►
Description
Eric Brinkley shares his work experience - including how he received his first paycheck at five years old - and how he has come to carry on his family's long history of knowledgeable service in the community through his Aiken Laundromats business.
A
Welcome
to
aiken
business
matters
and
we're
very
fortunate
today
to
have
a
young
man
who
I've
known
since
he
was
a
young
boy,
Eric
Brinkley.
He
is
the
operator
of
a
family
business
here,
taken
a
keen,
laundromats
and
great
to
have
you
with
us
today.
There
had
to
be
here
and
of
course,
I
know
your
dad
real
well
and
your
uncle
and
the
rest
of
your
family
we've
known
around
town
for
a
long
long
time.
B
B
While
my
grandfather
before
my
grandfather,
retired,
my
father
actually
started
in
laundromat
businesses
and
that's
what
we've
been
doing
ever
since
I
went
to
I
graduated
from
silver
bluff
and
2001
and
then
lived
in
new
Ellenton
until
my
college
years,
and
I
went
to
the
university
of
south
carolina
and
as
soon
as
I
graduated
college
I
moved
back
here
to
Aiken.
So
you
did
come
back
home.
I
did
I,
had
big
plans,
but
then
reality
set
in
yeah.
So
I'm
at
my
graduation
dinner
dad
asked
what
time
I
was
gonna,
be
at
work.
A
I
can
see
Jeremy,
say
yeah
yeah,
oh
yeah.
Now
one
thing
I
wanted
to
capture
before
we
move
on
is
the
your
indicated
that
your
family
was
in
ellington
and
then
they
moved-
and
maybe
some
of
our
viewers
don't
know
about
that.
But
when,
when
the
Department
of
Energy
came
to
Aiken
and
they
selected
the
site
out
there,
one
of
the
part
of
that
large
site
out
there
was
the
town
of
Ellington
and
the
Department
of
Energy
has
allowed
the
historic
one
of
the
historic
arms
of
the
do.
A
B
A
B
A
I
had
some
pictures,
that's
that
were
part
of
some
photos
that
I
got
from
some
historic
areas
at
the
site
that
somebody
was
kind
enough
to
share
with
me
and
I
was
showing
them
to
your
dad
and
I
said.
Tell
me
exactly
what
I'm
looking
at
and
say
he
was
pointing.
He
was
telling
me
all
the
different
things
he
said:
I
don't
know
who
that
gentleman
is
standing
there,
but
I
bet
it
was
so,
and
so
so
he
he
he
certainly
enjoys
talking
about
family
history
and
I.
B
B
A
B
A
B
A
A
B
B
Well,
you
know
how
long
have
you
worked
for
your
company
and
I
was
22
at
the
time,
and
so
when
I
got
my
first
paycheck
when
I
was
five
and
dad
actually
had
my
first
paycheck
that
he
had
made
up,
he
had
saved
it
when
he
got
hurt
when
it
returned
from
the
bank,
but
so
I
took
it,
and
but
I
seriously
started
working
full
time.
I
will
always
work
through
summertime,
but
full
time.
The
monday
after
I
graduated
college.
B
B
A
B
B
B
A
B
Yes,
yes,
I
have
the
I've
truly
learned
that
it
is
a
skill
that
is
hard
to
teach,
but
thankfully
I
got
the
mechanical
gene
yeah
things
are
a
little
different
when
dad
learned,
but
a
little
more
electronic
now,
but
yes,
I
can
luckily
and
bless
that
I
can
fix
about
anything.
So
as
long
as
you
have
the
right
tool
there
you
go.
It's.
A
A
B
B
The
equipment
we
have
now
is
with
the
electronics
of
Technology.
The
efficiency
is
a
lot
better.
I
mean
say
like
most
home
washers
top
load
washers
will
use
70
to
100
gallons
of
water
per
wash
cycle.
Now,
with
the
new
equipment
that
we
use,
it
can
use
anywhere
between
25
and
50
gallons
of
water,
for
our
big
machines
that
we
have
so
the
technology
has
changed.
Efficiency,
wise
and
just
the
sheer
amount
of
components
have
gotten
smaller,
because
you
have
four
or
five
mechanical
parts,
and
now
going
to
one
computer
control
board.
