H.M. Amirkhan, Sr. Circa 1917
Our History
Business has been a family affair at Oriental Rug Cleaning Co., for more than 100 years.
H. Mirza Amirkhan Sr., who founded the business a century ago, was an Armenian born in Turkey in 1889. Seeking freedom and opportunity, he booked passage to the United States in 1909. He paid for his passage by working in Cincinnati, Ohio for his cousin's rug cleaning and repair business. After learning the rug cleaning trade and repaying his debt, he set out seeking opportunity.
Arriving in Dallas in 1911, he set up his own rug cleaning and repair shop at 2105 S. Ervay. Thanks to his rug cleaning expertise and outstanding customer service, the business was successful and grew, enabling him to build his own two-story building at 3907 Ross Avenue, where he lived and worked. In 1926, he added a second building next door. Today, those buildings still house the Oriental Rug Cleaning Co., and all its operations. Mirza's partner in life and business was his wife, Gracie, who worked in the business for half a century until her death in 1973.
His son, also named Mirza, took over the business from his father after completing law school in 1954, adding his unique and energetic personality to the growing business. He was instrumental in expanding the business through diversification, adding carpet and drapery cleaning to our services. Mirza retired in 2010 at 83, but current customers routinely ask about him and remember him not just for his interest in their rugs, but for his personal interest in their families. After their children were grown, his wife, Inez, entered the business in 1976 and worked here until retirement in 2010.
In 1980, Ellen Amirkhan became the third generation of her family to join Oriental Rug Cleaning Co. As president, she brings the communication skills of a teacher, the teamwork skills of an athlete, an am astute sense of good business to the operation.
Our Business Today
Today, Oriental Rug Cleaning focuses only on what we do best - the cleaning, care, and appraisal of oriental and specialty rugs, delicate textiles and tapestries, and carpet. We serve the communities of Allen, Arlington, Carrollton, Coppell, Dallas, Farmers Branch, Garland, Irving, Mesquite, Plano, Richardson, Rowlett and Southlake.
We take pride in providing the best value and the highest quality work to our customers. All of our work is done in our plant by our experienced staff, which collectively has 150 years of experience cleaning and repairing rugs. We do not subcontract any of our work.
Our operation combines time-tested rug cleaning and rug repair techniques, passed down through three generation of Amirkhans, with the latest in rug care technology. This blend of the old and new is critical because, while the basic components of rug cleaning -- dusting, cleaning, rinsing, grooming, and drying -- have not really changed in over 100 years, the modern-day improvements in cleaning efficacy, quality control, plant efficiency, infrastructure, and office procedures are significant.
Our plant features the most modern rug cleaning technology. For example, we are among the very few rug care businesses in the country that feature both a compression wringer and a centrifuge to extract moisture from cleaned rugs. We also use compressed air dusting and have a heated drying room to ensure that all of the rugs we clean are efficiently and effectively dried.
Among the things that set us apart from the competition is that we are not just rug cleaners, we are scholars. Our knowledge of rugs is second to none and we can answer virtually any question about rugs and cleaning. Modern rug production is no longer based on traditional designs, colors, and artistry, but on fashion trends. As a result, different types of rugs come on the market every year. They are made with a variety of materials, dyes, and construction techniques, which affect how they are cleaned and puts a premium on in-depth knowledge of rugs and their construction.
Our Values
For over 100 years, our business has adhered to bedrock values that guide everything that we do:
- We will always provide the best value and the highest quality work.
- Honesty and integrity are at the foundation of our business. Our word is our bond. A handshake is our contract.
- We don't make promises we can't keep. We set realistic expectations for our customers.
- Our family name and repuration are tied to our business. As a result, we will never cut corners in our work.
- We treat our customers like family and take a personal interest in them.
Our Management
Ellen Amirkhan: Owner and President
Ellen became the third generation of the Amirkhan family to lead Oriental Rug Cleaning Company when she joined the business in 1980. She is responsible for overseeing all segments of the company's operations.
Since she joined the company, Ellen has immersed herself in educational opportunities as a way to drive continuous improvement in the business. She has visited virtually ever major rug cleaning operation in the nation, seeking out experts in order to learn their best rug cleaning techniques and apply them to her business. In addition to this hands-on learning, she holds a number of industry certifications. She is certified as: a Master Rug Cleaner; a Certified Rug Specialist by the Association of Rug Care Specialists; an Appraiser of Personal Property, with a specialty in oriental rugs, by the International Society of Appraisers; and a Rug Appraiser bu the Oriental Rug Retailers of America.
