Tech Hiccups Delay Plants' first spin

PurpleTie.com is not backing away from its bid to be the first web-based dry-cleaning service, but it’s taking a bit longer than expected.

The Pleasanton-based company, confronting technical problems, has been forced to push back the launch date for a $20 million cleaning and distribution facility in the San Joaquin County community until the end of 2000.

PurpleTie’s facility will occupy 96,000 square feet of a 266,000-square-foot building in the Spreckels Industrial Park. The facility was completed earlier this year by Hunsacker Investment Co. LLC of Irvine.

Most of the construction problems stem from the company’s commitment to environmentally safe drycleaning methods. As a result, the company is using new technology that is proving to be more complex to install and use than expected.

Eventually, PurpleTie hopes to open about two dozen additional plants across the United States.