Customers help solve thorny problems

American Dream realized at Hill shopping center

by LEN LEAR

Imagine what it must be like to come to a new country thousands of miles from your home, as an adult. You don't speak the language or know the customs or the culture, and you have no relatives in your new country. Imagine what it must be like to get the simplest tasks accomplished like shopping for food, finding a doctor, traveling from one place to another, finding housing, etc.

This was the situation that faced Young and Sarah Kwon, now 63 and 56 respectively, when they came to the U.S. in 1989. "God led us to Philadelphia, even though the only thing we knew about it was that it was an old city," said Young.

The Kwons are the archetypal American Dream story. Natives of Seoul, South Korea, both graduated from college, and Young studied business in graduate school. He was a partner in a ginseng farm and ran the sales department for five years (ginseng is a vitamin supplement taken by millions of Americans), while Sarah stayed home "because that's what women are expected to do in Korea."

With his business background, Young did extensive research into retail possibilities in the Delaware Valley, and he concluded that his best chance at success was to purchase Hourglass Cleaners, a store in the Market Square Shopping Center, 7700 Crittenden St. in Chestnut Hill, whose elderly owner was seeking to retire. Thus, a deal was worked out in 1990, and before long the Kwons, who live in Upper Dublin, were owners of a business in Chestnut Hill, which they renamed Market Square Cleaners.

"It was very difficult to get used to everything in business and culture and language," said Sarah, "but we try very hard to catch up, and we try very hard for customer. All our relatives still in Korea. They say we crazy at first, but not now. They miss us, and we miss them."

According to Sarah (whose birth name was Hyang, but who changed it to Sarah because so many Americans had difficulty pronouncing Hyang), having a business was helpful not only for making a living but for getting other problems solved -- because she used her customers as resources.

"Whenever I had medical question, I would ask one of my customers who was doctor," she explained. "If had legal question, I would ask customer who was lawyer. I've even gotten help from PGW and PECO workers who are customers here. We are very grateful to all the nice people in this area who have helped us. We have so many good, loyal customers; we love this area."

The Kwons are members of the Holy Angels Catholic Church at Cheltenham and Old York Road. They work long hours, since the store is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. To 7 p.m., and Saturday, 8 to 6. They have only been able to take a vacation once a year for three or four days, usually to the Poconos or the Maryland seashore.

"Business has been steady, not up or down," said Sarah. "Economy does not seem to affect it. People have to get clothes cleaned. But we getting older, and we don't have same energy we used to have."

The Kwons have received many, many cards from grateful customers during their 14 years as owners of Market Square Cleaners. Here are the messages from a few of the cards, selected at random: "Please accept my sincere thanks for the return of my diamond heart-shaped tie pin. Its value is greater to me than any money ..." "Thanks for making my clothes so beautiful. They look great on this Caribbean cruise ..." "Thank you for our last-minute services in preparation for my father's funeral ..." "Thank you for doing such a beautiful job in the alteration and dry-cleaning of my clothes ..." Another thank-you card was from Little Anthony and the Imperials, a popular quartet of pop/soul singers from the 1960s and '70s.

Both Kwons can communicate in English, but Sarah is particularly effective. Both began studying English in middle school, and Sarah used to take every opportunity to practice her English with foreign friends. They have two sons: Samuel, 30, a tax attorney in Washington, D.C., and James, 24, a geology graduate from the University of Rochester. Both attended Upper Dublin High School, and Samuel is an alumnus of the Wharton School of Business and Georgetown University Law School. "We are very proud of both of them," said Young.

When the Kwons took over Hourglass Cleaners and changed its name to Market Square Cleaners, there were only five cleaning establishments within a one-mile radius. Today there are 11, so the competition is fierce, but the Kwons have a formula that continues to work.

First are the long hours. "The rent is high, and employees must be paid," said Young. "There's no other way to pay all bills but to put in long hours. We have to do volume."

Another element is speed. Many cleaners send out dry cleaning because they don't have the expensive, mammoth machines on the premises, but the Kwons do all dry cleaning in a rear room. They have a huge machine with three tanks (their previous machine had only one) that cleans and dries in one step and can do 45 pounds of clothing at one time. There are clearly no worms in this apple.

"To be success, though," insisted Young, "in addition to quality, you must also be kindly and keep your promise always. We do our best and put customer first. I think that's why customers keep coming, even when there were many vacancies in shopping center. At beginning we speak little English, but people try to understand. We are grateful."

For more information, call 215-247-3491.