COLUMBUS – The Ohio Air Quality Development Authority (OAQDA) has announced that it has closed on $85,120 in bond financing to support Gault’s Plaza Cleaners and Laundromat in Knox County.
The bond financing, along with a $17,024 grant from the Authority, was provided through the Authority's Clean Air Resource Center (CARC), which makes clean air compliance easily accessible and affordable for Ohio small businesses.
Gault's Plaza Cleaners and Laundromat is a full-service dry cleaner and self-service coin laundromat. The third-generation, family-owned business was started in Ashland, Ohio, in 1922 and moved to Mount Vernon in 1977. The project eliminates the use of perchloroethylene (PERC), a known carcinogen, by replacing two aging machines with environmentally friendly cleaning equipment. The new equipment includes an environmentally friendly 60-pound washer/extractor, a 35-pound wet-cleaning system dryer, a utility rotating form finisher and a 40-pound hydrocarbon cleaning machine.
"We are proud to be able to support long-standing Ohio small businesses in their efforts to be more environmentally conscious," said Christina O'Keeffe, executive director of OAQDA. "The financing approved by the Authority directly supports Gault's ability to continue serving its community while also improving air quality."
Gault's currently employs 11 individuals and has experienced a 50% reduction in business due to COVID 19. This funding allows the company to sustain those jobs and maintain operations.
"We owe a great deal of thanks to the OAQDA," said Jim Gault, owner of Gault's Plaza Cleaners and Laundromat. "Because of this program we were able to go ahead with our plans to eliminate our PERC dry-cleaning machines and replace them with new 'green' systems. The staff at OAQDA was very knowledgeable and helpful throughout the process."
OAQDA is committed to serving the economic and environmental needs of Ohio businesses and communities as they strive to reduce air emissions and achieve greater sustainability goals that protect the air. CARC offers financing packages that are structured to suit the needs of individual projects, and they are incentivized with tax benefits using conduit bonds and grants to help small businesses cover a portion of the principal amount.
