Jayne Manis considers herself “born, cleaned and well pressed” in the dry cleaning business, as a veteran in the industry.
Now 80, she has spent nearly all her life helping run her family’s Evansville-based Crescent Cleaners, founded in 1925 by her Greek immigrant father, Sam Maglaris.
“I’ve never known anything else,” she said.
But, now, she is preparing to gracefully ease herself into retirement, knowing the business’s customers will be well cared for in future years.
She, with her sister, Dorothy Amos, 97, a resident of Willow Park retirement homes, are merging the business with another long-established local business, Pearl Laundry & Cleaners, founded in 1896 by Daniel Korb.
“I didn’t want to completely retire without turning the business over to someone special,” said Manis.
“The merger allows me to still be here, work with them (staff) and have a hand in the dry cleaning business as I ease out gracefully.”
She is a fixture at Crescent’s store at 2712 Lincoln Ave., at the intersection with Villa Drive, as was her sister for many decades.
“Dorothy (now retired) was ‘Miss Crescent,’” said Manis.
Jayne Manis’ husband, Pat, also 80, Crescent’s industrial manager, plans to retire with the merger.
Jayne Manis and Bernie Michel, Pearl’s chief executive officer, revealed the merger plans Monday.
The announcement came on the heels of another merger announcement by two other long-running local companies: Gem Craft Custom Jewelers and Brinker’s Jewelers.
The jewelry firms announced on Sept.
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