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2 • SUMMER 2019


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SUMMER 2019 • 3


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4 • SUMMER 2019


CONTENTS<br />

Snap Shot .................................................... 8<br />

Q&A with Bob Cavalieri<br />

Note to Self<br />

BY DEBRA GORGOS, EDITOR<br />

Hot Diggity Dollar$ ............................ 16<br />

Tricks of the Trade ............................. 24<br />

For Your Information .......................... 32<br />

Oh No ... It’s OSHA News<br />

Quick Tips ............................................... 36<br />

Looking Back ....................................... 38<br />

Spring 2008<br />

Industry Dirt .......................................... 42<br />

Extra! Extra! ........................................... 48<br />

Innovations ............................................. 50<br />

Fun & Games ........................................ 54<br />

Association Calendar & News ....... 56<br />

Prices from Coast to Coast .............. 59<br />

Cwguy.com’s ’ ....................................... 60<br />

How self serves can learn from<br />

the express serve model<br />

Fill in the Blank .................................... 62<br />

Cover Story ............................................. 64<br />

Honky Tonk ICA<br />

Darwin at the Carwash ...................... 75<br />

VOL. 46, NO. 3, SUMMER 2019<br />

Publisher Jackson Vahaly<br />

Editor Debra Gorgos<br />

Design Katy Barret-Alley<br />

Editor Emeritus Jarret J. Jakubowski<br />

Editor Posthumous Joseph J. Campbell<br />

Editor Posthumous Julia E. Campbell<br />

Self Serve Carwash News is published 4 times<br />

per year and is independently owned by Jackson<br />

Vahaly. Web address is www.sscwn.com.<br />

All inquiries should be directed to:<br />

Self Serve Car Wash News<br />

110 Childs Ln., Franklin, TN 37067<br />

jacksonv@sscwn.com<br />

It is never easy, meeting other self serve operators<br />

and not blushing at the fact that you allow<br />

me into your headspace each season with<br />

a new issue of Self Serve Car Wash News. I am<br />

truly humbled by your support and readership.<br />

Upon meeting so many of you at the recent<br />

Car Wash Show in Nashville, I was once again<br />

in awe of your pavement-pounding quest for<br />

knowledge, tips and fellowship. I was enamored<br />

with the two self serve forums I was able to attend,<br />

including Reinvigorating Your Self-Serve<br />

Carwash, hosted by Dale L. Reynolds, president<br />

of Carolina Pride Carwash and the Peer Power<br />

Hour: Self Serve Wash Panel Discussion, hosted<br />

by Jerry Nix of Speedi Car Was, Scott Thomas<br />

of Clean Sport Car Wash and Sydney King of<br />

The Good Spray Car Wash. Both sessions were<br />

packed with attendees, both hosted dedicated<br />

self serve owners with questions for the moderators<br />

and answers and solutions for others and<br />

it was clear, at least from my vantage point, that<br />

the self serve industry is still a mighty powerhouse<br />

in the car washing stratosphere.<br />

That is not to say that Nashville didn’t offer<br />

up memorable tidbits all on its own. The<br />

city definitely offered up its own unique atmosphere—music<br />

symbolism was everywhere:<br />

And, I was bemused to find this quote etched<br />

into the foundations of one of Nashville’s many<br />

music-based monuments:<br />

“Country songs are the dreams<br />

of the working man” -- Merle Haggard<br />

Every dog has his wash<br />

I enjoyed learning more about pet washes<br />

and the many benefits to not just the car wash<br />

owner, but also the owner of the dog. I think I<br />

have mentioned previously that I own a golden<br />

doodle named Miles and his fur attracts dirt and<br />

muck like a fly to honey. His grooming bills are<br />

starting to add up and I have to say, I don’t appreciate<br />

the inconvenient hours. Plus, you get a<br />

stern look from the groomer if you’re late (have<br />

you ever tried corralling a 60-pound dog into a<br />

dog for a trip to the groomer’s? They know…<br />

somehow, they always know…) or if there are<br />

questionable items stuck in your dog’s fur. Yes,<br />

I admit, our beloved pooch had a lollipop stuck<br />

in his undercarriage. Yes, I admit we didn’t know.<br />

Yes, I am sure he was uncomfortable. I admit all<br />

of these things, and the shame that went along<br />

with finding these things out did not also need a<br />

boost of tsk tsk from the groomer.<br />

We cover lots of other valuable information in<br />

this issue. From prices per state to OSHA news<br />

to even how to pronounce car wash in Latin.<br />

The only tweak I would do that quotation<br />

if dedicated to all of you would be to add in<br />

a word: Country songs are the dreams of the<br />

hard-working man.”<br />

I even got to sing some karaoke with some detailing<br />

industry altos and sopranos at the famous<br />

Ms. Kelli’s karaoke bar on Printer’s Aly. Sadly,<br />

there wasn’t a self serve car wash owner in site.<br />

San Antonio is the next stop for the Car Wash<br />

Show in 2020 and I see there are about 10 karaoke<br />

bars near the convention center. There<br />

must be some self serve operators<br />

willing to belt out a tune or<br />

two. Who’s with me?<br />

And, without further ado<br />

it is my pleasure to present<br />

to you another issue of Self<br />

Serve Car Wash News. Full<br />

of great information, profiles<br />

and even some fun to<br />

hopefully bring a smile to your<br />

face—I know how hard all of<br />

you work, I hope these pages vide some<br />

pro-<br />

respite.<br />

One more thing<br />

And, before I go, I wanted to lament that I so<br />

happy to be profiling Bob Cavalieri of Clearwater<br />

Car Wash. Bob is one of those people I<br />

have always seen at the Car Wash Show and,<br />

although he is extremely busy, I got to steal a<br />

few minutes of his time.<br />

Also, have you checked out the new Carwashforum.com?<br />

It’s fantastic and I see so many self<br />

serve operators on there. Are you? If<br />

not, what are you waiting for?<br />

Thank you so much everyone<br />

and don’t forget to<br />

support our advertisers!<br />

Until next time,<br />

Debra<br />

Copyright 2019. 2 Dollar Enterprises/<strong>SSCWN</strong>. All Rights Reserved<br />

SUMMER 2019 • 5


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6 • SUMMER 2019


SUMMER 2019 • 7


From coast to coast, we are profiling different self serve car washes<br />

and will showcase photos, business information, methods of advertising<br />

and what sets them apart from the competition.<br />

SNAP<br />

SHOT<br />

PRESENTING A Q&A WITH<br />

BOB CAVALIERI<br />

OWNER OF CLEARWATER<br />

CAR WASH<br />

WHERE ARE YOUR<br />

SELF SERVE<br />

CAR WASHES<br />

LOCATED?<br />

I currently own four self serve<br />

car washes in the San Francisco<br />

Bay area. One is in Southern San<br />

Francisco and was purchased in<br />

2000. Another is in San Mateo,<br />

California and was purchased<br />

in 2007. The third location is<br />

in Redwood City (I built that<br />

one from the ground up and<br />

opened it in 2004). And, finally,<br />

the fourth location is in Mountain<br />

View, California, and I acquired<br />

that one in 2012, and it is in the<br />

heart of the Silicon Valley.<br />

WHAT IS THE NAME<br />

OF YOUR CAR WASHES?<br />

All of my car washes operate<br />

under the name of Clearwater<br />

Car Wash. They are all wand bays<br />

only; I do not operate any in-bay<br />

automatics.<br />

WHAT ARE THE<br />

HOURS OF OPERATION?<br />

All locations are open 24-7.<br />

8 • SUMMER 2019


SUMMER 2019 • 9


10 • SUMMER 2019


SUMMER 2019 • 11


WHAT FORMS OF<br />

PAYMENT DO YOU<br />

ACCEPT?<br />

We take $1 tokens, quarters,<br />

dollar coins, paper money, and<br />

credit cards in the wash bays.<br />

WHAT ARE YOUR<br />

PRICES?<br />

Two locations are $4 for<br />

4½ minutes. And the other<br />

two locations are $3 for 4<br />

minutes. Vacuums are $1 for 2½<br />

minutes.<br />

WHAT DO YOU VEND?<br />

We do extremely well with<br />

vending at all of our locations. The<br />

top sellers at two locations —<br />

of which have two glass front<br />

vendors side by side — besides<br />

tree fresheners, are the yellow<br />

microfiber towels purchased from<br />

Costco. The microfiber towels<br />

outsell the paper towels.<br />

We charge $1.75 for<br />

microfiber towels<br />

and $1 for paper ones.<br />

WHY RUN A SELF SERVE?<br />

I thought full service car washing was the only way to go if you were going to be in the car wash<br />

industry, until the early 90s as that’s when I learned about the self serve side of the business.<br />

It started when I was attending the Western Carwash Association convention, and I was in a full<br />

serve workshop meeting — and there was a lot of talk about the high cost of labor, the high cost of<br />

workers compensation, insurance and all the headaches of running a full serve car wash… Every<br />

now and then you would hear a burst of laughter and clapping coming from the meeting room next<br />

door. And, after a little bit, I decided I needed to go next door and see what all the excitement was<br />

about. It turns out it was a self serve session going on, and they were all happy, upbeat, laughing<br />

and clapping and their only worries were how to keep the money in the money box so the thieves<br />

didn’t get it and how to stay on top of keeping the equipment in good operating condition.<br />

Because I noticed how much the operators in the room were enjoying their careers in the self<br />

serve car wash business, at that moment I said I need to be a part of this industry as well. And from<br />

that day forward I promised myself to get into the self serve car wash business. And so, in 1995, I<br />

opened my first self serve — which I built from the ground up. It was in a small northern California<br />

town called McCloud, California, where I had a vacation home at the time. I figured I needed to<br />

try out the business in a town where it was cheaper to build, and land costs were less expensive<br />

(compared to the San Francisco Bay area).<br />

It turned out to be quite an exciting business. And, so, I continued to look for other sites. I opened<br />

up my second location in another small town in northern California called Corning, California.<br />

As I learned more about the self ser serve business, I felt comfortable that I knew enough about<br />

it to make it successful just about anywhere in California. I started looking for wash sites in the<br />

San Francisco Bay area and that’s when I started to sell my washes up in northern California to<br />

concentrate in areas closer to home.<br />

HOW DID YOU GET<br />

STARTED IN THE CAR<br />

WASHING INDUSTRY?<br />

Car washing is something I have<br />

a great passion for. I grew up<br />

in the car wash industry as my<br />

parents owned and ran a full<br />

serve car wash in southern San<br />

Francisco for 61 years. I started<br />

working at the car wash at a very,<br />

very young age. In fact, my wife<br />

Cathy (while she was in college)<br />

was a cashier at our full serve car<br />

wash back in the early 70s. Lo<br />

and behold we got married a few<br />

years later and continued the car<br />

wash tradition as we run the self<br />

serves together.<br />

12 • SUMMER 2019


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SUMMER 2019 • 13


DO YOU HAVE ANY<br />

EMPLOYEES?<br />

Both of my kids are now getting<br />

into the fun of operating self<br />

serve car washes. My daughter<br />

and son-in-law operate my car<br />

wash in southern San Francisco.<br />

My son operates his own car<br />

wash in Hayward, California, and<br />

he also helps me run my washes<br />

so that I can have a few days off.<br />

WHAT IS YOUR<br />

FAVORITE THING<br />

ABOUT YOUR JOB?<br />

I truly enjoy going to work every<br />

day and seeing the customers<br />

truly enjoy washing their cars<br />

and quite a few of them say nice<br />

compliments of how well the<br />

washes run and how everything<br />

is working. It makes me feel good<br />

that there are people that do<br />

recognize the hard work that we<br />

put in to running the operation.<br />

WHAT IS YOUR LEAST<br />

FAVORITE THING<br />

ABOUT YOUR JOB?<br />

And my least favorite thing is:<br />

Cleaning out the dirty vacuums.<br />

DO YOU HAVE A LOT OF<br />

COMPETITION?<br />

Business is certainly growing<br />

in our area in the self serve<br />

car wash market; I believe due<br />

in part to the fact that the San<br />

Francisco Bay area has drastically<br />

increased the minimum wage (it’s<br />

currently at $15.65 in Mountain<br />

View, for example) and goes up<br />

with the CPI every year. This has<br />

caused full service tunnels to<br />

radically increase their prices.<br />

And, therefore, customers are<br />

seeking out cheaper alternatives<br />

to get their cars washed, and the<br />

self serve car wash model fills<br />

that void nicely.<br />

14 • SUMMER 2019


compass_ad.indd 1<br />

SUMMER 7/9/19 20198:16 • AM<br />

15


Hot Diggity Dollar$<br />

Find out why pet washes can bring<br />

in more money and how they are a natural fit for self serves<br />

In the Spring 2019 edition of Self Serve Car Wash<br />

News, we covered other ways to make money at<br />

your self serve, either by converting an exisiting bay,<br />

or using some land to develop a stand-alone profit<br />

center. From billboards, to food trucks there was a<br />

lot to cover and simply not enough room to cover<br />

one other add-on business model that has become<br />

part of many self serves across the country. It seems<br />

as if pet washes are popping up more and more<br />

and servicing do-it-yourself afficianados who like to<br />

have control over their pet’s handling, their shampoo,<br />

their schedule and their pet-related budget.<br />

Pet washes, similar to self serve car washes, allow<br />

convenience, and are free of the hoity pet groomers<br />

who push the upsell or look down upon dog owners<br />

who are not properly maintaining their pet’s<br />

fur. They can also bring in money, and require little<br />

maintenance, other than the daily walk through,<br />

clean ups, and equipment checks. They are also<br />

somewhat competitionless, as they are still considered<br />

relatively “new” to the masses, so you could be<br />

the first one to offer one in your area.<br />

Also, it is clear that people love their pets and<br />

are willing to spend lots of money of them and<br />

on their upkeep. According to the American Pet<br />

Products Association, the pet industry is now<br />

worth $75 billion. And each year, that number<br />

has climbed by billions of dollars. Yes, that’s right,<br />

billions of dollars (see sidebar: Pet Industry Facts<br />

and Figures). And, of that $75 billion, $6.3 will be<br />

spend on “other services” such as pet washes.<br />

It is clear people love their pets and are willing<br />

to spend money, make that, lots of money, on their<br />

furry friends. A self serve wash, which presents itself<br />

as a medium in which people can have control over<br />

the car’s treatment and micro-manage each detail,<br />

is a natural fit for a pet wash so that pet owners can<br />

be in control of their pet’s care and handling. They<br />

also need about as much maintenance and upkeep<br />

as a self serve. But, don’t just take my word for it--<br />

the following are two examples of business owners<br />

who have found success with their pet washes.<br />

Pet Industry Facts & FIgures*<br />

YEAR BILLIONS OF DOLLARS<br />

Estimated Breakdown for 2019:<br />

2019 $75.38 Estimated<br />

2018 $72.56 Actual<br />

2017 $69.51<br />

2016 $66.75<br />

2015 $60.28<br />

2014 $58.04<br />

2013 $55.72<br />

2012 $53.33<br />

2011 $50.96<br />

2010 $48.35<br />

2009 $45.53<br />

Food<br />

$31.68 billion<br />

Supplies/OTC Medicine<br />

Vet Care<br />

Live animal purchases<br />

Other Services<br />

.<br />

$16.44 billion<br />

$18.98 billion<br />

$1.97 billion<br />

$6.31 billion<br />

These spending statistics are gathered by APPA from various market research sources and are not included in the organization’s biennial National Pet Owners Survey<br />

16 • SUMMER 2019


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SUMMER 2019 • 17


HOT DIGGITY DOLLAR$<br />

PET WASH SNAPSHOTS<br />

Name: King Koin Laundry, Car n Dog Wash<br />

Name of Owner: Michael J. Walsh<br />

Where is your wash located? Bismarck-Mandan<br />

area in North Dakota<br />

Where can our readers learn more about<br />

you? www.kingkoin.com<br />

What type of wash is it? Self serve + pet wash.<br />

We have three tandem self serve bays. Which<br />

means six total bays when the weather is nice<br />

enough for vehicle lines to form. The King Koin<br />

Dog Wash is nestled between the front car wash<br />

bays and the laundromat. The first picture on my<br />

car wash page of the www.kingkoin.com website<br />

somewhat shows the Clear Lexan-Polycarbonate<br />

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friendly customer interface.<br />

Unique Features: Floor heat is a must for our<br />

climate & that is where most of the heating<br />

during winter comes from. The floor heat it is<br />

different than the car wash deicer ... the dog wash<br />

floor heat needs to be much hotter for comfortable<br />

dog washing temperatures.<br />

The two hung high Trane Space units normally<br />

used by others for heating are actually for having<br />

our very cold inlet water go through each Trane’s<br />

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the need for an air conditioner. As a side<br />

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is then a higher energy saving temperature.<br />

