2021_ADN_V6_No3_web

INDUSTRY NEWS
NCS partners with Carolina Pride
National Carwash Solutions (NCS), a
provider of end-to-end car wash solutions,
proudly announced its strategic partnership
with Carolina Pride Carwash Systems
& Solutions, creating the largest direct installation
and service company in North
America, powered by NCS.
According to a June 29 press release,
Michael Gillen, CEO of NCS stated, “We
are very excited to partner with Carolina
Pride, a leading distributor of car wash
systems, services and cleaning solutions,
“Carolina Pride has an impressive story
and reputation. Under the leadership of
Dale Reynolds, Carolina Pride has become
a premier distributor and serves a nationwide
customer base via a top-tier line of
proprietary equipment products. We are
thrilled to welcome Dale and his team to
the NCS family.”
Carolina Pride, based in Timberlake,
North Carolina, is a leading supplier of
In-Bay and Tunnel car wash systems,
self-service equipment and maintenance
and installation services in North and
South Carolina, the press release stated.
Carolina Pride is also a leading manufacturer
of Self-Serve Car Wash Systems
and Tunnel Support equipment including
water treatment, motor controls and
chemical injection systems with distribution
across North America.
“Carolina Pride is excited to be partnering
with National Carwash Solutions.
NCS is a car wash industry leader with
world class brands including MacNeil,
Ryko, TSS, Vacutech, CleanTouch, and
Lustra,” Dale Reynolds, President and second-generation
owner of Carolina Pride,
stated in the press release. “We are proud
to add our name and line of Industrial
Grade Wash Systems to the NCS brand.
These include Performa, EXPRESS,
OPTIMAX, and Tunnel Solutions. We
see this partnership as an opportunity to
continue to grow our business; better serve
our customers and the car wash industry
through expanded distribution channels
within NCS’s network.”
NCS has also partnered with some of
the very best car wash distributors in North
America, including Hi-Performance Wash
Systems, Auto-Clean, Arizona Car Wash
Systems, Complete Car Wash, NuLook,
Badger Land, and Carwash Solutions, Car
Wash Service of Arizona, Big Man Washes
and West Coast Car Wash Concepts, the
press release stated.
Small business
‘optimism’ at
an eight-month
high, says study
A July 13 Bloomberg report stated
that sentiment among U.S. small-business
owners rose to an eight-month
high in June. The story stated the National
Federation of Independent Business
(NFIB) optimism index increased
2.9 points to 102.5. “A record 39% of
owners, up from 34% the prior month,
reported they raised compensation as
firms struggled to fill open positions.
Some 46% said they were unable to fill
vacancies -- more than twice the historical
average of 22%, the NFIB said.”
“Optimism is rising as the economy
opens up, yet a record number of employers
continue to report that there are
few or no qualified applicants for open
positions,” Bill Dunkelberg, NFIB chief
economist, said in a statement.
The number of owners who reported
higher average selling prices rose by
7 percentage points to 47%, the largest
share since January 1981, the story said.
The increases were more frequent in the
wholesale, retail and manufacturing industries.
About 44% of those surveyed
plan to raise prices in coming months.
Quality of labor is still the top concern
amongst business owners, but
those surveyed seem to agree that it is
due to inflation.
SBA Administrator issues statement on closure of PPP
A June 1 press release from the Small
Business Administration included the following
statement from Administrator Isabella
Casillas Guzman: “The Paycheck Protection
Program provided over 8.5 million small
businesses and nonprofits the lifeline they needed to
survive during a once-in-generation economic crisis.
I’ve heard story after story from small business owners
across the country about how PPP funds helped
them keep the lights on, pay their employees -- and
gave them hope,” said SBA Administrator Isabella
Casillas Guzman. “At the same time, millions of
underserved businesses – particularly our smallest
businesses and those owned by women and people
of color – were left out of early rounds of relief. I’m
proud of the work we did to begin to rectify these
inequities -- in 2021, 96% of PPP loans went
to small businesses with fewer than 20 employees.
According to a July 8 MLive.com
report, VisionQuest Companies of Holland,
Michigan, plans to begin construction
on its $30 million headquarters.
VisionQuest, which owns car wash
companies and manufactures car wash
equipment, stated that the new building
is expected to be complete by fall 2022.
It includes 75,000 square feet of office
space and a 200,000 square foot warehouse.
It’s being built by EV Construction,
the story said.
“Given the recent growth of our operations,
we see an expanded headquarters as
Moving forward, we will continue to prioritize equity
in all SBA’s programs and services.”
PPP, the press release also stated, is
among the first COVID-19 economic
disaster relief programs to provide emergency
funds to small businesses affected
by the pandemic, and has played a
historic role in America’s recovery. The
Biden-Harris Administration has pushed
an effective and equitable implementation
of this program, with a focus on ensuring
small businesses receive the backing they
need to stay afloat and continue to employ
millions of Americans. The program
has supported the smallest of small businesses
with 32 percent of the loans going
to Low-and-Moderate Income (LMI)
communities. Additionally, Community
Financial Institutions (CFIs) played a
pivotal role in 2021 PPP lending to underserved
communities during this period,
providing 1.5 million loans totaling
$30 billion. PPP loans in 2021 averaged
$42,000, another indicator of targeted relief
to the smallest small businesses.
The PPP is only one of eight disaster
relief programs established by Congress
to assist small businesses during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Other programs
include Economic Injury Disaster Loan
(EIDL), EIDL Advance, Targeted EIDL
Advance, Supplemental EIDL Advance,
Restaurant Revitalization Fund, Shuttered
Venue Operators Grant, and SBA Debt
Relief program. To learn more about these
programs, please visit www.sba.gov/relief.
VisionQuest plans $30M headquarters in Michigan
a continued commitment to our valuable
team members,” Ryan Essenburg, president
of VisionQuest, said in a statement.
“We also anticipate an upgraded space as
a means to broaden our impact, and we
thank and appreciate EV Construction for
their role in helping us reach this goal.”
VisionQuest is the parent company
of Tommy Car Wash Systems, Tommy’s
Express and Quality Car Wash, according
to a news release. Tommy’s Express,
which started in 1969 and has 250 employees,
has 68 franchise locations open,
and another 220 under development, according
to a statement.
Plans for the headquarters include
two floors of office space, a warehouse
and logistics center, as well as room for
events and “employee collaboration with
vendors and customers,” the company
stated in a press release.
“The design of the building is intended
to show our franchise partners and
employees that they are the center of our
business,” Alex Lemmen, CEO of Vision-
Quest, stated in the press release. “The
space is all about supporting them as they
deliver a world-class car wash experience.”
14 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 6, NO. 3 • FALL 2021