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Arrow Fabricare: A Century of Care in Kansas City
For more than 100 years, Arrow Fabricare Services has been an enduring presence in Kansas City – a family‑rooted dry cleaner turned textile‐care specialist whose history is woven into the community. “Since 1914, Arrow has been a trusted name in garment and textile care in Kansas City”[1], the company’s website notes. Housed in the same Troost Avenue neighborhood for a century, the business traces its roots to a tiny tailor shop founded by Joseph Gershon. Over decades – through Prohibition, world wars, and fashion revolutions – Arrow grew from a single storefront into a regional authority on everything from designer wedding gowns to leather coats. Customers today still recognize Arrow’s yellow and black storefront as a neighborhood landmark (see image) – proof that in an era of fleeting trends, Arrow’s commitment to craftsmanship and service remains constant.
Arrow Fabricare’s Troost Avenue shop is a familiar sight in Kansas City. Over a century old and family‐oriented, Arrow today bills itself as a “community focused, nationally recognized, family owned” textile‐care expert[2]. From its original tailor‐shop beginnings, the company has evolved to offer dry cleaning, leather and couture care, bridal preservation, home‐textile cleaning, and even disaster restoration.
A Legacy Woven into Kansas City
Mariana Herrera, Arrow Fabricare’s Chief Operating Officer, sums up the company’s history with pride: “We have a legacy of more than 100 years serving the Kansas area…we’re very proud of the service that we have been offering for all of these years, and we are happy for the future that we have ahead”[3]. Indeed, Arrow’s story is a chronicle of innovation and family continuity. Founded in 1914 by Joseph Gershon, the shop was later renamed Arrow Cleaners & Tailors and expanded into fur and leather care in the mid‑20th century[4][5]. Melvin and Bob Gershon, Joseph’s sons, grew the business through the lean years of 1960s wash‑and‑wear fads by focusing on specialty cleaning (leather and suede cleaning in particular)[5][6]. In the decades since, Arrow added new divisions – from bridal preservation (“Blank Plume”) to disaster restoration (“Lyons Restores by Arrow”) – and expanded its downtown plant.
A 1940s Arrow Creamers & Dyers delivery van. For decades, Arrow’s vans and storefront sign have carried the family name across Kansas City. This undated photo (courtesy American Drycleaner magazine) shows co-founder Bob Gershon (behind the wheel) and his brother Melvin. Arrow’s 20th‑century innovations – from the foam press pad to the electric thumb‐switch iron – helped solidify its reputation as Kansas City’s exclusive specialty cleaners[7].
The company’s own website celebrates this heritage: “Arrow Fabricare is the oldest tenured locally-owned laundry service in Kansas City, and there’s a reason for that. We care about the clothes you love…over a century later, our commitment to your clothes and home textiles is as strong as ever”[8]. Even as it has grown, Arrow has preserved a small‐town ethos. As Bruce Gershon (Joseph’s grandson and longtime owner) once told American Drycleaner magazine, “The emphasis today in our business is on quality… investing in our greatest resource, our people. We want our customers to come to Arrow and feel like they are going to a place where they can get answers.”[9] That focus on quality and people – from longtime employees to every new hire – has kept the company grounded even as it expanded.
Specialty Services and Reputation
What sets Arrow Fabricare apart is its depth of specialty care. It offers the full gamut of textile services – not just everyday dry cleaning, but high‐touch handling of delicate and technical items. Its service menu includes:
Leather, fur, and suede cleaning and repair: Arrow proudly touts itself as “America’s leading fur, suede, and leather care expert” (indeed, its website calls Arrow “Leather & Fur” specialists). Herrera notes that the company maintains a close relationship with the heirs of the original leather business; many Kansas City leather‑goods manufacturers “refer to Arrow Leather Care to preserve and take care of their garments, because they trust us”[10]. Arrow’s technicians can clean and repair everything from mink coats to fine leather jackets – even restoring heavily damaged pieces.
Designer and bridal couture care: For wedding dresses, opera gowns, and couture garments, Arrow provides premium cleaning, alterations, and preservation. Herrera explains that wedding gowns are carefully cleaned and “preserve[d] in a beautiful box – like an exhibition box…so you can basically have the dress as a decoration piece in your house”[11]. Staff members with decades of experience handle these tasks: one wedding‐gown specialist has been with Arrow over 20 years, dedicated to packing and preserving bridal heirlooms. The company even offers free pickup, delivery, and subscription routes so brides and families enjoy a white‐glove experience from beginning to end[12][13].
