The Return – A New Stream of Revenue for Dry Cleaners

David Sharbutt spent much of his career in the telecommunications industry. Educated as an electrical engineer at Texas Tech University, he began his telecom career with the Bell system in San Antonio. He later became a telecommunication consultant serving independent telecom companies. During this time, he assisted dozens of companies with the development of their core business but also as they entered new, competitive ventures such as CATV, CLEC, and wireless operations. David’s clients spanned the US and the western Pacific. David was known nationally for his ability to lead companies through these transitions into new ventures.

In 1999, David became the Founder, CEO, and Chairman of Alamosa Holdings. Alamosa was a wireless operating company listed as a public company on Nasdaq and NYSE. Alamosa built and operated wireless network assets, retail stores and wire- less operations in 22 states. Revenues grew to over $1B annually with a healthy margin. This was accomplished through “green field builds,” organic growth, and the acquisition of several other wireless operators. Under David’s leadership, Alamo- sa became recognized as one of the most efficient operating companies in the wireless industry. Alamosa was sold to Sprint in 2006.

In 2OO6, David was invited to join the board at American Tower {NYSE:AMT). During his tenure at AMT, American Tower grew to become the largest manager of shared assets in the telecommunications industry, as well as the largest REIT in the world. At AMT, David served on the Audit Committee, and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, serving as the Chair for 6 years. David completed his service on the board at AMT in 2O23. During his time at AMT, the company grew its market cap from $3B to over $15OB, transitioned from a domestic tower operator to a true global company, and expanded its services to include multiple shared infrastructure assets such as fiber systems, power systems, and Data Centers.

David continues to be active with several privately owned operating and technology companies in the fields of wireless communications, hospitality, agriculture, real estate, fabric care, and food safety. David is the Chair and primary owner of Edit Holdings. Edit operates Tide Dry Cleaners in Houston, Austin, Lubbock, Amarillo, Colorado Springs, and Denver.

David is married with 3 adult children and 9 grandchildren. He is involved in his local community through his church and various civic and charitable organizations.

Jeff is an agile and innovative leader supply chain leader who has managed diverse teams across various departments deliv- ering both top line and bottom-line revenue growth while delivering cost savings and providing comprehensive solutions to his clients and their customers. Jeff has over thirty years of extensive experience including global supply chains, supply chain financing, forward and reverse logistics, eCommerce, small parcel. During his career Jeff and his teams founded several new business units and created numerous new product offerings which strengthened client relationships, grew revenues and reinforced customer loyalty.

While at UPS Jeff was a member of the team that took UPS Public in 1999. After the initial public offering Jeff was a founding member of UPS Capital. UPS Capital provided insurance and financing products to UPS Customers. In a few short years the team grew UPS Capital from zero revenue to one of the largest and most profitable subsidiaries of UPS. After UPS Capital Jeff was part of the team that founded UPS’s Global Accounts Group. Jeff’s team managed the Global Supply Chain for a large US based computer manufacturing company. The team grew global revenues from $250 million to over $700 million in two years. Part of this growth came from a strategy developed with the company’s CEO and COO in Palo Alto where UPS would stage laptops around the world and have them available for delivery anywhere in the world within twenty-four hours. This real time inventory replacement model was in place years before Amazon would develop a similar real time inventory model.

While at UPS Jeff and his team conducted business in 23 countries with UPS’s largest and most trusted partners.

After retiring from UPS Jeff joined lnmar Intelligence as Vice President for lnmar’s Supply Tech Division. Inmar is a technology and supply chain company based in Winston-Salen, North Carolina. Jeff was responsible for managing all sales and solutions activities for the Supply Chain Division. During his time at lnmar Jeff and his team developed numerous supply chain solutions including customized reverse logistic solutions that enable Inmar’s Supply Chain Clients to provide quicker eCommerce return solutions and options for their customers during the explosion of on-line ordering during Covid and post Covid. While at lnmar Jeff’s team grew lnmar’s eCommerce revenues over 7OO% in five years.

Jeff was CEO of Battaglia Consulting from 2O22-2O24. While leading Battaglia consulting Jeff and his team advised Invest- ment Institutions, Private Equity Groups and Companies on strategic investment opportunities in the large 3PLs including UPS, FedEx, USPS, Amazon, Shopify and many smaller companies. Jeff also provided consulting services on the US small parcel and freight marketplaces, liquidation providers, freight services, and reverse logistic solutions.

Jeff joined The Return in the spring of 2O24 as a consultant. On October 1, 2O24, Jeff assumed his current role as Chief Opera- tions Office of The Return. Jeff’s duties include managing The Returns operational, sales, IT and solutions departments.

Jeff has been a Board of Director advisor for a few private companies for several years.

Brian Adams is a serial entrepreneur who has been involved in various ventures since his undergraduate days at the University of Alabama. He started Bama Butler LLC, a laundry service for college students, and went on to launch T-shirt printing, graph- ic design, ecommerce, and door-to-door sales ventures. In 2002, Brian founded Restoration Cleaners LLC (now The Cleaning Company), which grew from zero sales and a single employee to a multi-million-dollar company with 1OO employees. The company was recognized as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S.

