Family dry-cleaning business is now in its sixth generation

College sophomore Kristine Zengeler, of Wauconda, hasn’t decided if she’ll enter her family’s dry-cleaning business after graduation or take a different career path, but she’s already helped them achieve a rare milestone.

Kristine is the sixth generation of her family to work at Zengeler Cleaners, which has eight area locations. A couple days a week, she can be found working the front counter at the Park Avenue store in Libertyville alongside her grandfather, Bob Zengeler Sr. Her dad, Tom Zengeler, is company president.

As a child, Kristine would hang out at one of the stores, chatting with employees and ultimately getting an early education in the dry-cleaning process.

“I didn’t realize at the time how cool it was to go in the back and see what was going on behind the scenes,” she said.

Now that she's older, Kristine has a different perspective on the family business and can appreciate its long history.

In 1857, Kristine’s great-great-great grandfather, John Zengeler, a German immigrant and chemist, opened New York Steam Dye Works on South Clark Street in Chicago. It was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. The business reopened at Cottage Grove and Prairie avenues with a dry-cleaning service, which was a new process at the time.

The business relocated to Lake Forest in 1904. A second location opened in Winnetka in 1925.

Today, Zengeler Cleaners has eight locations including Deerfield, Hubbard Woods, Long Grove, Northbrook, Northfield, Winnetka and two in Libertyville.

“We’re one of oldest and largest dry cleaners in the Midwest for sure,” Tom said. “I think the key to our success is that through the generations, we’ve never gotten away from producing a high quality dry-cleaned or laundered garment. And keeping a long, loyal employee base gives us long, loyal customers.”

According to the Family Business Review, only about 3 percent of all family businesses operate into the fourth generation or beyond.

Zengeler’s successful business history “shows that families can stay together (and work together) through time,” Kristine said.

“It’s really funny because some people come in and they know me, but I don't know them. They're like, ‘You’re Tom’s daughter!’ We have long-term passionate customers and it’s really awesome to meet them and interact with them,” she said.

No pressure

Though she admires and respects the family business, Kristine admits she’s working there to earn extra money, like many college students on their summer break.

“It’s not really what I see myself doing (after college),” said the neuroscience major.

Kristine, who has three younger siblings, said she feels no pressure from her family to follow in their footsteps, even though she could one day become Zengeler’s first female president.

“Yeah, I guess so,” she laughed.

“I want her to do her own thing, if that’s what she wants to do,” said Tom, who decided he wanted a career with the family business when he was halfway through college, right around his daughter’s age.

It was always his decision, though. The same was true for Tom’s brothers, Bob Zengeler Jr. and Mike Zengeler, who both joined the business.

“My father wanted us to do what we wanted to do in life,” Tom said. “If the business was of interest to us, it was there for us, but not in a privileged way. You had to work just like everybody else.”

From the age of about 5, Tom would accompany his father, Bob Sr., to the store every Saturday.

“I’d do odd jobs like sort hangers, fill the pop machine, sweep the floor. I started working in the store when I was 15,” he said.

Bob Sr., who is 86, still works six days a week and is motivated by the employees and customers who love to see him.

“He loves being there,” Tom said.

Last Saturday, when the area was under an extreme heat advisory, Tom asked his father why he didn’t just take the day off.

“He looked at me like I had two heads. He wouldn't have thought about not coming in.”

Giving back

Zengeler Cleaners enjoys being part of its communities and supports many charitable organizations and causes.

“That goes back many generations,” Tom said. “It was always instilled in me, my father and grandfather to give back to the communities that support us.”

One of their largest charitable activities includes the Glass Slipper Project, which collects gently used dresses for inner-city high school girls who need formal wear for prom. Over the past 13 years, Zengeler Cleaners has collected more than 39,000 dresses and has repaired and cleaned them at no charge.

Coats for Veterans, which kicks off in September, is another project Zengeler Cleaners is proud to support.

For more information, visit www.zengelercleaners.com.