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Lapels Cleaners was founded in 2000 to become the 1st Environmentally Friendly Dry Cleaning franchise available. At the time being environmentally friendly was just gaining traction but Lapels saw the Future of Dry Cleaning early on and since has not only been the leader in this space as we continue to define The Future of this great industry.
The Lapels Corporate Team is dedicated to equipping you with the tools and support needed to grow a successful business. Our leadership team comprises individuals who bring a specific skillset and personality to the team, working with you every step of your journey.
Kevin embarked on his entrepreneurial journey at age 18 by opening his first restaurant. By the age of 21, he expanded this venture into a chain of six restaurants and banquet facilities. His introduction to the dry cleaning industry came in 2001 when he acquired a restaurant from the founder of Lapels, a nationally recognized dry cleaning brand. Attracted by the industry's low-cost of goods and non-perishable inventory, Kevin soon became a pivotal partner in the company. Over the years, he learned the ins and outs of the dry cleaning business and eventually bought out his partner. As CEO, he expanded the Lapels brand from 20 to over 100 storefronts.
In 2021, Kevin acquired several franchise brands — Martinizing, 1-800-DryClean, Pressed4 Time, Dry Cleaning Station, and Bizziebox —and established Clean Brands™. This new entity provides significant value to its global franchise partners through effective operational strategies and marketing systems, driving continued growth across the brands.
As Vice President of Franchise Operations at Clean Brands, Jennifer Fields brings more than 20 years of experience leading franchise operations and building scalable systems that drive growth and efficiency. She excels at developing processes that enhance performance, improve profitability, and empower teams to deliver exceptional results across the franchise network.
Jennifer is passionate about creating the structure and support that franchisees need to succeed. She focuses on streamlining operations, strengthening collaboration, and ensuring every initiative aligns strategy with execution. Her leadership is defined by a commitment to operational excellence, continuous improvement, and franchisee success.
Dave Grippi has over 30 years of dry cleaning expertise as a 3rd generation dry cleaner. As Director of Operations for Clean Brands, Dave manages a team who oversees the daily operations across all franchise locations, ensuring consistency in service quality, operational efficiency, and brand standards. He partners with various vendors to manage supply chains, streamline processes, and implements best practices to maximize productivity and customer satisfaction. Dave is very involved with the franchise owners, providing support and training to help them succeed while driving the overall growth and profitability of the franchise network.
In 2001, Michael became the first franchisee for Lapels Dry Cleaning and has been instrumental in the development of the Award Winning Brand ever since. In 2005, Michael sold his franchise and joined the Lapels Corporate office full time. Today, Michael's focus is on Franchise Development and growing the Lapels Brand as the Vice President of Franchise Development.
Shelby has over six years of experience in the legal field within the QSR franchising industry. In February 2025, she joined Clean Brands as part of the Franchise Development team. Shelby is the primary point of contact in coordinating territory checks, scheduling appointments, managing incoming leads, updating broker portals and assisting with interdepartmental initiatives and tasks.
Joe Hebeka has been a fixture in the dry-cleaning industry for over 27 years. In 2007, Joe purchased the business and building where he had worked since 1997, while achieving his bachelor's degree in business, and quickly began modernization and expansion, adding multiple pick-up and delivery routes and marketing strategies, thus expanding his reach for growth. Shortly after, he acquired two local competitors, dominating his market and requiring Joe to implement new technology and automation to streamline operations. His dedication to problem-solving and operational improvement has been recognized through features in multiple trade publications. He has also served as a board director on various Chamber of Commerce boards and founded a non-profit business association, working directly with city officials.
Joe's expertise has led him to be appointed to the position of Vice President of Re-Development at Clean Franchise Brands, where he works with the largest players in the industry to further grow the success of Clean Franchise Brands nationally and globally.
Keith Kocher had spent over three decades as a seasoned dry cleaning store operator in Austin, TX. After selling his family's business, he decided to help other dry cleaners be successful in their endeavors. As a Franchisee Business Coach with Clean Brands, Keith plays a pivotal role in supporting our franchisees by offering both on-site and phone support, along with training on best practices. His expertise covers everything from front-of-store operations, including customer service representative training and Spot POS system training, to back-of-store processes like cleaning challenging garments, preventative maintenance of equipment, and managing day-to-day operational questions.