Brian has also been involved in other businesses such as Sla Investments, BA Investment Group, and TA Equity Holdings Company. He led the acquisition of Newton Nursery & Alvin Tree Farm, a Texas wholesale nursery and tree farm, and purchased Rumber Materials LLC, a composite materials manufacturer.

In 2010, Brian co-founded North American Restoration Dry Cleaners LLC {now Renewal Claim Solutions), a network of resto- ration dry cleaning companies that subscribe to industry best practices. This initiative later evolved into a franchise.

In 2018, Brian established Retail Reworks, a company specializing in reverse logistics solutions and returns processing for the online retail industry. They developed their own software, R4 Returns, to streamline operations.

In 2022, he launched Sutton Brands, a circular fashion house.

In 2023, Brian, Nike Nesbit, Brenda Rojas, and David Sharbutt co-founded The Return, the only nationwide full-service return network in the world, which enables brands and retailers to join the circular economy. Our 4500 return bars handle the entire reverse logistic process, receiving, reworking and reselling or recycling returned garments. With so many locations doing on-site cleaning, repairs and re-fulfillment, we will cost clothing retailers and rental boutiques up to 25% less than any other return bar network—at the highest quality. Our box less, fraud-proof system is not only the most economical, but the most sustainable, extending the life of textiles, diverting waste from landfills, and providing brands and retailers with an additional revenue stream.

Brian has received recognition for his entrepreneurial accomplishments, including being named in Houston Business Journal’s 40 under 40 and Inc.’s 30 under 30. He is actively involved in philanthropy through the GoGo Foundation, which he co-launched to support several organizations that make a lasting difference in the lives of those who need the most help.

Outside of his professional life, Brian is a proud husband and father to three boys.

Mike is a proud fifth generation Texan, born and raised in Spring, Texas, with his identical twin brother. His exposure to the dry cleaning business began at an early age, as his family was involved in the industry during his childhood. After attending college, he joined forces with a financial principal at the early age of 21 and started Nesbit’s Cleaners in 1976. Under his direction, the business grew from a single store in 1976 to 22 locations and three home pickup and delivery routes by 2001.

In December 2003, The Nen’s Wearhouse, Inc. acquired Nesbit’s Cleaners, and Nike became President of the new division. He was given the charge of growing the company under the brand “NW Cleaners.” During his tenure, he expanded the company to 40 NW Cleaners Locations and 100+ Locker Locations in office buildings, condominiums, and apartment buildings. The business portfolio includes Memories Gown Preservation, which cleans and preserves 85K wedding gowns annually, and which is managed by his son, Kyle Nesbit.

After serving as President for 16 years, Nike along with several investors purchased the Cleaners back from The Nen’s Wearhouse, Inc. in Narch of 2018. During that transition, they decided to partner with Proctor and Gamble as a Tide Cleaners Franchisee. Today, EDITTX, LLC operates under the Tide Cleaners brand and is the country’s largest dry cleaning and laundry company.

Mike’s professional accomplishments are highlighted below, however his latest industry achievement was serving as President of the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute, as well as Southwest Drycleaners Associations. Nike is considered an Industry Innovator, exemplified his developments, which include:

– PatentPending Collar Support for laundered and dry cleaned
– Designeda New Shirt Hanger, improving how a professional cleaned shirt
– CreatedCascade Packaging to prevent wrinkling during transportation and storage.
– Startedthe first Locker-Based Operation in the US market over 25 years
– Recentlyinnovated a 24/7 Locker

Mike believes that in this competitive market, it is paramount to distance yourself from the competition. He is involved with numerous charitable, religious, and philan- thropic groups and serves as a Director at Salem Church. Mike has a passion for mission work and has led teams that provide eyeglasses to impoverished African countries. Mike is an avid boater and motorcycle enthusiast and loves outdoor adventures. Mike and his college sweetheart, Sheri, have been married for 47 years, they have two successful children, Kyle Nesbit and Dr. Kristy Waltz, and three grandchildren.

PROFESSIONAL ACCONPLISHNENTS:

– Current President of Kweze, LLC (Quick and Easy)
– Former President and CEO of EDITTX, LLC DA Tide Cleaners ‘ Former President of The Drycleaning and Laundry Institute
– Former President of NW Cleaners, a Men’s Wearhouse / Jos A Bank Co. ‘ Former President of Southwest Drycleaners Association
– Former President of Spring/Klein Sports Association
– FormerPresident of Washcare Corporation (Nesbit’s CleanersJ ‘ Former Treasurer of Dry Cleaning and Laundry Institute
– CurrentBoard of Directors of Southwest Drycleaners Association for the past 35 years
– CurrentBoard of Directors Salem Lutheran Church
– CertifiedEnvironmental Dry Cleaner
– Nationaland International Industry Consultant
– Consultswith Japan Fabricare Research Center , Ltd. (Japan’s lFl)
– FoundingMember of Tuchman Training Systems Management Group
– Memberof TNRCC Small Business Advisory Committee
– 2002Winner of the American Drycleaners “Plant of The Year Design” Award
– 2009Winner of American Drycleaners “Outstanding New Build” Award
– 2013Winner of American Drycleaners “Central Plant of the Year” Award