For more than a century, Widmer’s was a familiar name in Cincinnati dry cleaning. With established locations, generations of loyal customers and a reputation for quality and service, the longtime local operator had built something that could not easily be recreated through new construction.
For Tide Cleaners franchisee Robert Lyons, that made Widmer’s an ideal acquisition opportunity. Through Consolidated Cleaners Inc., Lyons and his partners recently acquired six Widmer’s locations, converting them to Tide Cleaners and dramatically expanding their presence throughout the Cincinnati market. The group previously operated four stores in the area. With the acquisition, its footprint has grown to 10 locations while its delivery routes have more than doubled.
“Tide Cleaners had been in the Cincinnati market for close to 15 years, and Widmer’s had been around for over 100 years,” Lyons said. “The reputation in the market for providing great-quality cleaning and customer service was really high. Some dry cleaners don’t necessarily mesh with our concept, but this one matched what we do as a company. We felt it was a very good acquisition target for us.”
After more than 13 years with Tide Cleaners, Lyons has grown his business into one of the brand’s largest franchise operations. Acquiring Widmer’s allowed his group to add six Cincinnati stores in one move while taking over locations with an established customer base.
Widmer’s had been on Lyons’ radar since his group first entered the Cincinnati market several years ago. At the time, however, an acquisition was not possible.
“When we purchased this market a few years ago, we discussed Widmer’s at the time, but it was under a different contract,” Lyons said. “We reapproached them, and it gave us an opportunity to take over ownership and really integrate the business into the Tide network.”
Widmer’s already had many of the pieces Lyons wanted in place. Its Cincinnati locations were established, several offered drive-thru service and the business had built a loyal customer base over generations.
Instead of attempting to replicate that footprint one new store at a time, the acquisition allowed Lyons to gain six locations and significantly expand Tide Cleaners’ reach at once.
“We had a footprint of four stores previously, so this gives us 10 locations, which gives us coverage of most of the Cincinnati market,” Lyons said. “It also more than doubled our delivery routes. We are available to much more of the market than we were before.”
That matters in an industry where local operators are still common. Rather than always opening another Tide Cleaners from the ground up, a franchisee may be able to buy an existing cleaner and take over stores that already have customers coming through the doors.
For Lyons, the economics of that strategy have also become increasingly attractive.
“It is expensive to build new locations, it is difficult permitting-wise, and the inflation we’ve seen over the past few years has made acquisitions a very compelling way to grow moving forward,” he said.
Acquiring Widmer’s meant inheriting a customer base with a long history of its own. Some customers had been coming to the cleaner for generations, so Lyons knew the transition had to involve more than replacing the signs with Tide Cleaners branding.
That is why his team’s approach has been to preserve the people and relationships that made Widmer’s successful while layering in Tide Cleaners’ technology, systems and cleaning capabilities.
“There is an existing customer base of generations,” Lyons said. “It is difficult to break people’s habits. They become loyal to a brand or a team. So when we come in, we try to keep the same staff customers know and love, and we are just going to make everything even better.”
That philosophy is especially important to Lyons because, despite operating a large multistate portfolio, he still views Consolidated Cleaners as a family-operated business.
“When we convert these locations to Tide, we make sure it isn’t just a corporation buying a small mom-and-pop,” he said. “We are family-operated business owners and operators ourselves, and we run it like that. And a large portion of customers were very excited to see Tide come in and take over. Once they see who we are, who the team is and what we are about, they really appreciate it.”
The conversion is not simply a rebrand. Lyons and his team are investing in modernizing the acquired locations, including updated counters, new point-of-sale computers and refreshed interiors. One location is also slated to be relocated into a brand-new store designed similarly to the group’s newer Tide Cleaners builds.
“We have a much quicker turnaround than they had previously, and I believe a higher quality of cleaning as well,” Lyons said. “We use a proprietary detergent that is created specifically for our dry cleaners that targets grease stains. We use a process called GreenEarth Cleaning, which is much gentler on clothes and the environment. We bring a lot to the table that wasn’t there previously, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.”
For Tide Services, the Cincinnati acquisition also illustrates the larger opportunity available in an industry where many independent businesses have spent decades building valuable customer relationships but may not have the scale, capital or succession plans necessary for their next phase.
Buying an established cleaner gives Tide Cleaners franchisees a head start. The locations and customers are already there, and the business can then be converted into the Tide Cleaners network.
Lyons’ own growth demonstrates how powerful that strategy can become. After starting with a single Tide Cleaners location in Naples, Florida, more than a decade ago, he and his partners have built a multistate operation spanning Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky. Their growth has included new development, acquisitions and, most recently, diversification into Tide Laundromat.
Before the Widmer’s deal, Lyons’ group had four stores in Cincinnati. It now has 10. The acquisition also gave the business access to more delivery customers and brought longtime Widmer’s patrons into the Tide Cleaners system.
For Lyons, that combination of existing customer loyalty and Tide’s systems creates a strong foundation for the future.
“Once we get someone into a Tide Cleaners store, we can keep them as a customer,” he said. “They can see the value that we bring to the table.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/tide-services.
