WINTER2022_SSCWN_1-68-3

2 • WINTER 2022

POLISH IS
your passion
WINTER 2022 • 3

CONTENTS
Around the Wash:
Carwash Cats ..................5
Tips ..................................... 6
Around the Wash:
Pitfalls ............................. 10
Fun & Games ............... 14
Innovations .................... 19
Extra! Extra! .................. 20
Association Calendar
& News ............................ 26
Industry Dirt ................. 30
Tricks of the Trade .... 40
Cover Story .................... 50
Get Wise About Water
Reclaim............................ 54
Darwin ............................. 59
VOL. 50, NO. 1, WINTER 2022
Publisher Jackson Vahaly
Editor Debra Gorgos
Design Katy Barret-Alley
Note to Self
BY DEBRA GORGOS, EDITOR
In the pile of rubbish that was 2021—from political turmoil, health crises,
and (on a smaller end of the scale) entertainment hiatuses and travel plans
that went kaput, there were actually a lot of bright spots from the past year.
On a global scale, we made extreme advances on the planet of Mars after
NASA’s six-wheeled robot was able to carbon dioxide to oxygen for the first
time. After 34 years, pandas are now off the endangered species list. One of
the best shows I have ever seen debuted (Only Murders in the Building). And
Yamagata, one of the deadliest strains of influenza, which had been killing
500,000 people per year, have pretty much disappeared.
On a more intimate level, Self Serve Car Wash Magazine is now 50+ years
strong, and this fall will mark my fifth year as the editor; the self serve industry
is doing well, and the importance of small business patronage is strong
and acknowledged from towns to metropolises. I’m not going to lie… when I
met so many of you at the 2021 Car Wash Show and the Northeast Regional
Carwash Convention, I was energized and eager to start promoting the resiliency
of this industry even further and showcase self serve owners’ hard work.
While others learned to make homemade focaccia, self serve owners were out
their cleaning out the pits, the garbage, emptying vacuums, re-hanging the
hoses ...etc. ete. There was no resting. No working from home, you’ve already
been doing that. No virtual anything. Your feet have been consistently on the
pavement, in the cold temperatures, in the unbearable heat, hands marked
with dirt, water, perfumes, criminals, messy customers, or both. While the
world weeps over the past two years’ delays, stressors and damp squibs, you
all still showed up. I praise you. I see you. I admire you all.
Now that it is a new year, I am excited to share more positive stories. What
are your goals? Maybe you have a small one… To paint, to get new signage?
Or big ones? To expand, add new equipment… add a new additional revenue
maker. Maybe you’re done with goals altogether, and maybe showing up every
day is enough cause to celebrate or be proud. I get it. I will never pretend
to know how it is, but I understand.
And before I sign off, I hope you all appreciate this issue as much as I appreciate
you. Also, the advertisers deserve admiration, for being so steadfast
in their participation.
Onward and upward,
Editor Emeritus Jarret J. Jakubowski
Editor Posthumous Joseph J. Campbell
Editor Posthumous Julia E. Campbell
Self Serve Carwash News is published 4 times
per year and is independently owned by Jackson
Vahaly. Web address is www.sscwn.com.
All inquiries should be directed to:
Self Serve Car Wash News
110 Childs Ln., Franklin, TN 37067
jacksonv@sscwn.com
Copyright 2021. 2 Dollar Enterprises/SSCWN. All Rights Reserved
4 • WINTER 2022

Another
Car Wash Cats
How about some heartwarming news? The following are stories
of cats found at car washes, who eventually found forever
homes. Now, for a collective “awwwwwwwwwwwwww……”
Time for some more car wash cats!
Meet Basic,
Deluxe
& Ultimate
SUBMITTED BY MATT
HUNTER OF TYPHOON
WASH IN MAGNOLIA,
ARKANSAS
FULL SPECTRUM
STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD.
INTRODUCING THE ULTIMATE LIGHT
SHOW FOR SELF SERVES.
T 800.285.6780
E sales@ggled.net
www.ggled.net
Actively market your car wash with eye catching colors and dramatic light shows that attract
business and set your site apart from competition. Sync all your lighting together, easily scroll
through any color imaginable or select from one of our unique preset color changing scenes
controlled by a user-friendly app on your own device. Easily create stunning light shows that
support holidays, site branding, community events and more to increase seasonal traffic.
WINTER 2022 • 5

TIPs
EQUIPMENT TIP
Vacuum Electrical
Maintenance
Follow this checklist when it comes
to checking your vacuums:
1. Check wire connections
• Look for any wire wear
• Look for any loose wires
2. Blow out coin mechs and
motors with compressed air.
3. Ensure you have the proper
amps for your equipment. These
include:
• 3 motors pull 24 amps
requiring 30 amp svc
• 2 motors pull 16 amps
requiring 20 amp svc
4.Always use a licensed
electrician to check for and
maintain the:
• Proper voltage
• Length of run
• Proper wire gauge
Tips provided by J.E. Adams
CUSTOMER SERVICE TIP
Use the multidemographic
review
Turn to your friends and family members (preferably those who
aren’t afraid to tell the truth) and ask them to visit your self serve car
wash. Ask people from all different generations and genders. Then ask
them the following questions:
• What time did you visit?
• Was the property clean?
• Was the signage helpful?
• Was the menu easy to
understand?
• Was any of it confusing?
• Did you get enough time
to wash your vehicle?
• Did you feel safe and secure
at the wash?
• If not, what would have made
you feel more safe?
• How was the vacuum area?
• Was it neat and picked up?
• Did the vacuums work well?
• What can I do to make the
car wash better?
Then, if you want an even more in-depth customer analysis, ask them
to visit your competition and compare the two experiences. Make sure
you tell them you are looking for and will appreciate honest feedback
and there will be no hard feelings.
BUSINESS
MANAGEMENT TIP
Are you
prepared for
the worst?
From a car ruining one of your bays, to a thief
damaging your coinbox, and the unfortunate
possibility of a natural disaster, it is important
to know how to prepare for a loss in business
income. The following is information provided
by ready.gov, a national public service campaign
designed to help businesses and individuals.
■ Business Impact Analysis
A business impact analysis (BIA) predicts
the consequences of disruption of a business
function and process and gathers information
needed to develop recovery strategies. Potential
loss scenarios should be identified during a risk
assessment. Operations may also be interrupted
by the failure of a supplier of goods or services
or delayed deliveries. There are many possible
scenarios all of which should be considered.
Identifying and evaluating the impact of
6 • WINTER 2022
disasters on business provides the basis for
investment in recovery strategies as well as
investment in prevention and mitigation
strategies.
■ Consider the Impact
The BIA should identify the operational and
financial impacts resulting from the disruption
of business functions and processes. Impacts to
consider include:
• Lost sales and income
• Delayed sales or income
• Increased expenses (e.g., overtime labor,
outsourcing, expediting costs, etc.)
• Regulatory fines
• Contractual penalties or loss of contractual
bonuses
• Customer dissatisfaction or defection
• Delay of new business plans
■ Timing and Duration of Disruption
The point in time when a business function
or process is disrupted can have a significant
bearing on the loss sustained. A store damaged in
the weeks prior to the holiday shopping season
may lose a substantial amount of its yearly sales.
A power outage lasting a few minutes would be
a minor inconvenience for most businesses but
one lasting for hours could result in significant
business losses. A short duration disruption
of production may be overcome by shipping
finished goods from a warehouse but disruption
of a product in high demand could have a
significant impact.
■ Conducting the BIA
Use a BIA questionnaire to survey managers
and others within the business. Survey those
with detailed knowledge of how the business
manufactures its products or provides its services.
Ask them to identify the potential impacts if
the business function or process that they are
responsible for is interrupted. The BIA should
also identify the critical business processes and
resources needed for the business to continue to
function at different levels.
■ BIA Report
The BIA report should document the potential
impacts resulting from disruption of business
functions and processes. Scenarios resulting
in significant business interruption should be
assessed in terms of financial impact, if possible.
These costs should be compared with the costs
for possible recovery strategies.
The BIA report should prioritize the order of
events for restoration of the business. Business
processes with the greatest operational and
financial impacts should be restored first.
■ Business Disruption Scenarios
• Physical damage to a building buildings
• Damage to or breakdown of machinery,
systems or equipment
• Restricted access to a site or building
• Interruption of the supply chain including
failure of a supplier or disruption of
transportation of goods from the supplier.
• Utility outage (e.g., electrical power outage)
• Damage to, loss or corruption of
information technology including voice and
data communications, servers, computers,
operating systems, applications, and data
• Absenteeism of essential employees

WINTER 2022 • 7

TIPs
MARKETING TIP
Get on base!
Spring training is just weeks away and America’s
favorite pastime is about to take over the parks,
televisions, sports news sections, etc. According to
ESPN, more than 25 million kids played baseball
or softball in 2018, and nearly 15 million of those
were “core” players who played 13 or more times in
a year. Therefore, it might be worth your while, and
your advertising budget, to consider sponsoring a
local team. Those shirts and uniforms, emblazoned
with your car wash name and logo will be seen
by parents, fans, umpires, referees, grandparents,
coaches and players. Plus, it can also build loyalty
with those grateful for the donated money.
Another idea is to buy and/or rent a fence sign
or “billboard” at the local ballpark. They are also
available for advertising at local skating rinks,
basketball courts and soccer fields. Another thing
to consider is that because a lot of local youth
groups are registered as non-profits, a sponsorship
would be considered a tax write-off.
If you have a local AA baseball team there are
many marketing ideas for that arena. Consider
advertising in the programs, on a field sign, or maybe
man a booth at the stadium in which you hand out
flyers and giveaways or host a raffle. Another idea
is to sponsor an inning and have your business’s
name broadcasted out by the game’s announcer.
This might also be heard if the games are broadcast
on the local radio stations. You can also sponsor an
entertainment segment in between innings.
And, if its too late to sponsor a baseball team,
there is always hockey and basketball sponsorship
opportunities.
Better act now though as Spring training is already
underway and Spring is just around the corner.
And to prove sponsoring a team works, here is
a picture of myself, editor Debra Gorgos (the only
one not wearing a hat). This was back in the mid-
1980s and I still remember that CT Male was the
sponsor of our softball team for so many years.
LEGAL TIP
How to register
your trademark
and logo
If you’ve taken the time and creative energy
to come up with a great name and/or trademark
for your business, you should also take the time
to register them both. The last thing you want is
anyone stealing your hard work and creativeness.
It is not difficult to do this. You simply have to visit
United States Patent and Trademark Office (uspto.
gov) to get started. If you’re still in the designing
phases, you have to do some research. According
to upcounsel.com, you’ll need to make sure that
no similar mark already exists in the Trademark
Electronic Search System, found at https://
tmsearch.uspto.gov/. If you find something similar,
the next step is making changes to your mark so
that it doesn’t infringe.
Once you’ve determined that your mark is
truly unique, upcounel.com stated, you can start
using the TM symbol at the end. The three main
placement techniques for notifying competitors of
your intent to use the mark are:
• Placing a symbol (TM, ®, * [asterisk], or
dagger/double dagger) at the first use of
the trademark but not on subsequent uses,
then adding a footnote that overviews the
trademark
• Placing the TM or ® symbol next to the
trademark every time you use it
• Using a different font or formatting, such
as bold, italic, or uppercase, for the
trademarked words to differentiate them
from other text.
Here are a few frequently asked questions
found on Legalzoom.com which deals with small
business legal matters.
■ I found a trademark similar to mine.
Can I still register it?
Oftentimes no, because it could create confusion.
But if the other mark is used for different
products or services, it might be possible because
consumers may not be confused about who sells
what. Take the Delta trademark. Delta Dental,
Delta Air Lines, and Delta Faucet Company
coexist because the products are different enough
to prevent consumer confusion.
■ Do I need to register my business
name and logo separately?
Yes. The USPTO (United States Patent and
Trademark Office) allows one trademark—that’s
one name, one logo, or one slogan—per application.
You can register a logo that includes text,
but then the design and the text together are
considered one trademark. Want them protected
individually? You’d need to file two applications.
■ What’s the difference between a
basic and a comprehensive search?
With a basic search, we look for direct hits (aka
exact matches) in the federal database to see if
someone already registered your mark. With a
comprehensive search, we look for exact and
similar matches—plus, we’ll see if someone uses
but hasn’t registered your mark.
■ How long will it take to register my
trademark?
Ideally, six to nine months if you’re using your
mark in commerce. The USPTO will review your
application within a few months, and then either
send an Office action with questions or concerns,
or approve your trademark for publication. If
published and there are no objections by the public
within 30 days, your mark is officially registered.
If you’re not yet using your mark in commerce,
it can take longer. After making it through the
previous steps, the USPTO will grant a Notice
of Allowance—which says they’ll register your
mark once you provide proof of use in commerce
through a Statement of Use. Once that’s submitted
and approved, your mark is officially registered.
8 • WINTER 2022

