78 Photo Essay: Shauna Rowe Butler and Shannan Rowe Wilson

Economy Cleaners

Words by Erin Shockey | Image by Blakeney Clouse

In the 1970s, Alene Bradford Rowe’s job at Economy Cleaners was in a state of flux. Rather than sitting idle, Alene decided to act, purchasing the business from the Aubrey Underwood family in 1975. It marked the beginning of a family business that twin sisters Shauna Rowe Butler and Shannan Rowe Wilson would carry forward generations later.  

At a young age, Shauna and Shannan always enjoyed going to work at the cleaners with their parents, Karla and Marc Rowe. Many of their family members have worked at the cleaners throughout the years—cousins, uncles, and their beloved “Paw-Paw,” Larry Rowe. 

For the employees, there was always work to be done, but for the young twins, there was mischief to be made. “When we were little, Dad would jokingly tell us to go to the back of the store and holler, ‘PICK IT UP!’” Shannan laughs. “So, while people were working, me and Shauna would sneak in the back and holler, ‘PICK IT UP!’ and then run back to the front and laugh.” 

As Shauna and Shannan grew older, their mischievous ways came to an end and they began to learn the family business. “We started scrubbing shirts when we were about 12 years old,” Shauna said. “As we got older, dad always told us the family business was hard work and he encouraged us to go to college.”

Upon graduating high school, the twins took their father’s advice and attended college, where Shauna studied to become a teacher and Shannan studied to become an EKG Technician, finishing with a business degree. But the sisters soon realized how much they missed working at the cleaners and decided that was what they loved to do and where they wanted to be. 

When the twins came back to work with their family, they immediately knew they’d made the right decision. Working alongside their parents, Paw-Paw, and their dog, Sugar, is something they look forward to every single day especially as their business grows. Recently, the family celebrated the one-year anniversary of the second store.

“We have been through thick and thin here, but it never feels like work because we love it,” says Shannan.

And even though carrying the family business forward has not always been easy, it has been worth it. Whether it’s tagging shirts, pressing clothes, or even repairing machines, this dynamic twin duo has proven there is nothing they can’t accomplish together. And they’ve learned there is nothing better than working with family. 78