Shortly after his military service, my father (Bill Baltzer,) began his working career in retail clothing sales for an upscale men’s store in Montgomery, Alabama. His picture (left) was taken at Maxwell Air Force Base in 1944.
On July 1, 1958, after nearly 13 years in retail clothing, he and a partner opened their first drycleaning business (a One Hour Martinizing franchise) in Lawrenceburg, TN. They opened four more Martinizing locations over the following eight years.
In 1959, we moved to Columbia when he opened the second location. Beginning in 1962, I went in at 6am most mornings, before class, to help with the drycleaning while he served our loyal customers. I spent evenings helping customers and preparing for the next day. After serving three years in U. S. Army Intelligence, I continued to help in the business while attending Columbia State Community College. I was out of the business for 15 years while finishing my formal education at Middle Tennessee State University and a career as Controller and Human Resources Manager with Maremont Corporation, a large automotive parts manufacturer that has merged with Arvin-Meritor Corporation.
In 1985, when his health began declining, I re-joined the business. We changed the business name to Fashion Fresh and within a year were licensed as a Sanitone Certified Master Drycleaner. In 1989-90, I was honored to serve as President of the Tennessee Fabricare Association. In 1994 I purchased the drycleaning business and later that year, I earned the designation of Certified Environmental Drycleaner in the initial round of testing offered by the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute, of which I am a Professional Member.
