Our History

Our story in highlights

TIMELINE

A look at the key moments that shaped our legacy.

1921
Glyndon Laundry
founded
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The early 1920s not only gave rise to national icons such as Wonder Bread, Chanel No. 5, and Sears Roebuck, but it was the beginning of a new era in the Baltimore area for high-quality laundry care.

Mr. and Mrs. Merrick opened Glyndon Cleaners in 1921 with service, quality, and convenience as hallmarks of their enterprise. They employed over 50 people and ran a fleet of trucks out of the charming community of Glyndon, MD, 21 miles from Baltimore City Hall. They also operated a community pool next to Glyndon Cleaners; filling it with the artisan well water on the property.

1940's
Robert Mathias
purchased the
laundry
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In the late 1940s, the Merricks sold Glyndon Cleaners to Robert Mathias, granddad to Mike and John Garman—who would one day continue the family business. Robert shared the same philosophies as the Merricks. He continued Glyndon Laundry’s legacy of exceptional cleaning and care while providing the Baltimore area with outstanding customer service and convenience through its fleet of pick-up and delivery trucks.

 
1950's
Otts Garman came
into the business
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Robert also purchased the Glyndon Pool sometime in the late 1940s. This proved to be very intuitive, because his daughter, Diane, met her future husband, Otts, at the Glyndon Pool in the summer of 1951 when she was lifeguarding. And as they say…the rest is history!

Otts ran Glyndon Laundry for over 50 years. He cared about the community, his employees, and the business intensely.  He was an active member of the American Legion Post 116, the Reisterstown Volunteer Fire Department, and the Kiwanis Club. 

1980's - 1990's
John & Mike Garman
join the business
glyndon lord baltimore certifications

Otts also adored his wife and seven children, two of whom are Mike and John—the third generation of our family to carry on the legacy of Glyndon Cleaners.

2004
Glyndon Cleaners &
Lord Baltimore
Cleaners merge
glbc merge

In 2004, Glyndon Cleaners purchased the routes and laundry service from another fine, local family dry cleaning and laundry business, Lord Baltimore Cleaners, founded in the early 1920s. This led the organization to become known as Glyndon Lord Baltimore Cleaners.

2018
janet and christy Garman
join business
glyndon leadership
2021
BALTIMORE BUSINESS JOURNAL
NAMES GLYNDON LORD BALTIMORE
CLEANERS AS ONE OF BALTIMORE’S
OLDEST FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESSES
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2023
Glyndon Lord
Baltimore Cleaners
named maryland's
family-owned small business
of the year
sbawards
2026

Today, we are celebrating more than a century of service to the Greater Baltimore area. Mike and Janet, along with their amazing team, carry on traditions from the past while introducing the newest industry innovations, always grateful for the trust that generations of Baltimore-area customers have placed in us.

To be continued

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