Since we bank on many of our customers using<br />

all three services ... in our case it was much more<br />

practical to just put an ATM in our laundromat &<br />

hope the public is still OK with bills & coins for<br />

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Fax: 951-277-5170<br />

18 • SUMMER 2019


HOT DIGGITY DOLLAR$<br />

Why did you decided to add on a pet wash?<br />

That is a bit on the interesting side. A customer<br />

who made Bismarck his home for years told us<br />

about a thriving dog wash in Helena, Montana. I<br />

told him he was crazy ... loonie ... no space ... he<br />

calmly pointed to below our dryer vents. After I<br />

did some sketching on a computer screen & paper<br />

etc.... we realized that there was just enough<br />

room for two rooms of dog washing. A customer<br />

who was an owner at a local “structure aluminum<br />

metal” seller heard about our plight trying<br />

to somewhat “wing it” and offered to allow us to<br />

“open account” pickup & return the pieces of aluminum<br />

angle by the pound as needed during our<br />

“built by us” construct. That was a life saver. The<br />

“in chief local” building inspector based on my<br />

sketches observed that the structure lent itself to<br />

being somewhat of a “breezeway” which turned<br />

out to really help with the occasional extra smelly<br />

dog! It was almost like the chief was as excited<br />

about it as us. That was another life saver!<br />

I had thought about adding to the synergy of three<br />

services might complement each other & I am pretty<br />

sure that has proved to be true for the most part.<br />

What is something you want to warn readers<br />

about if they are considering adding on<br />

a pet wash? Plan on having someone doing very<br />

frequent “walk throughs” just in case you local<br />

customers decide to not clean up after themselves.<br />

Since there are plenty of other options for dog<br />

washing, you don’t need rumors going around that<br />

your place is not clean enough & does not smell<br />

sweet enough!<br />

What is the best thing about having a pet<br />

wash? The fact that almost 100% of the dogs<br />

that come are very socialized & the interaction<br />

we have with the customers who choose us ...<br />

tends to be very enjoyable.<br />

-5 horsepower industrial strength motor<br />

-3 phase, 12 amp motor -super quiet<br />

-Heated air without heater filament<br />

-30% more powerful -maintenance free<br />

-Mounts inside bay, in the attic, or on the roof<br />

-Nozzle with mechanical on/off safety trigger<br />

SUMMER 2019 • 19


Carwash<br />

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• Swivel rotates 360˚ - 12 ft.<br />

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MODEL 203 FEATURES<br />

• Temperatures to 280˚ max.,<br />

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107C Cartridge Features:<br />

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sales@zierden.com<br />

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20 • SUMMER 2019


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MODEL 204 and 206 FEATURES<br />

• Twin compression springs are tension-adjustable<br />

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• Swivel rotates 360˚ - 12 ft. diameter<br />

• Temperatures to 280˚ max., pressure to 2000 psi<br />

• Longer hose life as spring prevents kinks<br />

• Ruggedly built, satisfaction guaranteed<br />

• Optional stainless steel components<br />

• Proven performance with over 50 years service in<br />

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MODEL 204<br />

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STYLE C<br />

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MODEL 206<br />

OFFSET Overhead Carwash Boom<br />

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STYLE D<br />

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7355 S. 1st Street<br />

Oak Creek, WI 53154<br />

Fax: (414) 764-9763<br />

sales@zierden.com<br />

QUALITY PRODUCTS SINCE 1937<br />

TM<br />

DISTRIBUTOR<br />

INQUIRIES<br />

INVITED<br />

VISA and Master Card<br />

accepted<br />

SUMMER 2019 • 21


HOT DIGGITY DOLLAR$<br />

PET WASH<br />

SNAPSHOTS<br />

Name:<br />

Pet Wash 24<br />

Name of Owner:<br />

Harley Dietrich<br />

Location:<br />

Fuquay Varina, North Carolina<br />

and Cary, North Carolina.<br />

Both are in shopping centers<br />

suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina.<br />

Where can our readers<br />

learn more about you?<br />

Visit www.petwash24.com or<br />

www.facebook.com/petwash24<br />

and see our commercial at:<br />

https://youtu.be/sSgJhrbGa8w<br />

What advice you have<br />

for people considering<br />

adding a pet wash?<br />

Safety, security, and cleanliness<br />

are impariratve.<br />

Also, are they a lot of<br />

work to maintain?<br />

No. It is fully automated.<br />

Every night the pet hair<br />

is cleaned up, etc.<br />

Types of Payment Accepted:<br />

Cash, credit cards and tokens.<br />

Security Needed?<br />

It is open 24/7 , but from<br />

11 p.m. to 6 a.m. people need<br />

to use their credit cards to<br />

enter the facility.<br />

Methods of Advertising:<br />

YouTube, Facebook direct<br />

mailing, face-to-face networking.<br />

Unique Features:<br />

We also offer an infrared<br />

therapy center for your dog,<br />

allowing them to calm down<br />

while reaping the health benefits.<br />

The rays can help their joints,<br />

muscles, and skin.<br />

Mission:<br />

Our mission is to lease or sell<br />

each facility to an honorably<br />

discharged veteran and create<br />

a revenue stream for their families.<br />

22 • SUMMER 2019


Celebrating<br />

30 years!<br />

Northeast Regional<br />

Carwash Convention<br />

September 23-25, 2019<br />

√ Keynoter Moo Moo’s John Roush<br />

Learn how to think out of the box and create a brand like no other!<br />

√ The “Virtual Carwash Tour” is back!<br />

We’ll get inside some innovative washes—virtually! This event was standing room only last year!<br />

√ 320+ exhibits<br />

√ Welcome Reception at The Water Club<br />

√ Exceptional Educational Programming<br />

√ Limitless Networking<br />

At Atlantic City Convention Center and Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa.<br />

Host Association: NYSCWA.<br />

Call 1-800-868-8590 or visit us online at nrccshow.com<br />

SUMMER 2019 • 23


TRICKS OF THE<br />

(Note: Some posts feature minor edits for readability.)<br />

Presenting some of the best discussions from the Self Serve, IBA and General Discussions sections of Auto Care Forum. To view more posts<br />

discussing some interesting and common problems, as well as some of the best and brightest solutions, visit AutoCareForum.com<br />

There once was<br />

a guy with a bucket ...<br />

My Bay signs say “No bucket washing if someone is<br />

waiting”. And, I kind of let it go when things are slow, but<br />

chased 2 away Saturday. I luv it when they say something<br />

like,“I do this first then I will put money in.” Asked one<br />

guy if he brings his own sandwich to the restaurant and<br />

sits at a table and just asks for coffee. So, I am looking<br />

for new wording. One local guy simply says: No Bucket<br />

washing. Of course this doesn’t stop weep washers<br />

and foam brush freeloaders (even with wobbleheads).<br />

Thinking of something like, “Meter must be running<br />

to use this facility. Please start meter promptly after<br />

entering and leave promptly when it stops.” Looking for<br />

other suggestions. - EARL WEISS<br />

<strong>SSCWN</strong> EDITOR CHIMES IN:<br />

<strong>SSCWN</strong> Editor chimes in: Here’s one way<br />

to do it! In April 2018, a 7-Eleven in Modesto,<br />

California, got rid of its loiterers by way of<br />

Bach. What’s that, you might ask?<br />

According to the New York Post, Sukhi<br />

Sandhu, who owns the franchise<br />

in Modesto, started blasting<br />

symphonies and occasional<br />

operas over outdoor speakers.<br />

“The classical music is<br />

part of a 7-Eleven program<br />

that encourages nonconfrontational<br />

methods to<br />

reduce loitering, Sandhu said in<br />

the story. “It eliminates any risks<br />

faced by clerks when asking<br />

panhandlers to leave.”<br />

Another method used,<br />

according to the Post, is a<br />

device that emits a high-pitched<br />

screech similar to a mosquito<br />

buzzing in your ear.<br />

I had a guy in Sunday who drove in and gunked/<br />

scrubbed/washed his engine. He was quick and<br />

spent money. No one was waiting behind him.<br />

I know a lot of operators don’t allow this, but I<br />

want their money. I don’t want to be the jerk who<br />

runs a good wash but looks for reasons to get aggravated.<br />

I smile a lot more now since I went to $3<br />

for 3:12!!!!! - WAXMAN<br />

“Bay may be used only while meter is running” or<br />

something similar. It covers bucket washing, towel<br />

drying, whatever. Few heed it, but when you have<br />

to ask them to move you can point to it. - Greg Pack<br />

“All time spent in bay must be paid for.” Today<br />

it was raining and a guy came up and asked to rent<br />

one of the SS bays to install a motorhome window.<br />

He specializes in motorhome windows, but<br />

was from out of town. Just the fact that he asked<br />

me first and was willing to pay me lead me to let<br />

him use a bay for free. - SOAPY<br />

“This bay may only be occupied if the meter is<br />

running.” They will either read it and not care or simply<br />

not read it at all. This is one of those things that<br />

require someone to be present in order to enforce it.<br />

And if someone is there, then signs are not necessary.<br />

I have signs that say no bucket washing and I have<br />

about 50 a week. I’ve thought about taking all signs<br />

down except for my instructions and some signs that<br />

talk about not washing, abandoning or dumping oil,<br />

paint or any other hazardous materials on this premises.<br />

I think that one would be the most important<br />

and the more signs you have the less chance there is<br />

that anyone reads them. - ALPINE DREAMS<br />

You’d think that would be the logic, but I can’t<br />

count on both hands and feet how many times I’ve<br />

24 • SUMMER 2019<br />

said we don’t allow bed washing and had the customer<br />

tell me, “Well, you need a sign if you don’t<br />

allow it!” I told one guy, “First off, I don’t need a<br />

sign, I just told you and now you’re informed. Second,<br />

it’s right there on the meter door two inches<br />

from where you put your coins in.” Even had one<br />

woman told me she was going to keep using the<br />

changer for her laundromat coins until I posted a<br />

sign saying it’s for car wash customers only. I let<br />

the police inform her that she’ll be arrested next<br />

time she sets foot on the property. - MEP001<br />

I don’t get it a lot but I’ll let it slide if no one<br />

is waiting. I’m like Waxman....take that money no<br />

matter what. - CAR_WASH_GUY<br />

What’s the big deal? They still pay to rinse the vehicle<br />

off when they are done and a lot of them will<br />

even fill the bucket with soapy water from your wash.<br />

I may say something if they take forever washing their<br />

car and people are waiting in line. It’s not like the trash<br />

dumpers that don’t spend a dime and block access to<br />

your bay for a half hour at a time. - SPARKEY<br />

I agree. I don’t say anything unless all of my bays<br />

are full and I have people waiting. And because of<br />

that, I may remove my signs. If all of your bays are<br />

full often with a line, then you should raise prices.<br />

- ALPINE DREAMS<br />

This is OUR property no sign is needed but<br />

these morons just DO NO CARE. I have a 10ft<br />

sign saying NO BUCKET WASHING they still do<br />

it, then when you tell them they catch an attitude.<br />

Same with loud music. This just drives me nuts.<br />

Why is it that people think it ok to play loud a$$<br />

banging music at a carwash???? I had one guy ask<br />

where my sign is at! I said this is private property<br />

and I do not need a sign and if you don’t turn it<br />

down i will call the cops so they can come tell you<br />

to turn it down. - DAMONI88<br />

That is exactly the situation. A few minutes - I<br />

would not care. But when you see several buckets,<br />

brushes, even long handle ones and several different<br />

types of soaps and products across the bay<br />

floor you know it took them several minutes just<br />

to unload that stuff and reverse the process to load<br />

it all back up. Then of course you have the time<br />

using each item. - EARL WEISS<br />

What are we really selling at our car washes? Does<br />

anyone know? TIME is what we are selling plain<br />

and simple. When they bucket wash in bays they are<br />

stealing the thing we sell in that bay TIME. I don’t<br />

run them out if we are not busy, but I have found<br />

that when you let them [stay] during slack times<br />

they will come in during busy times and expect to do<br />

the same thing. Our hard cost in a bay is maybe 5 to<br />

10%, soap, water, etc., so we lose 90% income when<br />

they are in the bay not paying for it. - SOAPY<br />

I generally won’t say anything or run them off if we<br />

are not busy, but when I do I usually get a smart a$$<br />

remark or stink eye comment. They will never understand<br />

the concept of a carwash business. - SLEDGE<br />

I watched a guy this past Saturday tie up a bay<br />

for over an hour to spend $3. I saw at least six customers<br />

pull in and wait behind him before moving<br />

to another bay. I didn’t get a plate but I got great<br />

video of him and his car, so I’m watching for him<br />

for both the theft of service and that he tied a dog<br />

up to a picnic table and left it. Cops said they want<br />

to prosecute. - MEP001


SUMMER 2019 • 25


TRICKS OF THE<br />

But I wanted Uncle Chester’s<br />

gold watch!<br />

I inherited two locations in Sterling and Rock Falls, IL. that are about<br />

three hours away from my home. Looking for any insight on the best way<br />

to sell them. We tried a local realtor but he didn’t reach-out to any real<br />

potential buyers that know this kind of business. The Sterling location<br />

has two IBA (Lazer 360), four self-serves, two Valvoline Oil Lube bays. It<br />

has three long term full time employees that run the business. The Rock<br />

Falls location has two IBA (M-5), three self-serves and four Valvoline<br />

Oil Lube bays. It also has three long term full time employees. Both<br />

businesses are profitable but it is two much for me to travel once or<br />

twice per week. - PITSTOP.CARWASH<br />

<strong>SSCWN</strong> EDITOR CHIMES IN:<br />

There are many tales (some of woe<br />

and some of wow) regarding wills<br />

and inheritances. The story of hotel<br />

heiress Leona Helmsley leaving $12<br />

million to her dog comes to mind,<br />

but how about the story of Jerry<br />

Williams of North Carolina who<br />

ended up inheriting 250,000<br />

Native American arrowheads?<br />

Moon and Irene Mullins left their<br />

massive collection (which included<br />

arrowheads that are over 12,000<br />

years old) to Williams back in 1987.<br />

Back in 1997 Williams asked roadside<br />

museum owner Wayne Underwood<br />

to display the arrowheads under<br />

the condition that he give him<br />

and wife $1 for every ticket<br />

sold. As of 2018, the couple<br />

has made $400,000.<br />

A really good realtor that actually tries to sell and<br />

is a true commercial realtor is worth it. Most just list<br />

the property and collect at the sale (if there is one)<br />

You could advertise on some of those business for<br />

sale websites, Craigslist and Loopnet. Make a few<br />

cold calls to other owners in the area to see if they<br />

are interested. - OURTOWN<br />

As Ourtown mentioned I would first look to see if<br />

any other operators in the area would be interested<br />

in the locations....I know I am always looking for new<br />

car washes in my area. Posting them here wouldn’t<br />

hurt either and it’s free. Check to see what car wash<br />

association is in your area and I would list them there<br />

as well. Good luck! - RFREEMAN<br />

Also tell your equipment and chemical distributors<br />

that they are for sale. They might get the word<br />

out or know someone that wants them. - OURTOWN<br />

Have you asked any of the long term employees if<br />

they would be interested in buying?<br />

Is the place making a profit? Laser 360’s aren’t<br />

terribly old and are a top of the line machine. I can’t<br />

imagine that whomever you inherited these sites<br />

from would have made a significant investment in<br />

great equipment if they weren’t making some decent<br />

money!<br />

I’m sure that you could move these properties<br />

pretty easily if you reach out to the right people but<br />

sounds like you got a dud for a realtor. - ERIC H<br />

You need to do some research and number crunching<br />

here.<br />

1. You have to determine the value of the business<br />

and land , present-day. This takes into account<br />

things like assessed value and appraised value. It<br />

also takes into account gross revenues and a multiplier<br />

applied to gross.<br />

2. You said the business is profitable. With proper<br />

inventory controls and the right manager in place,<br />

is it feasible to run both locations remotely and be<br />

on site less than once / week?<br />

3. Determine tax implications of: a). selling everything<br />

and not holding the note. b.) selling and<br />

holding some of the note. c.) retaining / operating<br />

the business.<br />

The best option is the one where the taxes, revenue<br />

and stress / involvement / personal commitment<br />

best meet YOUR needs. - WAXMAN<br />

Fracture by tractor<br />

BEFORE AFTER<br />

We built a new express tunnel with 2 self serve bays connected a few months ago. Got<br />

my first ding, maybe more than a ding! Luckily our tunnel attendant was there and<br />

cameras caught the whole thing, so it is getting taken care of by the equipment rental<br />

company. Yes, it was one of the drivers from the local heavy equipment rental companies<br />

that thought he could wash off the tractor in the bay, because they had it rented out the<br />

next day (broke the windshield and bent the cab frame on the tractor as well).<br />

