The dry cleaning franchise started in 1949 by Henry Martin. There are over 700 of these franchises around, and Martin was the first to offer one hour, onsite cleaning.
According to http://www.onehourmartinizing.com/whatis.html, dry cleaners were once located in remote areas, due to the flammable nature of the cleaning solvents. With the discovery of perchloroethylene or perc as it is more commonly known, better alternatives were on the way. Martin invented a machine to effectively use this new solvent, making on-site dry cleaning a reality for the first time. The official franchiser homepage is at http://www.martinizing.com.