SIC 7219 Laundry and Garment Services, Not Elsewhere Classified

SIC 7219

This industry category includes establishments that perform laundry and garment services, not elsewhere classified, such as the repair, alteration, and storage of clothes for individuals and for the operation of hand laundries. Custom tailors and dressmakers classified in SIC 5699: Miscellaneous Apparel and Accessory Stores; fur shops making fur apparel to custom order are classified in SIC 5632: Women's Accessory and Specialty Stores; and press shops are classified in SIC 7212: Garment Pressing, and Agents for Laundries and Drycleaners.

NAICS CODE(S)

812331

Linen Supply

811490

Other Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance

812399

All Other Laundry Services

Establishments in this category provide diverse services, ranging from diaper laundering to pillow cleaning and renovation to general tailor shops (except custom or merchant tailors) to textile mending services. Of these miscellaneous services, the diaper services are most common and have the biggest economic impact in the United States. Due to rising birth rates and environmental concerns over disposable diapers, the diaper laundry segment remained a healthy one through the early 2000s.

U.S. government statistics estimated that there were 4,471 establishments in this industry in 2002, up from 4,462 establishments in 1998 and nearly double the number of firms in 1988. Industry revenue doubled between 1987 and 1992. Total industry revenues in 2002 were $6.8 billion.

The industry employed an estimated 51,979 workers in 2002, with total payroll costs of $1.2 billion. Laundry and dry-cleaning machine operators, together with pressing machine operators totaled 28.2 percent of the industry workforce, while 17.4 percent of employees in this industry worked as counter and rental clerks.

Diaper services dominated the leading companies in this category. Additionally, major...