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WINTER 2022 • 9

Around The Wash: Avoiding Pitfalls
Avoiding Pitfalls
The Pitfalls
of Owning
a Car Care
Business
By Rob Schruefer
rob@onspotdetailing.com
It is the ‘American Dream’ to create and operate
your own business. There is a freedom and feeling
of satisfaction that comes with working for yourself
and being your own boss. Ask anyone and I bet
they would say they would start their own business
if given the opportunity. What most people do not
realize or want to acknowledge is that 8 out of 10
businesses fail within the first year of operation. I
don’t have actual figures, but I would guess a self
serve car wash would fail because many think it
requires little work and is a fail proof business. But
to be successful in the the industry it is vital to
avoid some of the biggest pitfalls that cause a business
to close.
The following are some of the common pitfalls
that I personally see detailing business owners fall
(and sink) into, which would also apply to self
serve car wash business owners.
■ PITFALL #1:
Not Securing Capital
Failing to secure capital to keep the business
running is one of the trickiest parts of starting your
own business. You need this money upfront in order
to start. It could take years for a business to
become established and make enough money to
support itself, and you. The leap from going from
a full-time job elsewhere can be a scary and expensive
venture. When I started my company, it
was tedious. I spent the first 5 years of the business
working at night and on weekends at a bar to ensure
money that the company made could be put
back into the company. It is imperative to have
several months-worth of operating income available
to you in case of an emergency. This money
can cover you during an injury, bad weather, or
just a downturn in the amount of work coming in.
If you need capital prior to starting the business, it
can be obtained through bank loans, investors, or
the Small Business Administration (SBA), just to
name a few.
■ PITFALL #2:
Ignoring Your Demographic
Not knowing or understanding your market can
keep you from having loyal and repeat customers
and will hurt your advertising efforts. The demographics
and needs of the community will ultimately
dictate the type of services you can offer,
and what you can charge for those services. Do
some research, ask around, visit the competition
and find out what the majority of the people in
your area are looking for in a self serve and are
willing to pay. You can find vehicle information,
median household income, and other buying habits
from the Internet to help you guide your decision.
You may find that your main client is going to
be women ages 30 to 45, with a household income
of $60k, and driving a minivan. Put a picture of a
minivan on your website. Have a “Back to School”
or “Mother’s Day” special. And be sure to speak
to her in a way that makes her want to use your
car wash -- this will make the difference between
success and failure. Know who your client is and
give them the service they want.
■ PITFALL #3:
Being Mean
If you have an employee, being someone that
no one wants to work for will make your business
sink. And, if you’re mean to your customers, expect
the same. Everyone wants to be treated with
respect. Always remember that your employee(s)
and customers are people too, and they have fam-
Definition of PITFALL: pit·fall
/ˈpitˌfôl/
noun
a hidden or unsuspected danger or difficulty.
A Few Other Pitfalls
According to Entrepreneur Magazine, here
are a few other pitfalls to avoid:
Ignoring the Competition: Never
underestimate your competition. Competition
can crush your business totally if you aren’t
careful, especially if you haven’t taken the
time to fully understand it. Startups based
around a new idea sometimes get too sure of
themselves, neglecting to keep a watch on
the markets -- competition isn’t necessarily
a bad thing, but you need to make sure you
differentiate yourself in a way that makes
your company seem like the more appealing
service.
Becoming Complacent: Too many
companies have failed because they were
overly dependent on one thing. Maybe it
was a highly valuable customer, or a very
talented and experienced worker. Maybe it
was an environmental condition that allowed
for the company to be successful. But
remember: Customers can opt out. Workers
can quit. Environmental conditions can --
and will -- change. If you allow any part of
your business to be dependent on anything,
you’re setting yourself up for disaster (or at
least a huge gamble). Instead, hedge your
bets by investing in multiple variations and
multiple, complementary dependencies.
10 • WINTER 2022

WINTER 2022 • 11

Around The Wash: Avoiding Pitfalls
ilies to support and bills to pay, and places to go. They want their opinions
and concerns heard, acknowledged and addressed. Not all suggestions will be
implemented, or are even logical, but it is important to listen. More than just
listening to them, reward them for hard work with adequate pay and bonuses.
It’s important to remember that your reputation as a good, or horrible boss
or business owner can spread like wildfire. Negative word-of-mouth can hurt
a business, even if you own an exceptional car wash, so make sure your own
employee(s) or customers are doing some good marketing for you. Do not let
ego, or stubbornness become a pitfall that you cannot overcome.
■ PITFALL #4:
Ignoring the Pitfalls
Thinking you know everything and have it all figured out is another big pitfall.
You have to always keep yourself in check and know that small businesses
fail all the time. The aforementioned pitfalls are just a few of the many I see
business owners fall into, and there are so many more out there to be aware of
and avoided. Avoiding them will certainly help in keeping your business afloat
and will certainly help you along your journey to becoming an established business.
Read reviews of your business. Check the Nextdoor App, Facebook, Yelp
and Google to see if anyone is talking about your business. Ask your customers
if they are satisfied. Take classes provided at tradeshows and the SBA. It is important
to be flexible and think outside the box for solutions to help you avoid
becoming part of the 90% that do not make it.
Why Startups Fail
The following graphics were from Entreprenuer.com:
Rob Schruefer is the owner of On The Spot Detailing out of Columbia, Maryland.
He proudly serves on the board of the International Detailing Association and works
tirelessly to ensure that detailing business owners receive business development
support to help them achieve their goals. When not writing the cover story, Rob is a
regular contributor for Auto Detailing News with his column, The Business of Detailing.
Famous Companies that Failed to Pivot
It’s no secret that familiar and once-popular business chains are
closing down...forever. From Toys R Us, to Kmart, to non-brick and
mortar companies such as MySpace and Motorola. People will say they
miss the businesses, but how much money were they actually giving
them. Little to none was the case and the businesses ultimately closed.
The reason? According to experts, it’s because they failed to pivot and
change with the times, and the generations. The baby boomers had
different needs than Generation X-ers, but some businesses didn’t
consider this or maybe didn’t want to waste potential time and money on
investing in such changing needs.
Toys “R” Us CEO David Brandon, stated in a U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission filing in 2017 that the company fell behind its
competitors “on various fronts, including with regard to general upkeep
and the condition of our stores.” And, while Amazon.com competition
wasn’t helping matters, customers complained of the stores’ warehouselike
environments with little to no customer service.
As for the once extremely popular and money-making machine that
was Blockbuster, it wasn’t Netflix that did the company in, it was the
company’s failure to reimagine its prototype. While the business did
welcome new ways to make money and serve its clientele by offering
video game and music rentals in the 1990s, it didn’t think past the way
in which to make money through $3+ rentals and late fees. In fact,
Netflix approached Blockbuster with a proposal to team up and set the
stage for a mail-order and brick and mortar prototype. But that proposal
was rejected. According to Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix, that
meeting was upsetting, but not detrimental. In his book, No Rules Rules:
Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention. Hastings wrote: “I am often
asked, “How did this happen? Why could Netflix repeatedly adapt but
Blockbuster could not?” That day we went to Dallas, Blockbuster held all
the aces. They had the brand, the power, the resources, and the vision.
Blockbuster had us beat hands down.
It was not obvious at the time, even to me, but we had one thing
that Blockbuster did not: a culture that valued people over process,
emphasized innovation over efficiency, and had very few controls. Our
culture, which focused on achieving top performance with talent density
and leading employees with context, not control, has allowed us to
continually grow and change as the world, and our members’ needs,
have likewise morphed around us.”
12 • WINTER 2022
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WINTER 2022 • 13

FUN&
GAMES
WHAT’S DIFFERENT?
Think these two pictures taken at a self serve car wash are the same?
Think again! There are four differences. Can you spot them all?
1. Drum is smaller 2. Outlet is missing 3. Cinder block lines are missing 4. Lock on control box is missing
LET’S GO FOR …
A TRIP
AROUND THE
WORLD!
Can you guess where the
following car washes are
located? The choices are:
1. Romania
2. Ontario, Canada
3. Brisbane, Australia
4. Poland
14 • WINTER 2022

SHAQ’S
COSTLY
SELF SERVE
CAR WASH
MISTAKE
Basketball legend and multi-business owner Shaquille O’Neal knows a thing
or two about making bank. But making it to the bank is a whole other story.
As the owner of 150 car washes across the country, O’Neal admits to not
being very business savvy when he first started out in the industry.
Graham Bensinger on his show, Shaquille O’Neal revealed this bizarre
story about his car wash. He told Graham Bensinger on his show, In Depth,
that he was being an irresponsible business owner.
“I would get the coins and the quarters and I’d just take them home and put
them in my safe. But so much money was coming in, I didn’t think we could
take quarters and dimes to the bank like that. I didn’t want them to think I
was, you know, breaking into vending machines. So I would just take them and
dump them in plastic bags and pillowcases and put them in the house.”
His fear of cashing in the coins eventually caught up with him, to the
tune of $250,000 in misappropriated funds. His financial advisor called him
and asked if he could account for the missing ¼ of a million dollars.
“What?” O’Neal replied. Oh yes, he said, “I think that’s at home in my safe.”
For Details Visit • www.swcarwash.org
WINTER 2022 • 15

