Semercian, who turned 41 back in May, says, “I have proudly owned Harbour Cleaners in beautiful Huntington Beach (HB) since 2004. It was originally established in 1973. My family and I moved to HB in 1984. I went to elementary, junior and high school all in HB. My father had an agency with a full tailoring department that he and my mother grew to support the family.”

He recalls never wanting to be a dry cleaner: “Hell would have to freeze over! But I’m ice skating as I’m telling you this,” Semercian quips.

College wasn’t for him, so he became an apprentice to a jeweler. That lasted three years.

“I started working for a dry cleaner near the University of California Irvine (UCI) and started falling in love with the customer service aspect of the business and after four years I decided I wanted to open my own store.”

The location he now owns is two miles from the elementary school he attended: “Funny how things work out. I tried to never become a dry cleaner, and 16 years later, I love coming to work every day — well, almost!”

Semercian says he’s a self-taught spotter.

“I have gotten pointers from a close friend and mentor, Dan Pollock. I can repair most of the machines, outside of computer or electric, and I’m an above-average presser when needed. My first love will always remain customer service, and my second love is spot removal,” he confides.