(August 13, 2007) Barrie, Ontario, Canada - Winning Brands Corporation (WNBD: Pink Sheets) www.WinningBrands.ca announces that momentum is growing for the elimination of Perchloroethylene (Perc) based dry cleaning in Canada’s largest city with the conversion of long established Glenforest Cleaners to SMART™ Wet Cleaning. The conversion is a milestone for the city as well as the industry. Glenforest commenced the conversion August 12th and plans to re-open as a Perc free Wet Cleaner within weeks.
The Toronto Board of Health has been examining ways and means of reducing exposure of Toronto residents to Perc, a solvent used by a majority of the city’s dry cleaners. The Board of Health has been unclear about the ability of Wet Cleaning to be a substitute because of skepticism by representatives of Perc based operations. Mr. Alex Zachos, the new owner of well known Glenforest Cleaners has chosen to pave the way forward by removing all Perc equipment from his plant at 3309 Yonge St. immediately and replacing it with the SMART™ Wet Cleaning System instead. “We are not going to make our customers wait to see how their health issues will be negotiated by the Perc industry – I will give the public solvent-free professional garment care now. The Toronto Board of Health experts can then see for themselves whether it is possible to process ‘dry clean only’ garments with the right Wet Cleaning system” says Zachos.
SMART™ Wet Cleaning is a professional garment cleaning system composed of 3 elements requiring no Perc. The elements are SMART™ Wet Cleaning Solutions manufactured by Winning Brands Corporation, Wet Cleaning machinery manufactured by Miele and finishing equipment manufactured by Veit. The combination of these three system elements with training supplied by Ontario’s Solvent Free Solutions Inc has led to a string of plant conversions in North America and on cruise ships that is eliminating the need for Perc while reducing energy/carbon use, decreasing operating costs and improving customer satisfaction.
Jim Giddings of Solvent Free Solutions has seen attitudes change recently. He puts it this way; “A few years ago – the industry said that it couldn’t be done. Then gradually skeptics thought that it might be possible but only for a limited number of garments. Now finally well informed people in the industry realize that the successfully converted sites operating under real world conditions are making skeptics sound a bit out of touch”.
Winning Brands’ CEO Eric Lehner gives most of the credit to the dedicated Solvent Free Solutions team. “We’ve been paying our dues for several years with investment, research and perseverance. Now finally we can see that documented success of our customers, combined with the enhanced public interest, is a winning formula. Even skeptics have to eventually face the facts - SMART™ Wet Cleaning works; it’s affordable; it reduces Perc pollution and is more energy efficient. Over a million garments have now been cleaned this way and growing rapidly. It’s no longer debatable amongst those who are well informed. We are now in discussion with partners in Ireland and South Africa – where local leaders are emerging. This is only the beginning for the system’s potential internationally” says Lehner. “Perhaps one day the Perc industry will invest in the process and put their impressive resources to work in this direction. We’d be glad to help them” Lehner concludes.
Winning Brands Corporation manufactures SMART™ Wet Cleaning Solutions in Canada for North American and international consumption. Winning Brands’ full product range includes a variety of environmentally responsible alternative cleaning solutions. The company’s mission is to replace hazardous chemicals in widespread use with safer alternatives.
Certain statements in this news release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements may be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "future," "may," "will," "would," "should," "plan," "projected," "intend," and similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Winning Brands Corporation (the Company) to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company's future operating results are dependent upon many factors, including but not limited to the Company's ability to: (i) obtain sufficient capital or a strategic business arrangement to fund its expansion plans; (ii) build the management and human resources and infrastructure necessary to support the growth of its business; and (iii) competitive factors and developments beyond the Company's control. Winning Colors is a Registered Trademark of Niagara Mist Marketing Ltd and used under licence. SMART™ Wet Cleaning Solutions is a trademark of Solvent Free Solutions Inc.
Information: News@WinningBrands.ca
Winning Brands Corporation 11 Victoria Street, Suite 220A, Barrie, Ontario, Canada L4N 6T3 (705) 737-4062
Glenforest Cleaners, 3309 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario M4N 2L9 (416) 488-6717
Solvent Free Solutions, 41 Amelia Crescent, Belwood, Ontario, Canada N0B 1J0 (866) 300-4062