INNOVATIONS
INTRODUCING
Inventory App
Kleen-Rite Corp., the largest family-owned
car wash distributor in the
country, has introduced the new KR
Stock app, bringing car wash inventory
management to the palm of your
hand. Kleen-Rite has developed an application
aimed squarely at making life
easier for car wash owners, whether
they own one site or one dozen sites.
KR Stock allows operators to keep
track of the inventory levels of the
Kleen-Rite products they need the
most. Operators and employees can easily
keep track of the products they currently
have in their inventory, see which
car wash they’re being stored at, and order
immediately from the app. Instead
of carrying around a pen and paper to do
things the old-fashioned way, or having
to deal with cumbersome spreadsheets,
this app uses intuitive actions and icons
to let operators adjust on the go, from
their phone or tablet.
The KR Stock app offers:
• Inventory Management in
the Palm of the Hand: Access
inventory counts right from any
handheld phone or device – both
amount and car wash location.
• Fast Track Ordering: Ability to
order right away in the app when
restocking is needed.
• Personalized Management for
Preferred Items: No information
overload about irrelevant
products, instead providing focus
on previously-ordered products
for focused reordering.
• Order History: Past orders
are shown, and can be clicked
through immediately to add those
products to the cart for reorder.
Any experienced car wash owner
knows that keeping a flow of chemicals,
parts, equipment, vending items,
and other supplies is absolutely crucial
to the success of a car wash. This lets
them spend less time shopping, and
more time managing their car wash.
The new KR Stock app is easy to access.
Simply download the KR Stock
app from the preferred download location
– the app is available in both
the Apple Store or Google Play Store.
Access is done using customers’ existing
Kleen-Rite customer log-in information,
and allows them to get started
immediately!
16 • WINTER 2022
Disinfectant
Wipes and Ready
to Use Cleaner
Malco® Products, Inc. has launched the addition
of Disinfectant Products to its product portfolio.
Malco Disinfectant Wipes are multi-purpose wipes
that clean, disinfect3, and deodorize hard, non-porous
surfaces in one easy step. Made with an EPA-approved
bleach- and alcohol-free formula, the wipes
are effective against cold1 and flu virusesttt and kill
99.9% of bacteria in 15 seconds**. They are also effective
against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes
COVID-19, after 30 seconds***.
Malco Disinfectant RTU Cleaner is a ready-to-use
cleaner that disinfects3, sanitizes, cleans, and deodorizes
hard, non-porous, and soft surfaces§. The cleaner
is also made with an EPA-approved bleach- and
alcohol-free formula that is effective against cold1
and flu virusesttt and kills 99.9% of bacteria in 5 seconds****
and is also effective against SARS-CoV-2,
the virus that causes COVID-19, after 30 seconds***.
“Malco has been providing trusted cleaning products
to the automotive, marine, and consumer products
markets for years. Once the pandemic hit, it only made
sense that we should expand our offering to include
No pile-ups patent
New air freshener company
Founded by three Los Angeles natives, Smellies is
dedicated to developing high-quality scents that are
environmentally friendly.
“We are downright obsessed with delivering premium,
safe, sustainable multi-use air that fills lives with freshness,”
explained spokesperson Frank Ponce De Leon.
Smellies air fresheners are available in ten scents:
Vanilla, Black Ice, New Car, Tropical, Honey-Peach,
Blueberry, Citrus, Fresh Linen, Lemon, and Lavender.
Smellies is not just focused on odor removal and promoting
multi-use air fresheners for all, but the brand is
committed to protecting the planet and improving air
quality worldwide through its Fresh Air Initiative.
NEW AND IMPROVED PRODUCTS
AND SERVICES FOR SELF SERVE CAR WASHES
disinfectant products,” said Malco President Seth Glaburman.
“The Malco Disinfectant Products provide our
existing customers access to the products they need,
where and when they need them to keep their business,
vehicle, office, and home safe for all who enter.”
Malco Disinfectant Wipes are industry standard 7”
x 8” and available in a 75 count canister. Malco RTU
Cleaner is available in a 22 oz spray bottle, 1-gallon, or
5-gallon sizes to support the demand from consumer
and automotive customers. The disinfectant products
are available for purchase from local distributors
across the U.S or on the Malco Automotive website.
††† Influenza A Virus, Pandemic 2009 H1N1 Influenza A Virus, Human Coronavirus¹
** Staphylococcus aureus (Staph), Klebsiella pneumoniae, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli (E. coli)
O157:H7
3 When used according to disinfection directions
*** When used according to package directions
****Staphylococcus aureus (Staph), Klebsiella pneumoniae
§Composed of 100% cotton, 100% polyester, or 50/50 cotton/polyester
DRB, an Akron, Ohio-based provider of car wash
point-of-sale and optimization technology, announced
that it has been awarded a patent for No-
Pileups, a full-tunnel optimization system for conveyorized
car washes designed to reduce in-tunnel
collisions and optimize tunnel capacity.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”)
issued U.S. Pat. No. 11,127,283 relating to NoPileups
on September 21. The patent covers NoPileups’
ability to configure cameras, LIDAR, RADAR or
SONAR to track the relative positions of vehicles
in the tunnel and trigger a stop of the conveyor and
wash equipment when a collision threat is detected.
NoPileups was developed to solve the growing
challenges of in-tunnel collisions, particularly with
the prevalence of automatic braking systems. The system
uses computer vision and machine learning technology
to monitor car wash tunnels and automatically
stop the conveyor when collision threats are detected.
With NoPileups preventing in-tunnel collisions, car
wash operators can confidently load vehicles at optimum
levels, allowing them to wash more cars during
peak hours. It also helps them identify misaligned
equipment so the tunnel runs at top performance.
“NoPileups has been a true game-changer in the
car wash industry, helping its users save money on
damages and preserve their reputation all while increasing
their operational efficiency,” said Dan Pittman,
President of DRB.
The first NoPileups system was installed in 2016.
There are now more than 700 NoPileups systems
installed in car washes across the United States.
“Smellies Fresh Air Initiative is our pledge to sustainability,
protecting vulnerable forest and ocean
habitats, and meeting our annual carbon emission
offset goals by offering our customers CO2 compensated
shipping options at checkout to ensure carbon-neutral
shipping operations.”
“We also strive to reduce our environmental
impact by using fully recyclable, minimalist, and
eco-friendly packaging. To achieve our sustainability
goals, Smellies partnered with the Ocean Conservancy,
TerraPass, and the National Forest Foundation,
which fund projects that promise fresh air for all,”
stated Business Partner Greg Svorinich.

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EXTRA!
EXTRA!
Presenting the news stories featuring
self serve car washes
New wash opens in Tasmania
Co-directors Ken Upchurch and Heath Lang have
opened a self serve car wash in Legana, Tasmania, Australia,
according to a December 11 Examiner story.
The was includes several cashless self-wash stations, a
large in-bay automatic car wash, self detailing bay, and a
pet wash.
“The car wash was intended to be completed in September
but sourcing the specialized labor required to construct
the facility was delayed by quarantine issues,” the story said.
“We looked around and thought about what the community
needed, and we’re just hoping the community agrees,”
Upchurch said in the story.
New wash opens in McGregor, Minnesota
Two couples, Brandon and Janae Popp and Jordan and Alli Barten, recently formed a partnership
called Bartopp Properties and now own a self serve car wash as their first venture, a
December 11 Message Media story said.
Brandon and Janae Popp reside in McGregor, Minnesota, where Brandon serves as the
superintendent at Minnesota National Golf Club and Resort. Janae is a registered nurse.
Jordan and Alli Barten live in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, where Jordan is a commercial banker
and Alli is a daycare provider.
“The partnership will bring diverse experience to the new business,” the story said. “Living
in the McGregor area and knowing the local community well is a bonus,” Brandon said in
the story. “We hope to try and fill a void in the car wash world of a small community. We are
excited to learn and grow with the business.”
“The biggest initial change is we will be open year-round, which was one of the bigger
requests from customers,” Alli said in the story.
A new in-bay automatic wash, which will be installed and operational by early-spring and
large self-serve bay will be kept as-is. “Bartopp Properties is also working in collaboration
with McGregor Oil to bring savings to the community and encourage the support of local
businesses. The new owners would also like to eventually add a pet wash in the future, another
popular request,” the story said.
Currently, there is only one other automated car wash in McGregor.
“We are very excited about the purchase, and we will be moving quickly to complete all of
the updates,” Alli said in the story. “As a family with many connections to the area, we look
forward to serving the community and keeping it clean - one car at a time!”
Texas self serve serves as
Covid-19 testing site
The D&D Coin Op self serve car wash in San Antonio
was turned into a Covid-19 testing site back in December,
according to a Fox 29 news report.
The December 8 story said the post-holiday surge of
COVID-19 along with a lack of supply forced some people
to wait for several hours in line to get a COVID test.
The testing clinic which was run by Nomi Health was
one of many pop-up clinics across the county.
The testing site was open every day for the second week
of December from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. including on Saturday.
Renovated car and truck
wash opens in Barryville,
New York
Jim Sallusto and his son Matt had been visiting
the area of Barryville for the past 27 years,
and now they’re living here permanently as
co-owners of the newly renovated Barryville
Car & Truck Wash. According to a December 29
River Reporter story, “Matt is in charge,” Jim said
at the December 18 ribbon cutting and celebration,
“I’m just the eye candy.”
Matt said they installed the most modern self
serve car wash equipment. ”In deference to the
proximity to the Upper Delaware River, the car
wash is equipped with a series of holding tanks
that filter out sediment, salt and any chemical
residue from the biodegradable soaps. The produced
grey water is then pumped out by a local
carrier,” the story said.
New wash opens in
Toms River, New
Jersey
Prestige Auto Spa NJ, of Toms
River, New Jersey, recently opened
its doors last November, according
to a press release.
Prestige Auto Spa NJ is locally
owned and operated by Jeff Kovatch
and Sal Branchizio, long-time
friends and long-time car enthusiasts,
the press release stated. Driven
to build a community car wash
that offers more, Prestige offers
full-serve and self serve bays along
with oil changes, window tinting,
headlight restorations, detailing,
and more.
WINTER 2022 • 19

EXTRA! EXTRA!
The Brits are going after litterers in a
whole new way
Littering is apparently a £850 million (which equals $1,146,225,000 in
US dollars) problem in jolly ol’ England, according to a January 12 MSN
story. However, not one to sit on its britches, a British tech company called
Littercam “has developed a technology that uses AI and computer vision
to detect littering and match it with the offender’s license plate. Cameras
can be mounted on lampposts or plugged into existing CCTV cameras.
The software is in its first six months, but it’s already being trialed in Kent,
Central London, Essex, Scotland, and The Netherlands.”
According to the story, the UK spends about £850 million cleaning it
up from the streets. The Littercam algorithm is trained to detect the 10
most common litter types, including cigarette butts, cups, and fast-food
packaging. When the computer catches a litterbug in the act, it registers
the offense and matches it with the license plate. (The algorithm can also
be used to detect graffiti and waste on the side of the road.)
Current software does not offer facial recognition, and the data can only
be accessed by authorized law enforcement agents. The car’s information
will be then sent to the UK’s Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, and
each incident will be reviewed. Littercam will then issue a penalty notice
to the car’s registered owner, featuring snapshots of the license plate and
the littering offense. The maximum penalty is £150, which equals about
$200 US dollars.
“Fundamentally, it’s about behavior change,” said Andrew Kemp, Founder
of Littercam, “but more broadly, we’re a technology company that wants
to take on challenging data science problems to deliver the technology of
the future, particularly from an environmental perspective.”
At-home car washing banned (sort of) in
California
According to a January 4 Associated Press story, Californians will face
mandatory restrictions governing their outdoor water use as the state endures
another drought and voluntary conservation efforts have fallen short.
The rules adopted January 4 by the State Water Resources Control
Board come after Californians failed to meet Gov. Gavin Newsom’s call
for a voluntary 15% reduction in water use compared to 2020. Between
the months of July and November, water usage was down by just 6%.
State climatologist Michael Anderson also warned that forecasts show
January, February and March could be drier than average.
Despite a rainier-than-normal December, “significant parts of the state’s
water system are still under stress from the extremely dry conditions earlier
in 2021 that dropped many of California’s largest reservoirs to record
and near-record lows,” the story said.
Eric Oppenheimer, chief deputy director for the state water board, said
in the story, “We need to be prepared for continued drought.”
Among the water uses restricted under the new rules: Outdoor watering
that results in excessive runoff into the street and sidewalks; washing cars
with hoses lacking shut-off nozzles; using potable water to wash driveways,
sidewalks, buildings and patios and for street cleaning or to fill decorative
fountains or lakes.
According to the story, much of the Western United States is experiencing
a drought, but only California has adopted statewide restrictions on
residential water usage.
This isn’t the first time Californians have been put under water restriction
laws. The state enacted similar restrictions during the five-year
drought which ended in 2017. Some cities and local water districts even
made them permanent.
The state has also set up a website where individuals can turn in their
neighbors who might be violating the rules. “During California’s last
drought, people engaged in so-called “ drought shaming “, the process of
publicly outing people who are wasting water by posting videos to social
media,” the story said.
20 • FALL 2021
Don’t drive with a dirty window in Spain!
If anyone is looking for a major change in scenery, consider opening a car
wash in Spain! Why? Because car washes are becoming an important part of a
driver’s life. According to a January 4 Sur story, drivers can be fined up to 3,000
euros for not keeping the windows of their cars clean from dirt, ice and snow.
“According to the country’s traffic rules, vehicle windows need to be kept
clean along with headlights and license plates. Under safety laws, the police
can impound a car if it has ‘deficiencies that constitute a particularly serious
risk to vital safety,’” the story said.
According to Owner and Founder of Grupo Moure and Elefante Azul, “Car
washes are an essential activity for any driver. …Today a good carwash center
is equipped with highly efficient technology and a computer that manages
the different phases of the process leaving an impeccable final result. Washing
a vehicle is more than just mixing water with soap and rinsing,”
Where or where did all the PPP money go?
An in-depth report by Jim Probasco of Investopedia dug deep into the
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and where and to whom the funds were
dispersed. The January 23 story, outlined the PPP, which was enacted as part
of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act),
and provided small businesses with approximately $800 billion in low-interest
uncollateralized loans from April 3, 2020, through May 31, 2021.
According to research and analysis conducted by the National Bureau of
Economic Research (NBER), the program “preserved 2 to 3 million job-years
of employment at a cost of $170,000 to $257,000 per retained job-year (a
job-year is defined as one job for one year.)
“Almost all PPP loans are expected to be forgiven with 94% of eligible
small businesses in the U.S. receiving one or more loans under the program.
Roughly 25% of PPP loan funds went directly to workers who would have
lost their jobs. The rest (75%) went to business owners, shareholders, creditors,
and suppliers of companies receiving loans,” the story said.
Also of note, according to the story:
• NBER analysis of PPP found that 75% of PPP funds went to
business owners, shareholders, creditors, and suppliers and roughly
25% to workers who would have otherwise lost their jobs.
• Marginal propensity to consume (MPC) (spend the money on
consumption) for the top 75% of PPP recipients was 0.5, about half
that of workers which was 1.0.
• The high cost ($170K to $250K) per job saved was another
unfavorable aspect of the program.
• 94% of eligible small businesses that received assistance.
• Most of the negative outcome is blamed on the untargeted nature of
the program due to the lack of administrative capacity in the U.S. to
administer a program of this type.
• A percentage of PPP loan funds that went to businesses reinforced
the company’s bottom line in the form of windfall profit.
“What is less certain is the degree to which small employers would have
shuttered their doors permanently versus on a temporary basis, the story
questioned. The data, NBER said, offer stronger support for PPP helping
small companies avoid temporary closure than for preventing them from
shutting their doors forever.”
It appears that 25% of PPP funds were paid to businesses that used the
funds to pay retained and previously unemployed workers. The remaining
75% of funds, were given to creditors who would not have been paid yet
also became beneficiaries. “Business owners could use loan proceeds to pay
non-payroll expenses, including rent, utilities, and mortgage interest. Using
the funds for these expenses made that part of the loan forgivable.”
However, it was found that some percentage of PPP funds went to, “owners
and shareholders of PPP-receiving firms as residual claimants in cases
where businesses would have met some or all of their payroll and other
financial obligations absent PPP (AKA, windfall profits),” according to
NBER. In other words, according to the story, some businesses received the
benefit of PPP funds but didn’t need some or all of those funds in order to
stay open and solvent.

