Kelley’s Laundromat joins Hedrich’s network of businesses

7 years ago

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Todd Hedrich has added Kelley’s Laundromat to his statewide network of laundry businesses, modernizing the 60-year-old Summer Street facility.

Hedrich recently purchased Kelley’s Laundromat just off Main Street from John and Pam Jalbert, who operated it for 30 years after acquiring it from Neal Kelley, who himself ran Kelley’s Fabric Care for three decades — starting back when the Presque Isle Air Force Base was still in service.

“We just redid the whole store and added new machines,” Hedrich said.

Hedrich’s father, Uriah “Joe” Hedrich II started a laundromat on Industrial Street, and Todd went into the laundry business as well.

With Kelley’s prime location and larger space, Hedrich decided to close the Industrial Street laundromat and offer customers a modern space at Kelley’s, with new machines and bathrooms among the upgrades.

“The town’s not big enough for two laundromats,” Hedrich said. “In one whole week, we gutted one laundromat and moved over to the other.”

Along with new machines and a new layout, Kelley’s hours are now extended, open daily from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and also offering wash, dry and fold services.

And following the closure of City Dry Cleaners, Kelley’s will now be offering dry cleaning on a one-week turnaround time, Hedrich said, by way of his Lewiston facility.

Hedrich operates 11 laundromats throughout Maine, including in Caribou, Houlton and Presque Isle, where customers seeking dry cleaning can drop off their clothes.