Written by Barry Victor, President and Owner of PROS Parts 

If you’re running a drycleaning operation right now, you probably don’t need a trend report to tell you things feel… tighter. 

Labor is harder to find and more expensive. Big equipment replacements keep getting pushed down the road. Environmental and solvent considerations are more complex than they used to be. And many shops are running leaner, with less in-house time and expertise to throw at problems when something goes wrong. 

All of that adds up to one big reality for 2026: reliable equipment performance matters more than ever. 

Here are a few of the big shifts we’re seeing across the industry—and what they mean in real, day-to-day terms. 

Keeping equipment longer is the new normal 
More and more operators are choosing to extend the life of their machines instead of replacing them. Rebuilds, repairs, and targeted upgrades are becoming the smarter financial move for a lot of plants. 

Parts, in that world, aren’t just “maintenance.” They’re part of a capital strategy. The right rebuild at the right time can buy you years, not months—and help protect cash while keeping production moving. 

This is why things like wear-parts, rebuild kits, and support for older equipment models matter more than they used to. It’s not about squeezing by—it’s about being intentional with how long you keep your assets working for you. 

Downtime is more expensive than it used to be 
When you’re short-staffed, you don’t have extra time for trial-and-error fixes, wrong parts, or multiple reorders. Every mistake ripples further than it used to. 

We’re seeing a clear shift away from “cheapest and fastest” toward “right the first time.” Accuracy, guidance, and a little foresight (the classic “while-you’re-in-there” parts) can save a lot of pain later. In 2026, avoiding one extra outage or one extra teardown can make a real difference to the bottom line—and to everyone’s stress level. 

Sustainability and regulation are adding layers of complexity 
Between solvents, leak prevention, containment, and compliance; many operators are being asked to think about things that weren’t front-and-center a decade ago. The challenge isn’t just the rules—it’s figuring out what actually applies to your equipment and your setup. 

What we’re hearing from customers is that they don’t just want products; they want translation. They want to understand compatibility, risk, and what really needs to change versus what can stay the same. Practical guidance is becoming just as valuable as the part itself. 

Consolidation is changing how buying decisions get made 
There are more multi-location operators, more centralized purchasing, and fewer vendors per customer. That shifts the relationship away from one-off transactions and toward consistency, reliability, and trust across locations. 

In this environment, it’s not just about having a part today—it’s about having a partner who knows your equipment mix, your standards, and your expectations, and can deliver the same experience every time. 

Expectations keep rising—even without more staff 
Customers expect fast, easy ordering and knowledgeable support. At the same time, fewer highly experienced operators are on the floor every day. That creates a real need for both: good digital tools and real human expertise when things get fuzzy. 

Ease of reordering, access to order history, and the ability to get clarity before you buy aren’t “nice to haves” anymore—they’re how work actually gets done in a leaner operation. 

So where does PROS fit into all of this? 

Our goal is simple: to help you reduce downtime, extend the life of your machines, and make the parts side of your operation easier and more predictable. We work across a wide range of equipment brands, stock deep inventory, and focus on being a steady, accurate, and practical resource when you need one. 

In a year when a lot of operators are under pressure, success looks like stability, accuracy, and trust. And we’re grateful to be part of how you keep things running—today, and into whatever 2026 throws at all of us. 

Contact us or visit our website 

About Barry Victor 
Barry founded PROS Parts in the spring of 1988. Before starting PROS, Barry worked in the sales and engineering departments of Vic Manufacturing, one of the largest manufacturers of dry cleaning equipment in the U.S. At Vic, Barry launched a parts sales division that supported dry cleaning equipment imported from Italy and Germany. In its early years, PROS manufactured dry cleaning machinery and supported the parts needs of owners of Italian drycleaning machinery. Later, they added industrial and commercial laundry equipment parts. Barry lives in Plymouth, Minnesota with his wife. He has two sons, a stepson, a stepdaughter, and his dog, Sora.   

Barry can be reached at 763-231-7379 or barryv@prosparts.com