Tide Services
SPONSORED
The recent acquisition will add six Cincinnati locations to Lyons’ multistate operation and shows how acquisitions can drive Tide Cleaners’ market expansion.
For more than a century, Widmer’s was a familiar name in Cincinnati dry cleaning. With established locations, generations of loyal customers and a reputation for quality and service, the longtime local operator had built something that could not easily be recreated through new construction.
For Tide Cleaners franchisee Robert Lyons, that made Widmer’s an ideal acquisition opportunity. Through Consolidated Cleaners Inc., Lyons and his partners recently acquired six Widmer’s locations, converting them to Tide Cleaners and dramatically expanding their presence throughout the Cincinnati market. The group previously operated four stores in the area. With the acquisition, its footprint has grown to 10 locations while its delivery routes have more than doubled.
“Tide Cleaners had been in the Cincinnati market for close to 15 years, and Widmer’s had been around for over 100 years,” Lyons said. “The reputation in the market for providing great-quality cleaning and customer service was really high. Some dry cleaners don’t necessarily mesh with our concept, but this one matched what we do as a company. We felt it was a very good acquisition target for us.”
After more than 13 years with Tide Cleaners, Lyons has grown his business into one of the brand’s largest franchise operations. Acquiring Widmer’s allowed his group to add six Cincinnati stores in one move while taking over locations with an established customer base.
Widmer’s had been on Lyons’ radar since his group first entered the Cincinnati market several years ago. At the time, however, an acquisition was not possible.
“When we purchased this market a few years ago, we discussed Widmer’s at the time, but it was under a different contract,” Lyons said. “We reapproached them, and it gave us an opportunity to take over ownership and really integrate the business into the Tide network.”
Widmer’s already had many of the pieces Lyons wanted in place. Its Cincinnati locations were established, several offered drive-thru service and the business had built a loyal customer base over generations.
Instead of attempting to replicate that footprint one new store at a time, the acquisition allowed Lyons to gain six locations and significantly expand Tide Cleaners’ reach at once.
“We had a footprint of four stores previously, so this gives us 10 locations, which gives us coverage of most of the Cincinnati market,” Lyons said. “It also more than doubled our delivery routes. We are available to much more of the market than we were before.”
That matters in an industry where local operators are still common. Rather than always opening another Tide Cleaners from the ground up, a franchisee may be able to buy an existing cleaner and take over stores that already have customers coming through the doors.
For Lyons, the economics of that strategy have also become increasingly attractive.
“It is expensive to build new locations, it is difficult permitting-wise, and the inflation we’ve seen over the past few years has made acquisitions a very compelling way to grow moving forward,” he said.
Acquiring Widmer’s meant inheriting a customer base with a long history of its own. Some customers had been coming to the cleaner for generations, so Lyons knew the transition had to involve more than replacing the signs with Tide Cleaners branding.
That is why his team’s approach has been to preserve the people and relationships that made Widmer’s successful while layering in Tide Cleaners’ technology, systems and cleaning capabilities.
“There is an existing customer base of generations,” Lyons said. “It is difficult to break people’s habits. They become loyal to a brand or a team. So when we come in, we try to keep the same staff customers know and love, and we are just going to make everything even better.”
That philosophy is especially important to Lyons because, despite operating a large multistate portfolio, he still views Consolidated Cleaners as a family-operated business.
“When we convert these locations to Tide, we make sure it isn’t just a corporation buying a small mom-and-pop,” he said. “We are family-operated business owners and operators ourselves, and we run it like that. And a large portion of customers were very excited to see Tide come in and take over. Once they see who we are, who the team is and what we are about, they really appreciate it.”
The conversion is not simply a rebrand. Lyons and his team are investing in modernizing the acquired locations, including updated counters, new point-of-sale computers and refreshed interiors. One location is also slated to be relocated into a brand-new store designed similarly to the group’s newer Tide Cleaners builds.
“We have a much quicker turnaround than they had previously, and I believe a higher quality of cleaning as well,” Lyons said. “We use a proprietary detergent that is created specifically for our dry cleaners that targets grease stains. We use a process called GreenEarth Cleaning, which is much gentler on clothes and the environment. We bring a lot to the table that wasn’t there previously, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.”
For Tide Services, the Cincinnati acquisition also illustrates the larger opportunity available in an industry where many independent businesses have spent decades building valuable customer relationships but may not have the scale, capital or succession plans necessary for their next phase.
Buying an established cleaner gives Tide Cleaners franchisees a head start. The locations and customers are already there, and the business can then be converted into the Tide Cleaners network.
Lyons’ own growth demonstrates how powerful that strategy can become. After starting with a single Tide Cleaners location in Naples, Florida, more than a decade ago, he and his partners have built a multistate operation spanning Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky. Their growth has included new development, acquisitions and, most recently, diversification into Tide Laundromat.
Before the Widmer’s deal, Lyons’ group had four stores in Cincinnati. It now has 10. The acquisition also gave the business access to more delivery customers and brought longtime Widmer’s patrons into the Tide Cleaners system.
For Lyons, that combination of existing customer loyalty and Tide’s systems creates a strong foundation for the future.
“Once we get someone into a Tide Cleaners store, we can keep them as a customer,” he said. “They can see the value that we bring to the table.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/tide-services.
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