute's highest accreditation honor

2009-08-27T14:40:00.001-05:00

The Drycleaning & Laundry Institute (DLI), the premier international trade association for garment care professionals since 1907, has awarded Arrow its ultimate accreditation level.

With its strict compliance requirements, the Award of Excellence is based on professional principles and practices reviewed and overseen by the 11-member national Clothing Care Council. Its members represent the Good Housekeeping Institute, well-known apparel manufacturers, the academic sector, and consumer advocates such as national columnist Heloise.

Arrow's dry cleaning plant manager, Jim Roddy recently attended a two week “Advanced Dry Cleaning” school at the Dry Cleaning & Laundry Institute in Laurel, MD. As a result of that continuing education and all the previously achieved requirements, Arrow Fabricare will be honored as only the third dry cleaning company in the U.S. to achieve the highest level of the Clothing Care Council's Award of Excellence which recognizes the finest dry cleaning establishments in the country.

Great Praise received from Nieman Marcus

2009-08-27T14:24:00.005-05:00

Arrow has been providing many dry cleaning and leather cleaning and restoration services to Neiman Marcus fine department stores for many years. Recently their national repair center has been sending high quality handbags for cleaning, restoration and repair. They have been very satisfied. We are pleased to quote a recent phone call in which their representative said..."The work has been phenomenal and we are so pleased with the work we are receiving from Arrow." We truly thank Neiman Marcus for their trust and their business. If you'd like to send a precious handbag to Arrow for cleaning, here is a link to our free shipping page.

Arrow was recently cited as among the top 10 dry cleaners in Kansas City

2009-08-24T08:21:00.004-05:00

We are grateful to the "Kansas City Top 10" website for listing Arrow as one of the best in Kansas City. It's nice to receive public recognition of this by others.

Naturally we think we are number #1...far and away the best. We get many, many letters of praise and thanks from our customers that convince us that our clientele considers us #1 also. Here's a recent example:

"Dear Arrow Leather Care: A few years ago I sent you a fine leather toiletries bag that I had spilled olive oil all over. I sent it for your cleaning services because it had sentimental value to me, not because I expected that it could be restored. It was a mess. When you returned it to me it was not only perfect but actually better than new. You had not only cleaned all the oil off perfectly but you also coated it with something so to this day it still looks new.

Recently I bought a magnificent Italian leather jacket. The first time I wore it, it somehow got some kind of oil all over the back, from top to bottom. I was horrified and called Bob and Susie (at your plant) to tell them about it. They were both so sympathetic and assuring that it could probably be cleaned that I sent it off to Arrow. It just came back in perfect condition. This is really amazing since the cleaning process changed the color of the trim and the buttons. You re-dyed the leather trim to perfectly match the jacket color and changed the buttons and sewed them on professionally, just as the designed had. And your charges were quite reasonable.

Living in New York City, you get pretty spoiled with the services that are available, but I don't think I could find a leather care service as good as Arrow here or anywhere in the U.S.

In an age when "service companies" are offering less and less, true service, your personalized services stands out and stand alone with the very best.

Thank you for being there for me."

Kindest regards,

James. R. - New York, NY

Annual Fall Leather and Suede Cleaning Sale begins September 1st

2009-08-23T11:55:00.015-05:00

Every year in September Arrow Fabricare holds our Fall Leather and Suede Cleaning Sale. Usually it involves a nice pre-season discount. However this year we are pulling out all the stops and offering a half-off promotion!

Your first item is at regular price
Your second item is 1/2 OFF!
Your second item must be of equal or lesser value service to the first item
This offer is good for any leather garments, handbags or footwear

The sale expires 09/30/2009. Bring your items to Arrow's Troost counter or call Arrow at 816-931-2452 for a free pickup.

For our national direct mail customers, click here for free shipping options.