46 CentrAL Inc !

In 1941 , Jim Massey Sr . started his namesake Montgomery drycleaning business with a single employee , his wife . His son took what had grown into a fourstore operation and expanded it to more than 40 locations in Alabama , Georgia and Florida . The founder ’ s grandson , Jim Massey , III , began in the family business at age 10 , separating coat hangers . In 2010 , he took over as CEO , a position he holds today . Massey is proud he ’ s able to continue his grandfather ’ s legacy while also steering the company in new directions , and he stresses there ’ s no secret to his business ’ success and his satisfaction with it , only planning and hard work . ( And fewer polyester leisure suits .)

What are the main responsibilities of your role ? As a small business owner , my most important responsibility is working with our management team to ensure they have the tools they need to maintain good relationships with all our team members and customers . My other primary responsibilities include marketing , store leases , managing our real estate investments and communicating with our accountants , bankers and various governmental agencies .

What ’ s the No . 1 challenge your business faced last year , and how did you and your team deal with it ? Without question : Dealing with the labor shortage . This remains a challenge . We ’ ve taken several steps to combat it , including raising the starting pay of all positions , as well as increasing our overall pay scale with current employees to retain our best team members . In addition , we are offering more flexible scheduling by adapting store hours and days open .

What ’ s trending in the dry-cleaning industry right now ? Nationwide , the number of pieces dry cleaned annually has decreased by a third since 2020 . During the darkest days of COVID , many dry cleaners across the country saw their revenue drop as much as 75 percent . Many decided to sell or simply close their doors . After COVID began to subside , many people who had become accustomed to working at home continued to do so . This led to fewer people dressing in professional attire . Furthermore , some companies moved to modified work schedules and relaxed dress codes for employees coming into the office . It all equals fewer pieces to dry clean .

What ’ s the most rewarding aspect of your work ? One is when you see someone join the company at an entry level position and within a few years , they have worked themselves into a management position that they never thought possible . The other is when you see a project designed to serve your customers better come to fruition , like the Jim Massey ’ s app .

Sum up the secret behind Jim Massey ’ s success in one word . Flexibility . Back in the 1960s and ‘ 70s when polyester was the fashion rave , it almost put us and a lot of other dry cleaners out of business . But we diversified into uniform rental and tuxedo rental with great success . This is very similar to what we are doing today . We have opened two laundromats , with a third on the way . We also now offer full-service area rug cleaning with pickup and delivery service and have installed 24-hour drop boxes in every store . We also offer “ Save-A-Trip ,” a free pick-up and delivery service .

What accomplishment are you most proud of ? The fact my brother and I are running the same company our grandfather founded . When John and I took the reins of the company , we decided to bring it back to its roots in the River Region so we could grow the company localy . We also wanted to grow our disaster and restoration franchise , CRDN of Central Alabama , one of the most successful in the country .

What is your No . 1 piece of business advice for someone just starting out ? Understand that being the boss usually means being the first one in and the last one to leave work . Take advantage of your time starting out and learn the duties of every position within your company . Also , take time to get involved with the community .

Photography by Caleb Hawk .