What an idiot. I’ve had two doofus at different locations<br />

try to pull trailers through my in bay automatics<br />

in the last 2 weeks. - APW<br />

I think every self serve car wash I’ve seen has 2<br />

dings/dents above the bays where tractors’ stacks hit.<br />

They try and pull up enough to wash the front then<br />

turn around and back in. - WAXMAN<br />

Without getting into details ... it is even tougher<br />

when it comes to damage when overhead<br />

doors are required because of weather. - MJWALSH<br />

I had a similar incident last year at one of my washes.<br />

A tall cargo van ran into my concrete block header<br />

cracking it pretty bad. I had a structural engineer<br />

come over and design what it would take to replace<br />

and make the building sound again. $7600 we had a<br />

new metal header and supported by metal beams in<br />

the doorway. Engineer fee was $500. - SOAPY<br />

I’ve had 5 hit and runs this year. They all have<br />

come and paid except for 1 entitled a$$. He wants<br />

to talk about how we don’t have signs up saying how<br />

tall our clearance is and how we ruined his light bar<br />

on his side by side. It wouldn’t have stopped him<br />

from damaging our place as he was coming in at a<br />

high speed and never slowed down until he hit our<br />

boom. Not one of these customers left a note in our<br />

box. Somehow, we got the responding deputy that<br />

he knows and he refused to charge him. We then got<br />

the run around and they mysteriously lost all of the<br />

paperwork. I’m not sure how this will play out, but<br />

we have spoken to someone at the sheriff’s department<br />

to complain. Good luck with your damage.<br />

I’ve had good luck with equipment rental companies<br />

even though they hit and ran. - ALPINE DREAMS<br />

26 • SUMMER 2019


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SUMMER 2019 • 27


TRICKS OF THE<br />

Perhaps it’s time to call the Kool-Aid man?<br />

The wash I am dismantling has most of the panels (tri foam, spot free, etc) attached to<br />

the brick wall with what looks like a lead anchor with a steel nail in the center. I have used<br />

by 4” grinder on a few, tried to drill but that didn’t go so well. Tried to melt the lead(?) with a<br />

propane torch but lost my patience before I could tell if it was going to eventually work. I have<br />

gotten some great advice here, hoping for yet more. -DAN-ARK<br />

Nothing is easy. Drilling them sometimes lets you<br />

reuse the hole, but I only attempt that with mat<br />

clamps now since there’s a lot of leeway and I enlarge<br />

the 1/4” hole to 5/16”. I mostly grind the heads off<br />

now, still slow and messy (Had a chunk burn a hole<br />

right through my shirt and into my chest last time)<br />

but it gets them flush with the wall. I tried cutting<br />

into the steel pin with a cutoff wheel and chiseling<br />

off the rest, but it took about as long as just grinding.<br />

I don’t know what the material is but it’s probably<br />

not lead or it would melt pretty easily. - MEP001<br />

A 5lb hammer and a pry bar I can pull 95% of<br />

them out. Actually been pulling some out the past 2<br />

weeks at my wash. - TDLCONCEPTSLLC<br />

I think they are called drive rivets and the bodies<br />

are aluminum. They can be nasty to get out and are<br />

just a quick and dirty way to hang things. Someday<br />

that thing will have to be removed from the wall and<br />

someone will have to deal with them. Other than<br />

what has been suggested you can just use a cold chisel<br />

on them but can be damaging to the item you are<br />

removing. Sometimes the head comes off and other<br />

times the whole thing will pull out.<br />

...I remember another way I got them out. Using<br />

the claw end of a small cat’s paw pry bar I was able to<br />

pry the pin out a little ways by hammering it in between<br />

the pin and the anchor head. Then removing<br />

that and using a large heavy duty pry bar I wedged<br />

in the claw end behind the head of the anchor and<br />

pried them out. Still a booger to get out but it is<br />

something else to try. -OURTOWN<br />

When we were remodeling our self serves all of<br />

the signs had those lead anchors we just chiseled the<br />

head off then used the claw end to pull the nail out<br />

and fortunately it pulled the body out as well. But I<br />

will NEVER use those again at my wash. - DIAMOND-<br />

WASH<br />

I am have been ripping down the FRP panels at<br />

my place just looks worn and tired way way way too<br />

many holes from the plastic anchors and I am going<br />

back with just brick stainless anchors no plastic or<br />

lead anchors, to me nothing beats clean brick and extrutech<br />

in an automatic bay and brick in self serve<br />

- DLCONCEPTSLLC<br />

There called “Metal Hit Anchors” or “Metal drive<br />

Anchors” the body is made out of zinc. The easiest<br />

way I’ve found to get them out is to use a chisel on<br />

each side of the nail and break the zinc body in half<br />

and then pull the nail out and the rest of the body of<br />

the anchor should come out. We use plastic anchors<br />

now with a plastic center nail. - RANDY<br />

The last time I put up signs on brick I had some<br />

strips of stainless cut and used plastic sleeves and<br />

stainless countersunk screws to mount the strips,<br />

then used outdoor rated double-stick adhesive to<br />

mount the signs on the stainless strips. I marked and<br />

drilled the holes in the strips so all the holes were<br />

drilled into the mortar so it can be patched easily in<br />

the future. - MEP001<br />

I rehabbed a place that had about a million of<br />

them in the concrete decked ceiling. Tried pulling,<br />

drilling, grinding beating them. The end result for my<br />

location was a propane torch. A minute on each one<br />

and they just dropped out, with a nice clean hole left<br />

behind. Might be a pita on walls if your trying to save<br />

signs, but if you can chop the heads off then follow<br />

with a torch to get the remaining lags out? - PGRZES<br />

Come on in! The water’s hot!<br />

Is hot water a must in self service or will tap water temp for all<br />

services? What about from a customer point of view? - BR549MS<br />

I’ve always heated my high pressure soap and<br />

clear coat in the winter… Actually.... I Have my<br />

GAS turned OFF mid March and turned back on<br />

late September (based on weather). I pay a re-connect<br />

fee .... but end out ahead vs the minimum fee<br />

even if I don’t use gas in a particular month. - CHAZ<br />

I turn off my water heater around the first of<br />

June and leave it off until the end of September.<br />

No one seems to notice/care. - I.B. WASHINCARS<br />

The folks at KR have told me that room temp<br />

water for the SS chemicals is as effective as using<br />

hot water especially with the newer chemicals on<br />

the market - and they could have sold me on a<br />

new hot water tank. When we used hot water in<br />

the winter months no customer noticed nor did<br />

they care when we switched to room temp H2O.<br />

For the IBA we have been told that hot water is<br />

beneficial for Touch-Free IBA machines to get a<br />

better outcome so we use a tankless on demand<br />

system to reduce utility costs. - ROZ<br />

I agree with Roz. We have not heated water in<br />

years. - ROBERT2181<br />

We never used Hot Water in our SS. But we definitely<br />

use it in the IBA. - WATER GUY<br />

I must be in the minority because I supply hot<br />

water for my high pressure soap in all my self service<br />

bays. It usually runs $100 per month for 4 ss<br />

bays and 2 IBA March through October. - SOAPY<br />

I quit using hot water years ago. Too expensive<br />

with very few customers noticing whether the water<br />

was hot or cold. - MEL(NC)<br />

No hot water on self serve bays. I do for the automatic<br />

presoak. Never had a customer complain.<br />

- SPARKEY<br />

I heat water for the HP and foam brush soap .<br />

I have hot and cold T’d together so I can regulate<br />

temp. The colder it is outside the warmer I make<br />

it. I also heat the weep. - EARL WEISS<br />

We have gained some customers because some<br />

of our competitors decided not to repair their<br />

boilers and run all cold water. - OURTOWN<br />

I don’t think it’s all that important to have hot<br />

... continued<br />

28 • SUMMER 2019


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SUMMER 2019 • 29


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TRICKS<br />

OF<br />

THE<br />

Come on in!<br />

The water’s hot!<br />

... continued<br />

water in a Self-Serve car wash. If you<br />

watch the average customer they only<br />

have the selector on High pressure soap<br />

for a short time, just about long enough<br />

for the hose to begin to get warm and<br />

then they switch it to foam brush. Most<br />

of the car washes in our area don’t have<br />

hot water. I have on demand water heaters,<br />

as they fail we aren’t fixing them<br />

anymore. - RANDY<br />

I’m currently cold everything - if<br />

these three solid weeks of rain don’t kill<br />

me I’m going to put an electric heater<br />

on the presoak and crank it up as high as<br />

the tubing can handle, then I’ll advertise<br />

it somehow. - MEP001<br />

I’ve had both and can tell you I make<br />

more $$$ year round having heated water.<br />

In the beginning the boiler didn’t<br />

work and I only had cold water going to<br />

the bays. When I installed the HE HTP<br />

Tank Style Heater, it paid for itself in<br />

6 months over the previous years income.<br />

People do notice. I heat soap and<br />

wax cycles and have the water heater<br />

set on 100°. The nice thing about a<br />

modulating/condensing HE design, you<br />

can run them at lower temps without<br />

it self destructing or adding a mixer. In<br />

the winter when its cold, a 100° wand<br />

feels pretty darn warm along with the<br />

steam it creates. People love it. The HE<br />

water heater is so efficient and cheap to<br />

operate, I just let it run all summer. So<br />

I guess operators using only cold water,<br />

you have to ask yourself, am I leaving<br />

$$$ on the table?! - 2BIZ<br />

I would say it isn’t necessary but it<br />

does help to melt snow and ice out of<br />

hard to reach areas like wheel wells etc...<br />

however that means you are spending<br />

extra money to heat the water just so<br />

people can spend LESS time spraying<br />

ice etc off their cars..... kind of backwards<br />

thinking if you ask me....lol if you<br />

do heat the water, I would advertise it as<br />

heated. Let people know that your water<br />

is all heated and maybe it works to<br />

convince customers your wash is somehow<br />

special, unlike the competitors.....<br />

kind of like a restaurant advertising that<br />

they have a comfortable dining room<br />

and heat and or air conditioning.... it<br />

almost implies their competitors don’t<br />

without saying it. - SPARKLECLEAN<br />

30 • SUMMER 2019


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SUMMER 2019 • 31


FOR YOUR<br />

INFORMATION<br />

OH NO…<br />

It’s OSHA News!<br />

It’s not all bad, but if you don’t already know, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration<br />

of the United States Department of Labor (OSHA) has announced the following…<br />

Businesses cited for exposure to hazardous<br />

chemicals, improper ladder safety<br />

As detailers continuously work with chemicals,<br />

and are also often on foot in slippery conditions,<br />

it is important to make sure each and every employee<br />

is safe, otherwise OSHA will hand out<br />

stiff penalties. In San Angelo, Texas, OSHA cited<br />

7 S Packing LLC – operating as Texas Packing<br />

Company for exposing workers to releases<br />

of hazardous chemicals. The company faces<br />

$615,640 in penalties.<br />

OSHA determined that the meat-packing<br />

facility failed to implement a required Process<br />

Safety Management (PSM) program for operating<br />

an ammonia refrigeration unit containing<br />

over 10,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia. The<br />

employer also failed to provide fall protection,<br />

guard machines and equipment, control hazardous<br />

energy, and implement a respiratory tion program.<br />

The PSM Covered Chemical Facilities National<br />

Emphasis Program focuses on reducing or eliminating<br />

workplace hazards at chemical facilities<br />

to protect workers from catastrophic releases of<br />

highly hazardous chemicals. PSM standards emphasize<br />

the management of hazards associated<br />

with highly hazardous chemicals, and establishes<br />

a comprehensive management program that integrates<br />

technologies, procedures, and management<br />

protecpractices<br />

to prevent an unexpected release.<br />

The company has 15 business days from receipt<br />

of the citations and penalties to comply, request<br />

an informal conference with OSHA’s area<br />

director, or contest the findings before the independent<br />

Occupational Safety and Health Review<br />

Commission.<br />

And in Tumwater, Washington, OSHA fined the<br />

Dollar Tree for repeated safety violations, including<br />

blocked emergency exit routes, unsafe ladder<br />

use and improper stacking of merchandise. A recent<br />

inspection resulted in several “repeat willful”<br />

and other violations for unsafe merchandise storage<br />

and handling, and obstructed exit routes.<br />

The $503,200 fine is also related in part to L&I<br />

finding the same safety hazards at the store during<br />

multiple visits. The violations continued even after<br />

the company was informed by an L&I inspector of<br />

the safety hazards during earlier visits and was provided<br />

specific instruction on how to improve employee<br />

safety at the store and avoid further violations.<br />

“Even after multiple large fines, it appears this<br />

company has not gotten the message to ensure<br />

their safety and health system is working in every<br />

Washington store location,” said L&I Assistant Director<br />

Anne Soiza. “This fine is one of the largest<br />

we’ve issued, and we will apply pressure to Dollar<br />

Tree until its leadership takes sustained, comprehensive<br />

steps to prevent serious hazards.”<br />

This is the third substantial L&I citation and fine<br />

involving Dollar Tree in just over a year. Since the<br />

beginning of 2017, L&I has completed 15 inspections<br />

at Dollar Tree stores after complaints and referrals<br />

about unsafe working conditions.<br />

The Virginia-based company has dozens of<br />

stores throughout Washington. Prior to this most<br />

recent citation, Dollar Tree has been fined nearly<br />

$593,000 since 2013. Last year, a store in Bonney<br />

Lake was fined $166,000 for three willful violations,<br />

and a Kelso Dollar Tree was fined $140,000<br />

for violations similar to the ones found at the Vancouver<br />

store in this recent inspection.<br />

Dollar Tree’s corporate office controls inventory<br />

for local stores, and shipments arrive frequently.<br />

Challenges with too much inventory and not<br />

enough storage space lead to high stacks of boxes,<br />

often leaning over, which cause blocked and impeded<br />

pathways and other hazards.<br />

Improperly stored merchandise can fall, resulting<br />

in serious injuries or death if the boxes strike<br />

employees or cause employees to fall, or if exits<br />

are blocked during an emergency. Lifting heavy<br />

boxes onto over-the-head stacks is also likely to<br />

cause strains and sprains or serious back injuries. In<br />

the Vancouver store, workers were also climbing<br />

on shelving units, which can result in falls.<br />

The violations are not unique to Washington.<br />

Dollar Tree locations around the country have<br />

been cited for improper stacking of merchandise<br />

boxes, mostly in their storerooms, and for blocking<br />

exits or impeding pathways.<br />

The company has now been placed in L&I’s Severe<br />

Violator Enforcement Program, which means<br />

its stores are now subject to inspections at any<br />

time, among other things.<br />

Dollar Tree has appealed this citation, and it<br />

could take several months for the appeals process<br />

to be completed.<br />

Penalty money paid as a result of a citation is<br />

placed in the workers’ compensation supplemental<br />

pension fund, helping injured workers and families<br />

of those who have died on the job.<br />

32 • SUMMER 2019


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FOR YOUR<br />

INFORMATION<br />

OH NO…<br />

It’s OSHA News!<br />

Summer’s here! Do you know the<br />

warning signs of heat exposure?<br />

According to OSHA, the following are common heat-related illnesses.<br />

HEAT STROKE: The most serious form of heat-related<br />

illness, happens when the body becomes unable to<br />

regulate its core temperature. Sweating stops and<br />

the body can no longer rid itself of excess heat. Signs<br />

include confusion, loss of consciousness, and seizures.<br />

Heat stroke is a medical emergency that may result in<br />

death! Call 911 immediately.<br />

HEAT EXHAUSTION: This is the body’s response to loss<br />

of water and salt from heavy sweating. Signs include<br />

headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness, irritability,<br />

thirst, and heavy sweating.<br />

HEAT CRAMPS: These are caused by the loss of body<br />

salts and fluid during sweating. Low salt levels in<br />

muscles cause painful cramps. Tired muscles—those<br />

used for performing the work—are usually the ones<br />

most affected by cramps. Cramps may occur during<br />

or after working hours.<br />

HEAT RASH: This is also known as prickly heat, is a<br />

skin irritation caused by sweat that does not evaporate<br />

from the skin. Heat rash is the most common<br />

problem in hot work environments.<br />

The chart on the right shows symptoms and first<br />

aid measures to take if a worker shows signs of a<br />

heat-related illness.<br />

ILLNESS SYMPTOMS FIRST AID*<br />

Heat<br />

Stroke<br />

Heat<br />

Exhaustion<br />

Heat<br />

Cramps<br />

Heat<br />

Rash<br />

• Confusion<br />

• Fainting<br />

• Seizures<br />

• Excessive sweating<br />

or red, hot, dry skin<br />

• Very high body temperature<br />

• Cool, moist skin<br />

• Heavy sweating<br />

• Headache<br />

• Nausea<br />

or vomiting<br />

• Dizziness<br />

• Muscle spasms<br />

• Pain<br />

• Usually in abdomen,<br />

arms, or legs<br />

• Light<br />

headedness<br />

• Weakness<br />

• Thirst<br />

• Irritability<br />

• Fast heartbeat<br />

• Clusters of red bumps on skin<br />

• Often appears on neck,<br />

upper chest, folds of skin<br />

• Call 911<br />

• While waiting for help:<br />

• Place worker in shady, cool area<br />

• Loosen clothing, remove outer clothing<br />

• Fan air on worker; cold packs in armpits<br />

• Wet worker with cool water; apply ice packs, cool<br />

compresses, or ice if available<br />

• Provide fluids (preferably water) as soon as possible<br />

• Stay with worker until help arrives<br />

• Have worker sit or lie down in a cool, shady area<br />

• Give worker plenty of water or other cool beverages to drink<br />

• Cool worker with cold compresses/ice packs<br />

• Take to clinic or emergency room for medical evaluation or<br />

treatment if signs or symptoms worsen or do not improve<br />

within 60 minutes.<br />

• Do not return to work that day<br />

• Have worker rest in shady, cool area<br />

• Worker should drink water or other cool beverages<br />

• Wait a few hours before allowing worker to return to<br />

strenuous work<br />

• Have worker seek medical attention if cramps don’t go away<br />

• Try to work in a cooler,<br />

less humid environment when possible<br />

• Keep the affected area dry<br />

* Remember, if you are not a medical professional, use this information as a guide only to help workers in need.<br />

REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION ON<br />

LOCKOUT/TAGOUT STANDARDS<br />

OSHA is requesting information on a possible update to the Control of<br />

Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)) standard. The Agency is interested<br />

in comments on the use of control circuit-type devices to isolate<br />

energy, as well as the evolving technology for robotics.<br />

OSHA is requesting information about how employers have been using<br />

control circuit devices, including information about the types of circuitry<br />

and safety procedures being used; limitations of their use, to determine under<br />

what other conditions control circuit-type devices could be used safely;<br />

new risks of worker exposure to hazardous energy as a result of increased<br />

interaction with robots; and whether the agency should consider changes to<br />

the LOTO standard that would address these new risks.<br />

The current LOTO standard, published in 1989, requires that all sources<br />

of energy be controlled during servicing and maintenance of machines<br />

and equipment using an energy-isolating device. The standard specifies that<br />

control circuit devices cannot be used as energy-isolating devices, but the<br />

agency recognizes recent technological advances may have improved the<br />

safety of control circuit-type devices.<br />

Comments must be submitted on or before August 18, 2019. Comments<br />

and materials may be submitted electronically at http://www.regulations.<br />

gov, the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal, or by facsimile or mail. See the Federal<br />

