Platinum Dry Cleaners

When Craig Bamberg stepped away from nearly twenty years in corporate America, he knew he wanted his next chapter to be something tangible, community-centered, and personal. His brother Chris had spent fifteen years in the dry-cleaning industry, and together they saw an opportunity to purchase and rebuild a Naples institution that had quietly lost its way.

“Corporate America was an incredible chapter, but it was time for something different,” Bamberg said. “My brother had the experience, and I had the business background. It was time to create something of our own.”

In early 2019, the brothers purchased Platinum Dry Cleaners, a company with more than thirty years of history in Naples. What they inherited was a well-known name in need of renewal. The following years would bring unexpected challenges, including a pandemic, multiple hurricanes, and a steep learning curve that tested every assumption they had.

The first year of new ownership was about finding their footing. Then the pandemic arrived, turning what was meant to be a growth phase into an exercise in survival. “We had barely settled in when everything shut down,” Bamberg said. “All of a sudden, it was not about expansion or upgrades. It was about keeping people employed and keeping the doors open.”

That was when Platinum’s relationship with the Florida SBDC at Florida Gulf Coast University became essential. “I came from a world of large conference rooms and constant collaboration,” Bamberg said. “Owning a small business can feel isolating, and the SBDC became my roundtable. They gave me the same kind of strategic dialogue I was used to in corporate life, but focused on small business realities.”

Craig first connected with SBDC Consultant, Suzanne Specht, who guided him through financial planning and helped evaluate potential acquisitions. When Platinum became available, Suzanne introduced him to the right financial institutions and advisors to secure the purchase. “Suzanne was the first person I called,” he said. “She helped me think like a lender before I ever walked into a bank.”

After acquiring the business, Craig began working with Neil Shnider, an SBDC accounting consultant, to strengthen financial systems and reporting. Marketing support came from Andrea Walker, who invited him into the SBDC’s Marketing Mastermind Program, where he refined Platinum’s brand and strategy. “Those three connections made all the difference,” Bamberg said. “They helped me move from planning to execution.”

Within one year of ownership, the global pandemic arrived. Business slowed, events halted, and demand for dry cleaning plummeted as offices closed. “It was chaos,” Bamberg said. “But the SBDC helped us develop a plan that focused on survival instead of panic. We learned how to manage cash flow, restructure operations, and communicate with customers in new ways.”

Then came Hurricane Ian, followed by additional storms in 2024. Each event forced the business to adapt again. “What is normal? I have no idea,” Bamberg said with a laugh. “All I know is that chaos seems to be our normal. But with the SBDC, I never felt like we were facing it alone.”

Through it all, the Platinum team, now more than forty employees strong, grew closer. “It created a bond,” he said. “Our people realized that we were in this together. That trust became the foundation for everything that followed.”

One of Craig’s earliest decisions was to bring back Platinum’s original logo and visual identity. “The community remembered the old Platinum,” he said. “It stood for quality and care. I wanted people to see that logo again and know that the heart of the business was back.”

That effort paid off. The company quickly rebuilt its reputation for service and craftsmanship, earning recognition from Gulfshore Life, the Naples Chamber of Commerce, and the SBDC at FGCU, where Craig has been a finalist for the Distinguished Entrepreneur Awards for three consecutive years.

In 2025, Platinum Dry Cleaners was honored internationally, finishing eighth in the world in the Global Textile Federation’s International Large Dry Cleaner category, and was named one of America’s Best Cleaners, one of only thirty-five in the country.

“The awards are great,” Bamberg said, “but they really belong to our forty employees. From the pressers to the drivers to our customer service staff, every single person made this possible.”

At the 2025 Distinguished Entrepreneur Awards, Craig Bamberg received the SBDC Ambassador of the Year Award, recognizing his leadership, resilience, and ongoing collaboration with the SBDC network.

“I tell every new business owner I meet to call the SBDC,” he said. “They helped me evaluate five businesses before I ever said yes to one. They teach you to think critically, to plan, and to build something sustainable. That kind of mentorship is priceless.”

After five years of challenges and victories, Platinum Dry Cleaners has become a symbol of endurance and innovation in Southwest Florida. Its two Naples locations and twelve delivery routes now cover more than two thousand square miles, bringing personalized service directly to customers’ doorsteps.

“We live in an Amazon world,” Bamberg said. “People want convenience, quality, and trust. That’s what we deliver every day. And I would not be here saying that without the SBDC’s guidance and the people who believed in us.”