Home textiles and furniture: Beyond clothing, Arrow can clean rugs, drapes, upholstery, and bedding. Its Arrow Home division handles curtains, cushions, carpets and more – essentially anything that contains a fabric, Herrera notes[14]. In‐home services have also returned; crews now do on‑site cleaning of carpets, drapes, and cushions, responding to customer demand for convenience.
Disaster restoration: Through its sister brand Lyons Restores (a division of Arrow), the company provides fire and water damage restoration. When a home is struck by fire or flood, Arrow’s team can salvage and decontaminate textiles and contents. Herrera shares that they have “a lot of beautiful testimonies of before and afters”: for example, family heirlooms reduced to ashes in a fire were painstakingly brought back to their pre‑loss condition[15]. One veteran’s World War II uniform jacket – covered in medals and insignia – was sent to Arrow, restored with care, and returned in “very nice shape”, a result that made the family (and Arrow) immensely proud[16].
Each of these specialized services has earned Arrow a strong reputation locally and nationally. Manufacturers of fine garments know they can “trust the work” performed here[10]. Thousands of KC customers (from CEO to soccer mom) have testified to Arrow’s quality; as one review says, Arrow staff never just give up on a hopeless stain but “think outside the box” for solutions[17]. The company’s website brims with 5‑star testimonials praising its expertise on couture, vintage pieces, and home goods.
Innovation Meets Craftsmanship
Throughout its history, Arrow Fabricare has constantly blended new technology with age‑old craft. The company website notes that “utilizing the newest technologies and applications, Arrow has worked diligently to evolve to meet the needs of Kansas City and our community”[18]. Mariana Herrera echoes this: while Arrow “overpassed wars… past the pandemic… [and] every milestone”, today “we’re focusing on preserving that heritage and craftsmanship of the processes… and updating it with all of the technology”[19][20].
Arrow’s craftsmen still use many traditional skills. In this stock photo, an experienced tailor carefully sews a garment – the same attention to detail that Arrow’s team brings to couture and leatherwork. COO Mariana Herrera emphasizes preserving this expertise through training, while complementing it with new tools (like order‑tracking apps and CRM software)[21][22].
In practice, that means Arrow employs both modern systems and old‑world know‑how. All orders are tracked digitally so customers can check status on their phones. The company is adding an AI‑powered CRM (HubSpot) to improve communication and responsiveness[21][22]. Yet at the same time, long‐time employees teach new hires century‑old techniques for pressing silk, dyeing leathers, hand‑sewing delicate lace or fur. When Herrera says “we keep what is important from us… the attention to detail and the training that we provide for the employees”, it reflects a commitment to passing craft along even as machines and apps handle logistics[21].
Mariana’s own leadership embodies that balance of legacy and innovation. She often cites the company motto: “At Arrow, we see your family as an integral part of our community. Our mission is to be a trusted extension of your household, providing thoughtful, precise care tailored to your needs”[23]. Herrera brings a warm, personal touch to this mission. On the podcast she explained how communication and transparency are keys to balancing national renown with local care: “For us, communication is the key… transparency in communication and the alignment of the expectations… [so] it allows us to have a beautiful relationship with our customers in the local area”[24]. She describes her daily role as endlessly varied – troubleshooting a snowstorm’s delivery delays one day, overseeing on‑site carpet cleanings the next – but always centered on “taking care of the relationship with the customers”[25][26].
Herrera also emphasizes Arrow’s culture as family‑like. She notes that during a recent change of ownership (about a decade ago), the new owner shared the same community values as the Gershon founders, so “the main thing that we preserve… is the importance and the focus on community and the family within the business”[19]. In day‑to‑day practice, that means Arrow treats its staff as kin: long‑tenured specialists feel valued, and the company has remained a significant local employer (about 80–100 people on staff, depending on season[9]). Many drivers, cleaners, and office team members have been there for decades. As Herrera put it, Arrow has “invested in our greatest resource, our people”, echoing CEO Bruce Gershon’s words[9].