B
We
have
wireless
internet,
we
can
access
cameras
off
site.
Like
I
said
we
have
where
some
machines
will
take
credit
cards
and
I
mean
it's.
That's
just
a
small
tip
of
the
iceberg.
I
mean
it's
changed
drastically
in
the
past.
Probably
ten
years
has
been
the
biggest
improvement
in
technology
usage.
Well,.
A
B
You
top
loaders
are
just
more
traditional
because
they
were
more
they're
inexpensive
to
make
right
a
front
load.
Washer
has
three
main
benefits.
The
first
one.
Is
it
uses
less
water?
The
second
one
is
it's
actually
a
better
wash
cycle
because
tumbling
versus
swishing,
as
they
call
it,
is
a
better
way
and
more
efficient
way
to
clean
clothes?
And
third,
is
you
can
actually
get
a
higher
spin
or
water
extraction
rate
when
your
washer
goes
into
spin
when
it's
a
front
load
washer?
So
that's
the
main
reason.
B
You
see
a
lot
of
commercial
or
front
loads,
because
you
have
all
those
three
benefits.
Plus
you
can
get
larger
capacities,
you
can
fit
more
clothes
and
you
can
go
from
like
your
home
washer,
which
is
like
a
whole,
what
they
say:
twenty
pounds
of
clothes,
and
now
we
have
washers
that
will
hold
80
to
90
pound
of
clothes,
which
you
can't
do
that
with
a
top
load
washer.
So
the
drum
would
just
be
too
big.
Now.
B
A
B
That's
the
audience
that
I
really
try
and
grasp,
and
a
non-traditional
laundromat
Custer
would
be
somebody
who
has
a
washer
and
dryer
at
home
or
in
their
apartment
facility.
But
we
try
and
show
hey
you
don't
want
to
wash
your
comforter
in
your
home
washer
or
you
won't
have
a
choice
but
to
come
to
the
laundromat,
because
your
wash
machine
will
be
broken
and
that's
a
big
thing.
B
What
people
don't
realize
is
there
are
a
lot
of
jobs
that
a
home
washer
cannot
just
do
that
our
machines
can
and
also
if,
when
you
come
back
from
vacation
and
stuff
like
that,
and
you
have
a
bunch
of
clothes,
you
can
wash
four
or
five
loads
an
hour
hour,
15
minutes
versus
washing
all
day
at
home.
That's.
A
What
is
the
biggest
challenge
that
you
have
in
business
today
when
trying
to
keep
all
the
equipment
running
and
things
like
that?
How
do
you
have
our
their
sensors
in
there
that
lets?
You
know
that
there's
a
problem
or
is
it
just
a
you,
set
up
routine
checks
to
make
sure
that
things
are
working.
There's.
B
Both
with
the
new
washers
and
dryers,
they
give
fault
codes
that
we
know
of
they'll
display
them
on
display.
Now
they
actually
have
where
you
can
hook
all
the
machines
up
to
the
internet
and
you'll
get
text,
messages
or
emails,
or
you
can
log
into
your
laundromat
and
it
will
let
you
know
if
there's
fault
codes,
maintenance,
the
biggest
thing
used
to
be
maintenance,
but
now
with
technology,
the
maintenance
has
gotten
a
lot
less.
A
B
Think
that
the
biggest
issue
that
we
run
into
is
just
trying
to
keep
our
customers
happy,
trying
to
keep
a
clean,
laundromat,
safe,
laundromat,
trying
to
just
stay
on
top
of
technology
to
improve
your
overall
washing
experience.
So,
thankfully,
it's
not
we.
Thankfully
it's
not
maintenance
anymore.
We
do
have
a
regular
maintenance
schedule
which
cuts
out
a
lot
of
the
problems
that
could
happen,
but
I
think
just
trying
to
keep
our
customer
happy
as
our
main
goal
and
our
biggest
problem
well.
B
Things
so
you
I
can
do
everything.
Oh,
my
I
could
do
everything
on
my
phone
from
changing
prices
not
being
there
to
start
in
the
machine
if
happen
to
be
there
and
somebody's
having
problems,
and
I
know
it,
I
can
actually
start
the
machine
remotely
from
my
phone
I
can
see
how
many
cycles
it's
done
that
day
that
week,
that
month,
I
mean
it's
just
technology's
made
it
a
lot
easier
in
a
way
just
to
stay.