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WINTER 2022 • 21

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WINTER 2022 • 23

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“We’ve been advertising to car wash operators for 7 years now, and
have tried and tracked many of the different industry advertising
options. As far as online opportunities focused on the car wash
industry go, nothing has provided the consistent click-throughs at
the rate of the CarWashForum.com.” JIM LANMAN, TOUCH4WASH
24 • WINTER 2022

WINTER 2022 • 25

2021
CALENDAR
OF EVENTS
*All events are
subject to changes
due to current
circumstances.
FEB 27
MAR 1, 2022
2022 SCWA
CONVENTION & CAR
WASH EXPO
Fort Worth Convention Center
Fort Worth, Texas
MAY
9-11, 2022
THE CAR WASH
SHOW 2022
Music City Center
Nashville, Tennessee
JUNE
7-8, 2022
HEARTLAND CARWASH
ASSOCIATION:
2022 PRODUCT &
EQUIPMENT SHOW
The Prairie Meadows
Events and Conference Center
Altoona, Iowa
SEPT
17-19, 2022
NORTHEAST REGIONAL
CARWASH CONVENTION
Atlantic City Convention Center
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Association News
Carwash Association of Pennsylvania
CAP President shares
hopes for the new year
The following is a letter from Keith Lutz, president of
the Association, to the CAP members:
Dear Fellow Carwash Professionals,
Friends and Colleagues:
The start of any new year brings with it a hope for change,
advancement, and growth. Combine this with the fact that
2021 was not a magical “reset” we were hoping for coming
off of 2021. So for many reasons, I think we can all say
that we look to 2022 with a renewed hope of progress while
also celebrating the obstacles we continue to overcome as
an industry.
Foremost, I wish to recognize and celebrate the recipient
of CAP’s Carwasher of the Year Award, Josh Lindsay of
WetGo Car Wash (Northwest PA). Josh embodies the passion
and energy that makes the carwash industry great!
He has advanced his career with WetGo over the years,
helping them open new locations and providing exceptional
customer service every step along the way. In his words, “I
know I’ve had a positive impact on a guest’s day when I see
a smile on their face!” Congratulations, Josh!
CAP is also looking forward to again hosting various networking
events this year, which includes our annual baseball
outing, dinner and tabletop show, and golf outing fundraiser
and picnic. Specific dates will be confirmed soon, so please
stay tuned into our communications, visit our website at
www.pacarwash.org, or email executivedirector@pacarwash.
org to receive updates. We really hope to have you join us at
one or all of these events – families and spouses are welcome!
If you are not a current CAP member, we invite you to join
our growing network of operators and vendors from across the
Commonwealth. We have hit the ground running in 2022
with plans to invest additional resources into our membership
this year, resources that will help all carwash businesses,
both operators and vendors, better connect, collaborate and
contribute to our industry. Please visit us today at www.pacarwash.org
learn more and get involved.
New York State Car Wash Association
New Yorkers enjoy a game at Citi Field
The Association recently stated that despite a rainout
on May 28, the New York State Car Wash Association
(NYSCWA) was able to move its annual Mets Event to
September 17. The Mets took on the Philadelphia Phillies
at Citi Field in Flushing Meadows/Corona Park, New
York. The game, according to the NYSCWA, saw the
Mets fight back from an early lead by the Phillies, and unfortunately,
their efforts fell short with a 4-3 loss to Philadelphia.
“Every time we come to Citi Field, it’s exciting
and a really great day for our members and their families,”
NYSCWA President Walt Hartl stated. “I wouldn’t
miss this event, and I’m so thankful we were able to hold
It is with great pride that I say that the carwash industry
continues to prove its resilience and commitment to being a
helpful community within and beyond the borders of Pennsylvania.
Now into a new year, some of us will enter the industry
while others will exit, some of us will grow or expand, while
others may look to downsize or sell. The common denominator
is our passion for serving others, in whatever form that
may come. Thank you all for serving our industry well and
being a part of this very special community.
Best wishes for a safe, healthy and prosperous 2022!
Keith Lutz
President, Carwash Association of Pennsylvania
it this year, albeit on a smaller scale.”
COVID restrictions limited the number of attendees
in the Porsche Party Suite to 35, but that did not dampen
everyone’s excitement at being back together and enjoying
America’s greatest pastime, a statement read. “I’ve
been involved in this event for more years than I care to
remember, and every year it brings a smile to my face,”
said Event Coordinator Mike Benmosche. “You couldn’t
ask for a better venue. And you couldn’t ask for a better
group of operators in which to enjoy it.”
This year’s event was sponsored by Micrologic Associates,
Ledgewood, New Jersey.
26 • WINTER 2022

WINTER 2022 • 27

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Southwest Car Wash Association
Association News
Newt Gingrich to give Keynote address
The SCWA is excited to announce that former
Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich will headline
the SCWA 2022 Convention & EXPO as Keynote
Speaker. SCWA continues the tradition of providing
World Class Speakers and Premier Educational
opportunities for our convention attendees, a
statement read.
Speaker Gingrich is an intellectually fearless visionary
and historian and is one of the foremost
economic, social, political, and security-focused
thinkers today, the SCWA stated. “He is wellknown
as the architect of the ‘Contract with
America’ that led the Republican Party to victory
in 1994 by capturing a majority in the United
States House of Representatives for the first time
in 40 years.” Gingrich was also a candidate for
President of the United States in 2012.
Recognized internationally as an expert on world
history, military issues, and international affairs,
Newt Gingrich is the longest-serving teacher of the
Joint War Fighting course for Major Generals, according
to the SCWA. He also teaches officers from
all six services as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar
and Professor at the National Defense University. In
addition, Newt Gingrich served as a Member of the
Defense Policy Board. He was a member of the Terrorism
Task Force for the Council on Foreign Relations,
and he co-chaired the Task Force on United
Nations Reform, a bipartisan congressional effort to
modernize and improve the United Nations.
“Now, more than ever, we need to understand
where we are as a country and what needs to be
done to preserve businesses and personal opportunities.
You will be able to pose questions prior
to and during the Keynote, so come prepared to
hear and learn from one of our nation’s foremost
thinkers,” the SCWA stated.
Speaker Gingrich will address the SCWA convention
attendees at the General Session on Monday
morning, February 28th.
The 2022 SCWA Convention & EXPO will take
place February 27 - March 1, 2022, at the Fort
Worth Convention Center.
The SCWA has been known for its impressive
list of keynote speakers. Past addresses have been
made by Former United States Vice President
Dick Cheney, and media emperor Steve Forbes.
Car Wash Operators
of New Jersey
Association lobbyist
makes Power List
Car Wash Operators of New Jersey
(CWONJ) Lobbyist, Al Gaburo, with
Princeton Public Affairs Group (PPAG)
in Trenton, New Jersey, has been named
to New Jersey Globe’s 2021 Power List,
stated the Association. The annual recognition
honors the 100 most politically
powerful personalities in the state, focusing
on those who impact politics and government
in New Jersey.
Gaburo and his team at PPAG have
crafted legislation to keep professional
carwashes open during public health
emergencies, state emergencies or Executive
Orders declared by the Governor,
according to a statement. The board has
been working closely with PPAG for the
last year on these efforts. The legislation
is slated to be introduced in mid-January.
New England Carwash Association
Event hosted at Gillette Stadium, new Board of Directors named
Not even a Nor’Easter could not dampen the
spirits of nearly 90 attendees on October 26,
NECA reported regarding an Association event
including car wash tours and gathering at Gillette
Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
At 1 p.m. the motor coach tour, sponsored by
Sonny’s Car Wash Services Northeast, departed
for the first tour of remodeled RoJo on Rte. 1 in
Norwood, Massachusetts, NECA stated. Presenting
sponsors included AutoWash Technologies, Simoniz
and Vacutech. The next stop was the new
RoJo on Rte. 1 in Walpole. Presenting sponsors included
DRB, Modernwash and Sonny’s Car Wash
Services Northeast. The buses then dropped all off
at Patriots Place for the Hall of Fame tour sponsored
by Washify.
“We had the entire CBS Sporting Club, overlooking
Gillette Stadium, for our annual meeting and
reception sponsored by Autowash Maintenance
Corporation, Cross Insurance and National Carwash
Solutions. A brief state of the association report
was presented by Treasurer John Shalbey and
by VP and Membership Co-Chair Jeffrey Katseff.
Past President Bob Katseff conducted the election
for our 2022 Board of Directors. The microphone
was then handed back to President Patrick Mosesso
who presented the 2021 “You Make It Happen”
award to a very surprised Mark Delaney. Mark’s
brother Mike and father Chuck were there to celebrate
this honor.”
According to the NECA, Delaney is a quiet
guy that really gets things done. “In fact, when he
was growing up, that quiet served him really well.
He became the most popular caddy at the country
club down the street from where he grew up,
eclipsing his two brothers in popularity. The golfers
just really liked his quiet competence.”
As is the case with many of our members, NECA
stated, car washing is his family business. Mark
started vacuuming cars as a teen and as soon as he
could drive, he would drive the vehicles onto the
track. Delaney studied business in college and eventually
joined his brother Mike at Allston Car Wash.
This was a great help to his Mother and Dad.
Mark eventually served on the NECA Board of
Directors from 2017 through 2019. “During that
time, he logically worked with the golf outing
committee but his service to NECA did not end
when his term on the Board ended. This is something
that does not happen often. Mark agreed to
take on the outing chairmanship and his very first
outing in 2018 was so successful, that despite being
held during a Nor’Easter, we made our largest
charitable contribution to date, only exceeded by
our 2019 outing. He did the legwork for our 2020
outing, which unfortunately could not be held,
but our 2021 Outing was a great success thanks to
his leadership.”
The 2022 Board of Directors Elected at the annual
meeting include:
OFFICERS
President: Patrick Mosesso, Auto Bright Car Care
Immediate Past President: Mat Paisner, ScrubaDub
Car Wash
Operator Vice President: Jeffrey Katseff, Turnpike
Car Wash
Supplier Vice President: Chris Zona, Autowash
Technologies
Treasurer/ Secretary: John Shalbey, Jr., RoJo Co.
OPERATOR DIRECTORS
Tony Lombardo Scrub-It Car Wash
Derek Mourad Neponset Circle Car Wash
Chris Ouimet Fitzy’s Car Wash
Felix Taranto Triton Wash Car Care Center
Chris Vercollone Briteway Car Wash
SUPPLIER DIRECTORS
Matt D’Souza Washify Services
Mike Snow Maintenance Tech
Brian Stanikmas Simoniz USA
WINTER 2022 • 29

