New Era was established in 2010. The company began as an idea in 2010 that became a physical reality in 2011. It all began when owner, Brett Edwards, was having a casual dinner conversation with his father-in-law Jesse Dempsey about the dry cleaning business. Jesse had founded Crystal Cleaners in Kernersville in 1994 that was located in the shopping center that now houses the Starbucks and Chipotle. It was that conversation that got the ball rolling toward starting New Era.

Much of 2010 was spent looking for the right location and creating a business plan that would be successful in today’s market. Prior to opening in 2011, countless hours were spent reviewing Jesse’s old business plan, meeting with commercial real estate agents, and having conversations with trusted friends and family. In Brett’s words, “Everything I know about customer service, quality and attention to detail was learned from Jesse in the days leading up to opening in 2011.” Two key services were added to the original plan: 1) Full-service alterations with fitting rooms and on-site seamstresses, and 2) shoe repair. It felt like combining all three services would better serve the market and diversify the business. Thus, the one-stop-shop model at New Era was created.

New Era signed the lease in the spring of 2011 in the Kernersville Marketplace Shopping Center anchored by Harris Teeter. On June 13th of 2011 we opened the doors at 120 Century Place Blvd., Suite F Kernersville NC. It was at this location New Era built our reputation for quality, customer service, and attention to detail.

Expansion 2017-Present

By 2015/2016 New Era was growing rapidly and needed to expand. Land was purchased in early 2017 to build our very own state-of-the-art facility, fully equipped with a drive-through that has a covered canopy, ample parking, and more interior space. Our new facility was within walking distance of our original location to ensure we maintained our customer base while allowing us to expand our reach to new customers. By November 17 we opened the doors to our new facility located at 1007-A Masten Drive, Kernersville, NC 27284.