On
top
of
the
whole
laundromat
business.
A
B
A
B
B
B
It
is
I,
remember,
first
time
seeing
it
and
dad
said
he
wanted
to
go.
Look
at
it
and
I
thought
to
myself.
He's
got
to
be
crazy,
went
and
looked
at
it,
and
you
know
if,
if
you
haven't
done
and
it's
something
to
do,
I've
seen
people
wash
everything
from
a
chihuahua
to
I've
seen
85
year
old
woman
wash
a
Great
Dane.
Well,
and
you
know
they're
they're
they're
really
neat,
because
the
the
dogs
like
it
because
the
water
comes
out
about
85
degrees.
So
it's
not
hot,
it's
not
cold.
Really.
A
B
B
Yeah,
obviously,
when
I
you
get
a
lot
of
labs
when
the
season
starts,
so
we
have
actually
three
of
those
locations.
We
have
three
dog
washes
in
aiken
so
and
they're
all
they're,
all
the
same,
and
there
I
mean
I
wash
when
I
wash
all
of
our
dogs
there
yeah
so
they're,
not
as
big
as
labs,
but
they
still
get
clean.
If
this.
A
B
B
A
B
B
A
B
We
operate
from
here
and
akin
to
New
allenton
williston
north
augusta
johnston,
edgefield
ridge
spring
and
salute
so
is
our
every
town
that
we
operate.
Laundromats.
A
You
know,
you've
been
you've,
been
very
active
as
one
of
our
young
professionals,
and
earlier
this
year
you
were
named
as
one
of
the
young
professionals
to
follow,
and
there
was
a
very
nice
article
that
it
was
in
the
Aiken
standard
for
all
of
you
that
were
renamed
to
this
prestigious
group
of
young
people
and
I
know
that
you've
been
very
involved
with
with
the
Chamber
of
Commerce
and
the
Aiken
young
professionals,
and
you
were
chair
and
what
was
it
2015
you
were.
The
chief
I
did.
B
A
A
B
I
remember
the
first
time:
I
went
I
mean
just
by
the
sheer
number
of
involved
members
I
remember
going
to
our
third
thursdays,
which
is
our
big
event
that
we
have
every
month
and
I.
Remember
there
would
be
20
25
people
there
and
I've
just
seen
it
I
think
one
like
this
January
we
had
over
a
hundred
people
and
this
year
has
really
taken
off
or
we've
kept
75
people
at
every
event
that
we've
had,
which
is
a
huge
deal,
especially
for
akin
and
the
sheer
amount
of
young
people
who
move
here.
B
Millennials
that
move
here
and
move
away.
You
know
if
you
found
out
that
if
you
I
mean
I
hate
to
say
it,
but
if
they
move
here,
if
I'm
friends
find
a
partner
of
some
type,
you
know
get
engaged,
get
married,
I
mean
it's
a
fact
of
life.
It's
they
stay
here
and
that's
when
our
main
goals
taking
young
professionals
is,
you
know
not
only
show
them.
B
B
Is
and
what,
when
people
don't
realize
is
one
big
thing
is
not
only
do
we
try
and
network
through
aching,
young
professionals
business-wise,
but
also
personal
relationship
wise
because,
like
I
said
I
mean
that's
with
our
age
group.
That's
one
way
to
really
keep
people
here
is
setting
up
personal
relationships.
Do
you.
B
And
unfortunately,
we
do
lose
a
lot
of
good
members,
because
just
this
I
guess
age
that
we're
at
with
work
I
mean
a
lot
of
people
are
offered
jobs
that
they
can't
turn
down
and
I
have
to
move.
But
yeah
I
mean
there's
a
lot
of
people
who
have
stayed
in
aiken
just
because
of
the
relationships,
business
and
personal
that
they've
made
through
18
young
professionals
and.
A
I
think
that's
important
to
tell
audience
to
know
that
there
is
a
good
network
of
young
people.
