KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County. Share your story idea with Tod.
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Zachary Kohler has a passion for carpet cleaning and the Kansas City Chiefs.
“(I’ve) always been a Chiefs fan my whole life, been a KC sports fan through and through,” said Kohler, who owns PowerClean Homes KC.
But he wasn’t prepared for hulking figure he encountered atop the stairs at a job a few years ago.
“Stairs in the home are always dirty,” Kohler said. “There's nothing you can do. When you put professional chemicals and the wand to it, it's gonna change — and it really excited me. So, I was like, ‘Wow,’ and people were laughing at me. I looked up to laugh with them, and I was looking right at Creed.”
Creed being Chiefs All-Pro center Creed Humphrey.
“I didn't want to be unprofessional,” Kohler said. “I went out, finished everything up, and I looked at him, ‘You look really familiar. You wouldn't happen to —’ and he's like, ‘Play for the Kansas City Chiefs.’”
Kohler and Humphrey then shared a laugh “and I was like, ‘This is so cool.’ He took pictures and stuff like that. Great dude.”
Every year the Chiefs have reached the Super Bowl since Kohler founded the company five years ago, PowerClean Homes KC, has offered a Super Bowl special. This year’s deal is a 20% discount on all services, but he’s not the only Kansas City-area cleaning company trying to make sure Chiefs Kingdom looks its Sunday best for Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.
Old Town Dry Cleaning and Alterations in Independence is offering a 15% discount if your assortment includes a Chiefs jersey.
“We just wanted to share the Super Bowl spirit with our customers,” said Boryung An, who has owned Old Town Dry Cleaners for 15 years with her husband Hyungjun. “We don't want them to worry about their jersey getting dirty during the Super Bowl party. We just want them to enjoy the party.”
The Ans said people come in every year after a mishap at a Super Bowl party hoping for some help to salvage a cherished Chiefs jersey.
“After every Super Bowl, customers bring their jerseys with stains, a lot of stains,” Boryung said. “They’ve got, like ketchup and mustard on their jerseys.”
But Hyungjun said not to worry: “Just enjoy your party. I'm ready to clean your memorable and valuable jersey.”
The 15% discount is a nod to Patrick Mahomes’ jersey number, but it’s another Chiefs player, kicker Harrison Butker, who surprised Hyungjun with a visit to have some altered several months ago.
This is the first year the Ans have offered a deal connected with the Super Bowl, but they’re grateful that the Chiefs’ success has benefitted other businesses in town.
“The Kansas City Chiefs winning the Super Bowl is not just excitement for the fans and the players,” Boryung said. “It's helping small businesses like us.”
Kohler agreed: “It helps everybody succeed in a roundabout way, because it just boosts overall morale for the entire city and every person in it.”
For the sake of small business, may the dynasty never end.
“Every single time we put out a Super Bowl ad, we get a response to it,” Kohler said.
Hyungjun is hoping for similar results.
“This is my year doing the promo this year, but if it's really useful — this promo — I'm going to do it again next year,” Hyungjun said. “So, go Chiefs!”
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