A newsletter to help you grow your business

You don’t expect competitors to collaborate. But that is exactly what Adco, Kreussler and Seitz did this fall. Why? Because it was the right thing to do, and well, because we asked them to. Twice. The first occasion was the filming of video training on stain removal with the GreenEarth silicone process. We knew, based on survey research, that Affiliates wanted to improve their spotting skills. But there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach when it comes to spotting; each company approaches silicone chemistry a little bit differently. So we hired a professional video production company to do the filming, and invited the chemical experts from Adco, Kreussler and Seitz (together the three companies serve 95% of GreenEarth Affiliates) to come to Kansas City

and demonstrate their spotting products and protocols in front of the high definition cameras. Filming day began early, with an all morning session to review stain classifications, protocols and production details. It was remarkable to have so much spotting knowledge gathered in one place focused on one thing and one thing only: how to help GreenEarth Affiliates become better spotters. To successfully collaborate with people you typically compete with calls for an extraordinary level of professionalism and a passion for service, and Donna Freese, Rich Fitzpatrick and Roland Dobbins demonstrated both in spades. Trade secrets? No such thing. Everyone shared tips and expertise generously, and a good time was had by all.

Shooting started at 3 p.m. and continued late into the night. The result is now online in the Affiliate Resource Center, as an interactive menu of spotting training videos. The second occasion for this team of rivals to collaborate was the convening of the GreenEarth Spotting Roundtable, an expert panel session on spotting. We invited the same three companies to participate and all were happy to make more time for us. The panel discussion was geared to address spotting-related issues and concerns beyond the scope of the video. We covered a wide range of topics: from odor removal to working with silks to the impact that wash cycle time, detergent and flow rates can have on the quality of cleaning (story continued on page 3).

GreenEarth’s new online spotting video was produced with the help of terrific collaboration with Adco, Kreussler and Seitz.

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Clean Team: (Top Row) Tony Golab of Digital Lagoon, Roland Dobbins of Seitz, Donna Freese of Adco, Richard Fitzpatrick of Kreussler, Jim Douglas of GreenEarth, Josh Fry of Digital Lagoon, (bottom row) Stacy Sopcich and Tim Maxwell of GreenEarth.

Spotlight on spotting:“Team of rivals” shines light on topic.

A newsletter to help you grow your business

GreenEarth Affiliates have a unique opportunity to change the way the world does laundry. Xeros, the “virtually waterless” laundry technology introduced at Clean Show 2009, is on track to deliver prototype production models for Affirmation Site testing in the second half of 2010. GreenEarth Affiliates will enjoy priority status for consideration as Affirmation Site partners with first-to-market advantage. Much has been accomplished by the Xeros team since they wowed crowds in New Orleans with their revolutionary technology that replaces up to 90% of the water used in conventional machines with tiny polymer beads. To ensure Xeros offers the right blend of innovation and cost-effective practicality, the team has partnered with The Technology Partnership (TTP), Europe’s leading independent product development company, known for its success in commercializing new technologies. TTP has redesigned the machine demonstrated in New Orleans so that it could be built and operated very much like a conventional washer without compromising the quality of polymer bead separation. A first generation prototype machine is now undergoing rigorous testing in order to refine and define performance capabilities. Results from the testing will help Xeros identify opportunities for improvement in its machine design and detergency prior to actual commercial launch. Xeros has also tapped the talents of Dr. Ziya Haq, ex-head of Unilever’s global Fabric Care Research & Development, to help develop and optimize Xeros’ formula for detergency. Already the Xeros system, washing for 30 minutes at 140°, is able to deliver superior stain removal across a variety of stain classifications -- enzymatic, oxidizable, greasy and particulate -- versus domestic

machines running for 150 minutes at the same temperature. With improved detergency at lower dosing on the horizon, along with polymer bead optimization, Xeros will make a real splash as the revolutionary green laundering method that offers an unbeatable combination of sustainability, performance and cost savings. Xeros has been building bridges with a number of important potential allies. Among them: senior figures in the UK government particularly concerned with reducing environmental impact, global detergent suppliers and “eco-city” projects around the world. Result? The list of cities in Xeros’ global Affirmation Program will now likely include London, Dusseldorf and Abu Dhabi. Here in the U.S., a number of the top machine manufacturers have also expressed interest in partnering with Xeros. Bill Westwater, Chief Executive Officer of Xeros, will be visiting with them and with GreenEarth early in the new year. Hang on to your hats, 2010 promises to be an exciting year for laundry! If you are interested in applying to become one of our North American GreenEarth Affirmation Sites, and have not already contacted GreenEarth, please call Staci Michie toll free at 877-926-0895.

“We expect to have a video to share with GreenEarth Affiliates early in the new year to demonstrate our stain removal and whitening capabilities. As they say--seeing is believing!”

Bill Westwater, Chief Executive OfficerXeros Limited

Talkin’ bout a revolution: Xeros changing way world launders.

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Dr. Steve Jenkins, with the new Xeros prototype machine.

Out of the box, the machine is achieving 98% bead separation even before planned improvements. The Xeros team is confident they will hit their goal of 99.95% after improvements are implemented.

