Horrigan Cleaners, Inc. is truly a family-owned and operated business. Throughout three generations, Horrigan Cleaners has been a fixture in Greater Gardner. Most family members experienced their first jobs at the cleaners. The family, entrenched in the community, is known for its involvement in and support of local business and social organizations.

How it all began

Horrigan Cleaners, Inc. was founded in 1921 by Thomas C. Horrigan. The dry-cleaning shop was located in a small outbuilding in his backyard in Gardner, Massachusetts. In addition to the shop in Gardner, there were drop-off locations in the towns of Winchendon, Athol, and Orange.

In the 1960s, the main dry cleaning plant was moved to Central Street in Gardner. Thomas (Tom) J. Horrigan operated the business through the 1990s. Local folks still remember Tom as a fixture at his press in the window of the Central Street plant. Tom became interested in rug cleaning and became the first in the area to purchase a steam-cleaning system in the 1960s. Rugs were originally cleaned in the basement of the Horrigan family home. Later, a truck-mounted portable steam-cleaning system allowed Horrigan’s to clean wall-to-wall carpets and upholstered furniture in customers’ homes.

Today the business is owned and operated by Tom’s three sons, Mike, Tim, and Patrick. In 1991, they built a new, state-of-the-art plant on Pearson Boulevard in Gardner to house both the dry cleaning and rug cleaning operations.

In 2020, the dry cleaning portion of the business was discontinued and the rug cleaning plant expanded. Today, residential and commercial services include cleaning Oriental and area rugs, wall-to-wall carpets, upholstered furniture, and tile and grout.

The three brothers also own Horrigan Premium Laundromat on Pearson Boulevard and Horrigan Flooring Center in Westminster.

Throughout its history, the family has been active in local, regional, national, and international business organizations.