Longtime West Hartford Dry Cleaning Business Will Close

Sedgwick Cleaners, located at 17 Sedgwick Rd. in West Hartford, will close its doors for good at the end of the year.

Sedgwick Cleaners owner Dana Gordon stands at the counter in front of shirts that will need to be picked up before the business closes for good on Dec. 31, 2016. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

By Ronni Newton

Dana Gordon taped a sign to the door of Sedgwick Cleaners Wednesday morning, but this time it wasn’t just a notice about the business closing for a week-long vacation.

Dana Gordon taped this sign to the door of Sedgwick Cleaners on Wednesday. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

“Sedgwick Cleaners will be permanently closing on December 31, 2016 after over 30 years of doing business at this location,” stated the sign.

“I’m closing at the end of the month. I’m just ready to do something different,” Gordon said.

As an industry the dry cleaning industry has been on the decline as more and more companies allow their employees to wear casual attire, Gordon said, and his business has been very slow for the past four to five years. He tried to sell several years ago and almost had a buyer but it fell through at the last minute. In 2014 he tried to use Kickstarter to raise capital for a new piece of equipment for pressing shirts, but didn’t get enough to fund the campaign.

More recently he has tried to sell the business but said although there was interest nothing came through in time. Gordon said he has been thinking about shutting down the business for a while and the lease is up on Dec. 31. That’s when he is going to close up shop for good.

The new generation is more casual, and they do their own laundry, Gordon said. “We’re kind of an institution here, but it’s the nature of the beast.”

The void will be felt by longtime customers, as well as the numerous youth sports teams that Sedgwick Cleaners will longer sponsor.

Sedgwick Cleaners has been owned by Gordon’s family since 1984. He took over the business when his father passed away in 1998, and several of his children have worked alongside him. Gordon said that his son Jay is going to work at Stop & Shop and his daughter Maia has gotten a job with a printing company.

Gordon said that the most unique item he has been asked to clean over the years was a vintage World War II uniform.

He’s also found plenty of treasures in pockets – jewelry, watches, and money – all of which he has returned to customers.

“I will miss my customers who have become my family and friends. They watched my kids grow up here,” Gordon said.

Gordon’s background before taking over the family business was in sales, and he said that’s likely what he will look to do again. “I’ve been doing this for 18 years. It will be weird.” He said he’s sad but at the same time looking forward to a new chapter.

Customers can still drop off clothing through Friday, Dec. 16, Gordon said, but after that Sedgwick Cleaners will be open for pick-up only. He will be spending plenty of time on the phone calling customers to make sure they pick up their clothing before the space is vacated.

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