From Cleaners to Clothiers, Strato Keeps Clients Coming Back

By Mark Hoerrner

"When Greg’s mom and dad started the business, they stressed quality over quantity," Strato co-owner Sebie Lacey said. "As you grow a business, that’s a hard thing to keep a handle on. If you do it the right way, you can create customers for life."

It may be a challenge to maintain a company’s founding standards over three generations, but that’s exactly what the Edenfield family has done with Strato. Since 1960, Strato has been serving the clothing needs of Houston County, Ga. residents, first with its dry cleaning business and later with its men’s clothing shop and formalwear rentals. Other dry cleaners and clothing boutiques have come and gone, but Strato’s legacy of individualized service and family values have kept it a mainstay in the community.

"My father actually laid the brick," co-owner Greg Edenfield, 47, said. "My father and uncle were the ones who put the rebar in the ceiling—in fact, they built the whole building by hand."

Edenfield remembers that his mother’s first deposit from the store was around $3, not exactly what one would call a windfall. To her, however, it was as if she had hit the lottery.

"She was so proud of that money," he said, "that I remember her putting it into this big bank bag and taking it to make the deposit. You would have thought she had a thousand dollars in it. That pride in the business was instilled in me from day one."

Edenfield officially went to work at the store at age 12 and would continue to develop his skills until he assumed control of the business. Unlike his older brother, Scott, who is now a doctor, Edenfield knew in high school that Strato would be his calling. But even though the children would all be allowed to pursue their own interests, working in the store was still a family requirement—Scott; another older brother, Ron, who is an engineer; and even younger sister, Vickie, all worked in the store until they left home to pursue their independence.

But Edenfield would not be running the store alone. His father called on family friend Sebie Lacey who had come off the road only a few years prior from touring as a member of the rock group Stillwater. While the life of a rolling stone is far from a hometown cleaner and clothing store manager, Lacey did have some experience in the area.

"My uncle owned a clothing store for 40 years," the 51-year-old Warner Robbins native said, "so I had a taste of that business with him. When I came on board, we expanded the men’s clothing offering and picked up some better lines. The lines the store had carried were quality, but we wanted to offer some slightly higher-end merchandise."

Lacey readily admits that when he was on the road with his band, dressing professionally was not a high priority. Once he joined Strato, however, he worked hard to develop a keen sense of what his customers would appreciate. Whether he’s considering Hart Schaffner & Marx suits, Polo shirts or Cole-Haan shoes, Lacey says he is very particular about the level of quality he offers to clients. One of the unique lines he offers is Cutter & Buck, which offers some higher-end University of Georgia Bulldog apparel, a big seller for Strato.

The business remains a family affair. Lacey married Edenfield’s sister, and Lacey’s son, Seeb, recently graduated from Valdosta State University with a degree in business and plans to work at the store. Edenfield’s daughter, Lauren, now 20, worked at the store through high school and his son may soon join the firm. There will certainly be plenty for the next generation to do—Strato is opening up a second store at the intersection of Hwy. 247 and Sandy Run Road.

"This is what I have always wanted to do," Edenfield said. "Serving customers is a personal challenge for me. I look forward to each and every situation where I have a chance to really impress a customer with our service, whether it’s cleaning a wedding dress that no one thought would ever look new again or making sure that our regular customers always feel like their service is personal. That’s what I live for."