INDUSTRY DIRT
HAPPENINGS
IN & AROUND THE SELF
SERVE CARWASHING INDUSTRY
PSD Codax welcomes Mark
Byard as new manager of
business development
PSD Codax of Bristol, England, part of ICS and
OPW Vehicle Wash Solutions, global leaders in
vehicle wash and payment solutions technology,
welcomed Mark Byard as the new Manager of
Business Development
A December 6, 2021, press release stated that in
this role, Byard will be directly responsible for PSD
Codax sales and marketing efforts in the UK, Ireland
and Scandinavian markets, as well as overseeing
PSD Codax’s growth in the European market.
Prior to joining PSD Codax, Byard was the Business
Development Manager and Head of Sales for
Kärcher Wash Systems, where he was responsible for
overseeing business growth and key accounts. Before
joining Kärcher Wash Systems, Byard held a variety
of roles in the car wash industry from engineer to
technical service manager to installation manager.
“Mark has a level of experience, background and
connection to the vehicle wash market that we find
most beneficial to help understand and respond to
our customers’ requirements,” said Rob Deal, Vice
President of Corporate Sales for ICS, in a press release.
“His depth of experience is exactly what we
have been looking for as we expand our business
development efforts to continue our growth. We
are excited for the future and look forward to the
impact Mark will bring to our customers.”
“Over the last few years, the customer needs
have changed and the requirement for contactless
payment at the wash bay entrance has been a regular
request,” Byard also stated in the press release.
“I’m excited to join PSD Codax and be a part of
offering vehicle wash operators the solutions they
need to help increase profits by providing a seamless
wash experience with the latest in payment
system technology.”
As Self Serve Car Wash News previously reported,
OPW Vehicle Wash Solutions was formed in January
2019 and consists of PDQ Manufacturing, Inc.,
Belanger, Inc., and Innovative Control Systems.
EverWash Acquires
omniX Labs
EverWash of Philadelphia,
a leader in car wash
membership and subscription
management,
announced that it has
acquired omniX Labs, industry-leading
real-time
vehicle analytics, and Machine Learning (ML)
platform. This acquisition will deepen EverWash’s
capability to gain key sales and marketing insights
at car washes to benefit their wash partners and
customers. Together, EverWash and omniX Labs
will use vehicle-centric data to improve the car
care life cycle experience, while setting their eyes
on other industries that can benefit from their proprietary
analytics and ML models.
“As a proven leader in the innovation and development
of the car wash membership business,
EverWash efficiently provides a mobile platform
for subscribers and robust end-to-end solution for
car wash operators,” said Scott Caplan, Co-Founder,
and President of EverWash, in a November 15,
2021, press release. “In order for our business to
embark on the next leg of our high-growth journey,
the acquisition of omniX Labs will accelerate
our ability to provide even more vehicle-centric
actionable data that we can use to personalize the
customers' experience and improve the operators'
bottom line."
“omniX Labs shares EverWash’s commitment
to actionable data for the pursuit of client and
customer success,” said Anoop Kanthan, CEO &
Co-Founder of omniX Labs, in the press release.
"We’re excited to contribute to their expansion
by continuing to provide intelligent sets of eyes to
help optimize the car wash experience. Ultimately,
our insights will enable both EverWash and
omniX to develop the next generation of car care
solutions via the vehicle becoming an extension of
the consumer’s wallet.”
EverWash and omniX Labs have been working
together since May 2020, but this complete merger
will bring two leading technology platforms together
to provide car care operators and retailers
full lifecycle visibility into their customers.
Express Wash Concepts
acquires Kleenco
Express Wash Concepts
(EWC) of Columbus, Ohio,
announced on January 19,
2022, that it acquired Kleenco,
a leading supplier of car
wash service, chemicals and
components to automotive
dealerships. Kleenco joins the Express Wash Concepts
portfolio which presently includes 60 operating
express tunnel car wash locations throughout
Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Powered by Express Wash Concepts, the newly
enhanced Kleenco offers an expanded network
of highly skilled car wash service professionals, an
easy-to-use online service portal for scheduling
service and chemical delivery, a fully stocked parts
warehouse, and faster dispatched service calls, a
press release stated. Award-winning chemical supplies
are provided by industry leader ChemQuest.
"We have drawn upon the deep breadth of experience
from of our current Kleenco and Express
Wash Concepts teams and look forward to providing
our dealership customers with the best possible
service, chemicals and components for their
washes," John Roush, Express Wash Concepts
Chief Executive Officer, stated in the press release.
Moving forward, Kleenco's three-tiered service
approach will offer a wide range of service options
for automotive dealerships who at minimum want
to keep their washes running with access to the
best chemistry in the business, to higher volume
dealerships looking for the convenience and value
of automated chemical delivery, regular wash inspections
and cleaning, to on-demand service.
Discounted promotional options are also being
offered to dealerships who prefer to provide customers
with the convenience and value of washing
at one of Express Wash Concepts' 60+ brand locations.
Express Wash Concepts was formed in April
2018 with the announcement of a strategic investment
partnership with Wildcat Capital Management,
the family office of TPG Capital co-founder,
David Bonderman. In 2021, EWC announced its
geographical footprint expansion beyond Ohio
and into Virginia, Pittsburgh and Indiana through
the acquisitions of Green Clean Express Auto
Wash, CleanTown USA and Snazzy's Express Car
Wash. The Company plans to open an additional
50+ locations in 2022.
30 • WINTER 2022

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32 • WINTER 2022

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WINTER 2022 • 33

INDUSTRY DIRT
Suds Creative and
Retention Express
announce new partnership
Suds Creative, of
Meridian, Ohio, a
leader in data-driven
marketing and CX
technology for the
car wash industry,
announced on January 5, 2022, a new partnership
with Retention Express LLC, an outsourced,
white labeled, customer experience support team
focused on membership retention across all customer
touchpoints for car wash operators. The
partnership will focus on identifying strategic
opportunities for collaboration between the companies
on a client-by-client basis. “Our goal is to
drive greater revenue for our clients and we’re laser-focused
on strategies and tools that will help
the hundreds of operators we work with achieve
their business goals. Aligning with Retention Express
allows us to expand our ability to help clients
deliver outstanding customer support to members
and customers without increasing their own
team size and allowing their employees to better
serve on-site customers,” said Jason Baumgartner,
CEO of Suds Creative, in a company press release.
Added Bobby Thomson, CEO of Retention Express,
“We are thrilled to partner with Suds and
to provide car wash owners a dedicated solution
to closing the back door of churn, delivering superior
customer support, and creating more satisfied
customers. We really are able to quarterback the
off-site customer experience while our specialists
capture the voice of their customer by solving every
inbound customer inquiry through a first call
resolution approach and providing owners with
valuable insights and analytics.”
SBA pledges support in
recovering from pandemic
Last year, according to a November 24, 2021,
Small Business Administration (SBA) press release,
shoppers came together in full force to support
their local communities, and Small Business Saturday
hit a record high with an estimated $19.8 billion
in reported spending. This year, holiday consumers
broke new records. Under Administrator
Isabella Casillas Guzman, the U.S. SBA has been at
the forefront of the recovery effort, equitably delivering
economic relief to small businesses along
Main Streets – from the mom-and-pop restaurants
and retail shops to the contractors and small manufacturers.
While much progress has been made to
get Americans back to work, back to business, and
back to normal, the Administration and the SBA
have continued to make equity a priority by increasing
access to government resources, lowering
the barriers to opportunity, and helping expand
the reach of the customers we serve.
The U.S. SBA’s implementation of President
34 • WINTER 2022
Updates made to COVID EIDL guidelines
The U.S. Small Business Administration
(SBA) announced on November 19, 2021, the
updated guidance for COVID Economic Injury
Disaster Loan (EIDL) program applicants
to better serve small business owners in need,
while funding remains available. Since its inception,
the COVID EIDL program, a federal
disaster relief loan designed to better serve and
support our small business communities still
reeling from the pandemic, especially hard-hit
sectors such as restaurants, gyms, and hotels,
has approved nearly $300 billion in relief aid.
Specifically, the following updated guidance is
being provided:
• EIDL loan and Targeted Advance
applications will be accepted until
December 31 and will continue to be
processed after this date until funds are
exhausted.
• Supplemental Targeted Advance
applications will be accepted until
December 31; however, the SBA may be
unable to process some Supplemental
Targeted Advance applications submitted
near the December 31 deadline due to
legal requirements. The SBA cannot
continue to process Supplemental
Targeted Advance applications after
December 31 and strongly encourages
eligible small businesses to apply by
Biden’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) and other
traditional loan programs have helped the smallest
of small businesses survive, and the work continues.
In the midst of a global pandemic, under
Administrator Guzman, the SBA delivered a record
number of its traditional loans to our nation’s
small businesses while also scaling up to meet the
immense demand for COVID-related economic
relief. In 2021, SBA has overseen the distribution
of nearly $416.3 billion in emergency relief aid
to more than 6 million impacted small businesses
through the Paycheck Protection Program ($280
billion), Restaurant Revitalization Fund ($28.6
billion), Shuttered Venue Operators Grant ($13.4
billion), COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan
(EIDL) program ($88 billion), and COVID EIDL
Targeted and Supplemental Advance programs
($6.3 billion combined). This support has directly
helped small businesses stay open and keep workers
on payrolls, especially for those owned by our
underserved, including women, people of color,
veterans, and rural and low-income communities.
Highlights of the significant ARP resources going
to our hardest hit, underserved small businesses:
• The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant
has awarded grants to nearly 13,000 live
venues, theaters, and other entertainment
and cultural hubs. Since the inception of
the SVOG program, more than 90% of the
December 10 to ensure adequate
processing time.
• Borrowers can request increases up to
their maximum eligible loan amount for
up to two years after their loan origination
date, or until the funds are exhausted,
whichever is sooner.
• The SBA will accept and review
reconsideration and appeal requests
for COVID EIDL applications received
on or before December 31 if the
reconsideration/appeal is received
within the timeframes in the regulation.
This means six months from the date of
decline for reconsiderations and 30 days
from the date of reconsideration decline
for appeals – unless funding is no longer
available.
“The COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan
(EIDL) and EIDL Advance programs still have
billions of dollars available to help small businesses
hard hit by the pandemic. More than 3.8
million businesses employing more than 20 million
people have found financial relief through
SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans,” said
Patrick Kelley, Associate Administrator for
SBA’s Office of Capital Access. “Key enhancements
have been made to the loan program that
will help our nation’s businesses recover and get
back on track.”
grants have supported venues with fewer
than 50 employees – or the smallest of
small businesses – a key priority of this
Administration.
• The retooled COVID EIDL Targeted and
Supplemental Advance programs have
provided almost 500,000 small businesses
approximately $6.3 billion in financial relief,
focused on supporting those from lowincome
communities who were especially
hard-hit and are still reeling from the
pandemic.
• And the Community Navigators Pilot
Program has awarded nearly $100 million
in funding to 51 organizations that will work
with hundreds of local groups to connect
small business owners to government
resources and help level the playing field
for America’s entrepreneurs. The two-year
grants were designated in three tiers at $1
million, $2.5 million and $5 million.
Through SBA’s core lending programs, $44.8 billion
in funding was delivered to small businesses in
fiscal year (FY) 2021 through more than 61,000
loans. Out of $36.5 billion in 7(a) loans, nearly $11
billion went to minority business owners ($7.5 billion
for Asian American and Pacific Islanders, $2.1
billion for Hispanic Americans, $959 million for
Black Americans, and $246 million American In-

