History

Marin Cleaners has been in business for nearly 60 years and has been family owned and operated by the Casassa family for four generations. We've never settled for being "as good as' other cleaners, instead we strive for excellence by providing the latest equipment and most efficient services with a loyal heart.

Founders of Marin Cleaners, Bert and Lucille Brown, began the cleaning business in San Francisco at the end of World War II, with their sons Ronald and Robert Casassa following close behind. By the late 1940's, they decided to expand and bought a retail plant further North in Petaluma, while still retaining the stores in San Francisco. A few years later, the decision was made to sell the Petaluma plant and San Francisco stores to settle in San Rafael with the purchase of Marin Cleaners at 520 Fourth Street.

In 1973, the American French Laundry at 700 A Street was purchased, helping establish control over all aspects of our Drycleaning and Laundry services. To accommodate everyone's hectic and frequently changing lifestyle, the free Pick-up and Delivery Service was born. This has rapidly matured to four bustling routes that serve Marin and Napa County's.

With business on the rise, it was important to consolidate all of our production needs under one roof and what better place than our newly renovated 700 A Street site. We also purchased new, state of the art equipment that met all of the current environmental regulations.

In addition to our Fourth Street location, we've also obtained stores in Kentfield, Tiburon and created a new Drive-Thru location at the A Street facility. With these four retail stores and four pick up and delivery routes, Marin Cleaners, Inc. has built a well-respected name for itself in the dry cleaning industry.

Our proof is in the many distinguished awards we have earned such as the honor of being the only Diamond Certified Cleaner in Marin. We've also been voted "Best of Marin" year after year giving us the prestigious "Hall of Fame" awardby Pacific Sun readers. Most recently, we've been tested and approved as America's Best Cleaners, one of only 50 in the nation.

Meet the Owners

	Bill Casassa, President Bill was born in San Francisco and raised in Marin. As a third generation drycleaner and laundry specialist, he has been operating the company with his brother for more than 25 years. Well respected in the industry, Bill has helped bring national recognition to Marin Cleaners and has been proud to host events in his award winning plant for drycleaners from around the world. Bill and his wife Debbie enjoy relaxing and spending time with their dog, Vinnie at their Novato residence. They have two grown sons, Marc and David, as well as three grandchildren named Griffin, Tyler and Audrey. He enjoys traveling, cooking and motorcycling.
	Gary Casassa, Vice President Gary has lived in San Rafael since his youth, spending summers working at the cleaners with his dad. It was unclear at the time what career path he would take with such a thirst for knowledge that carried over into college but he found that his true calling was resuming the family's impressive legacy with his brother by his side. He has since raised two daughters, Allison and Jaime with his wife Maureen, with whom he finds great joy in planning road trips across the U.S. and continues to map out destinations for future adventures. Another great passion is the game of softball. He has coached softball teams for over 25 years for Redwood high school and various other leagues. His love for sports doesn't end there. He enjoys taking part in a Fantasy Football league and is an avid fan of the Giants, Niners and Warriors.
	Marc Casassa, General Manager What began as a part time job during high school, eventually turned into a full-fledged career as General Manager of Marin Cleaners. In-between water polo and pick-up basketball, he moved up the ladder from counter person, to drapery department. By the age of 24, Marc managed the Fourth Street store and soon settled at the main A street facility, overseeing a greater amount of employees. He finds that there is a lot of variety with his job. "Everyday brings something new and diverse," says Marc. He has also been able to connect with customers to such a degree that he's been dubbed a wine connoisseur among many, with some asking his expert advice for choosing the right wine with dinner. Outside of work, he raises his 13-year-old son Griffin at his home in Novato and enjoys mountain biking around Mt. Tam.
	Robb Brigham, Office Manager Robb was born and raised in Boston, working in insurance and fulfilling a talent in home design on the side but he eventually gave it up to come to California for a milder climate and outdoor adventure. He stumbled upon Marin Cleaners through a family friend and has now worked here for over 14 years. He has been the "go to guy" for just about everything from finances to human resources and has put out quite a few fires over the years. "I've gotten really great at resolving some of the day to day problems that arise," says Robb. He is considered a solid foundation for which this company has grown upon and will be missed when he plans to retire to the Philippines next year. He's looking forward to traveling throughout Asia, relaxing and catching up on some reading.

Staff Appreciation

Marin Cleaners prides itself on giving its experienced employee's competitive wages and good union benefits. Our staff of about 60 is committed to ongoing training in order to provide the best service and care for your garments. Many have been around for decades, making them truly a part of our family.

Honors and Achievements

Americas Best Cleaners – We are one of only 45 elite couture cleaners across the United States selected by this nationally accredited organization. Their main focus is to identify the best garment care specialists in the world. Visit their website at www.americasbestcleaners.com

Diamond Certified – We have passed each rated step throughout the rigorous certification process, honoring us with the Diamond Certified Award. Only businesses that have earned their customers satisfaction and trust can qualify. For complete rating methodology go online to www.diamondcertified.org.

Best of Marin Hall of Fame – We have been voted "Best of Marin" year in and year out, to attain the prestigious "Hall of Fame" award, for consistently placing First as the Best Dry Cleaner in Marin by the Pacific Sun readers.

"Voted Best Cleaners" by the Marin IJ readers, the one and only year they ran a readers poll for an assortment of Marin businesses.

"Voted Best of Marin" by the San Francisco Chronicle and voted second for the greater Bay Area. This is quite an accomplishment given that Marin County is less than 10 percent of the total Bay Area population.

The Bernie Kopell Award – We were given this award from the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce in recognition of having the best customer service for a San Rafael business.

Advanced Education

Bill Casassa became a certified professional drycleaner for California, given by the International Fabricare Institute.

Gary Casassa became a certified environmental drycleaner for California, given by the International Fabricare Institute. He also licensed drycleaners as an examiner, for the state of California.

Marc Casassa took the International Drycleaning Resident Course in Silver Spring, Maryland and became certified by the International Fabricare Institute.

Resources:

ABC – America's Best Cleaners www.americasbestcleaners.com
CCA – California Cleaners Association www.calcleaners.com/
IFI – International Fabricare Institute www.ifi.org
Diamond Certified www.diamondcertified.org.
BEAM www.beamnetworking.com
www.style.com