H.M. Amirkhan, Sr. Circa 1917
Here at Oriental Rug Cleaning Company, our business is a family affair! H. Mirza Amirkhan, Sr. founded Oriental Cleaning Company in 1911. He was an Armenian born in Turkey in 1889 who booked passage to the United States seeking freedom and opportunity. He paid for his passage by working as an apprentice in his Cincinnati cousin’s rug cleaning and repair business. After he repaid his debt while learning the trade, he set out again for freedom. Arriving in Dallas in 1911, he set up his own rug cleaning and repair shop at 2105 S. Ervay. In 1919, he built his own two-story building at 3907 Ross Avenue where he lived and worked; and in 1926 he added a second building. These buildings are still home to the Oriental Rug Cleaning Company and all its operations. H. M. (Mirza) Amirkhan, Jr., took over the business from his dad after completing law school in 1954, adding his unique and energetic personality to the growing business. Ellen Amirkhan, the 3rd generation of Amirkhans, joined the business in 1980 as president, bringing the communication skills of a teacher, the team-work skills of an athlete, and an astute sense of good business. Ellen leads and serves her industry, as Past President of the National Institute of Rug Cleaning, the Restoration Industry Association (RIA) and the North Texas Chapter of the International Society of Appraisers. She teaches all aspects of the rug business in classes and seminars all over the U.S. and the U.K. Associations and Affiliations Awards & Recognitions 2008 RIA Dr. Steven Spivak Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Textile Industry, Ellen Amirkhan Best Rug Cleaner (Dallas Observer) Best Oriental Rug Appraiser, Ellen Amirkhan (D Home and Garden) Best Rug Cleaning Store Front (D Magazine) Cornerstone Award, Corporate Leadership and Philanthropic Involvement (Dallas Morning News) RIA Helen Bradley Distinguished Service Award NTISA Ellen A. Amirkhan Distinguished Service Award (named in honor of Ellen)
Postcard dated 1912: View of downtown Dallas
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