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36 • WINTER 2022

INDUSTRY DIRT
dians), $5 billion to women-owned businesses, and
$1.2 billion to veteran-owned businesses. Through
the SBA’s $8.2 billion 504 program, minority business
owners received nearly $1.9 billion in lending
($1.1 billion for Asian American and Pacific
Islanders, $632 million for Hispanic Americans,
$106 million for Black Americans, and $26 million
American Indians) with over $712 million
going to women-owned businesses. The SBA also
increased its support of rural small businesses by
nearly 33 percent.
“However, we know work remains in closing
capital gaps,” the press release stated. “Despite
significant growth in the SBA’s core 7(a) and 504
lending programs, many entrepreneurs continue to
face challenges in accessing funding to start and
grow their businesses. Small-dollar lending in our
7(a) program has decreased and become more
concentrated with limited lenders, which is why
the SBA will prioritize direct lending and expanded
distribution networks to fill capital gaps in FY
2022 and beyond.”
Further, as many small businesses continue to face
uncertainty due to the pandemic, the SBA stated it
made key improvements to the COVID EIDL program
so that entrepreneurs could take advantage of
the billions of dollars in remaining COVID EIDL
funds available, including implementing 24 months
of deferred payments, and flexible use of funds and
a new cap of up to $2 million.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Build
Back Better Act will revitalize entrepreneurship.
President Biden’s historic legislative priorities,
the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Build
Back Better Act (BBB), will be transformative for
the small business economy. And, with the passage
of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re on our
way there. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will
empower America’s entrepreneurs to innovate,
create good-paying jobs, and provide the essential
goods and services to rebuild our infrastructure
and address climate change. Specifically, the Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law will:
• Improve small businesses’ ability to
get their goods quickly into the hands
of their customers by upgrading our
nation’s transportation infrastructure. The
President’s plan invests an additional $621
billion in transportation infrastructure and
resilience to help small businesses get
their goods to their customers by reducing
shipping and logistics delays through
upgrading our nation’s rails, roads, bridges,
public transportation, ports, airports, and
freight rail.
• Help small businesses reach new customers
and recruit/hire new employees by providing
universal broadband. President Biden’s
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will invest
$65 billion in broadband infrastructure,
ensuring that every American has access to
affordable, reliable high-speed internet and
fostering a more robust micro businesses
ecosystem.
Small business owners: Be aware of this scam
Small business owners are being targeted by scammers attempting to pose as Small Business
Administration (SBA) representatives. According to a January 19, 2022, report by
SmallBizTrends.com, Tiffany Bernhardt-Schultz, Southwest Wisconsin Regional Director
for the Better Business Bureau, stated, “We know that consumers were filing for loans and
business owners were filing for some financial support. Scammers have found a way to capitalize
and to lure their victims into their tricks. …Scammers have become very complex.
They want you to feel that their offer is real. You shouldn’t base your decision on calling
them back without doing research.”
If you’re contacted by someone attempting to gain loan or personal information, you can
report suspected attempts on the Better Business Bureau website, as well as read up on all
the latest scams being reported. Also, make sure to always conduct research into any person
or organization that requests personal or sensitive information regarding a loan request before
handing it over.
A January 14, 2022, by WMTV reported that Kim Whitmore, the owner of Ujima United
of Milwaukee, a small public health consulting firm, had applied for a EIDL loan during the
pandemic. “My consulting business didn’t have as many projects going as it normally did,”
Whitmore said in the story. “So I was eligible and applied.”
About six months ago she started receiving phone calls from a friendly woman telling her
she’d been approved for the loan. “They would make it sound like I talked to this person already
when clearly I hadn’t talked to an individual about my loan yet,” explained Whitmore
in the story.
Thankfully, Whitmore, according to the story, was suspicious enough of the phone calls and
did her research before calling anyone back, but she sees how easily someone could fall for it.
“I think there’s a good chance that many people would believe them, call back, and provide
some information,” said Whitmore. “I know how easy it is for people who are so desperate for
that relief to trust that the information they are getting is real. …It’s hard enough the way it
is during the pandemic for small businesses,” said Whitmore. “To add this potential risk that
could jeopardize the already shaky finances of many small businesses is really unfortunate.”
• Provide opportunities to access billions of
dollars' worth of federal, state, and local
government contracts, including more than
$37 billion through the U.S. Department
of Transportation (DOT). President Biden’s
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes
a historic procurement effort designed
to support small businesses and tackle
long standing inequities in the contracting
system. The benefits are long, but chief
among them will be opportunities to
access billions of dollars' worth of federal,
state, and local government contracts for
infrastructure and clean energy projects
such as manufacturing solar panels, wind
farms, batteries, and electric vehicles (EVs)
that will grow our energy supply chains
and build the national network of charging
stations.
The Build Back Better Act, if passed, will make
even more investments in small businesses. From
filling capital gaps with direct lending options, an
expanded mission lender network and increased
micro and emerging investment companies to
incubation and acceleration programs, investments
at SBA will be historic. It will also make
key investments in the issues that matter to small
business owners the most: strengthening a skilled
workforce and assisting workers with affordable
childcare, eldercare and health care options.
“In the coming months and years, the SBA will
reimagine itself to help small businesses prepare for
the future through a customer first experience and
technology forward resources to meet businesses
where they are,” the press release stated. “We know
we still have work to do. Under Administrator Guzman,
the SBA team is thinking creatively about how
to best support entrepreneurs at all stages of their
life cycles in a post-COVID world. As the pandemic
taught us, the world has grown increasingly
interconnected. Yet, many in the small business
economy lack the capital, knowledge and resources
to leverage opportunities to grow in domestic supply
chains and global markets. As President Biden’s
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law positions American
businesses to compete in the burgeoning industries
solving climate change and to grow clean-energy
supply chains that will help expand global exporting,
the SBA will be ready to help our innovators
navigate an unprecedented number of opportunities.
And it will be ready to support through our extensive
on-the-ground resource networks, including
68 district offices, over 1000 resource partner centers,
and 51 community navigators. Small business
owners will have access to critical expertise needed
to leverage every opportunity they deserve arising
through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law or the
Build Back Better Act.”
WINTER 2022 • 37

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WINTER 2022 • 39

TRICKS OF THE
(Note: Some posts feature
minor edits for readability.)
Presenting some of the best discussions from the Self Serve, IBA and General Discussions sections of CarwashForum.com. To view more
posts discussing some interesting and common problems, as well as some of the best and brightest solutions, visit CarwashForum.com
Welcome
to the world of self
serve car washes!
Today marked 1 full week since taking ownership of the car wash. I felt
like everything was coming along slowly but surely. A few minor leaks here and
there… no big deal. That is until I was about to go home around 7:30 pm. In the bay I was
working on, water starts pouring from the ceiling. Now, for a week into this I felt like I had a decent understanding
of what most things do and where the water flows for the self service bays. I shut off the valves as I
thought this would stop the rain, but nope! It still looks like someone left the hose running in the attic. I scrambled
around shutting off the RO tank and looking at solenoids as if I knew what I was doing. During this time I ventured
into the attic a few times to make sure it was still leaking, I guess. Finally, after about an hour of figuring and
scrambling I found the issue. There is a solenoid valve from the city water that feeds the pump and it was not closing.
I cobbled some parts together to shut the bay off for the time being (it was already not in service). I am really
feeling like a car wash owner now! JOSWHAHA
Looks like you have some work ahead of you. In
your first pic, you see the rust on the reducer fitting.
Someone used a steel fitting. You don’t want
to do that. The smallest piece of rust will stop at
your wand nozzle and piss off your customers.
There is also a galvanized fitting. I wouldn’t use
them either. It will take longer but they will rust.
More things to clean up in your second pic. Fittings
leaking and soon to blow etc.
Some will say galvanized is ok, but brass or
stainless is the way to go.
Take some time, clean up all the issues one bay
at a time, and you will reduce your number of
emergency repairs.
And by the way, open up that solenoid valve, if
the seats are good you can get a rebuild kit for a
few bucks.
Also, the water should have been coming out of
the wand, not in the ceiling, so you need to fix those
leaks before putting that bay back in service. TOMS
PTCARWASH
Are you running hot water? If not, you can eliminate
those solenoids. MEP001
Cold only, it looks like those valves open on my presoak
feature. I’m not sure about that yet though.
JOSWHAHA
They shouldn’t. They’re only for cold rinses, and
presoak comes out of a tank which has to meet
with water out of another tank, otherwise the
pressure will just stop the flow of presoak. The
only thing that should open with your presoak solenoid
will be the 453P solenoid on the high pressure
pump outlet. MEP001
In time, your perspective changes. A leak would have
freaked me out when I first opened. Now, I actually
don’t mind repairing a leak at all, because it’s so simple
to diagnose and repair most of the time. WAXMAN
Normally such breakdowns only happen when
you’re away on vacation! Somehow my car wash
equipment knows when I’m unavailable! STARRWASH
40 • WINTER 2022

Et tu, tunnel?
TRICKS OF THE
I currently operate my two sites (self serves and IBAs) without any employees. I keep running numbers
to determine if I want to build a tunnel. With 11-13$ an hour it might make sense but I see 18$ right
around the corner for entry level wages. The local restaurants are already at $15 starting for teens,
entry warehouse is at $20, Amazon is at $22. The labor shortage isn’t going away. Can most tunnels stay
competitive without raising membership fees with these labor rates? Does anyone have any models that
have taken rising wages into account? Hesitant to jump into this model given this factor. C-RAY
I wouldn’t touch this model with a ten foot pole.
There seems to be very little ethics involved and
the business model appears to be to just build
right on top of a wash that looks to be successful.
Not to mention the cutthroat pricing and all the
free stuff. The canaries will stop coming out of the
mines soon (actually I think it’s already started)
and you should be able to pick one up for pennies
on the dollar. The industry finally pretty much
killed off the gas station freebie wash, and now it’s
turned on itself. I.B. WASHINCARS
What I see to support that is non-stop advertising
for help wanted and managers working nights and
weekends to cover. Just a matter of time before
they increase prices to cover higher wages so they
can recruit competitively. I just don’t think 40-
50$ Monthly unlimited memberships are digestible
over the IBA prices. C-RAY
I recently retired and now use an express myself.
I pay $17.95 per month for my first vehicle and
$8.95 for the second one. $26.90 keeps my vehicles
washed all month. There is also another express
just 1/4 mile away. I think they look at any
major intersection as the potential for 5 express
washes, because eventually someone will build a
two-story wash... I.B. WASHINCARS
I’ve watched numerous express washes up wages a
few bucks an hour in the last year. Every area is
different but I’d expect $13 to be the new $10
within a year. If you want “okay” employees that
aren’t all in high school and less hiring issues it
should be at least $15. If you want solid people
you’re going to have to offer $17+. The bigger
question is if you want to put tons of time into
managing and hiring employees as well as working
at the wash when someone quits or doesn’t
show up.
The market is accepting higher membership
prices. $40 plans aren’t that rare, even among
major players in the unlimited game. The competitive
building is the biggest risk. People are
only getting riskier and dumber.
All that said, if you’re willing to put in the
cash and the time an express is highly rewarding.
If you’re willing to work your ____ off I recommend
it. MC3033
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WINTER 2022 • 41

TRICKS OF THE
There’s a hole in the
vacuum,dear Liza, dear Liza
We have recently installed some premier vacs which have fantastic
suction, but if the nozzle is on say a mat or hard surface, when the air flow
gets blocked the motors definitely start to smell of burn. Is it best to drill
some holes in the nozzle to prevent motor burn out? CARWASHIRELAND
I use a HVAC crimper to notch some V’s at the
claw. CAR_WASH_GUY
Same. COPPERGLOBE
Me too. I.B. WASHINCARS
I used to file notches in the end, but I don’t waste
the time since I replace at least a couple a week
from getting run over. MEP001
Drill 3 holes on top. Takes about 3 minutes.
It’s an absolute MUST DO, & it’s a FREE
improvement that makes a definite difference.
SOONERMAJIC
I’ve seen the claws with holes. Makes no sense to
me, give them the best suction you can then cut
it down an inch from where they need it and increase
your electric bill at the same time. Grooves
at the claw edge improve airflow where the dirt is.
MEP001
Same. Except that I just use wire cutters, 2 small
V’s on the bottom of each claw. PAULLOVESJAMIE
We drill holes. Have done it for years at our full
service location. Holes or notches make it easier
to use the vacuum, neither option creates a decrease
in effectiveness of the nozzle. DAVIDM
Well, if you compare the 2 side by side, you’ll
notice no discernible difference. SOONERMAJIC
Having the holes or notches actually improves
the vacuum performance. SOAPY
We notch. Purchased three motor vacs last year
that had three holes in the claws that created an
obnoxiously loud, high pitch whistle. MR. CLEAN
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42 • WINTER 2022

