Mainebiz Special Editions

M a i n e — A P h oto P o rt r A i t o f t h e P i n e t r ee S tAt e P r o f i l e s i n e x c e l l e n c e 132 W hen a middle-aged woman walked into the Forest Avenue Pratt-Abbott carry- ing a decades-old wedding dress, she doubted it could be restored to its former splendor. Both her mother and grandmother had said their vows in it this dress. Now her daughter hoped to wear it in her upcoming nuptials. Pratt-Abbott manager Laurie Basinet was determined to make it happen. While not as old as the wedding dress, Pratt-Abbott Drycleaners has been a family business serving the Port- land community since 1944. The business started out as a solitary store in Bramhall Square at a time when over 20 different drycleaners plied their trade in Maine's larg- est city. Although Pratt left the business a year after its founding, Elliot Abbott became the face of the company for 14 years, often waiting on customers and pressing shirts himself. Abbott opened up new stores and diversified to meet demand. In the 1940s he combated unemployment by hiring veterans through the GI Bill. One of these hires was Rodrick Lowell, an ambitious WWII vet who worked his way from the shirt presses to taking over ownership of the company in 1958 when Abbott retired. The alterations and tailoring department boomed as more women entered the work force and had less time to mend their own clothes. When the masses moved to the suburbs, Pratt-Abbott followed suit, opening branches in Portland's outlying communities. Over the decades, Pratt-Abbott has continued to meet evolving customer needs by opening laundromats, launching a uniform rental division, and creating a free home pickup and de- livery service that lets customers avoid special trips to drop off or pick up their clothes. The company has also adopted sustainable practices such as using recycled ma- terials for packaging and creating drop-off stations for recycling hangers and garment plastic. Through all these changes, Pratt-Abbott's greatest as- set continues to be the people behind the company. In an increasingly impersonal world, Pratt-Abbott has main- tained a community feel. "We're part of the neighbor- hood," Sue Cairns states of the Westbrook store where she has worked for over 30 years. "I've been here so long that the kids of long-time customers are now customers." Terry Talbot, who worked at the Westgate store for 25 years before retiring, says, "I miss joking around with the customers the most. When I retired, I got so many cards and letters from the regulars. It was really touch- ing." Laurie Basinet loves seeing the smile of a satisfied customer. Her favorite tasks to work on are those that carry sentimental value to people. She personally con- sulted with the mother of the bride on the best way to treat the antique wedding dress and the potential risks. After soaking and pressing the garment herself, Laurie was thrilled to tell the customer that it had been restored. This commitment to quality is universal to Pratt- Abbott employees. Basinet says of her co-workers, "The people here are outstanding. My crew will jump in wherever needed. It's a team effort." Today, Pratt-Abbott, Maine Cleaners and Pratt-Abbott Pratt-Abbott Drycleaners is a family-owned business that has served the Portland community since 1944. The company's free home and office pickup and delivery is a big hit with today's busy customers. Pratt-Abbott Drycleaners P h o t o c o u r t e s y o f P r a t t- a B B o t t D r y c l e a n e r s

• Cover