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Arrow Fabricare Honored at Kansas City City Hall

1/2/2015

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Arrow was very honored on December 18th to stand alongside Mayor Sly James when a resolution was entered and adopted at Kansas City City Hall and presented to Arrow Fabricare Services honoring Arrow on it's 100th Anniversary. Councilman Jim Glover and Councilwoman Jan Marcason sponsored the resolution. Click link to view http://kansascity.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php…
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from left: Bruce Gershon, Mayor Sly James, Stephanie Gershon and Susie Shatz
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What does Arrow’s 100th Anniversary mean to me?

12/31/2014

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The 100th anniversary of Arrow means a great deal to me. It is a time of reflection, and a source of great pride in what we have accomplished. I have heard all kinds of statistics about how few companies survive the third generation of family ownership, let alone make it to 100 years. I owe my father a great deal of thanks for giving me an opportunity, and for believing in me. Not long after I joined the business 40 years ago, I remember he said to me, “Don’t say you work for your Dad, but rather say you’re in business with me.” That set me on a path of understanding the feeling of ownership, and whether by happenstance or his plan, he let me do so many things that I felt were necessary to grow the business.

Approximately fourteen years after I joined the business, we executed a stock redemption plan in which I was able to purchase the stock in the company from my Mom and Dad with “sweat equity”. Even though Dad took his social security and a lesser role in the company, he never had any intentions of totally retiring, so over 26 years later he still comes in a few hours each day, keeping his hand in, and he plays an important role in mentoring my sister Susie, the leather department employees, and talking to his many customers and friends on the phone.

Our 100th anniversary means 40 years for me of an incredible education in business as an entrepreneur. It means I have basically grown up in the business, and worn every hat possible that one could wear, from route driver and sales, to fur cleaner, hat blocker, dry cleaner/spotter, leather cleaner, sprayer, fire restoration
sales, pack out, and project manager, just to name a few. I have had a chance to learn every aspect of the business, and steer the company in the direction of diversification that has served us well. That foundation of learning and doing most every job in the business was fostered in me by my Father, and gave me an understanding of hard work, and what it took to be successful.

Above all else it means that over the last 40 years I have come into contact with so many people it would be impossible to count. I have been so lucky to know so many customers, employees, and colleagues that have truly enriched my life. Countless relationships from which I have learned so much; a lifelong relationship of being in business with my family, although bumpy at times, always cherished. It means that I have not only had the
opportunity to work with my wife Stephanie for over 26 years, but have had the love and support of her and my children Brad and Lauren through all of the really tough growth years, when I needed that support system to keep my sanity. I am also lucky to have had my sister Susie join the business 6 years ago, and now enjoy an even stronger bond with her. I have had the great pleasure of getting to know so many customers over the years from all over the country, as well as here in Kansas City, and some of them have become great friends. We have also benefited greatly from being a member of two unbelievable industry groups, made up of colleagues in the leather specialty business, and the textile restoration business that we could measure our company against,
and some of these business owners have been like my board of directors. One man in particular that I have been so fortunate to have known and learned from was Mr. Sid Tuchman, one of the great mentors in my life.

Finally, none of these 100 years of longevity would have been possible without the wonderful employees that enable us to carry out the plans, do the work, and serve our customers. So this 100th Anniversary is very much about our employees, past and present, who have worked the long hours in sometimes difficult conditions,
and have believed in our mission of being the best at everything we do. And so that is why we say…

“With every garment, every customer, and
every employee, Arrow cares”.

Bruce Gershon
President & CEO
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What a Wonderful Note from a Loyal Customer.

8/29/2014

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This week we received the below note and a copy of KC Magazine from a loyal Arrow customer congratulating us on receiving Top KC Companies - Phonenix Award from KC Business magazine. We are so grateful for the message and the loyalty to Arrow!

Hi Gershons,

WHAT A GREAT ARTICLE!

It makes us glad that we have been "Arrow " customers for over 30 years. Congratulations and best wishes for continued success.

We thought you might like an extra copy.

Sincerely,

Linda and Bob
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Arrow Fabricare receives KC Business Top Company Phoenix Award 

7/24/2014

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Arrow was very honored to receive the Top Companies of Kansas City “Phoenix award” from KC Business last night. It was a wonderful event. Thanks to all who have supported Arrow. We are so privileged to be celebrating 100 years!
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To view article please visit http://www.thisiskc.com/2014/04/kansas-city-top-companies-2014-arrow-fabricare-services/
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Arrow Fabricare Services: Forging Alliances

11/8/2012

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This article originally appeared in the Dry Cleaning Institute "Fabricare" magazine, November 2012

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(Three generation of Gershons: Joseph Gershon (top) ran the business from 1914 to the 1950s, when his son Bob Gershon (left) from took over. Grandson, Bruce Gershon (right) assumed the job in 1988.)

Bruce Gershon's grandfather, Joseph, started Gershon Tailor Shop in Kansas City, Mo., in 1914. Through nearly 100 years and three generations of ownership and a gradual shift in focus to more wholesale and specialty cleaning work, the family business - then known as Arrow Cleaners & Dyers, Inc .- has prided itself on quality.

