Now here’s a true working man

Arsen Kashkashian was honored last week for his longtime business career.
How long?
Seventy-five years!
Pennsylvania House Speaker John Perzel (R-172nd dist.) invited Kashkashian to his district office at 7518 Frankford Ave. so he could present him with a special citation.
Kashkashian, 95, was born in Turkey before moving to the United States in 1928. He began working in the clothing alteration business at Jacob Reed and Sons, at 15th and Chestnut streets, then moved to Rainbow Cleaners, on Emerald Street in Kensington.
In 1930, he opened his own dry-cleaning business, with the first location on the 4200 block of Frankford Ave. Over the next decade, he opened 48 stores, operating under the names Frankford Cleaners and Crown Cleaners in the Northeast and Bucks County.
By the 1960s, Kashkashian’s stores were offering same-day service.
Kashkashian later sold the stores and began selling dry-cleaning machinery in 1964. Today, he serves as president of Frankford Associates, the largest dry-cleaning and laundry machinery distributor in the Philadelphia area.
"This is very good," he said of the citation. "I worked hard and achieved what I wanted."
The Frankford Associates warehouse and offices are located at 4500 Torresdale Ave. Clients include Laundromats, hospitals, nursing homes and hotels in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
Two of Kashkashian’s sons and three of his grandsons work for the business. The company patriarch, who lives in Jenkintown, is largely retired, though he does handle payroll and bills.
His family, who joined him at the ceremony, credited him with being honest, loyal, determined and earnest over the years.
"That’s why he stayed in business," said his son Nick, vice president of the company.
Perzel was glad to honor him for a lifetime of achievement.
"He’s an accomplished man," the speaker said of the honoree. ••