So
if
people
are
aware
of
young
businesspeople
that
either
work
for
them
or
that
they
know
through
family
connections,
that
the
Aiken
young
professionals
would
be
a
great
organization
for
them
to
plug
into
to
get
to
know
more
of
the
people
that
are
in
their
age
group.
And
what
is
the
age
group
for
the
improv?
It.
B
Goes
from
22
ages,
22
239
and
an
interesting
thing
to
go
off
what
you
said
is
I,
was
born,
raised
here
and
around
Aiken
and
have
a
lot
of
friends
that
I
grew
up
with,
but
most
of
people
that
I
see
and
hang
out
with
announcing
most
my
time,
my
wife
and
I's
are
people
that
we
met
through
taking
young
professionals.
So
that's.
A
Then
another
side
of
that
too
I
found
personally
from
you
know
the
just
the
networking
and
the
community
through
the
chamber
or
in
other
organizations,
is
that
when
you're
dealing
with
people
that
you
you
go
to
meetings
with
that,
you
socialize
with
that
when,
when
it
comes
to
to
the
business
aspect
of
it,
there's
a
there's
a
built-in
trust
factor.
There.
B
I
mean
that,
for
instance,
for
me,
I
mean
there's
questions
that
I
would
have
and
about
a
particular
business
or
something
and
I
met.
Somebody
through
young
professionals
and
I
would
know
you
might
not
know
the
answer
that
I'm
looking
for,
but
you
definitely
know
someone
who,
in
that
company
can
answer
my
question
and.
A
You
hit
right
on
the
next
target
that
I
was
going
to
shoot
for,
and
that
was
the
the
resources
that
are
there
you're
going
to
find
people
that
they
may
not
know,
but
they
have
a
friend
are
our
professional
that
they
are
aware
that
can
help.
You
say
it's
a
it's
just
a
multi-faceted
operation
when
you
have
a
group
of
folks
that
have
a
common
interest
in
other
than
age,
but
just
want
to
get
together
to
make
life
better
for
their
families
and
for
their
friends
and
and
the
community.
B
B
I'm
vision
for
a
I
mean
to
me:
Aiken
has
I
mean
there
is
no
ceiling
to
where
it
can
go.
Eakins
already,
a
wonderful
town,
wonderful
community,
but
my
vision,
frakin,
is
just
to
still
keep
the
same.
Homey
feel
it
has
and
but
just
grow
towards
small
business
growth
and
growth
towards
pulling
in
younger
families.
I
think
the
longevity
of
this
community
really
stems
on
the
amount
of
young
families
that
we
can
pull
in.
B
Just
you
know
not
only
for
business
wise,
but
just
community
was
I
mean
I,
really
think
that's
something
that
is
being
done
and
continued
needs
to
be
done
is
to
kind
of
draw
those
young
families,
because
young
families
spend
money,
they
buy
houses
they
shop,
they
come
downtown,
they
eat
out
and
I.
Just
think.
It's
a
big
part
of
what
aching
is
trying
to
do,
and
hopefully
we'll
keep
doing,
which
I
mean
I
know
they
will
is
just
drawing
in
young
families,
because
it's
proven
fact
is
that's
where
the
future
lies
and
communities
is
movement.
A
Its
it
such
a
vital
thing
to
to
always
have
a
replenishing
of
the
talent
that
that
you
need
to
keep
a
community,
vibrant
and
moving
forward,
but
young
folks,
like
yourself,
that
that
take
time
to
invest
back
in
the
community
through
service
and
through
just
being
a
positive
influence
on
your
generation
talk
about
generations
you
and
I
before
we
started
taping
we're
talking
about
downtown
aiken
and
the
yellow
house
downtown
park,
avenue
yeah
tell
us,
tell
people
a
little
bit
about
that
where
it's
located
and
what
it
is.
It's.
B
Located
on
park
avenue
across
from
say,
George
funeral,
aha
and
it
was
actually
built
in
eighteen,
sixty
eight
and
it
started
off
as
a
four-bedroom
house,
and
it
was
my
grand
my
fraternal.
It
was
my
dad's
grandfather's
mother's
house
and
actually
all
the
laund
land
around
that
there's
a
funny
picture.
But
we
raised
cattle
right
downtown
here
before
the
railroad
came
and
when
the
railroad
came
is
kind
of.