Serving Kansas City and Beyond
Arrow’s focus on community service extends even beyond its storefront. All customers in the Kansas City metro can take advantage of free pickup and delivery. Herrera explains that Arrow currently runs six dedicated route vans across the city (with plans to expand)[12]. A customer simply signs up online, is assigned a weekday route, and Arrow’s driver comes directly to the home – at no extra charge. According to Herrera, this free, at‑home service keeps the company “very close to the Kansas City community”[12]. Simultaneously, Arrow serves national customers via shipping: people from other states can mail their furs, leather jackets, couture gowns, or bedding to Arrow and receive the same expert care as locals[12]. “They can expect the same care and the same treatment that we offer locally,” Herrera says.
Locally, Arrow also stays involved in community life. The Troost neighborhood branch often works with local tailors, designers, and vintage boutiques. For example, the company renovated a block of Troost with a modern production facility – adapting to the area’s redevelopment while preserving their address. Herrera noted with pride how Arrow even incorporates Kansas City culture: “We feel very proud of the veterans and the people that serve the country”, she said, referencing how Arrow restored an Army jacket full of medals[27]. Staff treated it not just as a garment, but as a treasured piece of local history.
Preserving Family Stories
Perhaps the most telling examples of Arrow’s impact are the personal stories it helps preserve. On the interview, Herrera shared one especially poignant example. A family sent in the World War II jacket of their uncle, Abetheron, complete with unit patches and medals. The jacket had been through battles and decades of wear, but Arrow’s specialists carefully cleaned and refurbished it. “They were very happy with the result,” Herrera recalled[16]. “We were very proud to being able to preserve that valuable item for the family and for the country…we feel very proud of… the veterans.” [27] For Arrow, this was more than a job; it was an honor to safeguard a veteran’s story. “It’s very nice to be part of that story, of different families,” she said[28]. In the same way, wedding gowns, baptismal shawls, and high‑school prom dresses pass through Arrow as rites of passage. When one bridal gown came back stained with wine and makeup after the reception, Herrera quipped, “If a dress is dirty for the party, it means the bride was having so much fun…we love that!”[29], then explained how they remove those stains and box the gown for generations to come[29][30]. Arrow understands that each garment carries a dream or memory: “in some families, they have their wedding gown as a heritage from mom to daughter, from grandmother to daughter,” Herrera said[31]. Arrow will even modernize or alter an heirloom dress so a new bride can wear it, then preserve it again for the next generation.
Looking Forward, Rooted in the Past
Today, Arrow Fabricare stands as a bridge between eras. Its 21st‑century headquarters hums with state‑of‑the‑art machines and digital workflows, yet in the next room, a seamstress plies her needles much as her grandmother did. Herrera – who oversees operations, customer service, and innovation – leads with the same values as the founders: care, community, and mastery. “Our process and attention to detail… we keep from the past,” she said[21], even as “we complement [them] with technology and new tools”[22]. As Kansas City continues to change around it, Arrow remains steadfast. It even preserved a sense of humor about the future: when asked where she sees Arrow in 100 more years, Herrera laughed that “I hope to be enlisted by then!”[32] – a nod to the veteran jacket story, and perhaps to the company’s mission of service.
After the interview, a Kansas City Thrive editor reflected that “Mariana, I did not know, and I knew I would learn a lot from what you’re doing at Arrow.” The comment underscored that Arrow’s story still surprises: in an age of laundry kiosks and automated cleaners, this local gem is “something beautiful”[24][27]. It shows what can happen when a business treats every customer as family and every garment as a trust. For more information or to schedule a pickup, readers can visit Arrow’s website (arrowfabricare.com) or call (816) 931-2452. As Herrera put it, “We’re here to support you with dedication every step of the way.”[23]
Sources: Interview with Mariana Herrera (Kansas City Thrive audio transcript)[3][19][10][27]; Arrow Fabricare official site[23][1]; American Drycleaner magazine (2014)[9] (historical background, CEO quote). Images: Arrow storefront and historical photos from American Drycleaner; stock imagery of textiles and tailoring.
[1] [2] [4] [6] [8] [13] [17] [18] [23] Home - The Best Dry Cleaner in Kansas City
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[5] [7] [9] Arrow Fabricare Services Turns 100 | American Drycleaner
https://americandrycleaner.com/articles/arrow-fabricare-services-turns-100
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