Register notice for submission details.<br />

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are<br />

responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees.<br />

OSHA’s role is to help ensure these conditions for America’s working<br />

men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training,<br />

education and assistance.<br />

NEW RULE WILL REVISE REQUIREMENTS<br />

IN SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS<br />

OSHA has issued a final rule that revises 14 provisions in the recordkeeping,<br />

general industry, maritime, and construction standards that may be confusing,<br />

outdated, or unnecessary. The revisions are expected to increase understanding<br />

and compliance with the provisions, improve employee safety and health,<br />

and save employers an estimated $6.1 million per year.<br />

OSHA proposed the changes in October 2016. This is the fourth final rule<br />

under OSHA’s Standards Improvement Project, which began in 1995 in response<br />

to a Presidential memorandum to improve government regulations.<br />

Other revisions were issued in 1998, 2005, and 2011.<br />

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible<br />

for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OS-<br />

HA’s role is to help ensure these conditions for America’s working men and<br />

women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education<br />

and assistance.<br />

OSHA OFFERS SUICIDE<br />

PREVENTION TIPS<br />

As National Suicide Prevention Week is just a few weeks away, taking<br />

place September 8, 2019 – September 14, 2019, OSHA wants you to know<br />

that there are many resources available all year round for those who are<br />

suffering from depression and having suicidal thoughts. OSHA wants every<br />

worker to know that If you’re in crisis, there are options available to help you<br />

cope. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at any time<br />

to speak with someone and get support. For confidential support available<br />

24/7 for everyone in the United States, call 1-800-273-8255. Or you can<br />

chat online at Online chat suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat.<br />

34 • SUMMER 2019


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SUMMER 2019 • 35


QUICK TIPS<br />

MONEY MAKING TIP<br />

The Vending Sales Formula<br />

Here’s the lowdown on L V S P R T C<br />

which stands for locations, visibility, security,<br />

reliability, time and convenience, according<br />

to Jim Holve, the vending expert behind<br />

ShurVend Vendors.<br />

“L” & “V” — LOCATION and VISIBILITY: When<br />

installing a vendor for high sales volume, the vendor<br />

should have “End Aisle” exposure for high<br />

visibility to make the customer take notice. Our<br />

experience indicates that the best vendor location<br />

is in or near the vacuum area of the wash site. A location<br />

at the end of one of the vacuum islands near<br />

the center of the vacuum grouping is preferred.<br />

“S” — SECURITY: This is priority #3 as the wash<br />

operator needs to have confidence that his/her<br />

vending products, sales, and profits are not stolen<br />

or the vendor put “Out of Service” due to vandalism.<br />

The current versions of our ShurVend security<br />

systems, which keep improving all the time, have<br />

been found to be very effective.<br />

36 • SUMMER 2019<br />

“P” — PRODUCTS: Experience over many years<br />

has proven that more product choices always produce<br />

higher sales volume in a vending center.<br />

“R” - RELIABILITY: Machines should operate<br />

24/7 and require very little attention from the owner<br />

other than collecting the money and restocking<br />

with product. The “Guaranteed Delivery” feature<br />

makes the vending experience hassle free for both<br />

the customer and the owner.<br />

“T” & “C” — TIME & CONVENIENCE: These<br />

are important to the success of a vending machine.<br />

The only unmetered time for a customer<br />

at a wash site is in the vacuum area where customers<br />

are not worried about the clock and can<br />

spend time cleaning their vehicle. When a vending<br />

product is needed, the customer will buy on “impulse”<br />

if the vendor is close by. If the vendor is<br />

not in the customer’s sight or is not readily available,<br />

the “impulse” to buy quickly fades away.<br />

That’s money left on the table by the wash operator.<br />

PROPERTY TIP<br />

What is wrong with this picture?<br />

These pictures were not taken at a car<br />

wash, but at a very popular hamburger chain<br />

that rhymes with “Nick Wonalds.” I took these<br />

pictures because I was waiting in line during<br />

lunchtime and was disturbed by what I saw.<br />

Tape? An illegible screen? A sad coiled hose?<br />

Weeds? Customers are stuck in their cars<br />

while waiting in the drive-thru line and this<br />

is the site they see. It wasn’t glaringly obvious<br />

unkemptness, but it did make me question<br />

the business manager’s commitment to<br />

quality food, quality upkeep and cleanliness.<br />

This photo was taken on June<br />

24. That is plenty of time to<br />

get the property in tiptop<br />

shape after the pollen and<br />

salt and muck of spring and<br />

winter. The manager or owner<br />

should know to clean off the<br />

POS system. Plant some grass<br />

seed. Buy new mulch. Hide<br />

the hose… you get the idea.<br />

And, for goodness sake, make<br />

a better effort that using a taped-up sign,<br />

messily clung to the screen.<br />

Curb appeal is important. It doesn’t have to<br />

break the bank and can make the difference<br />

between a one and done or a repeat customer.<br />

A few years back, the market research and<br />

consulting firm Morpace surveyed 1,000<br />

consumers. A whopping 95 percent of those<br />

surveyed said a store’s external appearance<br />

influences their decisions. Also, more than<br />

half of those surveyed said they would avoid<br />

a store if it appeared dirty on the outside. Two<br />

out of every three people<br />

also said the would not visit<br />

a store based on its outward<br />

appearance.<br />

Do you have properties<br />

you are proud of? Nice<br />

landscaping? Please share<br />

them with the readers by<br />

sending them to me at<br />

debrag@sscwn.com<br />

MARKETING TIP<br />

Keeping it Local<br />

My hometown area got a bit of the Hollywood treatment<br />

recently as Madison Vandenberg, of Latham, New York, was a<br />

top-three finalist on American Idol. Her reign as a finalist was<br />

all over the local news, on lawn signage and even our local ice<br />

cream chain made a special flavor in her name. Also, businesses<br />

would put special messages on their signage. It was a nice way<br />

to show hometown pride and also prove that a business wasn’t<br />

“setting and forgetting” their marketing initiatives.<br />

One idea for car wash signs would be to tap into local<br />

noteriety. For instance, did a local football team do well? A math<br />

team? Is someone being featured in a reality TV competition?<br />

Or make headlines for some noteworthy reason? If so, consider<br />

switching up your signage with a personalized, homespun<br />

message. Or, you can even have a professional banner made<br />

(costing anywhere from $30 to $100+) to show your local<br />

pride. The idea is that your business’s presence isn’t stale and<br />

you are taking pride in your area.<br />

SAFETY TIP<br />

Are you Prepared?<br />

Flooding season most commonly occurs between Spring and<br />

Fall. It can happen anywhere and it is important to be prepared.<br />

According to the Small Business Association (SBA), Floods are<br />

one of the most common and widespread of all disasters, and<br />

continue to grow in frequency and severity and businesses are<br />

more likely to flood than burn down, so it is vital to prepare<br />

now.<br />

The SBA also offers this checklist to follow before a flood<br />

strikes.<br />

33Review Emergency Plan with team, and key employees<br />

33Take all necessary steps to prevent the release of dangerous chemicals<br />

that might be stored on your property - locate main gas and<br />

electrical shut-offs and anchor all fuel tanks<br />

33Postpone any receipt of goods- deliveries, couriers, etc.<br />

33Contact insurance agent, discuss policy, etc.<br />

33Establish emergency communication method (Alert Notification<br />

System, phone tree,etc.); identify meeting place and time for all key<br />

employees in Crisis Management Team; create voicemail for when<br />

evacuated, or out of office, etc.<br />

33Update disaster recovery kits and begin crisis back-up procedures<br />

33Maintain accurate inventory of product on site<br />

33Use plugs to prevent flood water from backing up into sewer drains,<br />

or install flood vents/or flood proof barriers<br />

33Stay tuned to local media & community messaging<br />

After the Flood<br />

33Listen for news reports to learn whether the community’s water supply<br />

is safe to drink<br />

33Avoid floodwaters; water may be contaminated by oil, gasoline, or raw<br />

sewage - water may also be electrically charged from underground or<br />

downed power lines<br />

33Be aware of areas where floodwaters have receded, roads may have<br />

weakened and could collapse under the weight of a car<br />

33Clean and disinfect everything that got wet, mud left from floodwater<br />

can contain sewage and chemicals<br />

33Implement DR plan, and monitor local authorities’ communication<br />

33Contact employees via determined method of communication and<br />

discuss next steps<br />

33Contact your insurance agent


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SUMMER 2019 • 37


Spring<br />

2008<br />

Presenting some of the best, and most<br />

noteworthy headlines and excerpts from<br />

the Self Serve Car Wash News archives.<br />

Here are the highlights...<br />

38 • SUMMER 2019


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SUMMER 2019 • 39


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SUMMER 2019 • 41


INDUSTRY DIRT<br />

HAPPENINGS IN & AROUND<br />

SELF SERVE CARWASHING<br />

Lovegrove Electrical to<br />

distribute PDQ equipment<br />

in Western Australia<br />

PDQ Manufacturing, Inc., part of OPW Vehicle Wash Systems, announced<br />

the appointment of a new distributor for the state of Western<br />

Australia. Lovegrove Electrical, located near Perth, WA, has agreed to acquire<br />

the PDQ vehicle wash equipment distribution business from PDQ’s<br />

former WA distributor, Carwash Spares and Repairs, along with related<br />

lines, a press release stated.<br />

Lovegrove Electrical is a large,<br />

family-owned, multidiscipline contracting<br />

company delivering ‘complete<br />

confidence’ via its end-to-end<br />

solutions within the commercial, industrial, petroleum, LPG, solar and<br />

carwash industries.<br />

“PDQ is very excited to have Lovegrove as an official distributor,” Rob<br />

Lewis, PDQ’s International Sales Manager, stated in the press release. “Lovegrove’s<br />

wide array of capabilities will tremendously strengthen PDQ’s<br />

distribution capabilities in Western Australia, especially in the fuels segment.<br />

Chris Read, owner of our former distributor Carwash Spares and Repairs,<br />

leaves a strong legacy of superior customer satisfaction for Lovegrove<br />

to build upon. PDQ thanks Chris for his many years of industry service, and<br />

we welcome the Lovegrove group to the team.”<br />

“We are extremely excited to have the opportunity of working with the<br />

best vehicle wash equipment available,” said Mike Lovegrove, co-owner of<br />

Lovegrove Electrical, in the press release. “It makes our job much easier<br />

when you can approach customers and know that you are selling a very<br />

sound and proven product. We see a strong potential for growth opportunities<br />

across the state as there are some areas that are clearly under washed.”<br />

Tony Lovegrove, co-owner of Lovegrove Electrical added, “We believe that<br />

the LaserWash 360 Plus is the perfect carwash solution for our busy lifestyles.<br />

It’s quicker and gives a far superior wash than its competitors.”<br />

Belanger launches<br />

new website<br />

Belanger, a manufacturer of tunnel and in-bay automatic vehicle wash<br />

systems, has introduced a completely redesigned and improved website<br />

that’s located at belangerinc.com. The new mobile-responsive site, according<br />

to a press release, was developed to provide customers with a more<br />

user-friendly design that allows easy access to critical technical resources, as<br />

well as helpful educational materials. The new site also aligns the Belanger<br />

brand with the image standards of the newly formed OPW Vehicle Wash<br />

Solutions business unit.<br />

“Creating one effective eco-system for car wash solutions is a contributing<br />

factor to the success of our new vehicle wash brand,” said Gary Campbell,<br />

General Manager for OPW Vehicle Wash Solutions, which includes<br />

Belanger and PDQ, in a press release. “A new Belanger site that provides the<br />

same intuitive experience as our other OPW business unit pages is a major<br />

step in improving purchasing, service and education for our vehicle wash<br />

customers.”<br />

Aside from new branding and an updated design, the Belanger website<br />

houses an expansive resource library of technical guides, product literature<br />

and helpful videos for distributors to deepen their knowledge of the products<br />

and enhance customer support. To expedite and simplify the user journey,<br />

the site also features these user experience improvements:<br />

• Improved navigation featuring a more intuitive menu system<br />

• Improved search functionality to make narrowing down and finding relevant<br />

results easier<br />

• Cleaner layout that puts key content first and guides users to their desired<br />

destination in fewer clicks<br />

DRB Systems acquires<br />

Suds Creative<br />

DRB Holdings, LLC, DBA<br />

DRB Systems, a provider of<br />

technology-enabled devices<br />

and software solutions to the car wash industry, announced it has acquired<br />

Suds Creative (“Suds”), a full-service marketing agency for car wash owners<br />

and industry vendors, according to a press release.<br />

“Our mission is to help car wash operators drive growth as a trusted partner,”<br />

said Dan Pittman, CEO of DRB, in the press release. “Traditionally,<br />

we’ve done that with enterprise technology solutions, industry know-how<br />

and best-in-class support. With Suds, we can take that to the next level by<br />

providing strategic marketing solutions, that truly drive customers to the<br />

car wash. We know marketing is a success quotient to a thriving car wash<br />

and lube center, which is exactly why we are partnering with Suds.”<br />

“We’ve been working with DRB Systems for years, and this is just a natural<br />

fit,” said Jason Baumgartner, co-founder and CEO of Suds. “We’re looking<br />

forward to combining the strengths of our two organizations to help car<br />

wash operators achieve greater levels of success.”<br />

With this acquisition, DRB is adding Suds to its collection of brands in<br />

the car care industry, including: DRB Systems, Unitec, NoPileups by DRB<br />

Systems and Sage Microsystems.<br />

42 • SUMMER 2019


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INDUSTRY<br />

DIRT<br />

LSI Industries names new CCO and National Sales Manager<br />

ROSS HORTON<br />

LSI Industries Inc., of Cincinnati,<br />

Ohio, a manufacturer of outdoor<br />

and indoor lighting and graphics for<br />

commercial, industrial, and multi-site<br />

retail environments, announced new<br />

hires recently. Ross Horton has been<br />

promoted to Chief Commercial Officer<br />

for Atlas Lighting Products, a<br />

press release reported.<br />

Atlas Lighting Products joined the<br />

LSI Industries portfolio of brands in<br />

early 2017 after LSI’s acquisition of the stock of<br />

Atlas Lighting Products.<br />

Atlas Lighting Products is a North Carolina-based<br />

manufacturer of quality, energy-efficient,<br />

and fast-selling LED lighting products sold into<br />

the electrical distribution market. The company’s<br />

US manufacturing facility provides for extensive<br />

quality testing, faster delivery, and quick turnaround<br />

on both stock and special-build items.<br />

Tapping his extensive experience with both LSI<br />

and Atlas Lighting Products brands, Horton will<br />

be responsible for marketing, inside sales, customer<br />

service, and IT functions for the Atlas Lighting<br />

Products organization.<br />

“Ross Horton has been an excellent performer<br />

in multiple roles at LSI<br />

Industries and at Atlas<br />

Lighting Products, producing<br />

a series of positive<br />

outcomes wherever<br />

and whenever he<br />

gets involved,” Seth<br />

Walters, President, Atlas<br />

Lighting Products, stated<br />

in the press release. “So, we<br />

are thrilled to promote him to this<br />

new role as Chief Commercial Officer, where<br />

he’ll utilize his expertise to drive strategy alignment<br />

across commercial functions and business<br />

growth, while creating more value for our customers.<br />

LSI has also added on John Bank as a new National<br />

Sales Manager for Retail Accounts Bank<br />

will work directly with national brands and large<br />

retailers, focusing on graphics, décor and digital<br />

signage programs, a press release reported. He will<br />

bring his expertise to provide lighting, graphic,<br />

and digital signage solutions that create engaging<br />

environments, strong identities, and operational<br />

efficiencies, including energy savings from LED<br />

lighting and control products and digital displays<br />

that can reduce print costs and automate<br />

promotional schedules. Bank will also<br />

work to grow lighting product sales,<br />

and advance LSI Industries’ initiative<br />

to expand product offerings of<br />

smart tools, digital, and safety and<br />

security products to each of LSI Industries’<br />

distributors.<br />

Bank, according to the press release,<br />

has a special expertise (both print and digital)<br />

in exterior and interior signage and LED signage.<br />

Prior to joining LSI Industries, he served for 15<br />

years in senior sales positions in the sign industry<br />

with Parvin Clauss Sign Company, Jones Sign<br />

Company, Identity Group, and Kieffer Signs.<br />

“John Bank has outstanding expertise, given his<br />

background in retail signage, and he is able to offer<br />

our customers deep knowledge of lighting, graphic,<br />

and digital signage solutions and the effective<br />

integration of these elements in the built environment,”<br />

said Steve Moeglin, LSI Industries’ Director,<br />

Retail National Accounts, in the press release.<br />

“We’re thrilled that John has joined our team; he<br />

really rounds out the expertise we can bring to<br />

market, and our customers will be thrilled to have<br />

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American Changer purchases assets of<br />

Triad Design Group Incorporated<br />

American Changer Corporation announced<br />

the finalization of an Asset Purchase<br />

Agreement with Triad Design Group<br />

Incorporated, a manufacturer of Self-<br />

Serve Money Changers servicing a<br />

variety of industries, according to a<br />

press release.<br />

“Triad’s culture of providing high<br />

quality products and services, along<br />

with developing long-term relationships<br />

with customers, supports American<br />

Changer’s continued growth plan and<br />

accelerates innovative product development.<br />

This strategic Asset Purchase<br />

Agreement allows customers<br />

to benefit from increased resources<br />

and shared knowledge,” the press release<br />

stated.<br />

Products and parts for Triad changers will<br />

continue to be sold under the Triad trade name,<br />

which has been associated with developing products<br />

to meet customer needs and filling gaps in<br />

the marketplace. Triad’s principal owner, Chuck<br />

White, will join the American Changer team as<br />

National Accounts Manager following a brief<br />

transitional period. In his role as National<br />

Accounts Manager, White will focus<br />

on several projects which include ensuring<br />

relationship continuity with<br />

Triad customers, sales growth in new<br />

and existing markets, and product<br />

development.<br />

Products and services will be provided<br />

from American Changer’s manufacturing<br />

and corporate center in Fort Lauderdale,<br />

Florida. The absorption of<br />

Triad’s product line into American<br />

Changer’s expanding portfolio will<br />

be supported by American Changer’s<br />

dedicated and experienced team<br />

members.<br />

The acquisition unites three of the<br />

most reputable brands of money changers<br />

in the world – Triad, Rowe and American Changer.<br />

INDUSTRY<br />

Kleen-Rite acquires<br />

Kim Supply<br />

DIRT<br />

Kleen-Rite Corporation of Columbia, Pennsylvania,<br />

is pleased to announce it is acquiring the<br />

assets of Kim Supply.<br />

Based in Kansas City, Missouri, Kim Supply<br />

has been a staple carwash distributor for generations.<br />

Its strategic location and knowledgeable staff<br />

combined with Kleen-Rite’s inventory and pricing<br />

power is sure to be a winning combination for car<br />

wash operators in the Midwest region of the United<br />

States, a press release states.<br />

Kleen-Rite aims to offer fasting shipping times<br />

to the majority of its existing customers.<br />

“It’s all about providing exceptional customer<br />

service,” says Jeff Detz, Kleen-Rite Chief<br />

Operating Officer. “We can service a greater customer<br />

base and offer 1-2-day ship points to most<br />

of the lower 48 continental states.”<br />

The deal is expected to close in the second quarter<br />

of 2019.<br />

MORE CUSTOMERS.<br />

MORE REVENUE.<br />

LESS EFFORT.<br />

ANY WASH<br />

No matter your equipment,<br />

we work with just about any<br />

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through credit or loyalty<br />