WINTER 2022 • 43

TRICKS OF THE
Parking lot loot!
Does anyone rent out parking lot space
to windshield repair or other service/
vendors? If yes, how much do you charge
monthly? Thanks. CARWASHBG
Timely question as I’m talking to someone later about putting a
food truck on site. That would pay maybe $400 a month. MAC
SSCWN EDITOR CHIMES IN: Food trucks are making a killing. According to smallbizgenius.net,
there are over 24,000 active food trucks in the United States and the food truck
market size in 2020 surpassed 1.2 billion dollars. Experts predict the food truck industry
will see a growth of 2.4% for 2021. Other ways to use empty lot space for a profit include:
a Christmas tree lot, a pop-up fireworks stand, a pumpkin patch, boat and RV storage, or
you can think way, way, way outside of the box, like Jack Anthony, CEO of 7 Flags Car
Wash did back in 2001. Anthony said that one of the best things he ever did with one of
his self serve bays at one of his car washes in California, was to use a bay as a flower shop.
From the Fall 2001 issue of Self Serve Car Wash News:
Then there’s the Magic Carwash in Manahawkin, New Jersey, which used to turn one of
its self serve bays into a drive-thru flu shot clinic. This took place prior to flu season. And,
while it was set up as a community service and didn’t bring in any additional profits to
the car wash, it was a good deed which garnered positive media attention. The car wash
discontinued the flu-shot bays when chain pharmacies such as CVS, Rite-Aid and even
grocery stores started offering flu shots to the masses.
FROM THE SPRING 2008 ISSUE OF SSCWN:
The wash I’m buying is on a street with 26,000 vehicles per day.
There is not enough room on the lot for a food truck but I could
rent out a couple of spaces for windshield repair etc. Was thinking
maybe $500 a month, but not sure if that’s too high. CARWASHBG
People usually get $1500-2000 a month for a food truck in Austin
if they supply them with water and electricity. I wouldn’t expect
much from a windshield repair. I can’t imagine they would do the
volume. I also wouldn’t want them soliciting customers, which
I expect they would have to do to get enough business. MEP001
Would love to do a food truck, trying to configure a way that
doesn’t interfere with car wash, but may not be possible. Good
point about soliciting customers, wouldn’t want that. Any other
ideas for who to rent lot space to? CARWASHBG
For what it’s worth, several years ago I rented space to food truck
and he did well until received a letter from the lawyers for the
7/11 beside me with a copy of an agreement from the county and
the 7/11 which said that no food can be sold within 500 yards of
the 7/11 property line. TOM THUMB
Make sure to check your insurance policy to see if you’d be covered
for any incidents involving a renter. May need extra liability
which is cheap or the renter likely needs to provide proof of coverage.
KRAMERWV
Are you setting a certain amount of hours/days for the truck to
be there, or did they come to you with that already in mind? And
are you basing your price on their time on your property with the
truck, or is it a flat fee you would charge? WASHNSHINE
I don’t have a parking lot tenant yet, but it’s a busy street. I’d
want something that pays monthly since would be easier for me.
CARWASHBG
Ain’t no bay high enough!
I’m working with a wash right now with a major mess problem from trucks and food carts, and I need to put up
height restriction pipes. Anyone have to do this and have the ideal height to keep out these vehicles and still
allow all others like high-roof vans? I’d like to include RVs, but the bays are really too narrow for them to get
in and wash. I’m also debating whether to hang them by chains or to attach them to the upright columns. I’ve
watched trucks just drive under them. I’ve been thinking about a chain on one side and a wire with a plug on
the other, so if they do get in they’ll disconnect power to the bay. MEP001
Best way is to find the type of vehicle you wish to
accommodate and then look at the manufacturer’s
specs. Then add 6”. You should be able to accommodate
the Amazon type of vans or county people
movers. RVs can become a pain if they clean
out their holding tanks when you are not around. I
would avoid them unless you do not mind the possible
mess. ROZ
Most tall sprinters are around 9 and a half feet, so
maybe 10 feet max would work KRAMERWV
Maybe you could run furnace screws into the bottom
of the pipe so they’ll hear a screeching on their
paint when they run through them. BRICKS
44 • WINTER 2022

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46 • WINTER 2022

WINTER 2022 • 47

TRICKS OF THE
Thanks, but no thanks…
As it says… anyone else get something like this?
Basically, you have the best place in town! Here’s 4
stars But I’ll never be back because your credit card
minimum is the average and I didn’t notice cash was
only $2 … I’m so confused MARTINS
I once got a 3-star review, all it said was “It’s busy”.
Yeah, I run a good car wash just so YOU can’t get
in. MEP001
I responded, I think, very professionally:
Hey John, Thanks so much for the review! We
have been working hard on the upgrades to the wash
since we took over a year ago! I’m happy to hear the
upgrades and new soaps are being enjoyed! I’m sorry
to hear our pricing has caused you to go elsewhere,
however, I think there is some confusion that hopefully,
I can clear up!
Our start price is only $2 (quarters) as shown on
the timer in the new timer boxes. Our credit card
option however is a minimum $3 start and a $15
maximum per swipe. This covers the start time and
the credit card processing fees for CC usage. Additionally,
you get 6 minutes with the $3 cc price!
We only just installed the credit card options back
in March and have left the CC start time at $3 since
install. Our plan is to not touch it unless there is a
change in credit card processing fees.
As for the cash price we did raise it from $1.50
to $2 as we installed and updated the facility to better
products, chemicals, and overall equipment for
your use. We are very set on constantly improving
our wash for our customer and have no future plans
of increasing our start price any further at this time.
Our hope is to have the automatic touch free removed
and replaced with a new unit sometime in
the next year as well, increasing your options with
us even more! We are also looking into replacing all
our vacuums with multi combo units as well. Until
then we have gutted them and replaced them with
all new motors, hoses, and tips!
We truly appreciate your feedback and hope this
has helped clear up any confusion there might have
been. We truly hope to see you back at our wash
again! We are always improving it for clients like
you! We want to make sure we offer the absolute
best product for you and your vehicles. MARTY
It’s always someone in this world that wants something
for nothing and here is a prime example. I dare
wouldn’t let this get to you have done everything in
your power to be professional. Some customers just
don’t think about the tens and hundreds of thousands
of dollars it costs us to be in business. The carwash
industry has always and will be behind on pricing
if we as operators kept up with pricing over the
years. In the SS like the laundry industry, we would
be $10 to start with quarters. People pay $7-$10 in a
Laundromat but complain about $2 in the SS bays.
You, good man, keep doing your thing as an operator.
TDLCONCEPTSLLC
I put my card limit at $9. Just Monday night I
checked the cameras and there were two young
ladies that swiped a card and were making videos
of them doing different things. The only water they
used was the trickle, to spray in the air. They never
pulled the trigger. The rest of the time they were
twerking on different areas of the car and giggling as
they watched the videos. They never hit the button
to stop their card so it only cost daddy $9. I should
save the video in case they call and complain. It’s
probably not good for the pump to bypass for that
long, so I don’t feel too bad about it. My quarter start
up is $1.75 for 3:58. $2 min CC.
And my wash isn’t nearly as nice as yours. BRICKS
SSCWN EDITOR CHIMES IN:
HERE IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF HOW TO HANDLE A NEGATIVE REVIEW.
It is always wise to respond to reviews,
whether they are on Yelp, Google
or Facebook. This not only shows
professionalism, but also shows
appreciation for the positive reviews.
According to Business Warrior,
“Responding to online reviews should
be a priority for every business owner.
In a time when customer reviews
can directly influence the amount of
new business you’re getting, no one
can afford to let negative feedback sit
unattended.”
48 • WINTER 2022

Mud on the tires, money
in the pocket
TRICKS OF THE
Wondering if there is any interest in washing your own semi/boat/RV? Want to start a self serve truck wash
but not sure if there’s enough interest. Found a great potential spot across from a truck stop. Maybe everyone
would prefer someone else do it or just drive thru an automatic. CBISHOP
Those who have truck height bays at their self serves
know that the taller vehicles/equipment trailers
bring a ton of revenue.
However, even if you can take all kinds of vehicles
at a SS idk if it would financially make sense to
do a new builder. MC3033
The idea was since it’s right off a busy hwy (talking
service road) and next to a truck stop the trucks coming
in would be good and would also cater to RVs.
There’s just nothing else out here except in the
towns and nothing tall enough. I have 2 truck stops
within 5 miles of each other as well.
The biggest question is would truck drivers prefer
SS or prefer drive thru or someone like blue eagle to
do it for them. CBISHOP
I wouldn’t expect much revenue from RVs. They’re
almost all retirees on a fixed income. I know this
from years of doing state safety inspections. I would
inspect one probably every two weeks, and there
would usually be a running light not working. I
would only charge $1.50 to replace the bulb, which
half the time was just corrosion on the bulb base or
a loose ground wire, and not once in five years did
someone opt to have me do it. It probably cost them
more in gas to go home, fix it, and come back for the
re-inspection.
Trucks will spend a lot, especially dump trucks,
but you have to have the right location. There needs
to be some sort of dirt/gravel/clay yard permanently
nearby. Construction doesn’t help because it will
eventually end. And dump trucks will make a huge
mess. The bay will have to be cleaned after almost
every truck, or it will build up so fast they won’t
even be able to get in. My late cousin used to have
a 4-bay truck wash, even had one of the first credit
card systems. He said they could spend between
$50 and $100 washing a truck. This was in the mid-
90s when most self-serves were still $1 for at least
4 minutes. MEP001
I could make good $ off a pet wash where I am located,
but I have no interest in cleaning up after people
and their pets.
Same with a truck wash for me. I have a 2 acre
lot, and near a lot of industry. I would not want to
clean up after trucks, and the junk they leave behind.
You also need to have the space and your parking
lot etc, need to be made to handle 50,000# plus
vehicles.
I also believe owner/operators would be the only
ones interested in washing their trucks. Corporate
drivers won’t spend their time or money to wash.
But again, that is what I think. I would do some research.
Maybe start by asking some of the drivers
at the stops how they get washed and who pays?
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WINTER 2022 • 49

LET’S GET
PUMPED UP FOR
A NEW YEAR!
What goals are being
set for self serves from
around the country?
As new year’s resolutions have a good and a
bad side – from too much pressure to succeed vs.
motivation to try and do better – there is certainly
nothing wrong with having attainable goals. To
stay stagnant and not move with the times, the innovations,
and the whatever-letter-we’re-now-on
generational spending habits, is one way to lose customers.
According to the book The Most Powerful
Goal Achievement System in the World by
Mike Pettigrew, “In fact, a lot of people hate
setting goals, and this is because they think
they might fail. Then if they try and fail,
they can become ever more disillusioned,
feel more disempowered,
and doubt themselves even more
than they did before. So, it’s no
wonder that goal setting can
become an uncomfortable topic.
…However, the fact is that if
we set clear, concise goals, we are
forever doomed to drifting and reacting
to changing circumstances.”
“Takes a lot of
hard working…
maybe you
should be
disciplined.”
- HANS
50 • WINTER 2022

