Interview by Lauren Goforth | Images by Justin Hunter
The Walker Leader recently sat down with Marc Rowe, owner of Economy Cleaners in Jasper, Winfield, and Haleyville, and learned a bit about his life and career.
WL: Tell us about your business.
MR: My family owns Economy Cleaners. We offer coin laundry services at our Jasper location and provide dry-cleaning, laundry, and alteration services throughout the business. Since 2020, we have expanded and added new locations in Winfield and Haleyville.
WL: How did you end up in the dry-cleaning business?
MR: It is a family business; my dad and grandmother started it. I have been working on washing machines since I was nine years old! My dad would tell me what was wrong, and I would put the parts on the machines. It is all I have ever known. My twin daughters were raised here, and now their kids are growing up here. It truly is a family business!

WL: What does your day-to-day look like?
MR: We process all the clothes in Jasper; the other two locations are pick-up and drop-off. My family runs the Jasper location, our great employees run the Winfield location, and I run the Haleyville location since it is still growing. I get to Jasper at 7:30 in the morning and unload and reload my van. I drop off clothes in Winfield, go to Haleyville, and work until 5:30. Then I make a loop back through, picking up the clothes from Winfield and taking them to Jasper. I drive about 130 miles daily and get home around 7:30 every evening.
WL: What is the most rewarding part of your job?
MR: The most rewarding part of my job is being able to work with my family. My dad, my wife, my twin daughters, and their husbands all work with me. We also have two new grandsons who are being raised in the business.
WL: And the big question to wrap up our talk… what is your go-to meal in Walker County?
MR: My go-to meal in Walker County is the Crawfish Warehouse. They have good seafood!