Success stories
From a small start-up to a 15-person dry cleaning and commercial laundry shop, Wanda Ackert made her Krazee Klean dream come true.
Krazee Klean Inc.
Owners: Wanda Ackert
In the spring of 2002, Wanda Ackert took a dream, some money from her income tax return and a 1997 Chevy pick-up and started Krazee Klean Industrial Dry Cleaning and Commercial Laundry. Community Futures Lakeland, at the time known as Lakeland Community Development Corporation, provided start-up funds to help that dream come to life. The business began as a partnership and was incorporated in 2005. In the beginning, the business was supported by a small group of customers willing to take a chance on "the new girl" in coverall cleaning. In 2005, Community Futures Lakeland presented Krazee Klean with the 2005 Business of the Year Award.
Since 2005, Krazee Klean Inc. has tripled both its production and its employees – the staff can vary from six to fifteen employees, depending upon the time of year. In 2010, Krazee Klean Inc. was awarded a three-year laundry contract from Canadian Forces Base 4-Wing. That big contract was the impetus the company needed to buy its own facility, and in 2011 Krazee Klean took possession of its own shop. Plans are now underway to expand the working space to better accommodate the growing coverall cleaning demand, as well as the CFB 4-Wing laundry contract. Wanda says that she is "very humbled and appreciative of the financial support and encouragement from Community Futures Lakeland, who were able to see that the dream could become a success when others didn't want to take the chance".