A newsletter to help you grow your business

Spotlight on spotting.(Continued from page 1) The session, scheduled for an hour, lasted more than an hour and a half. Everyone had a lot to say! And, once again, the spirit of service demonstrated by all participants was remarkable. Dr. Jim Schreiner of Adco, Rich Fitzpatrick of Kreussler and Roland Dobbins of Seitz are true experts in the art and technology of spotting, and the “pearls of wisdom” they shared were just awesome. As Jim Douglas put it afterwards, “On a scale of one to ten, it was an eleven.”

The GreenEarth Spotting Roundtable discussion was audio recorded and a transcription of it is now available as an eight page article titled Spotlight on Spotting. This article is very useful as a reference piece and is posted online in the Affiliate Resource Center. To access it, go to the Spotting Video section and click on GreenEarth folder. It is located in the downloadable documents section, along with other useful spotting-related information. Spotlight on Spotting is also available as a professionally printed piece; to request one, call toll free, 877-926-0895.

Golden opportunities:GreenEarth advocacy efforts building bridges in San Francisco and around the world.

What do San Francisco, Spain, Canada and New Jersey have in common? Culturally and geographically, very little. From a GreenEarth perspective? Alot. Each was on the travel itinerary of GreenEarth President Tim Maxwell during 2009. Why? Because each was considering important regulatory proposals that could impact use of D5 silicone, and it is our policy to make sure regulatory decisions are informed by appropriate and accurate science. Maintaining transparency and openness about the science behind our process has long been a hallmark of GreenEarth Cleaning; time and again, it has proven to be a value that sets us apart in the industry and reaps rewards for Affiliates.

San Francisco is a case in point. We got involved there after one of our Affiliates had been denied landlord approval for a new location because the builder had been told that GreenEarth on the premises would disqualify him from LEED green certification. Since the opposite is true in other cities, we knew something was amiss.

It didn’t take long to track down the source of the problem: a document from the City of San Francisco’s Dept. of Environment (DOE) that identified GreenEarth as an unsafe dry cleaning process. The data cited in the document, like much of the information that has been spread about GreenEarth, was

incorrect. As we often do, we engaged a professional advocacy group to assist us in securing an audience with the city. Among those attending was Jared Blumenfeld, then Director of the DOE, now President Obama’s pick to head up Region 9 for the EPA (encompassing California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands). Mr. Blumenfeld was highly receptive to the case we laid out.

Result? A golden gate has been opened in San Francisco. The city is not only open to revisiting the mistruths about GreenEarth it had inadvertently circulated, it has requested information to conduct a review of the scientific basis behind their regulatory stance.

GreenEarth has enjoyed similar regulatory relations successes in Spain, where education efforts prevented general industry solvent restrictions from enactment, in Canada, where restrictions on D5 are no longer an anticipated worry for dry cleaners, and in New Jersey, where we are now part of an alternative solvent grant program.

Advocacy may not be a benefit most Affiliates think of when they consider what their licensing dollars “buy”, but it is a very important part of the Affiliate support we work hard to provide. In the regulatory arena, keeping out of the limelight can be far more valuable than being in it!

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“San Francisco’s Department of Environment very much appreciated our commitment to scientific transparency. Other alternative solvents are not as forthcoming with data. In fact, they remarked that they are considering relegating any solvent that does not provide them with the information they request to a lower classification.”

Ron Benjamin, Managing Director, GreenEarth Cleaning

Online Video Training 24/7Now you can learn the proper protocols for spotting anytime of day or night.

Copyright January, 2010. All rights reserved.

Burberry calls GreenEarth:GreenEarth now calling all Affiliates!

The folks at Jeeves of Belgravia, a division of Johnson Cleaners in the UK, have recently been seeing plaid. Burberry plaid, that is. Burberry is known the world over for more than their signature beige and black plaid. The name is synonymous with cutting-edge design, high-end fabric and gorgeous clothes. It would do serious damage to Burberry’s prestigious brand reputation if a garment bearing their label came back from the dry cleaner with unsightly dye bleed. And that is just what happened recently to one of the dresses in their new line.

The dress, scheduled for debut in January 2010, failed manufacturer colorfast test cleaning in perc. What did Burberry do? They called Jeeves, long known globally as the premiere couture cleaner, for help. The solution was simple: make sure dry cleaning is only done with GreenEarth. Dye bleed is not an issue with GreenEarth because unlike petroleum solvents, it does not chemically interact with fabric. Collaborations are now underway on a possible care labeling program that stipulates use of GreenEarth Cleaning.

More and more, we are hearing about new manufacturer care labels that specify dry cleaning in GreenEarth and/or silicone. Have any come across your counter? We would love to know about them! Call Karen Maxwell at 877-926-0895 or email her at kmaxwell@greenearthcleaning.com. Thanks!!

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Trenz Pruca4321 First StreetAnytown, State ZIP

51 West 135th Street Kansas City, MO 64145

Burberry’s new dress collection may have something else new: a care label that reads: Dry Clean Only in GreenEarth.