Ellen is also widely recognized as a leading instructor of the science and technology of rug care, teaching all aspects of the rug cleaning business in course and seminars in the U.S., UK, and Australie. In 2006, she co-founded the Master Rug Cleaner program to meet the need for in-plant training and continuing education. This one-year mentoring program is designed for students who are already running successful rug cleaning businesses and want to grow their operations. Ellen is also co-author of A Comprehensive Guide to Oriental and Specialty Rug Cleaning, a lavishly illustrated and in-depth cleaning and rug identification guide that serves as a reference manual to professional cleaners and rug aficionados alike.
Mirroring her grandfather and father, Ellen invests much of her time participating in industry affairs, which she sees as a way to learn, network, and give back to the industry. She is a past president of the National Institute of Rug Cleaning, the Association of Specialists in Cleaning and Restoration, and the North Texas Chapter of the International Society of Appraisers. She is also a founding member of the Association of Rug Care Specialists.
In addition, Ellen has been widely recognized for her professional and business excellence and her civic involvement. Her awards include:
- Best Oriental Rug Appraiser (D Home and Garden)
- Best Rug Cleaner (Dallas Observer)
- Best Rug Cleaning Store Front (D Magazine)
- Cornerstone Award for Corporate Leadership and Philanthropic Involvement (Dallas Morning News)
- Ellen A. Amirkhan Distinguished Service Award (North Texas Chapter of the International Society of Appraisers, which named the award for Ellen)
- Distinguished Service Award for Contributions to the Textile Industry (Restoration Industry Association)
- Helen Bradley Distinguished Service Award (Restoration Industry Association)
Ellen is a graduate of Texas Woman's University with a degree in education and a masters degree in liberal arts from Southern Methodist University.
Armen Dohanian: Vice President of Operations
Armen is a fourth generation rug cleaner, who began working in his family's business, Bon Ton Rug Cleaners in Boston, Massachusetts, as a teenager. In 2007, Armen joined Oriental Rug Cleaning Company, where he is responsible for all of the cleaning operations. He is certified as a Rug Specialist by the Association of Rug Care Specialists and is a Certified Master Rug Cleaner.
Armen currently serves as treasurer of the Association of Rug Care Specialists, an international trade association dedicated to advancing the art and science of quality rug care.
Armen is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and holds a master's degree from the Manhattan School of Music.
Jennifer Vickery: Office Manager
Jennifer joined Oriental Rug Cleaning as office manager in 2010, becoming the fourth generation of her family to be involved in the Dallas-area flooring industry. Prior to that, she worked in textile project management. She is a certified Master Rug Cleaner.
Jennifer is a 2004 graduate of Texas A&M University.
Our Team: Our Most Valuable Asset
An important part of our success is finding and hiring the best people possible. What sets us apart from other rug cleaning operations is the experience of our team, the majority of whom have been with Oriental Rug Cleaning for more than a decade. These oustanding professionals are:
- Van Randle, our plant manager and a Certified Rug Specialist, who joined Oriental Rug Cleaning in 1995
- Donnie James, our crew chief who has been with us since 1974
- Dock Johnson III, our rug cleaning technician and highly valued jack of all trades, who joined our team in 1994
- Omer Delic, a rug cleaning technician, who has been with ORCO since 2006
- Ana Karic, who has been expertly repairing rugs for us since 2000
- Almaz Izak, who has been expertly repairing rugs for ORCO since 2000
- Johnny Soto, our assistant crew chief, who joined our team in 2007
Our Industry Affiliations
Since the beginning of our business more than a century ago, we have advocated belonging to and participating in trade associations and business related organizations. There are two reasons for this involvement. First, there is no better way to stay abreast of the latest technology advances, learn from the top experts, and network with peers around the country. Second, our involvement enables us to give back to the rug care industry, which we believe is our obligation. We are proud to be affiliated with:
- Association of Rug Care Specialists (ARCS)
- Better Business Bureau
- Host® Products as a distributor
- International Association of Appraisers
- Master Rug Cleaner
- North Texas Chapter of the International Society of Appraisers
- Oriental Rug Cleaners of America
- Wools of New Zealand
Postcard dated 1912: View of downtown Dallas
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