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With one location or<br />

hundreds, tie all your data<br />

together to make managing<br />

your wash a breeze.<br />

651-439-5740 | washcard.com<br />

SUMMER 2019 • 47


EXTRA!<br />

EXTRA!<br />

Presenting the news stories featuring self serves car washes<br />

48 • SUMMER 2019<br />

Car wash praised<br />

for sunflower fields<br />

A self serve car wash in Chester County, Pennsylvania,<br />

is gaining quite the exposure and praise<br />

for its thousands of sunflowers. According to NBC<br />

Philadelphia, the sunflowers attract tens of thousands<br />

of people each year. Please Wash Me owner<br />

Rick Frey said in the story, “People drive up to sunflowers<br />

and as soon as they see them their eyes are<br />

big, and everybody smiles.”<br />

The first batch bloomed the last week of July.<br />

Frey estimated that last year people drove to the<br />

car wash from different states and countries just to<br />

see the sunflowers. He told NBC that people come<br />

to take wedding pictures, pregnancy and newborn<br />

photos and family portraits. “Some people bring<br />

their dogs, cats, pigs, horses, cows, Guinea pigs and<br />

other animals for pictures.”<br />

Frey’s wife, Joey Frey, who is in charge of the<br />

car wash’s Facebook page had to start a Sunflower<br />

Update series to appease the countless messages<br />

she received, asking about the sunflowers. “We’re<br />

always excited,” Rick Frey said in the story. “On<br />

the weekends it can get a little crazy.”<br />

Frey, who has owned the self serve for 15 years,<br />

said he planted the sunflowers nine years ago because<br />

people said they didn’t notice his business and<br />

it was tanking. The sunflower field is free for people<br />

of all ages to visit and walk through and there is a<br />

ramp for handicap people, reported NBC.<br />

New self serve going up next<br />

to an Aldi’s in Virginia<br />

Councilmembers in Leesburg, Virginia, voted<br />

to approve plans for an ALDI grocery store,<br />

gas station with a self-service car wash, a standalone<br />

car wash, a tire shop, and buildings for retail<br />

and restaurant uses. A story in the Loudoun<br />

Times-Mirror stated that, at press time, four of the<br />

buildings have signed leases, including ALDI, the<br />

stand-alone car wash and the gas station with the<br />

self-service car wash.<br />

Developer Peterson Companies worked with<br />

the Board of Architectural Review and the Planning<br />

Commission to refine the application, and<br />

most of the council approved of the buildings’<br />

style, the story said. Councilwoman Suzanne Fox<br />

stated in the story, “When I looked at the renderings,<br />

they were beautiful. I liked them.”<br />

Councilmember Tom Dunn voiced concerns<br />

about their being two kinds of car washes within<br />

close proximity. Molly Novotny, a representative<br />

of Peterson Companies, responded that the final<br />

design, including any tweaks to the architecture,<br />

are under development. Plans are for the businesses<br />

to be open by spring 2021.<br />

A new car wash is<br />

coming to Sioux Falls<br />

A Clean Ride Auto Spa is currently under construction<br />

in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and will<br />

include both full-service and self-service car wash<br />

options and a coffee shop.<br />

According to the Argus Leader, owner and partner<br />

Dave Dreessen wants to create af lex-service<br />

model.<br />

The wash should be open this fall. Dreessen is<br />

one of five local families which invested in the<br />

business. He and other founders wanted a higher<br />

level of car wash in the city, according to the story.<br />

Details for the coffee shop have not yet been<br />

revealed, but the article stated that Coffea brand<br />

coffee will be served.<br />

Did you celebrate<br />

National Car Wash Day?<br />

Starting last year on July 14, a day was officially<br />

carved out for car washing. Known as the National<br />

Car Wash Day, thanks to Bentley Brandon of<br />

Smyrna, Georgia, the day has grown in momentum<br />

and is now officially recognized in multiple<br />

states. Brandon, who worked tirelessly to make the<br />

day happen, also holds the Guiness Book of World<br />

Records title for most washed cars by an individual.<br />

According to his website, “on Sunday, September<br />

16, 2018, Bentley Brandon etched his place<br />

in the [history]. He established a new Guinness<br />

World Record by washing 101 cars in 8 hours by<br />

himself.” The previous record was 55 cars.<br />

New wash in South Carolina<br />

caters to female customers<br />

A new automatic car wash is coming to Rosewood,<br />

and it’s geared to women.<br />

The new Rosewood Express Car Wash is currently<br />

under construction in Rosewood, South<br />

Carolina, and is being designed for the female demographic,<br />

according to The State, the car wash<br />

is going up across from the University of South<br />

Carolina track and field facility. The lot is notable<br />

because of the huge retaining wall that was built<br />

to level the property, according to the story.<br />

Owner George Renard said the car wash is “designed<br />

to be inviting to young female customers —<br />

especially University of South Carolina students<br />

— who don’t want to use a self-service car wash<br />

or pony up the bucks for a full service car wash or<br />

detail shop,” the story said.<br />

The car wash is slated to be open before the<br />

school year begins.


SUMMER 2019 • 49


INNOVATIONS<br />

INTRODUCING NEW AND IMPROVED PRODUCTS AND<br />

SERVICES FOR SELF SERVE CAR WASHES<br />

New website<br />

from Belanger<br />

Belanger has introduced a completely redesigned and improved website<br />

that’s located at<br />

belangerinc.com. The new mobile-responsive site was developed to provide<br />

customers with a more user-friendly design that allows easy access to critical<br />

technical resources, as well as helpful educational materials. The new site also<br />

aligns the Belanger brand with the image standards of the newly formed OPW<br />

Vehicle Wash Solutions business unit.<br />

“Creating one effective eco-system for car wash solutions is a contributing<br />

factor to the success of our new vehicle wash brand,” said Gary Campbell, General<br />

Manager for OPW Vehicle Wash<br />

Solutions, which includes Belanger and PDQ. “A new Belanger site that provides<br />

the same intuitive experience as our other OPW business unit pages is a<br />

major step in improving purchasing, service and education for our vehicle wash<br />

customers.”<br />

Aside from new branding and an updated design, the Belanger website<br />

houses an expansive resource library of technical guides, product literature and<br />

helpful videos for distributors to deepen their knowledge of the products and<br />

enhance customer support. To expedite and simplify the user journey, the site<br />

also features these<br />

user experience improvements:<br />

• Improved navigation featuring a more intuitive menu system<br />

• Improved search functionality to make narrowing down and<br />

• finding relevant results easier<br />

• Cleaner layout that puts key content first and guides users<br />

• to their desired destination in fewer clicks<br />

Lighting for harsh<br />

environments from G&G<br />

G&G Industrial Lighting has announced the release of the new VPX<br />

Industrial Vaporsealed LED Linear, a low-profile, waterproof solution for<br />

harsh environments. The VPX is driverless, seamless and IP68 rated. Its<br />

compact 1” round housing is permanently sealed and requires<br />

no assembly. This vaportight reduces the risk of failure by more than<br />

80% in comparison to traditional models.<br />

The VPX was derived from a need for a high efficiency vaportight that<br />

is able to withstand prolonged exposure to harsh environments without<br />

the need for assembly or maintenance. A seamless extruded housing provides<br />

IP68 ingress protection along with excellent chemical and UV resistance<br />

without the use of clips, gaskets or seals. By creating a completely<br />

sealed housing, the VPX prevents any risk of water intrusion and will not<br />

collect debris. By also eliminating the need for a traditional LED driver,<br />

VPX is able to connect directly to AC line voltage to drive the LEDs,<br />

resulting in higher efficiency, smaller size, longer life and greater reliability.<br />

By removing the power source, the overall size of the fixture is significantly<br />

decreased, resulting in a much smaller footprint with a lumen density<br />

of 150 lumens per cubic inch. The VPX incorporates the highest quality<br />

components and the latest LED technology to achieve an efficiency of<br />

over 120 lumens per watt and 1250 lumens per foot.<br />

G&G’s lighting products are proudly Made in America, all of which<br />

are engineered, tested, manufactured, assembled and shipped from one<br />

facility in Clifton Park, New York.<br />

Regulating valve<br />

from General Pump<br />

General Pump is now offering a patent-pending<br />

CWR4525, a proprietary regulating valve for vehicle<br />

wash applications. The CWR4525 is specifically<br />

designed to handle higher flows of up to 45 GPM and<br />

pressures up to 2,500 PSI, making it especially perfect<br />

for General Pump’s HTCK Series pumps.<br />

Completely made in the USA, this valve also<br />

features a grease zerk to keep the piston and seals<br />

lubricated, multiple connections for easy installation<br />

and is ideal for use in rollover carwashes. This unique<br />

regulator protects against pressure spikes and regulates<br />

pressure variations.<br />

High foaming<br />

presoak from CSI ®<br />

CSI ® has introduced the all new Ultra Presoak UF224, an ultra concentrated<br />

high foaming presoak designed for high performance cleaning.<br />

This is an ultra-concentrated high performance all-in-one liquid alkaline<br />

presoak for all types of car washes. UF224 was developed with unique<br />

surfactant matrix, organic builder, and powerful<br />

Solvent. The ideal ratio of surfactant/builder/solvent offers an attractive<br />

foam presentation for customer appeal and economics.<br />

This product has great compatibility to other alkaline products, surfactant<br />

blends, and extenders utilizing it in various environments. It has proven<br />

to be very effective in overcoming some water hardness and continuing<br />

to perform at a high level. It is perfect for touchless automatics, presoak<br />

arches, prep guns in tunnel applications, and presoak and high-pressure<br />

soap in self-serve car washes.<br />

50 • SUMMER 2019


SUMMER 2019 • 51


www.manniwashsystems.com<br />

1-800-552-4492<br />

1131 Greensburg Road • Lower Burrell, PA 15068 • Phone 724.337.8255 • Fax 724.337.8554<br />

THE HI TECH CAR WASH SYSTEM<br />

IS BACK AND STRONGER THAN EVER!<br />

All Turbo Wash<br />

units come with<br />

the Rear Blaster!<br />

Top Reasons to buy a<br />

TURBO WASH<br />

Touch Free<br />

In-Bay Automatic<br />

The WORLD’S finest self service automatic continues to set the<br />

standards for CLEAN CARS and HIGH PRODUCTION.<br />

While our competitors claim their equipment is high tech<br />

because of its good looks and aesthetics that does not mean it<br />

will make you successful in the car wash business.<br />

This business is all about clean cars and happy customers. It is<br />

not about having the prettiest equipment.<br />

High volume car washes that can deliver clean, shiny cars need<br />

to be a “WORK HORSE”, and that is what the TURBO WASH is<br />

often called. In fact, there are more units of the TURBO WASH<br />

basic design that are 10, 20 even 30 years old that are still out<br />

there washing cars. What other manufacturer can make that<br />

statement?<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

Clean cars! Better than any other touch free<br />

Available to fit in existing bays easily<br />

Simplicity of operation<br />

Extensive use of Stainless Steel<br />

Highest quality components throughout<br />

High production – you wash more cars<br />

Will STILL be running when you make your<br />

last payment<br />

UL approved electrical throughout<br />

52 • SUMMER 2019


The Total Self-Service Package<br />

1200-1500 psi • 3 hp • 3 phase Available up to 8 Bays.<br />

SIX BAY WASH MODULE·UL Listed<br />

Includes: Soap • Wax • Rinse • Pre-Soak • Foaming Tire Cleaner and Foaming Brush<br />

