Saint Clair Suds | Application Preview
Saint Clair Suds is applying for a $250,000 government grant to transform a 912 sq. ft. commercial space at 90 Main Street into a high-efficiency, tech-forward laundromat. The funding will cover the purchase of industrial-grade, energy-efficient washers and dryers ($145,000), necessary facility upgrades like water, gas, and electrical infrastructure ($65,000), a modern, cashless management system ($25,000), and initial working capital ($15,000) to support payroll and marketing during startup.
The business aims to become Saint Clair's leading laundry hub by offering a combination of solar-powered operations and advanced customer conveniences. A rooftop solar array will be installed before launch to reduce utility costs and lock in long-term savings, leveraging federal and state energy incentives. Their five-year plan includes scaling into a larger facility to support increased machine capacity and a logistics hub for expanding their Wash-Dry-Fold delivery services. Long term, profits from these operations will fuel the development of a nearby residential project, building a sustainable and diversified business portfolio.
The business case highlights the reliable nature of laundry services—steady demand and resistance to economic downturns—while emphasizing how Saint Clair Suds’ approach stands apart. Unlike the town’s only competitor, Birdsong Laundry, which operates with dated coin systems and no delivery service, 90 Main Street will offer mobile payment options, faster and more efficient machines, free Wi-Fi, and professional laundry services catered to local businesses and short-term rentals.
By drastically cutting energy costs through solar integration and digitizing customer experiences, Saint Clair Suds plans to deliver superior value, reduce overhead, and establish a market-leading position. The project is framed as both a smart public investment and a step toward modernizing essential services in a growing community.
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General Information
Business Registration Number: 394760844
Location: Saint Clair, MO, United States
Length of Operation: 1-5
Number of Employees: 1-10 Employees
Annual Gross Income: Less than $100k
Annual Gross Expense: Less than $100k
Open to Loans: YES
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Funding Usage
Strategic Allocation of Grant Funds The requested $250,000 in grant funding will be utilized to execute a comprehensive facility conversion and technological upgrade of the 912 sq. ft. commercial space at 90 Main Street. Approximately $145,000 will be dedicated to the procurement of a high-performance industrial equipment fleet, including high-G-force front-load washer extractors and moisture-sensing tumble dryers. These specific units are chosen for their superior utility efficiency, which is projected to reduce water and natural gas consumption by 30% compared to standard commercial models, directly supporting long-term operational sustainability. A further $65,000 is allocated for Leasehold Improvements and Infrastructure, covering the specialized installation of high-volume water mains, industrial gas lines, and the 200-amp electrical retrofitting necessary to power a high-capacity laundromat. To modernize the local service experience, $25,000 will fund an Integrated Management Suite, featuring contactless mobile-payment infrastructure and advanced POS software tailored for scaling our Wash-Dry-Fold commercial accounts. Finally, $15,000 will be reserved as Strategic Working Capital to maintain operational liquidity during the initial stabilization phase, ensuring the facility meets all commercial insurance, payroll, and marketing requirements as it establishes itself as a premier service hub in the Saint Clair community.
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Business Plan
Future Growth Strategy and Sustainable Scaling The five-year growth trajectory for 90 Main Street begins with a pioneering investment in sustainable energy infrastructure, specifically the installation of a high-capacity commercial solar array prior to the facility’s grand opening. By integrating solar energy from Day 1, the business will effectively "hedge" against the projected utility rate volatility of 2026, leveraging the 30% Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and Missouri’s net metering policies to maintain industry-leading profit margins. This operational efficiency creates the financial foundation necessary to execute our mid-term expansion goal: transitioning from our current 912 sq. ft. footprint into a significantly larger, multi-service facility within the local Saint Clair market. This expansion will not only double our self-service machine capacity but will also house a dedicated regional logistics hub for our Wash-Dry-Fold delivery operations. By Year 5, this scalable model—powered by renewable energy and high-volume commercial accounts—will position the business to dominate the regional laundry market while providing the capital to complete our Virginia Street residential development, creating a diversified and recession-proof business ecosystem. The Investment Case for 90 Main Street Investors should consider 90 Main Street as a premier opportunity because it combines the historic stability of the laundry industry with a forward-thinking, high-margin operational model. Laundromats boast a 95% success rate and are famously recession-resistant; because clean clothes are a non-negotiable necessity, our revenue remains stable regardless of economic volatility. What distinguishes this venture is our commitment to margin-protection through technology. By integrating a commercial solar array prior to opening, we drastically reduce our primary overhead—utilities—giving us a permanent competitive advantage over traditional facilities. Furthermore, this project is part of a larger, diversified ecosystem that includes the Virginia Street duplex development, providing investors with a unique blend of immediate, high-velocity cash flow from the laundry services and long-term asset appreciation from real estate. Investing in this project means backing an operator who prioritizes sustainability, community impact, and rigorous cost-control to deliver superior, multi-stream returns.
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Self Identified Competition
Currently, the Saint Clair market is served by a single direct competitor: Birdsong Laundry. While this facility provides basic essential services to the community, it operates as a traditional, coin-reliant laundromat with aging infrastructure that has not kept pace with modern consumer expectations or technological advancements. Market analysis reveals three primary areas of opportunity where 90 Main Street will secure a dominant market share: technological accessibility, energy sustainability, and service diversification. Unlike the existing competition, which requires physical currency and offers limited customer amenities, our facility will implement a cashless, app-based payment ecosystem and high-speed Wi-Fi, catering to a younger demographic and busy professionals. Furthermore, while the incumbent facility is subject to the full volatility of rising utility rates, our pre-opening investment in a commercial solar array allows us to maintain a significantly lower cost-of-goods-sold (COGS). This efficiency allows us to introduce a professional Wash-Dry-Fold service—a high-demand convenience currently unavailable in town—at a price point that Birdsong Laundry cannot match due to their higher overhead. By addressing these specific service voids, 90 Main Street will not only compete but will likely become the preferred destination for Saint Clair’s residential and commercial laundry needs. 90 Main Street distinguishes itself from incumbent competitors like Birdsong Laundry by transitioning the traditional laundromat model into a high-tech, utility-independent service hub. Our primary competitive advantage is the integration of a commercial solar infrastructure, which stabilizes our long-term operational costs and protects our profit margins against the rising energy rates that burden traditional coin-operated facilities. Unlike existing local options that rely on aging, coin-only equipment, our facility features a fully digitized, contactless payment ecosystem and high-G-force industrial machines that reduce dry times by 30%, offering a superior "time-saving" value proposition to our customers. Furthermore, we are filling a critical service void in Saint Clair by launching a dedicated Wash-Dry-Fold (WDF) program specifically tailored for the local hospitality and short-term rental markets. By combining this service-based revenue with our eco-friendly, low-overhead self-service model, 90 Main Street provides a level of convenience, efficiency, and price stability that is currently unavailable in the regional market, ensuring a dominant and defensible market position.
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