When Jim Rand graduated from BU in the 60’s, he began a 15 year career in the banking industry. “It was becoming really stressful and unless you had white hair, you didn’t have a chance to advance.” So he and his wife Janice, a schoolteacher decided to return to their home town and start a business that would be less stressful and be their own boss.
They bought into the franchise of Valetone cleaners. The chain has since gone out of business, but after 42 years, they are the sole owners of the family owned and operated company. They all take turns doing what is needed, but each have their own areas of expertise and favorites. Janice and Jim do most of the work with the public at the front counter while son Tom has the mechanical touch, keeping the washers, driers, presses and other machinery working. The third generation, Bethany Rand works wherever the load is heaviest.
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- Janice Rand uses a steam only iron to press a shirt.
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- Bethany Rand, the third generation of the family run business, removes a button on a shirt that needs to be replaced.
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- The only non family member currently working at Valetone is Asho Hanshi, ironing a shirt.
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- Although some of the newer machines look fancy and do a good job, this high capacity Milner washer still works fine. “The basic washing method has not changed much, but the electronics that run the different cycles has. With a little TLC, I manage to keep ours running and don’t have to call a technician in when something breaks down.” says Tom Rand. “I know every machine in the place inside and out.”
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- Some of the buttons, pins, earrings and other items that have been found on the floor or in the washers and dryers that have accumulated. “We make every effort to try to find the owners, but quite often the owners themselves don’t realize they are missing.” says Tom Rand, the second generation now working at the business.
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- Tom Rand uses one of the hand operated manual steam presses.
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- A variety of zipper hardware is kept on hand for needed repairs.
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- Safety pins are a staple at Valetone.
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- When CMMC and St. Mary’s hospitals receive donated stuffed anmials that will be given away to patients, they must first be cleaned. A few are set out to finish drying in the waiting area of the Auburn cleaner, a service they do for free for the hospitals.
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- When CMMC and St. Mary’s hospitals receive donated stuffed anmials that will be given away to patients, them must first be cleaned. A few are set out to finish drying in the waiting area of the Auburn cleaner, a service they do for free for the hospitals.
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- Janice Rand sews a button onto a shirt with the same hand cranked machine that she has been using for the past 42 years. “It’s a lot easier with this than trying to hand sew them.”
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- What looks like stick shifts for a car is actually the controls for a suit coat steam cleaning machine.
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- One of the most modern pieces of equipment is the dry cleaning machine which had to pass rigerous inspections from the EPA so it is envirnomentally friendly.
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