The owners of Highland Park Laundromat say they plan to plant their roots firmly in Greenwood.
Husband and wife Jackie and Angela Sims recently added Highland Park to a collection of businesses that includes Sims Realty and Development and Sims and Rice Heating and Air and Refrigeration.
“There are plenty of places that we could have decided to settle down,” Jackie Sims said. “But, we grew up in Greenwood, and we want to stay here and provide these people with these conveniences. There are wonderful people here.”
They reopened this week after taking only a month to turn around the complete renovation of the site.
The Highland Park location has been a laundry service since the late 1960s, and the new owners wanted to keep it that way.
Jackie Sims said the equipment is “brand-new and state-of-the-art.”
The new machines automatically shut down if there is a problem, and contact phone numbers will be posted for customers in case that happens.
Sims said the proximity to other shopping areas is a major selling point of the business.
“There’s the grocery store, Big Lots, the clothing store, and Walgreens all within walking distance,” he said. “It’s very convenient.”
There is plenty of parking behind the building, and the area will be monitored by video surveillance 24 hours per day.
Customers need not worry about the security of their laundry if they choose to go shopping, Sims said.
“People have been shopping while they leave their clothes here as long as this place has been around, and there has never been a problem,” he said.
He said they are not sure yet whether they want the location to be fully attended or mostly self-service.
“We’ve been talking to some people that say they don’t like to feel like they are being watched,” he said. “We are just waiting to see what our customers need most.”
He said they are also working on bringing vending machines in.
The laundry service will be open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The owners plan to hold a grand opening, which would include a select time when laundry services would be free, and food would be provided.