Standard Features<br />

• Stainless Steel Frame Construction<br />

• Stainless Steel Holding Tanks<br />

• Stainless Steel 360 o Boom<br />

• Stainless Steel 180 o Brush Boom<br />

• Stainless Steel Coin Box (vault ready)<br />

• Coin Box Heaters<br />

• Electronic Coin Acceptors<br />

• Digital Readout Timers<br />

• Motor Starters with Overload Protectors<br />

• Low Pressure Air Pumps<br />

• Trigger Gun and Hose Assembly<br />

• Hogs Hair Foaming Brush<br />

• Automatic High Pressure Weep<br />

• Roof Trough Manifold<br />

• All High Pressure and Low Pressure<br />

Hoses and fittings<br />

• 100 KVA Transformer Per Bay<br />

• Stainless Steel Pre-Soak Pump<br />

• Sign Package<br />

• Wire from Coin Box to Panel<br />

• U.L. Listed Control Panel<br />

Call us for our Special Pricing on Upgrading your Present Equipment<br />

Check us out on the Web: www.manniwashsystems.com<br />

Manni’s Wash Module<br />

Manni's 1131 GREENSBURG ROAD • LOWER BURRELL, PA 15068<br />

WASH SYSTEMS 724-337-8255 800-552-4492 Fax: 724-337-8554<br />

SUMMER 2019 • 53


FUN&GAMES<br />

Think these two pictures taken at a self serve car wash are the same?<br />

Think again! There are six differences. Can you spot them all?<br />

5. $1 and $5 is $10 and $20<br />

6. Row in vending machine is missing<br />

3. Garbage can hole is larger<br />

4. Vending machine is longer<br />

Answers:<br />

1. There are two fragrance trees<br />

2. Flag is missing<br />

WHAT’S<br />

DIFFERENT?<br />

SAY THAT AGAIN?<br />

If you want to impress your customers with your worldly<br />

language skills, you can start by learning how to say “car wash”<br />

in various languages. We will help in getting you started by<br />

presenting you with various ways “car wash” is said across the<br />

globe. Can you guess each dialect? Answers are below.<br />

Answers<br />

1. Turkish<br />

2. Portuguese<br />

3. Polish<br />

4. German<br />

5. Albanian<br />

6. Hungarian<br />

7. Samoan<br />

8. Welsh<br />

9. Finnish<br />

10. Latin<br />

1. oto yikama<br />

2. lavagem de carros<br />

3. myjnia samochodowa<br />

4. waschanlage<br />

5. larje makine<br />

6. autómosó<br />

7. fufulu taavale<br />

8. golchi ceir<br />

9. autopesu<br />

10. currus lava<br />

54 • SUMMER 2019


SUPPORTOUR<br />

ADVERTISERS<br />

SUMMER 2019 • 55


2019<br />

CALENDAR<br />

OF EVENTS<br />

AUG 21-22<br />

WCA AT DISNEYLAND<br />

Anaheim, CA<br />

www.wcwa.org<br />

AUG 28<br />

CONNECTICUT<br />

CARWASH<br />

ASSOCIATION<br />

GOLF CLASSIC<br />

Fairview Farm Golf Course<br />

Harwinton, CT<br />

Wewashcars.com<br />

SEP 9<br />

NECA GOLF OUTING<br />

Brookmeadow<br />

Country Club<br />

Canton, Massachusetts<br />

www.newenglandcarwash.org<br />

SEP 23-25<br />

NORTHEAST<br />

REGIONAL CARWASH<br />

CONVENTION<br />

Atlantic City Convention Center<br />

Atlantic City, New Jersey<br />

www.nrccshow.com<br />

OCT 10<br />

SPLASH!<br />

Mirage Hotel, Las Vegas<br />

www.carwash.org<br />

Association News<br />

ICA to host Splash!, anncounces scholarship winner<br />

The International Carwash Association will be<br />

hosting its Splash! event this fall. Designed for a<br />

powerful community experience, Splash! is a condensed<br />

conference so you can get in, gain an edge,<br />

and get back to your business to put all your new<br />

knowledge into action. You also won’t find any<br />

equipment on display as Splash! is all about the<br />

people, according to the ICA. People will gather<br />

“in one big room and in less than 24 hours, you’ll<br />

get everything you need to stay competitive and<br />

profitable: industry connections, education, inspiration,<br />

and practical tools and strategies.”<br />

For just $99, Splash! provides:<br />

• Insightful educational presentations<br />

• Engaging tabletop discussions<br />

• Solutions from 50+ vendors<br />

• New ideas and connections with attendees from<br />

across the country<br />

PLUS, join in on the Las Vegas Western Carwash<br />

Association Roadshow and tour local washes<br />

before Splash begins Oct. 10.<br />

Every half hour, the program alternates between<br />

stage presentations and networking opportunities,<br />

including:<br />

• Wash Talks are educational stage presentations.<br />

• Windshield Time is a rare opportunity to meet<br />

directly with exhibitors intent on solving your car<br />

wash-related problems.<br />

• Table Topics offer unique, table-specific topics<br />

for small groups to discuss.<br />

The ICA is also pleased to announce the recipient<br />

of its 2019 Larry Harrell Scholarship. Michael<br />

Trentini is a Greensboro, North Carolina, native,<br />

who graduated from Greensboro Day School<br />

NRCC details announced<br />

Those looking to attend this year’s Northeast<br />

Regional Carwash Convention (NRCC) from September<br />

23-25 in Atlantic City, can now book their<br />

room at the Borgota Hotel Casino & Spa. Using<br />

the group code GBCAR19, the room block cut-off<br />

date is September 6.<br />

A few of the features of this event, according<br />

to a press release, are:<br />

• Keynoter Moo Moo’s John Roush: Learn how to think<br />

out of the box and create a brand like no other!<br />

WCA is going to Disneyland!<br />

The Western Carwash Association (WCA) is hosting<br />

an event at Disneyland where attendees will<br />

tour car washes, learn the fundamentals of being a<br />

car wash manager, and connect with peers in the car<br />

wash industry. The two-day event will be held August<br />

21-22 at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.<br />

The event will include:<br />

• Car Wash Manager Fundamentals Course | Wednesday,<br />

August 21st | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.<br />

Effective teams are the core of every successful<br />

car wash organization. Ensuring that your managers<br />

have the right skills to build and maintain<br />

and will attend the University of North Carolina<br />

at Chapel Hill in the fall.<br />

According to the ICA, Trentini spent his junior<br />

and senior years as an employee at Autobell<br />

Car Wash, also in Greensboro, and attributes a<br />

fellow employee, Matt Ryan, for teaching him a<br />

valuable life lesson.<br />

“What I learned from Matt is about far more<br />

than welcoming me to the Autobell team; it’s<br />

about recognizing when someone feels like an outsider<br />

in any situation and making them feel welcome<br />

with kindness and a smile,” he said in a press<br />

release. “Ever since I met Matt Ryan, I keep my eye<br />

out for new employees at work, lonely students at<br />

school, or even my friends who are having a bad<br />

day, and I try to let them know that they aren’t<br />

alone, just as Matt did to me.”<br />

Each year, to encourage the pursuit of a college<br />

education, the International Carwash Association<br />

presents a $1,000 Larry Harrell Scholarship<br />

to a deserving recipient. Recipients are selected on<br />

the basis of high school standing, leadership roles,<br />

community involvement, honors and response to<br />

the 500-word essay.<br />

Eligibility requirements:<br />

• Recipient must be an employee, or direct family<br />

members of employees, of an International Carwash<br />

Association member.<br />

• Must be a graduating high school senior, or have<br />

graduated in the past three years;<br />

• Must be enrolled (or will enroll) at an accredited<br />

post-secondary educational institution;<br />

• Not be the owner, or a direct family member of<br />

the owner, of the member location.<br />

• The “Virtual Carwash Tour” is Back! We’ll get inside<br />

some innovative washes—virtually: This event was<br />

standing room only last year!<br />

• 320+ Exhibits<br />

• Welcome Reception at The Water Club sponsored by<br />

Innovative Control Systems<br />

• Exceptional Educational Programming<br />

• Limitless Networking<br />

• Opportunities to win big at the Borgata<br />

effective teams will guarantee future success. This<br />

course will provide car wash managers the fundamental<br />

skills needed to effectively manage staff<br />

within their organization.<br />

• Roadshow & Annual Membership Meeting | Thursday,<br />

August 22nd | 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.<br />

Gain insight into the industry by touring some of<br />

Orange County’s finest car washes! Featuring a keynote<br />

presentation by Doug Lipp, Author of Disney U.<br />

Those attending are encouranged to stay at Disney’s<br />

Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.<br />

56 • SUMMER 2019


From startup to ongoing success,<br />

we’ll be a partner you can trust.<br />

• CAREFUL SITE SELECTION<br />

• SMART FINANCING OPTIONS<br />

• INDUSTRY LEADING EQUIPMENT<br />

• SUPERIOR SERVICE & TECHNICIANS<br />

• PARTS, SUPPLIES & CHEMICALS<br />

• PROVEN MARKETING SUPPORT<br />

www.hcws.com<br />

Harrell’s Northeast<br />

Littleton, Massachusetts<br />

866-343-6680<br />

Washtech - Mid Atlantic<br />

Charlottesville, Virginia<br />

800-448-4735<br />

Harrell’s Midwest<br />

Indianapolis, Indiana<br />

800-274-2777<br />

Harrell’s Heartland<br />

Johnston, Iowa<br />

800-289-8098<br />

SUMMER 2019 • 57


Association News<br />

NECA awards five scholarships<br />

The New England Carwash Association<br />

(NECA) has awarded five, $1,000 scholarships, including<br />

the first Thomas Rando Memorial Scholarship.<br />

Since the program’s inception in 2011,<br />

NECA has awarded $22,000 in scholarships to<br />

very deserving young people.<br />

The 2019 winners include...<br />

• Tommi Bonomo, whose mother works for AutoShine<br />

of New England, will be attending Southern CT State<br />

University and studying psychology.<br />

• Trevor Koppy, whose father works for Triple Play Car<br />

Wash, will be attending UMass Boston and studying<br />

biochemistry.<br />

• Cally Seidel, whose mother works for National<br />

Ticket, will be attending Bloomsburg University and<br />

studying psychology.<br />

• Julia Simons, whose father works for RoJo, will be<br />

attending Bridgewater State University and considering<br />

a variety of career options.<br />

Michael Connolly, who has been working for<br />

Sandwich Car Wash while studying economics<br />

at Cape Cod Community College, is the Thomas<br />

Rando Memorial Scholarship winner. Michael<br />

works 25 hours/week at the carwash plus attends<br />

college full time, is his class president and performs<br />

community service. Our Scholarship Committee<br />

was very impressed by his drive and determination.<br />

He is a young man who has exhibited<br />

exceptional initiative.<br />

Anyone who works for a NECA member<br />

company or is an immediate relation to someone<br />

who works for a NECA member company may<br />

apply for a scholarship. 2020 applications will be<br />

available next January.<br />

IDA forms new chapter<br />

The International Detailing Association (IDA)<br />

has recently welcomed two new chapters to its<br />

fold: India and France. The introduction of these<br />

chapters follows a significant revamp to the IDA<br />

Chapter program.<br />

According to a press release, when the program<br />

was first established in March 2016, three<br />

chapters were quickly formed by May of the following<br />

year: United Kingdom, Norway, and New<br />

Zealand. However, it would be nearly another two<br />

years before the next chapter came to be in India.<br />

The IDA Chapter Development Committee,<br />

which was officially formed in January 2019 with<br />

Board Member Jason Rose, CD-SV, RT, at the helm,<br />

is working to promote the international Chapter<br />

program by facilitating the formation of new<br />

chapters. The committee will focus on optimizing<br />

the engagement and results of existing chapters,<br />

through efforts such as quarterly progress meetings<br />

and a mentorship program. The committee also set<br />

goals for its inaugural year, including an objective to<br />

establish four new chapters. With the addition of<br />

India and France, the committee is right on pace to<br />

reach its goal by the end of the year.<br />

India, the first new chapter, received IDA<br />

Board approval in April 2019. The chapter’s formation<br />

comes not only at a good time for the IDA, but<br />

also at an important time for the detailing industry<br />

in India, which has begun increasing exponentially.<br />

IDA President Jonathan Munsell, CD, will be<br />

traveling abroad in July 2019 to continue strengthening<br />

bonds with our existing chapters in Europe.<br />

He is planning to visit the UK, Norway, and the<br />

IDA’s newest chapter in France “to show support<br />

and help build awareness of chapters and the IDA.”<br />

Munsell will also be facilitating Meet and<br />

Greets and IDA certification, as he will be in the<br />

UK the weekend of Waxstock, Europe’s largest car<br />

care event. After a brief hiatus in 2018, the IDA<br />

will once again be represented at the show with<br />

a Certification Event – Phase I (CD), coordinated<br />

by the UK Chapter. This tradeshow presence<br />

fits nicely into the Chapter Development Committee’s<br />

goal of supporting the chapters’ efforts<br />

to maximize participation in the larger detailing<br />

industry in their area.<br />

The IDA currently has five active chapters, with<br />

members in 56 countries and territories across the<br />

globe. If you’re interested in setting up a chapter in<br />

your country or region, please email info@the-ida.<br />

com to request a copy of the “How to Form a New<br />

IDA Chapter” packet. You can also find out more<br />

about the requirements and the process of forming<br />

a chapter by visiting the-ida.com/Chapters.<br />

Australian Car Wash Association talks water restricitons, new wage rates<br />

The Australian Car Wash Association (ACWA)<br />

is warning its members of potential water restrictions<br />

and also sharing important information<br />

about wage rate increases.<br />

Between 2006 and 2008 drought conditions<br />

hit Australia and government authorities moved to<br />

stop car washing, according to a press release. The<br />

ACWA accepted the challenge and on behalf of<br />

car wash owners across Australia, the Association’s<br />

tireless work and political lobbying saw the industry<br />

avoid a wide-ranging closedown.<br />

• After a long, dry summer and autumn again<br />

this year and with water restrictions already<br />

legislated in areas including Sydney, the car<br />

wash industry looks set to face the financial<br />

impact of widespread water restrictions, the<br />

ACWA stated. After providing input into Sydney<br />

Water’s drought management plan and negotiating<br />

for car washing to receive an exclusion,<br />

ACWA received a water restriction “Fact Sheet”<br />

from Sydney Water. On the “Fact Sheet,” a drive<br />

through car washing was listed as a specific<br />

exclusion from restrictions.<br />

Subsequent to this, and without warning, the<br />

“Fact Sheet” was replaced with a different publication<br />

on the Sydney Water website which not only reverses<br />

their position on exclusion for commercial car washing,<br />

it encourages the environmentally damaging notion<br />

of home driveway washing, the ACWA stated.<br />

On behalf of the car wash industry, ACWA<br />

has urgently reengaged with Sydney Water in an<br />

endeavour to have the decision reviewed ACWA<br />

has been advised there will be a three-month grace<br />

period before fines apply. Fines won’t be issued<br />

until after 1 September 2019.<br />

“This is a critical issue for Sydney and other<br />

regionally based car wash operators and ACWA<br />

will keep members apprised of the outcome of our<br />

negotiations. CWA is asking our Sydney and NSW<br />

members to bear with us as we attempt to resolve<br />

the situation. At the same time, the ACWA Water<br />

Subcommittee is engaged with SEQ Water as well<br />

as water authorities in Melbourne, who are also<br />

closely monitoring dam levels ahead of considering<br />

their position on imposing water restrictions.”<br />

The ACWA said it will continue to work on behalf<br />

of members but to do this we need continued<br />

support through membership subscriptions.<br />

The ACWA also provided its members with a<br />

free annual wage rate analysis provided by the Association’s<br />

Industrial Relations experts, Employment<br />

Services & Solutions Australia (ESSA).<br />

The Fair Work Commission handed down the<br />

2019-20 Annual Wage Review Decision in June<br />

2019 and the 3% increase has effect from the first<br />

full pay period commencing on or after July 1 2019.<br />

Members are reminded that all car wash operator<br />

employers are obliged to comply with minimum<br />

wage and/or Award obligations and there are severe<br />

penalties for non-compliance, the ACWA stated.<br />

It is anticipated that members seeking to clarify<br />

wage rates or get general information about agreement<br />

making and termination can obtain such advice<br />

without charge. So, if you are a paid-up member<br />

and require assistance simply call the ACWA HELP-<br />

LINE and ask for Graham Lilleyman or Monica Vu.<br />

58 • SUMMER 2019


Prices from<br />

Coast to Coast<br />

See what other self serves<br />

from across the country are charging in the bays*<br />

*The following information was submitted through CarwashForum.com posts as well as car wash website data.<br />

DEEP SOUTH<br />

LOUISIANA:<br />

$1.50 FOR 3 MINS.<br />

CC IS $3 FOR 6 MINS<br />

WESTERN LOUISIANA:<br />

$2 FOR 3:45 MINS.<br />

SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA:<br />

$1.25 FOR 4 MINS.<br />

WESTERN<br />

MASSACHUSETTS:<br />

$3 FOR 3:12 MINS.<br />

NORTH CENTRAL<br />

OHIO:<br />

$1.75 FOR<br />

3:50 MINS.<br />

CINCINNATI:<br />

$3 FOR 4 MINS.<br />

CLEVELAND:<br />

$3 FOR 3.5 MINS.<br />

EASTERN SHORE<br />

OF DELAWARE/<br />

MARYLAND:<br />

$6 FOR 30 MINS.<br />

EASTERN TEXAS:<br />

$2.50 FOR 4 MINS.<br />

HOUSTON,<br />

TEXAS:<br />

$1.50 FOR 4 MINS.<br />

WASHINGTON<br />

STATE:<br />

$2.50 FOR 3.5 MINS.<br />

WESTERN<br />

MICHIGAN:<br />

$2 FOR 3:30 MINS.<br />

CC IS $3 FOR 5:24 MINS<br />

(27 SEC/QUARTER<br />

EITHER WAY)<br />

LAS VEGAS:<br />

$3 FOR 5 MINS. SOUTHERN<br />

CALIFORNIA:<br />

OMAHA,<br />

NEBRASKA:<br />

$3 FOR 5 MINS.<br />

MONTANA:<br />

$3 FOR 4 MINS.<br />

$4 FOR 4 MINS.,<br />

$5 FOR 5,<br />

$6 FOR 6 & $7 FOR 10<br />

CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS:<br />

$3.75 FOR 4:30 MINS.<br />

WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS:<br />

$3 FOR 3:30 MINS.<br />

NORTH/CENTRAL<br />

FLORIDA:<br />

$3 FOR 5 MINS.<br />

(CC AND ACSH SAME PRICE)<br />

CENTRAL<br />

IOWA:<br />

$3.50 FOR 5 MINS.<br />

NORTHERN<br />

KENTUCKY:<br />

$4 FOR 5 MINS.<br />

CENTRAL KENTUCKY:<br />

$2 FOR 4 MINS.<br />

NORTHEAST<br />

PENNSYLVANIA:<br />

$3 FOR 4 MINS.<br />

SOUTHEAST<br />

MINNESOTA:<br />

$2 FOR 4 MINS.<br />

ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA:<br />

WESTERN<br />

ROCKY<br />

$3 FOR 5 MIN.<br />

OREGON:<br />

MOUNTAINS:<br />

CC IS $6 FOR 10 MINS.<br />

$5 FOR 5 MINS. $3 FOR 4 MINS.<br />

OUTSIDE PHILADELPHIA:<br />

$3 FOR 4 MINS<br />

SUMMER 2019 • 59


Cwguy.com’s<br />

‘Random Thoughts’<br />

How self serves can learn from<br />

the express serve model<br />

By Eric Wilson<br />

Can self service car washes learn something from flex and express washes?<br />

No way! (Just kidding). You can learn something<br />

from almost anything if you want to.<br />

A long time ago Marc (the former Southeast Car<br />

Wash Association/SECWA association manager)<br />

built an express wash in Albertville, Alabama. It<br />

was originally built with two entry units. Apparently,<br />

after a couple months they realized, after<br />

lots of complaints, that they needed to pull one of<br />

the entry units and replace it with a cashier stand.<br />

The other day while washing my wife’s car,<br />

we went to Anthony’s flex service in Hoover,<br />

Alabama. I have been to this location before. It<br />

was newly renovated from a full service wash and<br />

previously had two entry units just like the Albertville<br />

express. Well, the last time we went to<br />

the flex wash they had pulled one of their portals<br />

and replaced it with a cashier stand also.<br />

What do these two express washes have in common?<br />

Even though both entry units had talking<br />

prompts (actual virtual people in both cases),<br />

virtual buttons, barcodes, RFID, credit cards, accepted<br />

all currency, etc.) both locations still had<br />

issues. The units were causing delays and were<br />

overly complex for some customers who weren’t<br />

familiar with the lingo, etc. etc. For flex and express<br />

washes they depend on large throughput<br />

and they cannot afford delays. So, having a well<br />

run and easy-to-use entry unit is vital.<br />

We should also look at this issue for our own self<br />

serve car wash industry. Do we really need a complex<br />

system for selling four washes? Sometimes and<br />

overly complex menu can overwhelm a customer.<br />

Just look at a new push button meter box...<br />

then just think about how you would find that<br />

many functions to fill all the buttons. Do you really<br />

need bumper cleaner, engine cleaner and tire<br />

cleaner? Or four stops? This is the same problem<br />

with the entry units. A complex interaction can<br />

be done through the entry unit, but sometimes<br />

explaining or interacting with customers is necessary,<br />

which is why owners switch to a cashier.<br />

Even a phone number to conduct business or an<br />

attendant at peak hours can be sufficient for a self<br />

service wash.<br />

This can really be an issue with your entry system’s<br />

interface design: How the customer interfaces<br />

with the entry unit and how you accept their<br />

payment. This process needs to involve the least<br />

amount of steps and delays as possible. Luckily, in<br />

the self service industry we are selling less items,<br />

which automatically makes the process simpler.<br />

I talk and see owners that make this process<br />

overly complex all the time. You just need to<br />

think about the process you are trying to achieve<br />

and in what order.<br />

1) Accept money (are you accepting<br />

credit cards? all dollar amounts?)<br />

2). Make a wash selection.<br />

Then look at your entry unit. Are there items<br />

distracting the customer? Is there a refund button<br />

you disabled? Other buttons or displays you do not<br />

use? Do you accept all currencies? If you do not<br />

use some of the functions on the entry unit they<br />

are just distracting customers and really need to<br />

be covered up. Also look at the graphics. Is it an<br />

advertisement for a different company? (Manufacturer<br />

of the system for example.) Shouldn’t useful<br />

information for your customers be there instead?<br />

Instructions on where to start? Arrows maybe? Easy<br />

to understand wording?<br />

A cheap solution would be to make custom stickers<br />

along with lexan faceplates to help block unused<br />

buttons or holes. It would help your entry unit be<br />

more useful and easier to use for your customers. It<br />

should also help speed the entry process up, which<br />

makes you more money. Customer feedback may<br />

also help if you are considering any changes. You<br />

have to put yourself in a “new customer’s shoes”<br />

and pretend you are visiting your wash, or better<br />

yet, any wash for the first time. Or, ask a friend to<br />

visit the wash and give honest feedback about how<br />

easy the functions and language are to understand.<br />

Customers do not want to feel unintelligent, or<br />

frustrated. Happy and confident customers will not<br />

only become regular customers, but will also keep<br />

you in business.<br />

Eric Wilson is a self-serve car wash owner who also blogs online on the popular and very funny website, cwguy.com.<br />

