The management and the board of directors bring many years of retail and corporate experience. Our experienced team has proven capable of managing aggressive retail consolidations. Some of the key personnel include the following:
Robert Y. Lee, President & CEO
"Robbie" Lee is the founder of the company as well as the Chief Executive Officer. During Mr. Lee’s twenty-seven year retail store career, he founded U.S. Dry Cleaning Corporation, and led the growth of a small chain of dry cleaning stores to a $25 million revenue publicly traded operation. He has also opened, acquired, managed, and operated over five hundred video retail stores from 1982 through 2000. He formerly led the growth of Video City, Inc., a California - ased operator of video retail stores, from an eighteen-store regional chain to more than 307owned or managed corporate stores and an additional 107 franchised locations across 24 states with over 3,000 employees.
Timothy Denari, CFO
Tim Denari is the Chief Financial Officer of the company. He has over 25 years of financial and operational experience in varied industries, including senior executive positions in both private and publicly traded retail companies. He also served in a senior management capacity for a large regional commercial bank, and as a financial consultant for Merrill Lynch securities. Mr. Denari was the Chief Financial Officer of an 800 unit publicly traded video store owner/ranchisor. Mr. Denari has recently held the position of Chief Executive Officer of the largest real estate auction franchisor in California.
Riaz Chauthani, Director of Acquisition
Riaz Chauthani is the Director of Acquisitions and Real Estate. He has bought, sold, or opened over 125 dry cleaning operations in the U.S. As a second generation dry cleaner that has operated over 50 locations, he is able to communicate with a diverse group of owners within the industry. Previously, he was Director of Leasing for La Mancha Development, overseeing 250 shopping centers. In addition, Mr. Chauthani has also served as Director of Leasing at Western Royal Development in San Diego. Mr. Chauthani has a Bachelors degree from the University of Southern California.
Anthony J.A. (Tony) Bryan, Chairman
Currently serves as our Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr. Bryan is the former chairman and CEO of Copperweld Corporation, a bimetallic wire and steel tubing company, former President and CEO of Cameron Ironworks, a company in the oil service business, and chairman and CEO of Oceonics PLC. Prior to that, he was a member of the Board of Directors, a vice president, and head of the international division of the Monsanto Company. He has also served on the Board of Directors of Federal Express Corporation, Chrysler Corporation, PNC Financial Services Group, ITT Corporation, Koppers Company Inc., Hamilton Oil Company, First National Bank of Houston, and Paris France based Imetal Corporation, as well as a number of arts, charitable, and educational institutions. Mr. Bryan was educated at Ampleforth College Yorkshire England and the Harvard Business School where he received an M.B.A. He served in the Royal Canadian Airforce in WW2 flying Spitfires and was awarded the British Distinguished flying cross in 1944.
Michael E. Drace, Board Director
Michael Drace is the Secretary and a Director. Mr. Drace has served as President and principal shareholder of Young Laundry and Dry Cleaners since 1995. Mr. Drace began his career in 1969 as a Maintenance Engineer for a large, commercial laundry company. Mr. Drace has successfully overseen all phases of operations in an executive capacity for some of the nation’s largest laundry and dry cleaning companies. Mr. Drace has meaningful experience in assimilation of purchased companies subsequent to acquisition, divestiture of operating divisions, and corporate restructuring.
Martin Brill, Board Director
Martin Brill is a member of our Board of Directors. Mr. Brill has been a senior partner at Levene, Neale, Bender, Rankin & Brill LLP, a law firm specializing in bankruptcy and insolvency matters, since 2000. Mr. Brill has special expertise in complex reorganizations of publicly held companies influenced by securities law. He has represented debtors, creditors’ committees, trustees in bankruptcy, and buyers of assets in numerous bankruptcy cases. Mr. Brill graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles and the UCLA School of Law, and he is a member of the State Bar of California and the American, Los Angeles County, Beverly Hills, and Century City Bar Associations.
Timothy Rand, MD, Board Director
Timothy Rand is a member of our Board of Directors. Dr. Rand specializes in Gynecological Surgery and his practice is located in Los Alamitos, CA. He has been in medical practice since 1988. Dr. Rand is also on the Board of Directors of the Memorial HealthCare IPA which has annual revenue in excess of $100M. Dr. Rand graduated from the University of California, San Diego and completed his internship/esidency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at Harbor/UCLA Medical Center.