18 MCC Business Directory and Resource Guide
GENERATIONAL LEGACIES
Bestway Cleaners continues to keep Madison County spotless
BY GILLIAN LINTZ
For over 50 years , the Thanases have kept their community spotless with Bestway Cleaners , providing services such as dry cleaning , tailoring and even fire and smoke restoration . Above all , Bestway ’ s roots are in family and the community .
Current owner Tony Thanas is the thirdgeneration owner , with his grandfather Anthony G . Thanas starting the company .
“ My grandfather and my great-uncle had a shoeshine business in the late ‘ 50s ,” Thanas said . “ They did hats and shined shoes , and then they started to get into dry cleaning around 1960 .”
Although the plant Thanas ’ s grandfather built decades ago is still used today , the systems used for organizing and cleaning have improved significantly for the employees .
“ Some of the equipment that we use now is not all that close to what was used back then ,” Thanas said . “ We ’ ve changed to automation in our assembly of clothes , and then also in the inventory . It ’ s all done by bar code , not alphabetically anymore . It just has made it a little easier for not only management , but also for employees ,” he said .
Bestway currently employs around 22 workers , one of whom has been a loyal employee for almost four decades . Charlotte Jack will celebrate her 40th anniversary working for Bestway Cleaners next July .
“ In ’ 84 I helped paint the store on Scatterfield before it even opened ,” Jack said .
Jack started out working in alterations , but now does almost anything — customer
Tony Thanas , owner of Bestway Cleaners
service being her favorite part of the job . “ I love working with the public and Bestway is very customer-oriented ,” she said . “ They ’ re willing to go above and beyond for what the customer wants . “ Tony ’ s motto is the ‘ customer ’ s always right , even if they aren ’ t .’” Jack remembers one of her first customers at the Scatterfield location in 1984 : Audrey Burgess . Burgess remains a loyal customer to Bestway because of the professionalism and care . “ George ( Tony ’ s father ) is the one who I met first many years ago ,” she said . “ My mother had passed away and we had gotten the dress dry-cleaned to bury her in and he did it for free . I know that ’ s really little , but it
was big to me at the time . It meant a lot , so it stuck with me .”
The Bestway team has also participated in Keith Trent ’ s Coats of Caring program since 2003 .
“ We ’ ve really enjoyed participating in that ,” Thanas said . “ We ’ ve been fortunate enough to clean over 10,000 coats .”
Along with community support , Thanas said he ’ s proud of how each generation has modernized the business while following the family legacy . Over the years , the fourth generation has even participated in the work .
“ All three of my children have been involved with the business ,” he said . “ My wife , who is employed full-time as a realtor , helps me weekly . Without their assistance I would not have been able to continue .”
When it comes to the Bestway name , Thanas has a simple explanation .
“ My grandfather is the one that brought the Bestway name up ,” he said , “ and I remember him saying it just came to him : We want it to be the best way of doing dry cleaning — as simple as that .