60 • SUMMER 2019


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SUMMER 2019 • 61


FILL IN THE<br />

BLANK<br />

WHEN I SEE SOMEONE WASHING<br />

THEIR CAR IN THEIR DRIVEWAY,<br />

I _________________________<br />

... am glad they’re not bucket<br />

washing in one of my bays when<br />

paying customers are waiting -<br />

KLEANRIDE<br />

... get a bit jealous, especially if it’s<br />

a nice car, shady out, cool breeze,<br />

Bozz Scaggs on a boom box, pretty<br />

wife helping and a can of something<br />

cool nearby. - WAXMAN<br />

... If it’s being done well - with a<br />

good soap and mitt, clean wheels/<br />

tires/wheel wells/hose off the<br />

undercarriage/clean door jambs,<br />

use a good soft drying cloth - I think<br />

of it as a lost art! - WASHNSHINE<br />

... I’m glad there in there driveway<br />

bucket washing instead at my SS<br />

tieing up my bay. - WATER GUY<br />

MY CAR WASH IS LOCATED IN _______<br />

AND LATELY, THE WEATHER<br />

HAS BEEN _____________<br />

... My car wash is located in Lexington, KY, and<br />

lately, the weather has been extremely rainy since<br />

last year in September - SLASH007<br />

... my car wash is in the Northwest and the first<br />

6 months of the year were high precipitation but<br />

the last month has been almost perfect. - SOAPY<br />

... my car wash is located in Texas (Fort Worth)<br />

and lately the weather has been HOT! Earlier this<br />

year we had a lot of rain more than usual but it’s<br />

just got now - RFREEMAN<br />

... my carwashes are located in Lake Charles,<br />

Louisiana. Weather was bad last week due to<br />

hurricane this week has been perfect! - DAMONI88<br />

... first 6 Months wettest on<br />

record in Illinois. - EARL WEISS<br />

... my car wash is located in central Ky and lately,<br />

the weather has been very rainy for the last<br />

year… - I.B. WASHINCARS<br />

... Cape Coral, Florida and it’s rained every day<br />

since we bought it. - MAC<br />

... my wash is located in Grimes, Iowa, and the<br />

weather has been very hot lately. - DIAMONDWASH<br />

... Our wash is in West Michigan.<br />

June was VERY rainy but July has been<br />

very dry and HOT! - BERT79<br />

... Our 6 bay tandem car wash part of our<br />

laundromat-dog wash facility is in Bismarck<br />

... da capital city of the state of North Dakota.<br />

Since it is the da capitol city & da capital with da<br />

brand new gov mansion is within 3 miles of me<br />

... I try to do my part in my little bitty way to help<br />

clean up whatever political swamp has crept<br />

in or at minimum prevent that existing political<br />

swampiness problem from getting worse. So<br />

hopefully, I get enough support so I succeed<br />

along with other people who also prefer to<br />

take the high road & thee one also ... with less<br />

hypocrisy involved!!! The weather has been very<br />

rainy & extra cool ... my large vegetable garden is<br />

doing extra good this year because of it. It seems<br />

like there has only 2 days where the temperature<br />

has crept up above 90° F during the peak of the<br />

day. - MJWALSH<br />

I SPEND AN AVERAGE OF _________<br />

HOURS AT MY SELF SERVE PER WEEK<br />

... 3, total for 2 sites. But I have 2 full time<br />

employees - SOO NERMAJIC<br />

... probably 8-10 hours a week average. no hired<br />

help. - DAN -ARK<br />

... 2-3 hours a day. 1-1.5 in the morning and same<br />

in the evening. I have a hired hand that helps<br />

look after place also and he’s more of a “drive by<br />

check it out” kind of help. - JOS HSWASHES<br />

... 4 - 5 Hours per day between 2 washes and<br />

storage units - SPA RKEY<br />

... 10-12 hours a week on average. No employees<br />

- BER T79<br />

If you would like to contribute your own answer, visit AutoCareForum.com and do a keyword search of “fill in the blank.”<br />

62 • SUMMER 2019


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SUMMER 2019 • 63


HONKY TONK ICA


Music to our Ears<br />

SELF SERVE OPERATORS CORRAL IN NASHVILLE<br />

On May 13, 2019, Tennessee’s “Music City,” and<br />

its populous of troubadours, virtuosos, and melodious<br />

dreamer, was infiltrated by a different type<br />

of people. Not armed with steel guitars and fender<br />

telecasters, but instead business plans, questions<br />

and a list of items to buy. From May 13-15, the<br />

Music City Center, located in the heart of Nashville,<br />

Tennessee, was filled with thousands of car<br />

wash owners, roaming the aisles, looking at new<br />

products, asking, “How would this work at my<br />

wash?” or “Is this the best soap for my customers?”<br />

and also filling up seminar rooms, listening<br />

intently to experts in the field, taking notes and<br />

taking business cards. According the International<br />

Carwash Association, The Car Wash Show 2019<br />

drew more than 9,500 attendees and 400 exhibiting<br />

companies making it the largest show ever. It<br />

is unclear how many of those attendees were self<br />

serve operators, but there were two educational<br />

sessions dedicated solely to the self serve market,<br />

so it must mean the ICA felt the demand. Those<br />

two sessions included: Reinvigorating Your Self-<br />

Serve Carwash, hosted by Dale L. Reynolds, president<br />

of Carolina Pride Carwash; and the Peer Power<br />

Hour: Self Serve Wash Panel Discussion, hosted<br />

by Jerry Nix of Speedi Car Wash, Scott Thomas<br />

of Clean Sport Car Wash and Sydney King of The<br />

Good Spray Car Wash.<br />

For this issue, the highlights from Reynold’s<br />

Session are included. The Session was crowded,<br />

hands were raised during the Q&A, and words of<br />

wisdom were dispersed, thanks to the host’s years<br />

in the business. His dad started out in 1966, and<br />

Reynolds grew up learning every aspect of the car<br />

wash. A mechanic at heart, he paid attention and<br />

soon owned his own washes, and now is sharing<br />

his knowledge with other self serve operators. The<br />

following are excerpts from his talk.<br />

How many people<br />

would like to make more money?<br />

How many are willing to do something<br />

different to make more money?<br />

Are you working on the business<br />

or working in the business<br />

-- what’s the difference?<br />

It’s a trap… if we are not looking at the whole<br />

picture, but working on the day-to-day to [simply]<br />

keep the business running.<br />

A lot of people come to a tradeshow and they<br />

want to change their business and they are looking<br />

for the silver bullet -- what’s the next big thing<br />

that’s really going to make a difference. Sometimes,<br />

you find what’s neat and new -- [but] not<br />

always will the silver bullet change your business.<br />

We need to look further down the road. Unfortunately,<br />

businesses change, whether we want<br />

them to or not. Demographics change, economies<br />

change, customers change -- [they will change<br />

the model of car wash they go to and might go<br />

from self serve to automatic to tunnels]. Technologies<br />

change. One of the biggest things I blame<br />

for change is the iPhone -- it is changing the way<br />

we do everything. Operators change. We get really<br />

excited when we get into a business and we put all<br />

that energy into it and after a while we might get<br />

a little tired and we might not put that energy into<br />

it the way we did in the beginning. Competition<br />

changes. Are we really prepared for a new competitor<br />

to come into our market? And, then also what<br />

about model changes? [There are] big changes in<br />

the “car wash model” and what people are building<br />

and investing in. So, how do we deal with that?<br />

What’s your plans for change? Get ready, because<br />

change is coming whether you want it to or not.<br />

(continued ... )<br />

SUMMER 2019 • 65


HONKY TONK ICA<br />

STEPS TO<br />

REINVIGORATING:<br />

The first thing I ask is,<br />

“Do you have a<br />

business plan?”<br />

We suggest you update your business plan every<br />

year -- because things happen that you didn’t plan<br />

for and you have to reinvest in some different areas<br />

to handle [it].<br />

ANNUAL BUSINESS REVIEW: Is business up or down?<br />

What do I do if it is down?<br />

COMPETITION: I have a new competitor, what I am<br />

going to do to compete? I don’t just want to maintain<br />

my business, I want to grow my business.<br />

What’s our wash quality? Am I doing just as good<br />

a job today as I was last year or am I doing better?<br />

We always want to get better. We don’t want to<br />

get worse, but, unfortunately, we sometimes do<br />

because we start chasing the wrong things.<br />

VISUAL APPEAL: does your wash look as nice as the<br />

day you built it?<br />

CLEANLINESS OF FACILITY: One thing I talk about<br />

with the employees of my wash is I wish we could<br />

treat is as a restaurant -- I wish I could have the<br />

health department come in once or twice a year<br />

to inspect it and make sure it’s nice and clean like<br />

you would want to eat there...<br />

Pricing changes? How<br />

many of you changed<br />

your prices in the last<br />

year? Self serve car<br />

wash operators are so<br />

scared to change prices.<br />

But, all your invoices<br />

The thing that I found most interesting was<br />

Superior Control Systems display. The robot<br />

was kind of cool, but the system that allowed<br />

it to see the wheel and make changes<br />

based on that information was even better.<br />

Technology like that and ICS’s Entry Arch<br />

(that could create a virtual vehicle for the car<br />

wash’s computer) means that going forward<br />

the equipment will know what kind of vehicle<br />

it is washing, how long it is, where the wheel<br />

wells and tires are, does it have window<br />

shades, even what is in a pickup’s bed. With<br />

this information the equipment can then take<br />

the appropriate action.<br />

I thought it was one of the best. Having<br />

said that it was a reflection of the<br />

suppliers stepping up to demand…<br />

MARK LAW<br />

PEI<br />

Terrific venue, strong<br />

turnout ... seemed to be<br />

a fair amount of buyers<br />

opposed to tire kickers!<br />

SEAN MCBRIDE<br />

keep going up every year, don’t they? Your<br />

utilities. Your taxes...etc.<br />

New services offered? Have you offered a<br />

new service? What does your customer need<br />

today that they didn’t need before? Or what<br />

is now available?<br />

CREDIT CARD ACCEPTANCE: Do you offer it at your<br />

wash on all services?<br />

MARKETING: Do you change up your marketing?<br />

One of the worst things we see at a car wash, especially<br />

self serves, do is [keep up old signs that are<br />

worn and dirty].<br />

FUNDRAISING: Do you do anything with charity<br />

groups?<br />

FREE VACUUMS: These are a really big thing nowadays...how<br />

can this change your business?<br />

Loyalty clubs: You hear a lot about these, and<br />

unlimited accounts.<br />

WEBSITE: How many people look at the Yellow<br />

Pages? Nobody does anymore. If you want someone<br />

to find your business, you have to have a web<br />

presence. Is there a need to replace equipment?<br />

Maintenance Costs: Are they going up every year?<br />

STAFF TRAINING: What are we doing there? Are we<br />

improving our attendants? Do you have an employee<br />

handbook? Do you have an OSHA Compliance<br />

Program?<br />

PCI COMPLIANCE: There’s<br />

a lot of expenses here-<br />

- how do we improve<br />

efficiencies and reduce<br />

costs and improve what<br />

we offer to our customers.<br />

Start with the owner.<br />

Owners can get tired and get comfortable...<br />

and stop reinvesting in their business.<br />

Every year you have to handle debt<br />

services, property taxes, business licenses,<br />

employees, maintenance, repairs, supplies,<br />

utilities. If you play blackjack and<br />

you have a 9 and a 2 and the dealer has<br />

a 4, what do you do? You double down.<br />

Sometimes with your business you have<br />

to double down and reinvest in your business<br />

again. How do you keep going and<br />

growing so that you’re the leader in your<br />

market?<br />

Are you the best in town?<br />

If people went to your town and<br />

asked, “Tell me where the best car wash<br />

is?” would they point to yours? Are you<br />

FEEDBACK<br />

The license plate recognition program<br />

was what caught my attention. It is set<br />

up to look at the cars coming to your<br />

wash as well as those that pass by your<br />

wash which then would allow targeted<br />

messaging. I think it has potential in the<br />

SS market, not just the express market.<br />

The key is finding a marketing company<br />

that understands the rules associated<br />

with messaging people with license plate<br />

technology. Suds was the only vendor that<br />

could do this at the wash. SCRUBS3<br />

the wash that everyone is talking about? I have a<br />

57-year-old car wash in Roxboro, North Carolina.<br />

Started out a 5-bay went to a 9 bay, went to a 7<br />

and 2, it’s been remodeled 5 times. And we will<br />

be remodeling again next year, for the sixth time.<br />

If you keep doing that, it keeps winning. We just<br />

won the car wash of the year award, voted on by<br />

the community.<br />

Could you sell it if you had to?<br />

A big thing you want to do is run your business<br />

like it’s for sale every day. If you were to pass away,<br />

could your business be sold? Every business will<br />

be sold someday, hopefully for a profit. It could be<br />

sold on the courthouse steps. I cannot tell you how<br />

many times I’ve seen men that owned their car<br />

washes pass away and they left their wives with a<br />

car wash that they cannot run, and the numbers<br />

don’t work. And, when it comes time for them to<br />

sell it, the tax returns don’t support the true value<br />

of that business. If you really want to provide for<br />

your family, report it all, maximize your business<br />

so that it can be sold for the absolute maximum<br />

value. The IRS has a 65-page document on how to<br />

audit self serve car washes. So, they know all about<br />

what you’re doing.<br />

If you don’t love it, then leave it.<br />

Have you ever seen the HGTV show Love It or List<br />

It? It is kind of the same thing with your business. If<br />

you do not love your business. Sell it. You need to love<br />

your business. You need to love what you do. And, if<br />

you don’t, sell it and try something new.<br />

If you want to sell your house, what do you do?<br />

You paint it, you stage it, you fix up the landscaping<br />

and remove all of the junk. If you’re running<br />

a business, you should do that every day. We are<br />

in the cleaning business. We should be setting the<br />

absolute best example of what a clean car wash<br />

should look like.<br />

Love the neighborhood.<br />

Sometimes you might need to clean up the lot<br />

next to your business. Or you might even need to<br />

buy it. If it’s an eyesore that might be unattractive<br />

to the customers coming to your business, maybe<br />

you need to help clean it up and your neighborhood<br />

to make the area more attractive to get more<br />

business in that community.<br />

66 • SUMMER 2019


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SUMMER 2019 • 69


HONKY TONK ICA<br />

WORDS OF WISDOM:<br />

“Think of running a car wash like a sport: It’s a competition and I am<br />

in it to win. I didn’t get in it to come in second place or third place. I got in it to come in<br />

first place. If you run your business that same way, you’ll make more money. But, if you’re<br />