Ted Sontag brings a rich legacy as a third-generation dry cleaner to his role. After selling his family's dry cleaning business in 2011, Ted took on the role of multi-unit general manager and franchise trainer at Tide Dry Cleaners in Cincinnati, OH. In 2017, he joined Martinizing International, LLC as the Field Operations Training and Support Manager, a position he continued with Clean Brands in April 2021. Today, Ted is a Franchise Business Coach dedicated to assisting franchisees from Nebraska to Maine, ensuring the smooth running of their daily operations and helping them achieve business success.
Shannon has joined our team as a Business Coach and our new Onboarding and Training Specialist. With over 25 years of industry experience, including 9 years in franchising, Shannon brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our organization.
In her new role, Shannon will focus on onboarding new franchisees and providing comprehensive training and support for new store openings. Her extensive background in franchising makes her an invaluable asset as we continue to expand and enhance our franchise network.
As Operations Project Manager, Mandy oversees the project lifecycle for new franchise locations, ensuring each site opens efficiently, on schedule, and to brand standards. Her responsibilities include building and managing project plans and milestone trackers, guiding franchisees through onboarding and operational readiness, and supporting internal teams by keeping timelines, risks, and key decisions clearly communicated.
Mandy brings over five years of franchise development experience to her role at Clean Brands, enabling her to build strong relationships, drive operational excellence, and set new locations up for success from day one.
Karrie has joined Clean Brands as the new Operations and Training Manager. While she is new to the drycleaning industry, Karrie brings over 15 years of experience in the franchise sector. Prior to joining Clean Brands, she spent eight years at Franworth serving as the Onboarding Manager, following seven years at Belfor Franchise Group where she progressed from Jumpstart Coordinator to Training Coordinator. Karrie values the diverse personalities she engages with daily and looks forward to contributing her expertise and insights from her previous roles to Clean Brands.
As Director of Marketing at Clean Brands, August Garcia leads the strategy and execution of marketing initiatives that drive brand growth, franchise development, and local market success. With a focus on elevating brand visibility and engagement, August develops integrated campaigns that connect national strategy with local impact, ensuring each brand delivers a consistent and compelling message.
A creative and data-driven marketer, August specializes in franchise marketing, digital strategy, and brand storytelling. He is passionate about supporting franchise owners with tools and programs that strengthen customer relationships and fuel growth. Through collaboration and innovation, August helps position Clean Brands as a leader in both franchise opportunity and consumer experience.
Keith Mitcham is a seasoned technology leader with over 25 years of experience driving digital transformation and operational excellence. Known for his ability to modernize complex technical landscapes, Keith has successfully led large-scale transitions to cloud-centric environments (IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS) for major restaurant and hospitality brands. Keith holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Florida State University. He is passionate about identifying emerging technology trends and translating them into actionable strategies that achieve long-range business goals.
Hannah Clark provides tech support for franchisees, helps manage Clean Brands' websites, and helps with the development of IT solutions to improve the company's efficiency.
As Director of Finance for Clean Brands, Laurie oversees the financial health of the organization and its franchise network. She is responsible for financial reporting, budgeting, and auditing to ensure accurate tracking of revenue, expenses, and franchisee royalties. She also ensures compliance with tax regulations, develops financial strategies to support business growth, and provides financial insights to guide decision-making.
Reporting to the Director of Finance, Molly joined the Clean Brands team to assist with the financial reporting, budgeting, and auditing of Clean Brands' subsidiaries. In addition to her financial responsibilities, Molly also manages Human Resources including payroll, benefits and recruiting. Prior to joining Clean Brands full-time, Molly provided out-sourced accounting, human resources, and due diligence services to small businesses. Molly holds both a Certified Public Accountant and Real Estate Broker License in Illinois.
As Legal Director for Clean Brands, Jack oversees the in-house legal department with a focus on franchising, acquisitions, FDD compliance, trademark and intellectual property protection, contract negotiation, and dispute resolution across the franchise network. He also supports commercial transactions and system growth initiatives. Jack brings nearly a decade of experience to the role, with a strong background in business and transactional law.
As Paralegal for Clean Brands, Chelsea Zmoos supports the in-house legal department with a focus on drafting and reviewing legal documents, managing internal records, and supporting ongoing compliance efforts. She works closely with teams across the organization to help ensure agreements are prepared accurately, deadlines are met, and processes are carried out consistently. With a legal background, Chelsea brings experience in handling complex files, supporting transactions, and keeping legal workflows organized and on track.
