In early 2013, Lily Li and husband Sebastian Neo acquired a defunct coin laundry to generate a second income and provide the community with a new coin laundry business run by Li. The couple connected with Bryan Maxwell, regional sales manager at Western State Design, to discuss potential options for investing in the new business and choosing which coin laundry equipment to install in the store.
Li and Neo both maintained active careers until the birth of their first child. Li took time off for the first year of their child’s life to stay at home. However, she desired a way to replace her former income while still being able to care for their child. Li’s previous work experience in finance and managing loans for dry cleaning businesses informed the decision to open a laundromat. Li knew that running a coin laundry business would offer a flexible schedule. She and her husband, who has continued working in his chosen field, decided to run the laundry business together and manage it around giving Li time to take care of their young child.
The couple settled on a location in the Mission District of San Francisco and opened Lily Laundromat in early 2013. The business offers their customers free wi-fi and a clean and bright environment, and Li and Neo take the time to get to know the people in their local community. This location proffered a good opportunity given that the neighborhood needed more laundry services.
Maxwell brokered the initial sale of the business as well as the purchase of new coin laundry equipment for the shop. Since the building was a former laundromat, it already had the infrastructure necessary for installing washers and dryers. Therefore, Li focused on what type and brand of laundry equipment to purchase for her coin laundry. Maxwell recommended the Dexter laundry equipment to Li because of the quality results and Express machine options. Dexter laundry equipment is made in America and offers high quality results. These laundry machines help cut operating costs by saving money on utilities.
Li ended up choosing the Dexter Express washers for Lily Laundromat because of the savings on time and energy. Dexter Express washers complete a wash cycle in only 24 minutes, compared to 32 minutes with traditional models. Additionally, the customer’s clothing retain less water after the wash cycle which reduces the necessary drying time. The benefits of Dexter Express equipment are twofold: Li saves on energy costs and the customer completes their laundry more quickly. Working with Maxwell and Western State Design, a Dexter distributor, made the process simple for Li and Neo. Lily Laundromat offers customers fair prices and faster service thanks to their Dexter Express laundry equipment.