running for second, you’ll get second place prize.” DALE REYNOLDS<br />

Great venue, everyone I spoke<br />

to was buying, not looking,<br />

and the events and<br />

networking were excellent.<br />

KENNETH PEEBLES<br />

The right marketing.<br />

For signage, people notice these things a lot<br />

more than you think. On our signage, we have<br />

promoted an employee of the month and my son<br />

would put certain sayings on the signs. I have had<br />

people say, “we have missed your sayings,” if we<br />

didn’t change it after a certain amount of time.<br />

It is a way for people to remember your business.<br />

You’re part of the community. Sometimes, you<br />

can motivate people with the things you put on<br />

your sign.<br />

Are you environmentally<br />

friendly?<br />

Being green is important to the younger generations.<br />

We offer an environmentally friendly coloring<br />

book that we give out to the schools to help<br />

promote them coming to our wash. The at-home<br />

washer is still our big competitor.<br />

Other things to consider?<br />

WASH CLUBS: New technology is bringing in more<br />

customers, thanks to smartphones.<br />

Would a gated self serve or free vacuums work<br />

for you?<br />

How well are your vacuums performing? Are<br />

you replacing your filter bags?<br />

I really enjoyed the<br />

Nashville show this year<br />

one of the best shows<br />

I have been to…<br />

RYAN MAGAZZINE<br />

Q: Do you offer an express exterior<br />

along with your self serves?<br />

Every market is different and the first thing<br />

we want to look at is, what are the needs of the<br />

community? You need to have the demographics<br />

to support that model. Some people say the self<br />

serve market is dead, but we still build a whole lot<br />

of self serves. But the big thing is, give them a great<br />

wash experience and charge them for it. Self serve<br />

car washes are going to be here for a long time.<br />

Q: How do you deal with<br />

hazardous material dumping?<br />

Video cameras. A woman operator in Texas caught<br />

a guy changing the oil in her pit, so she called the police<br />

who came over and they shut the car wash down.<br />

They called the EPA and it cost her $4000 to clean<br />

up the sewer system. She did the right thing. So, do<br />

you have an oil/water separator? If you have that, it<br />

will catch that oil change. We have video cameras in<br />

every single bay and on the sites, so that if there is an<br />

issue we can track down who is responsible.<br />

Q: How do you minimize rubbish?<br />

About 28 years ago, it was a Saturday and my guys<br />

and I worked really hard cleaning up a site and everything<br />

was pristine and then a customer dumped<br />

three bags of trash on top of our vacuum island. So,<br />

I dug through them, found their address, and took it<br />

back to their house and put it on their front porch. I<br />

was recycling, that’s the way I looked at it.<br />

Q: What do you do about the good<br />

‘ol boys who show up in a pickup<br />

truck and open the tailgate and<br />

shot mud all over your aprons?<br />

FEEDBACK<br />

We got to meet a lot of people from<br />

the companies that we have talked<br />

to many times on the phone. It sure<br />

is nice to be able to touch and<br />

look at carefully in person things<br />

that you are interested in buying<br />

and can usually only see on the<br />

internet. There are several pieces<br />

of equipment that we are buying<br />

soon that we thought seemed really<br />

pricey. After looking them over at<br />

the show we can see why they cost<br />

so much as some of these things<br />

are complex and have a lot of parts<br />

to them. OURTOWN<br />

If we catch someone coming onto our property<br />

like that we will bring them a broom and a trash<br />

can and assist them.<br />

Q: Do you use a<br />

reclaim water system?<br />

Yes, at some locations. At one location our water<br />

costs 2.3 cents per gallon from the city. We have a<br />

3,000 gallon rainwater catch tank-- so we capture<br />

rainwater, we recycle RO reject water and reclaim<br />

our wash water from all the bays to reuse in the<br />

wash process. We try to minimize our consumption.<br />

Q: Is the self serve model dying?<br />

In my opinion, no. There are vehicles that will not<br />

wash in automatics, so you still need the self serve bays.<br />

Q: Using a good quality chemical,<br />

what is a good price range for a car<br />

to be cleaned at a self serve?<br />

It is not so much per car on a self serve, but, buy<br />

the best product that you can and if you can wash<br />

your car without using the brush, price your business<br />

to cover that cost. Some do not like that answer,<br />

but it’s the truth. Use premium products and<br />

IS HAPPINESS THE KEY?<br />

The keynote was given by TED Talks<br />

speaker and author Shawn Achor. Some<br />

highlights of his talk, according to the ICA<br />

were his notes on happiness. “We can pick<br />

(negativity and nervousness) up like second-hand<br />

smoke,” said Achor. “The entire<br />

system can become cancerous… Luckily,<br />

Happiness can become viral too.” That is<br />

the most important piece of the data, he<br />

added. “Our brains are designed to be wireless<br />

connected …We co-process the world<br />

...Happiness is not an individual sport.” This<br />

is part of the reason that obstacles seem<br />

easier to overcome if you have help. If you<br />

look at a hill by yourself, your brain sees a<br />

hill 10-20% higher than if someone is standing<br />

next to you, he said.<br />

70 • SUMMER 2019


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SUMMER 2019 • 71


Q&AFROM THE CROWD<br />

Reinvigorate your employees<br />

You need to reinvigorate your employees. They<br />

are representing you and your business. We want<br />

employees to feel as if they are part of our family. If<br />

you’re not excited will your employees be excited?<br />

You have to get them excited about what they’re<br />

doing -- about the changes you want to make.<br />

Turn to your customers.<br />

Ask them for suggestions. Are there any customer<br />

complaints? Do you look at them? See what<br />

people are saying about your business. When they<br />

tell you things, don’t criticize them. Do your customers<br />

think you care? If they have an issue do<br />

you try and take ownership when there is a mistake.?<br />

Sometimes, we do make a mistake, but taking<br />

care of the customer is so important today. A<br />

quote from a good friend, who passed away was,<br />

“Make every bay work in every way, every day.”<br />

Every day we test every single cycle in every bay<br />

to make sure everything is working properly. If<br />

there is a problem, we want to fix it then before a<br />

customer gets there.<br />

Have a checklist.<br />

Do have a procedure for testing your services? We<br />

have daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly checklists.<br />

Use your own self serve car wash. I have to remind<br />

myself to go to mine and check and make sure I can<br />

actually clean my car. Can you clean your car without<br />

using the foam brush? Check and test your solutions<br />

to make sure you can clean your car without one.<br />

Train the customers<br />

Most people do not know how to use a self<br />

serve: Most people have never been trained-- if an<br />

employee is onsite, they should be trained to use<br />

every single service so that if they are asked, they<br />

can give a customer the right answer.<br />

Everyone who pulls into our wash and has [brought<br />

their] brand new car, they get a free car wash. I then<br />

show them how to take care of that brand new car.<br />

The best investment you can make is your time:<br />

Give customers your personally attention and<br />

time. Make them feel special and make their day.<br />

Look at your Services<br />

How many of you track the services by the amount<br />

of time you sell or percentage of revenue that comes<br />

in? If you don’t check on these services, how do you<br />

know what people are buying and what is selling?<br />

If a service is lasting a long time, then no one is<br />

buying it. In summertime, your offerings might be<br />

changed from what is offered in the winter.<br />

Change up the menu signs: we promote difference<br />

services during different times of the year.<br />

For instance, in the summer, we offer bug remover.<br />

And in the winter, we offer wheel and tire cleaner.<br />

Change it up.<br />

Change the times.<br />

Look at when people are doing business with you.<br />

Most of the business is done during the day. If from 7<br />

p.m. to 8 a.m., only 14% of your business is coming<br />

in, I would see how you can change that. The most<br />

expensive time of operation is nighttime, you have<br />

your lights on, you might be running the floor heat,<br />

so it is costing you more to operate. So, let’s get more<br />

customers to come in during that time also.<br />

WHAT’S NEXT?<br />

As for the 2021 Show, it will be back in Nashville and held from March 24-26.<br />

The Car Wash Show 2020 will take place April 6-8, 2020, in San Antonio, Texas, at the Henry<br />

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DARWIN the<br />

at<br />

CARWASH<br />

The investment in security cameras pays off for carwash operators (and the readers of <strong>SSCWN</strong>) with these<br />

mostly frustrating, sometimes funny -- and always cautionary -- stories of Darwins Caught on Camera. Images of these criminals<br />

and/or their vehicles were given to police and the press. Many have been caught thanks to the prowess of security cameras.<br />

This isn’t a crime per se, but yikes … it just has to be shared.<br />

Along with showing up to school and not knowing my class<br />

schedule or locker combination, I also have nightmares of<br />

this happening, and now the nightmares will be even more<br />

prevalent as it actually happened to someone in real life. In<br />

mid-July, cameras caught footage of a 64-year-old driver in<br />

Hackensack, New Jersey, exiting the Spotless Car Wash and<br />

then driving right into the Hackensack River. The woman is<br />

okay thanks to a bystander who plunged into the river to pull<br />

her out along with her passenger. NBC News reported that the<br />

driver of the SUV mistakenly hit the gas instead of the brake.<br />

The story stated, that video shows two car wash workers in<br />

the parking lot as the car careens toward them, almost hits<br />

a fence with an arrow pointing to an exit and then speeds<br />

up, but maneuvers between them as they dodge out of the<br />

way. “When the car drops into the water, the two workers and<br />

two others run over.” Sounds like a real-life nightmare to me.<br />

Maybe the driver thought the car needed an extra rinse?<br />

I am no criminal expert,<br />

but I really don’t understand<br />

a customer patronizing a<br />

business and then going<br />

and robbing it.<br />

So a trailer carrying $29,000 worth of equipment<br />

was stolen from the Hydro-Spray Car Wash<br />

in Columbus, Ohio, on July 11. According to abc<br />

6, owner Scott Aliff, was able to see the theft,<br />

thief as well as his getaway vehicle thanks to his<br />

surveillance equipment. According to the story,<br />

footage shows a vehicle that appears to be a<br />

Dodge Ram truck drive away with a 7×14 cargo<br />

trailer that belonged to the business and was<br />

locked on the property.<br />

Aliff believes the pick-up used to haul away<br />

the stolen trailer, was sprayed and washed at the<br />

car wash an hour before the crime. It is pretty<br />

hard to hide a stolen tractor, so hopefully this guy<br />

will be caught soon.<br />

At least twice a day,<br />

I have to remind my<br />

kids about the importance<br />

of patience. Wait your turn,<br />

I often say.<br />

Patience is a virtue. This isn’t a diner, your food<br />

will be ready when it’s ready...etc. etc. you get the<br />

idea. Well, apparently 68-year-old Joseph Rivard<br />

could use a similar talking to. Rivard was caught<br />

on camera pulling a gun on another customer<br />

at the West Side Car Wash in Dover, Delaware.<br />

Why? This wasn’t an act of defense, or fortitude,<br />

and no one was in danger. It was because Rivard<br />

thought a man took his place in line at the car<br />

wash. The nerve! Someone thinks you took their<br />

place in line and you get a gun in your face? According<br />

to 47 abc, the incident happened a little<br />

before 3:30 p.m. and footage shows Rivard getting<br />

out of his car while in line and , “confronted<br />

the driver in the vehicle ahead of him, claiming<br />

that he believed that car took his place in line.<br />

Rivard then reportedly took a revolver out of his<br />

vehicle and aimed it at the victim while refusing<br />

to let him leave his vehicle.” Upon further investigation,<br />

it was discovered that Rivard was drunk<br />

and was subsequently arrested.<br />

SUMMER 2019 • 75


This next story sets up any good writer with some<br />

wonderful synonymic wordplay.<br />

For instance, “clink” and “can” are<br />

considered slang words for jail. And this story<br />

could easily be headlined: Two cons canned for<br />

clink caper. Or something like that. So, who are<br />

the cons and what cans sent them to the clink?<br />

Why it was David Valiquette and Krystal Pilon<br />

of Windsor, Ontario, who were caught stealing<br />

bags of cans and a recycle bin from the Car<br />

and Dog Wash. The cans were part of a bottle<br />

drive fundraiser to benefit the Pet and Wildlife<br />

Rescue. The amount of cans stolen equaled<br />

about $600. The entire heist was caught on<br />

camera and eventually, the police caught up<br />

with the duo who have been charged.<br />

I believe it was<br />

Eliot “Untouchables”<br />

Ness who said, “That’s<br />

the Chicago way!”<br />

Or maybe it was Al Capone?<br />

Or Oprah Winfrey? Whoever actually said it,<br />

must have known that the city of Chicago as well<br />

as its residents have their own quirks and idiosyncrasies.<br />

Take for instance, this peculiar pair of bandits<br />

who risked jail time and negative notoriety for<br />

some candy and old coupons. Surveillance caught<br />

the pair as they not only broke into the 4 Seasons<br />

Car Wash in Chicago, but also a shrimp restaurant.<br />

Car wash footage shows the pair stealing a<br />

car from the car wash as well as a drawer full of<br />

coins, candy and car keys. “In Chicago, everything<br />

happens. You never know,” Andy Sularz, who’s car<br />

was stolen, told cbs 2. After breaking into the car<br />

wash and stealing the car, the man and a woman<br />

hit up Frank’s Chicago Shrimp House. According<br />

to the story, “After rifling through the back room,<br />

the burglars left with bank bags. Not filled with<br />

cash, but old coupons.”<br />

Police are still looking for the suspects and I am<br />

sure have plenty of questions, starting with why<br />

on earth was the restaurant keeping old coupons<br />

in bank bags?<br />

Now, here is a crime<br />

story with a happy ending<br />

worthy of a Hallmark<br />

Channel movie.<br />

And, it has patriotism to boot!<br />

A 19-year-old teen was caught on camera stealing<br />

an American flag from the Beachon Car & Pet<br />

Wash in Pacific, Missouri.<br />

Car wash owner Bill Hoaglin posted screenshots<br />

of the suspect on Facebook and it only took about<br />

45 minutes for the “tips” to pour in with people<br />

identifying the suspect.<br />

According to The Patriot Post, police reviewed<br />

the footage and stopped by the suspect’s house,<br />

but he was not home. About 15 minutes later, the<br />

car wash’s phone rang. Lo and behold, it was the<br />

suspect. “He wanted to make it right,” Hoaglin said<br />

in the story. “So, I told him to bring the flag back.”<br />

(And this is where the Hallmark Channel would<br />

cue in the redemption music…) So, Instead of<br />

pressing charges, the business owner and the police<br />

officer had another idea.<br />

Hoaglin, who served as a police officer for 18<br />

years, had his daughter go out and purchase every<br />

small American flag she could find. Then, the teen<br />

was given a choice: Either hand out the American<br />

flags or go to jail.<br />

You can probably guess what the teen chose to do.<br />

For over five hours he handed out small American<br />

flags to every customer who dropped by the<br />

car wash, the story stated.<br />

“The middle flag, I stole it,” the young man told<br />

Fox 2 Now. “I made a mistake. Don’t steal flags, kids.”<br />

Hoaglin, who noted that the “punishment” was<br />

not meant to embarrass the teen, said he was very<br />

courteous. Hoaglin added that some people heard<br />

about the flag giveaway and brought their kids to<br />

the car wash to show them what happens when a<br />

person gets caught stealing.<br />

“Community policing used to work a lot back<br />

when I was a kid,” Hoaglin said in the story. “If you<br />

were out being a knucklehead, they wouldn’t haul<br />

you off to jail, they would call your mom or dad<br />

and sometimes that was the worst punishment<br />

than getting a ticket.”<br />

It is unclear if Hoaglin and the teen are now best<br />

friends, but Hoaglin did say this about the incident<br />

and how he is a fan of second chances: “I’m a very<br />

strong believer in that. So, I thought let’s give this a<br />

try. And I think it made a good impression on him.”<br />

76 • SUMMER 2019


Come on, guys,<br />

it’s all ball bearings<br />

nowadays!<br />

Still the<br />

24/7<br />

Operator’s Roundtable!<br />

SUMMER 2019 • 77


Some criminals are identified by tattoos, some by a scar,<br />

this man was caught due to something far different.<br />

And, I am most certain if he ends up in jail, and wants to share<br />

his“crime” story with other criminals, he will not include the part about<br />

being caught due to his bicycle basket. According to the Lincoln Journal<br />

Star, a unique basket on a vandal suspect’s bicycle helped Lincoln,<br />

Nebraska, police track down a 32-year-old accused of robbing a car wash.<br />

On March 26 and April 1, video surveillance at the JetSplash shows the<br />

man riding in on a bicycle and breaking the access gates. Investigators<br />

posted images from the footage to the Lincoln Crimestoppers site, and the<br />

suspect was soon identified.<br />

When officers went to his home, they saw the bike with the same<br />

unique basket parked at his home. Talk about a basketcase! The suspect<br />

was ticketed on two counts of vandalism.<br />

This isn’t a story about a<br />

dumb criminal, but more<br />

about an unlucky guy<br />

who was saved, thanks to<br />

surveillance cameras.<br />

Christian Espinoza was arrested for robbing a<br />

car wash in Salem, Oregon, last September. However,<br />

Espinoza wasn’t the culprit and instead it<br />

was Christopher Espinoza. According to the Salem<br />

Reporter, a lawsuit filed by Espinoza states:<br />

Rather than arrest Christopher Espinoza and have<br />

him booked, fingerprinted and photographed, [the<br />

deputy] issued Christopher Espinoza a citation to<br />

appear in court on September 10, 2018. In a weird<br />

twist, the citation even included all of Christian’s<br />

vitals, including his birthday, height, eye color, etc.<br />

And, when Christian didn’t appear in court, a<br />

warrant was issued and he was arrested.<br />

Luckily for Christian, surveillance footage<br />

proved his innocence and Christopher Espinoza<br />

was found and confessed to the car wash robbery.<br />

Christian, according to the story, is seeking damages<br />

now because, in the age of the internet, his<br />

reputation is at stake.<br />

And this, folks, is why I am proud to have the<br />

name Debra Gorgos. I am the one and only in the<br />

entire world.<br />

I wonder if the thief in this<br />

story knew he was stealing<br />

from a former well-known<br />

MMA fighter who goes by<br />

the name “Caveman”?<br />

In Wichita, Kansas, Rick’s Car Wash, owned by<br />

David “Caveman” Rickels, was vandalized and heavily<br />

damaged by a guy wielding a sledgehammer.<br />

According to KSNW, Rickels said security footage<br />

showed the man taking a “sledgehammer to the<br />

wall,” Rickels said. “He was trying to steal the vault.”<br />

The man is seen on camera for about two minutes,<br />

the story stated, going back and forth from<br />

hitting the wall and standing near his truck. Footage<br />

also shows “the man sifting through some of<br />

the damage and picking up what appears to be a<br />

second license plate near the rear of his truck.”<br />

The man caused about $1,000 worth of damages.<br />

However, Rickels is confident they are going to<br />

catch this person responsible. I, personally, think<br />

Rickels should take a cue from the American Flag<br />

story and not send the man to jail if he is found.<br />

They should instead duel it out in the ring. I’d put<br />

my money on Caveman.<br />

If we had a Dumb Criminals<br />

Hall of Fame Kenny Joe Morrisett<br />

would be one of the<br />

notibles. Why?<br />

Because after robbing a car wash in Jonesboro,<br />

Arkansas, Morrisett took a selfie, left behind a cell<br />

phone and returned to the scene of the crime. According<br />

to KAIT 8, Morrisett was arrested on July<br />

2 on suspicion of commercial burglary, first-degree<br />

criminal mischief and theft in connection with a<br />

March 29 burglary at Wolf Car Wash.<br />

According to an affidavit, the suspect “broke a<br />

window to get into the office, took two locked<br />

cash tills, destroyed the outside of the business<br />

and took nearly $200 in cash.” Footage shows<br />

Morrisett walking to the car wash’s dumpster and<br />

throwing the cash drawer/till away. “The suspect<br />

returns approximately one hour later and can be<br />

seen looking inside the window near where a cell<br />

phone was found,” according to the story.<br />

Police were able to determine that the cell<br />

phone belonged to Morrisett. “There is also a selfie<br />

of Kenny Morrisett taken approximately five<br />

hours before the burglary in which Kenny Morrisett<br />

is wearing what appears to be the same blue<br />

jacket he is seen wearing in the video footage. Mr.<br />

Morrisett’s face profile can also be seen in the glow<br />

of the computer monitor while he was in the office,”<br />

Jonesboro police said in the story.<br />

A thief in Clearfield, Utah,<br />

stole four security cameras<br />

while they were filming<br />

his very own face.<br />

According to KSL.com, a man broke into the<br />

“Splash and Dash” car wash during the early morning<br />

hours of April 19 and stole several cameras.<br />

“The thief can be seen in one of the videos carrying<br />

the ladder through the parking area putting it next<br />

to the camera then pulling the camera off the building,”<br />

the story said. The EZ watch brand cameras are<br />

valued at approximately $2000 each. As the story<br />

states, it is not often a thief targets the equipment<br />

that could eventually lead to his arrest. But, that’s<br />

why this section is called More Dumb Criminals.<br />

78 • SUMMER 2019


SUMMER 2019 • 79


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80 • SUMMER 2019

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