Founded in 1972 by Jim and Marta Nixon, the first location of The Cleaners was in Greeley, Colorado. Jim and Marta were schoolteachers in Texas prior to entering the garment care business. They selected the Colorado location because of its growth potential and beautiful scenery. Through the years, the company has grown to include ten locations and over fifty employees. Jim has served the industry as president of the Rocky Mountain Fabricare Association (RMFA) and went on to serve on the Board of Directors of the International Fabricare Institute (now DLI). This included four years as Director for District 7 (which encompasses ten western states) and one year as President of the national association.