Faxon Cleaners has been serving area customers through four generations of the Eck family.
Located at 1313 Washington Blvd., it is owned and operated by Garth Eck, who learned the family business very early on.
It's that knowledge that he has already begun passing down to his son, Mike.
"I remember coming in every weekend when I was a kid and fixing machines and doing other stuff," Mike, 26, said. "I always knew this was where I was going to be."
The dry cleaning business is apparently in the Eck bloodlines.
Mike's great-grandfather, Maurice Eck, first had the business in the 1920s.
In those days, it was located at 500 Park Ave., Williamsport.
Raymond Eck, 83, one of seven sons of Maurice, recalled those early years.
"In 1935 we changed the name to Eck's Cleaners and Dyers," he said. "We put up a new building at 422 Park Avenue. I can remember working there from the time I was seven or eight (years old)."
Raymond made boxes for hats that needed cleaned. He remembered his father always having enough for him to do.
"Dad had a big plant," he recalled. "It was the biggest one in Williamsport."
Raymond continued working in the family business, and as a young man served in the U.S. Air Force just after World War II, before eventually coming home.
He attended Lycoming College and worked for a short time at Bethlehem Steel while putting time in at the dry cleaning operation.
Then, he and his brothers, Harold and Clarence, started other ventures, including shopping centers in the area.
"We got into all kinds of business," Raymond said.
Dry cleaning plants and stores were part of those operations.
These days, Faxon Cleaners remains the only dry cleaning plant in the Eck family.
But a number of stores can be found throughout the area.
Raymond and son, Garth, agreed that the dry cleaning business has changed over the years.
"Back in those days," Garth said, referring to when his father was a
much younger man, "everyone had dry cleaning done. People dressed up more. It used to be everyone had nice clothes. It (dry cleaning) was a necessity."
These days, the dry cleaning involves a lot of casual wear.
And, there aren't the number of dry cleaning businesses to be found as in days gone by.
"Styles have changed," Garth said. "Clothing has changed."
Added Raymond: "Back then, we had a lot of pleats."
One of the challenges of running the business, Garth said, is adapting to the changing market.
"Our biggest thing is service," he said. "My son and I are here seven days a week. We spend a lot of time here. That makes a difference."
Garth bought Faxon Cleaners from his father in 1982.
A 1975 graduate of Loyalsock High School, he said there was really nothing else he wanted to do.
"All my boys were workers," Raymond said. "That's how we were brought up."
The Ecks also have stores in Danville, Bloomsburg and Berwick.
Customers can also drop off materials at selected businesses in the area.
"We do hats. We do Ugg boots," Garth said. "We do bedspeads and wedding gowns."
There's also professional tailoring, fur cleaning and storage, and repairs and alterations.
The business includes same-day service and free pick-up and delivery.
