Slack’s Econowash thrives through decades of change.
On the busy corner of Pershing Avenue and Central Avenue stands a cheery white and green building labeled Slack’s Econowash. Locals recall positive memories with this building, which has stood at the corner since 1929 and at various times has been a grocery store, a fruit market, a television store, and, starting in 1959, a coin-operated laundry.
“He let us wait inside on a cold or rainy day,” recalls Shaquila Mathews, who rode the school bus from a stop right outside the Econowash when she was a child.
Terry Slack took over from his own father, Howard Slack, and continue the decades-long tradition of providing quality service to those who need to wash and dry their clothes. It’s truly a family effort: his wife Marlo Slack works with him every day on the business, and Terry’s brother Ervin Jackson supports them with help when they are out of town.
“This laundromat serves every nationality in this city: when I say every nationality, we’re a place where we have everybody from all walks of life,” says Slack. “People come from New Miami, from the East and West sides of Hamilton, and from Trenton and Middletown. Everyone in this community comes here.”
Terry Slack’s first career spanned 28 years, working in road maintenance with the Butler County Engineer’s Office, and it was there that he cultivated one of the skills needed in maintaining the Econowash.
“My favorite part is meeting people, from different cultures, the culture is different but in some ways, we are all still the same,” says Slack.
Slack has made various improvements to the building, from adding new washing machines that take advantage of efficient water usage, to putting up a bulletin board where people can post announcements of jobs, childcare, and local events. He has also put in a larger quantity of smaller dryers, since most people weren’t needing all of the capacity of the older, larger strategies.
Slack’s secret to business success is no secret at all: he says that hard work and consistency are the main paths to future gains.
“A lot of people don’t understand that you have to put in time and work; the hours that you put on the door matter. You can’t just say you’ll open up at 7:30 and then show up 9 or 10 o’clock,” says Slack. “You have to stand true to the numbers on the door. You work hard, keep trying, and stay true.”
Slack has shown compassion throughout the years, whether by speaking with people who were going through a rough time and wanted to talk or through letting kids come in out of the cold, back when a bus stop stood right outside the Econowash. As Hamilton grows, he sees even more room for residents to get to know each other and take care of each other.
“I would like to see a diversity of businesses as we get more diverse people in the city. Then we have to educate ourselves to be able to understand and respect other cultures,” says Slack. “Sometimes, you’ve just got to let other people tell their stories and just listen.”
In the future, Slack hopes to purchase land in the surrounding area to provide safer parking options at the Econowash and possibly expand, and to continue the legacy of providing this service to the neighborhood.
“I worked in this business even as a child. Someday I’d like to pass it on to my own son too,” says Slack. “This place doesn’t just belong to me; it belongs to the community, to them. I run it and try to make it work for everyone.”