Shane and Christine Heintz got their start in the laundry business by chance in 2005 when they purchased a commercial building in Nevada, Iowa, that contained an existing laundromat. Several years later, they relocated the laundry a few blocks down the street to a building that also houses a restaurant and liquor store owned by the couple. In 2010, Shane and Christine began to search for a location to open a second laundry. Their search led them to nearby Ames — home of Iowa State University — with a growing population of 62,000 residents.

Working closely with Todd Stoltz of BDS Laundry Systems, they selected an empty lot on busy Lincoln Way near the downtown business district. “Todd was very instrumental in helping us find the ideal site,” said Christine. “He spent a lot of time with us to make sure we were located in the best possible area.”

BDS Laundry Systems designed the floor plan and equipment mix to match the community’s demographics. The new Squeaky Clean Coin Laundry opened in April 2015 and business has been strong since day one. “We’ve been open about six weeks and we’re doing better than expected,” said Christine. “We’re attracting a good mix of families, students, and other residents who need to wash and dry larger items.”

Christine said the number one requirement for success in the laundry business is partnering with an experienced distributor like BDS Laundry Systems. “We put a lot of faith in Todd and the BDS team to help get this business up and running and they delivered,” she said.