Our History
Sunshine Cleaners began in 1945 on Colerain Avenue in Cincinnati, Ohio and was owned by Joseph Henry Schwegmann Sr. and his partner Bill Kreeb.
Joseph Henry Schwegmann Jr. began working for the company in 1947, working after high school and during holidays from school.
After Joseph Henry Schwegmann Sr.’s death in 1956, Joseph Henry Schwegmann Jr. bought his mother and father’s share of the business. It was at that time that Joseph Henry Schwegmann Jr. began his working partnership with Bill Kreeb,
Sunshine move to Cheviot, OH on Harrison Ave in 1962 after the construction of I-74 took the property on which the building was originally located. Bill Kreeb retired in 1974 and Joseph Henry Schwegmann Jr purchased the remaining portion of the business to become sole owner of the company.
Suede & Leather
Sunshine Cleaners entered the suede and leather business in 1970, after a downturn in the dry-cleaning industry led by the introduction of polyester. Polyester greatly reduced the dependency for clothing care by dry cleaners and people were able to wash and care for some their garments at home. Shortly after that, Joseph Henry Schwegmann Jr son's entered the business: Greg Thomas Schwegmann in 1970, Joseph Edward Schwegmann in 1974 and Jeffrey Raymond Schwegmann in 1977. Joseph Henry Schwegmann Jr retired in 1987 and the third generation purchased the business as equal partners. Under their leadership, Sunshine Suede Company grew to become a leader in the suede and leather cleaning industry. They also expanded the business by partnering with other specialty cleaners around the country to begin Prestige Preservation Program in 1998. Referred to as PPP, Prestige specializes in the cleaning and preservation of wedding gowns and other keepsakes. PPP has an exclusive process that allows them to offer an international lifetime guarantee on the gown that it will not yellow or oxidize.
New Look
In 2003, Sunshine Cleaners opened its new state of the art facility in Silver Grove, Kentucky. This new facility allowed the owners to take advantage of a new technology in dry-cleaning called GreenEarth© Cleaning. In conjunction with GreenEarth™, Sunshine invested in a new cleaning system called Leather Solutions©. This system allows for the best leather and suede cleaning available. The new floor plan and new cleaning processes has kept Sunshine ahead of the competition while being environmentally friendly.
Jeff Schwegmann Biography
Jeff Schwegmann, Jr. joined Sunshine in 2001 as a leather press operator, eventually working his way around to learn the craft of each position within the company. By 2006, he had joined his father and uncles in their family ownership of the company. Mr. Schwegmann obtained a Bachelor Degree of Science from Northern Kentucky University College of Business in Business Administration. Mr. Schwegmann has received certifications from the Dry Cleaning and Laundry Institute(DLI). He has received accreditation as a Certified Garment Care Professional, a distinction for members and students that achieve all certifications offered by the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute. Mr. Schwegmann is a Charter Member and Executive Director of the Professional Leather Cleaners Association, a trade group that focuses on technical and business development. Mr. Schwegmann, serves as the Executive Director of the Prestige Management Group, a cost group that focuses on businesses development. In 2015, Mr. Schwegmann was elected President of the Midwest Drycleaning and Laundry Association, a dry cleaning trade association representing members from Kentucky and Indiana. Mr. Schwegmann was elected to Dry Cleaning and Laundry Institutes Board of Directors in 2017 and elected to the Executive Committee in 2019. With Mr. Schwegmann's guidance Sunshine Cleaners developed and launched the brands LeatherCareUSA and Happily Ever After Preservation, each providing nationwide mail order services for the company's specialty services. In 2019, Sunshine Cleaners acquired Prestige Preservation, a trademarked and patent process for wedding dress preservation.
Jeff is the General Manager of Sunshine Cleaners and is President of the company. He is married to his wonderful wife Lauren, and they have three young sons.