By Francine Brevetti, Business Writer, Oakland Tribune
Frank Shaghafi says the dry cleaning business is in his blood. Unfortunately, it's in the rest of his body, too.
About 15 years ago while running his dry-cleaning establishment, he was pouring the toxic dry-cleaning fluid perc (perchloroethylene) into a distilling vessel when the substance flashed and burned much of his body. After several surgeries, metal implants, pain and months of recuperation, he retrained as a respiratory therapist.
But today he's back in the dry-cleaning business in a big way thanks to the emergence of two non-toxic and environmentally friendly technologies for dry cleaning — wet cleaning and CO2 (carbon dioxide) dry cleaning. As the first to adopt both methodologies in Northern California, he will have demonstrations at his plant in Union City and franchise the services to other dry cleaners.
>>click here to read the rest of the story