Joseph Gershon's middle son, Mel, worked in the business on-and-off when not pursuing his first callings, chemical, and mechanical engineering and inventing. Mel's tinkering produced a patent on the first foam rubber press pad, as well as other innovations that were adopted without fanfare by major manufacturers, according to family legend. After serving in World War II, Joseph's youngest son, Bob Gershon, joined the business, and became an early Kirk's Suede-Life licensee in the mid-1950s, when Arrow began to hone its leather-cleaning skills. After his father died in an automobile accident in 1963, Bob became sole owner.
Arrow's business was largely retail and focused on high-end dry cleaning until Bob's son, Bruce Gershon joined the business in the early 1970s. "I started doing more with the wholesale arena," Bruce Gershon says. "I started with servicing local cleaners, and then leather manufacturers and soliciting them to recommend Arrow. We wanted to let them know that there was someone who could clean leather."
At one point, a manufacturer sent Arrow several black-and-yellow lambskin jackets as a test. "They thought they would send us something impossible," Gershon says. After sending them back without any color bleed, "he started putting our label in them" - as did many stylish brands of the era, including Ralph Edwards Sportswear, In Transit, and Begedor Italia. "Our growth was accelerating, and part of it was national growth," he says. "We were right in the middle of the country, which was good for servicing mail order. Once manufacturers understood what we had to offer, they would recommend us to stores, and they, in turn, would recommend us to their customers."
Another big breakthrough happened in 1993 after Bruce Gershon had visited the New York office of Ralph Lauren. The all-American clothing company was looking to capitalize on a growing trend for vintage apparel, and one of the people in the meeting later called Gershon. "He said, 'This is going to sound crazy, but I want to come and work with you for a couple of weeks,'" Gershon recalls. “‘We’re going to make a vintage clothing line, and I want to replicate these leathers and make them look old.'"
Antiquing leather garments turned into a year-long project, with Arrow inventing techniques on-the-spot. "They turned out incredible," Gershon says. 'We found a rock that's indigenous to Missouri, and took old laundry tumblers and filled them with these rocks to tumble the leathers. Then we had to have new baskets made, because the rocks were too heavy for the tumblers. Necessity was the mother of invention."
Arrow ultimately produced 12 styles of vintage leather garments and more than 20,000 individual items. The company moved on to jeans, inventing additional processes to produce more than 450,000 pairs of stone-washed and antiqued jeans. "The year after we ended our project, manufacturing went to China and they tried to replicate the things we were doing," Gershon says. "They could never figure some things out, including our patented denim antiquing, but a patent means nothing over there."
Arrow still operates its retail business and routes out of its main 26,000-sq.-ft. plant, and also performs fire restoration, reweaving, and luxury French laundry service. The company recently bought out a drapery cleaner, getting all of its equipment and added a new facility with 22,000 more square feet of space. But its commitment to a range of quality cleaning services and customers large and small has never been stronger.

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Our new processing plant in central Kansas City, KS

10/7/2011

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Here's a pix of Arrow's newest plant, just opened a couple of months ago. The address is 1330 Washington Blvd., Kansas City, KS 66102. It's about 22,000 sq. ft. and is designed to do all the processing for Arrow Fire & Water Restoration - www.arrow-fire.com - Blanc Plume Fine French Laundry - www.BlancPlume.com and Arrow Drapery -www.ArrowDrapery.com
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Arrow's open house at new processing plant!

9/19/2011

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The Open House at the new plant located at 1330 Washington Blvd., Kansas City, KS 66102, was a lot of fun for the many Arrow employees, customers and vendors who attended. The afternoon was highlighted by a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Shown to the right doing the honors were: Jackie Gershon, Connie Mosier BlancPlume Division Manager, Stephanie Gershon, Bruce Gershon wielding the giant scissors, Connie Kenig Arrow Fire Restoration Division Manager, Bob Gershon and Arrow Drapery Division Manager, Brad Gershon. Our thanks to all that attended.

If you were unable to attend and would like a plant tour, contact Glenda Davis at: 816-365-1015 or by email: glenda@arrow-care.com

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The Gershon family is doing much the same thing as it's ancestors did four thousand years ago!

8/19/2011

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Move-in at new plant is underway

5/6/2011

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As some of you already know, Arrow is opening another plant to provide additional capacity for our growing business.
Remodeling of the building located at 1333 Washington Blvd., in central Kansas City, KS has been been underway for the last four months.
Arrow's divisions that will be located in the new facility are:
  • Fire and Water Damage Restoration and Cleaning
  • Blanc Plume Fine French Laundry
  • ...and, Arrow Drapery and Window Treatment Cleaning
The new plant has over 28,000 square feet of processing and administrative areas. Much new equipment has been acquired to handle Arrow's growth in clientele and volume.
As soon as the move-in is complete, we will post some photographs of the facility. Also, within a couple of weeks you'll be able to visit and take a tour.
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Arrow played a small role in the 1938 Kentucky Derby

12/10/2010

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Overlooking Corinth Shopping Center at Somerset and Mission Road in Prairie Village is the final resting place of the Kentucky Derby winner of 1938...Larwin.

This splendid horse was owned and stabled at Woolford Farm on this property which remained until the early 70s. The estate was owned by the son of the founder of Woolf Brothers Clothing company. A condominium complex now occupies the acreage, but Larwin's cemetery space is still preserved there (see photo to the left) as a tiny monument to this sports history icon.

Famous jockey, Eddie Arcaro was the rider on Larwin for this Derby win. And there in lies the connection to Arrow Fabricare Services. Bob Gershon, chairman emeritus of Arrow recalls that Arrow was the dry cleaner for the uniform worn by Arcaro in this Derby win.

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Arrow Fabricare Services // 3838 Troost Ave. Kansas City, MO 64109 
816.931.2452 toll free 800.542.7769 Fax 816.931.0300

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