WINTER 2022 • 51

PUMPED UP FOR A NEW YEAR!
That’s the key: clear, concise goals. New lights?
Designing a company t-shirt? New trash signs?
Painting the bays? Raising your prices? Is there
anything you want to do? If you’re wondering
what others are doing take a look at what self serve
owners are planning for this year.
“First of all, before you pump, you
must warm up or else you’ll hurt
your muscles. Now, listen here:
We can’t make you warm up,
that’s entirely up to you!” - HANS
THE SECRET OF SUCCESS FROM VID
ODERMAT OF BROWN BEAR
This story is told by Car Wash Hall of Famer Vic Odermat, president of
Brown Bear Car Washes, to Perry Powell during his podcast, Wash Ideas.
“Keep plodding on. Damn the torpedoes, full
speed ahead. That’s exactly what I did. It was
from the ground up. You helped yourself by
picking yourself up off the ground and continuing.
If you have a goal in mind, I think anyone
can succeed. But they have to have some idea
or some goal of what they want to be or what
they want to do.
… But the next year I knew I had to do
something. I went and leased a sign for $135
a month. That helped. But I think the thing that
really helped was that there was a local newspaper
called the BALLARD Tribune. I took out a
one-inch column ad on the front page and made
every Tuesday be Ladies’ Day and I gave fifty
cents off. I think between the sign and the Ladies’
Day promotion, we generated the volume.
Within a year, year and a half, I was doing close
to 5,000 cars a month. Then, when the opportunity
came to acquire another car wash that had
been built in 1965 by Dan Hanna – in business
with another individual – I acquired that car
wash. And then, in 1967, another car wash had
been built that was having trouble and I acquired
that car wash. Then I built my first car wash in
1969. I built another in 1970. Acquired another
two or three washes that year, too. And we just
continued to grow. I want everyone to know –
that in my opinion: ‘Bulls make money. Bears
make money. And pigs get slaughtered either
way.’ And I would like to encourage everybody
to have a philosophy in mind. Perseverance in
principle is more important than ambition.”
“One of my exciting new goals is to further
enhance the security at my car wash! I already
have 31 HD video cameras, provided by Alert
360. They recently added a video monitoring
service, using 2-way audio cameras where they
can speak with individuals to discourage loitering
and/or illegal behavior. Between 11 p.m.
and 5 a.m., they monitor 14 of my cameras.
When they see such behavior, they announce,
“This is Citrus Heights Car Wash Security....”
If the activity continues, they can immediately
call me or the police. Video monitoring is much
cheaper than having a security service drive
through 3-5 times a night or having a patrol
officer sitting on-site for 6 hours a night (which
can intimidate female customers). Knowing
that a 3rd party is watching over my business,
has given me more peace of mind. Since my
car wash is located on a busy corner, I have
opted to upgrade the sound system with louder
speakers. My car wash is open 24 hours and
stays busy, so I don’t want to close it down at
night with a gate.”
- Kimberly Berg of Citrus Heights
Car Wash, Citrus Heights, California
“LED. LED. LED. Just having a super hard time
nailing down exactly what bulbs/fixtures we
want to do. …We may put in something today
that we love, and 12 months from now it’s obsolete.
And the lighting colors never match when
you have to start putting in different LED lights
because the ones used before aren’t made anymore.
I don’t want the washes to look bad, so
we’ve been very hesitant to pull the trigger on
this. The consistency with metal halide technology
has been fabulous for the last 24 years. But
we feel it’s time that we switch over to LED.”
- Jeanine Humphrey of Hidden Cove Car Wash, Utah
“I always try to do something either new or upgraded
each year. This year I will be replacing a
landscaped/vacuum Island that is outdated. I am
working with a landscape contractor now about
putting in something done all in stone. Up-todate,
more modern and aesthetically pleasing.”
- Timm Bauldauf of Advanced
Car Wash, Voorheesville, New York
“I’ve worked hard for the last 20 years making
sure everything works how I want it and improving
energy efficiency. The hard work is finally
paying off now because I have few breakdowns.
The downside is that I get very bored without
having a large project in progress or on the
drawing board.
I intend to add more colored LED lights to
complement the existing lighting on my Razors.
People typically make favorable comments about
the lights so adding more should bring more compliments
and satisfied customers. I hope it helps
differentiate my washes from the competition.
I’m also considering some new business opportunities
and partnerships.
I’m trying to locate another property for a
wash in a neighboring community, but land
prices are too high. I’m trying to convince my
competitor to sell to me but that looks to be a
VERY long time from now.
After 22 years of washing cars, which should
read as “picking up after slobs,” I’m feeling a
little burnt out. I still love this business, but I may
be ready for a new challenge.”
- Eric H of Leominster, Massachusetts
“Increase another 20%”
- Mac of Cape Coral, Florida
“Our goals can only be
reached through a vehicle
of a plan, in which we
must fervently believe,
and upon which we must
vigorously act. There is no
other route to success.”
– PABLO PICASSO
“I’m planning to do all the finishing touches on
my remodel of my automatic wash. I am completing
the signs for my entrance archway. I would
like to add another sign on the front of my wash
that says: Car Wash Open 24 hours. I would
like to build a small storage shed for my hand
tools and some car wash items. I should repave
a section of my parking lot. I am closing on a
five-plex apartment building with a commercial
space that’s currently set up as a beauty shop.
That should keep me pretty busy, but what I really
want to do is sit around and watch the cars go in
and out of my new razor car wash!”
- Waxman of House of Wax, Orange, Massachusetts
“I want to install new all-in-one bay meter boxes,
with adding on some new options in the bays.”
- Sydney H. King of The Good Spray Car Washes, Utah
“Upgrades! Several new in bay features...Purchase
new sites.”
- Kyle Peel of Happy Days Car Wash
of Jackson, Louisiana
52 • WINTER 2022

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WINTER 2022 • 53

Get Wise
About Water
Reclaim
Some things that you should have known but weren’t told about reclaim
By Dean Taylor
dean@progressivepump.com
In this article, I am going to discuss a basic truth
that many car wash owners need to know, but are
not often told. I, like other authors of water reclaim
articles, have also read many times about new approaches,
new technology, and “innovations” for
reclaim systems, “basic facts” about biological or
ozone systems, etc. Such articles are mostly informative
to a degree, and accurate in what they say,
but leave pertinent basic facts unsaid. Herein I try
to state some of the often unsaid basic facts that
should be understood by anyone considering a reclaim
system, no matter the type. Let’s consider it
“reclaim 101.” A good understanding of the very
basics of reclaim systems will put you in a far better
position for discussions with your sales rep enroute
to specifying one.
It’s dirt, and it has to go
somewhere!
First, the water from washing cars is really, really
dirty, possibly containing dirt, sand, salt, organic
material (e.g. bird droppings, etc.) and car applications
(oil, wax, surfactants, detergents, soaps, etc.),
and any manner of other dissolved or suspended
solids. These materials must be altered and/or removed
to an acceptable degree from the wash ef-
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WINTER 2022 • 55

56 • WINTER 2022
www.SonnysDirect.com 800-327-8723

Around The Wash: Water
fluent before the water is reclaimed sufficiently
for reuse as wash water.
However, reclaim for rinse water is
a whole different matter. The aforementioned
contaminants must be substantially
removed from the water to
be reclaimed and must go somewhere.
Somehow, this is an often ignored truth.
They don’t just magically (or biologically
or chemically) just disappear.
So, where does it go?
The material to be removed can all go
to one place, your settling tanks. This is if
you are using biological systems or chemical
(ozone) systems with auto back wash
filters. Or, it can be split between two
places if you are using a chemical system
with filter bags (any number, but usually
from one to three) and the settling
tanks. The basic consideration is that it
collects somewhere, and must eventually
be removed or it will fill up your settling
tanks, clog your filter bags (if used), etc.
One manufacturer who uses a unique
patented auto back wash filter offers a
“sludge interceptor” for the effluent from
the auto-backwash filters, which keeps
the sludge from returning to the settling
tanks.
And remember, there is no magic, effortless
method or system when it comes
to reclaiming water. All reclaim systems
will require some sort of maintenance
and/or filter changing.
Dean Taylor is the Applications Engineer
at Progressive Pump and Treatment,
a provider of commercial and industrial
water treatment equipment and services,
in Sarasota, Florida.
Want to Recycle Water?
Read this first.
By Dean Taylor
If the benefits of recycling water are attractive to
the self-service operator, there are a few other guidelines
that should be addressed with the manufacturer
prior to making the investment.
■ ODOR CONTROL: Foul water odor often associated
with reclaiming is one of the fastest ways to lose
customers. Be sure the system addresses complete odor
control. Get an odor control guarantee in writing from
the manufacturer. Beware if they cannot or will not offer
an odor control guarantee with the equipment.
■ PARTICULATE FILTRATION: Be sure the system
will filter to below 10 microns. Many self serve
equipment manufacturers require this parameter to
warranty their pumps and equipment. Larger particles
such as sand and dirt can harm pumps and prematurely
wear out spray tips.
■ MAINTENANCE: Be sure the maintenance isn’t
going to cost you more time and money than it’s worth.
What’s the point in recycling if you have to babysit the
equipment? Beware of those promoting a “no maintenance”
reclaim system. There are no “magical” water
treatment systems. All reclaim systems will require
some sort of maintenance and/or filter changing.
■ BACKWASHING: Systems that automatically
backwash are usually returning the dirt to the water
it was just removed from. Although backwashing can
help reduce daily maintenance, there are tradeoffs that
can be very time consuming and costly to the operator.
Monthly pumping of tanks and clogged sewer lines are
common with automatic backwashing systems. Many
cities do not allow backwash to go to sewer. Foreign
materials can be detrimental to backwashing systems
and media filters. If at all possible, avoid systems that
have media filters and/or automatically backwash.
■ SPACE: Be sure you have space for the reclaim system.
Some systems are cumbersome and require more
space than an equipment room can offer. Although
some reclaim systems can be placed outside or in-bay,
keep in mind that freeze protection may be required.
■ TANKS: Reclaim systems also require water collection
tanks to be placed in-ground or above ground. Be
sure there is adequate space to implement tanks. Most
manufacturers will recommend required tanks with
their product information.
■ COMPATIBILITY: Insure the reclaim system is
compatible with the soaps, detergents and chemicals
that are being used at your self serve car wash. These
products will be going down the drain and the reclaim
system will encounter them. Many chemical manufacturers
are now offering “reclaim compatible” products.
Ask the reclaim manufacturer if you will need to
change the chemical diet of the car wash when recycling
with his equipment.
■ WARRANTY: Be sure the manufacturer is going to
stand behind the equipment. Equipment failure can be
costly and time consuming. Be sure your warranty covers
all components for at least a year.
In short, there are several great methods for the
self serve operator to realize increased profits by conserving
water. Do your homework and make sure the
items you implement to conserve water are justified,
cost effective and will not be adversely affected by
contaminants such as oil, grease.
How are the water supplies
across the country?
At the time of this publication, drought conditions
were impacted the usual areas (see map below). And, it
seems as if extremely dry conditions were causing water
restrictions throughout Texas, Oklahoma and Montana. .
The following is the drought outlook for the United
States, according to Climate.gov.
WINTER 2022 • 57

58 • WINTER 2022

Darwin
DARWIN at
the
CARWASH
The investment in security cameras pays off for carwash operators
(and the readers of SSCWN) with these mostly frustrating, sometimes funny -- and always cautionary
-- stories of Darwins Caught on Camera. Images of these criminals and/or their vehicles were given
to police and the press. Many have been caught thanks to the prowess of security cameras.
Two rules everyone needs to know:
A prank only really works if it’s funny. and, two,
don’t pull a prank on a self serve car wash owner.
In Tower, Minnesota, Tom Anderson, the owner of
Tower Car Wash, was sick and tired of a trespasser
putting a closed sign at the front of his car wash.
According to a November 4 Timberjay story, Anderson
said, “I got seven calls on Sunday morning,
asking me why the car wash was closed. That’s
seven customers I lost.” This apparently wasn’t the
first time the car wash was tampered with.
Increasingly frustrated by the loss of business, the
story said, and the impact on his business’s reputation,
Anderson finally got some answers after viewing
surveillance camera footage from a nearby business.
Video not only showed the suspect in action,
Anderson also recognized him as well.
Anderson consulted with the St. Louis County
Sheriff’s office, and sent a letter to the person involved,
notifying them that if they are seen in or
around the premises in the future, the sheriff or
state police will be notified and can arrest him for
trespassing, the story said.
Due to other theft and vandalism issues at his self
serve car wash the past summer, Anderson said he
is looking into adding further security measures at
the car wash, as well as moving to a credit-card only
system. The car wash will also be converted into a
gated self serve in which only members can enter.
“It will be like a gym membership,” Anderson
said in the story. “With a one-time membership
fee. Then I can track who is there and make sure it
is always left in good condition.”
Scrub a dub dub, one man’s now in
the jug.
A man is facing multiple charges after allegedly
crashing a stolen vehicle before attempting to carjack
another vehicle in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Kristoff from Frozen? Chris Pratt from his days on Parks and Recreation?
I’m trying to figure out who this lovely man
reminds me of…..Cousin Eddie from National
Lampoon’s?
Here’s the actual picture of a man caught
on camera breaking into the Palm Springs Car
wash in Ontario, Canada, on November 29:
According to a Simcoe.com story, the robbery
According to a November 15 Boston 25 News
story, around 2 a.m. on November 14 an officer
was flagged down by a woman who said she had
gotten into an altercation with a male suspect at a
Scrub-a-Dub car wash.
The woman said she had pulled over her car to
help a man who crashed a vehicle into the concrete
foundation of a business sign. She said she
took place at 3 a.m. An investigation found that
the ATM and vending machine were also broken
into. It also looks as if he is pointing his fists
into the security camera.
The guitarist from Foo Fighters? Mark Zuckerberg?..........Rutherford
B. Hayes? Ulysses S.
Grant?
approached the driver of the vehicle, later identified
as William Vasbinder, who then exited the
vehicle and tried to get into the woman’s car. The
woman said she tried to intervene, but an altercation
ensued. The man then allegedly punched her.
She somehow managed to stay focused enough
to pull the keys away (I personally would have
crumbled to the ground after getting punched and
WINTER 2022 • 59

Turns out Facebook isn’t just for socializing or stalking your exes,
it can also be used to catch
criminals! Clear Lake Car
Wash in Clear Lake, Wisconsin,
was broken into on
December 5, prompting the
owner to make this plea on
the business’s Facebook page:
We need your help to identify!
Your local car wash was broken
into at around 7:45 pm CST
Sunday 12/5, by this person below
(via cutting our locks). This
is an alert to our local Clear
Lake business owners to be on
watch. We have the suspicion
this suspect was scoping out the tools needed in an
attempt to break into our machines at a later time.
If you or anyone you know can identify this person,
you can remain anonymous by reporting this
person to the Clear Lake WI Police Department at
715-263-2156.
The suspect, male, appears to be wearing black
glasses, has scruffy short groomed beard with mustache,
black/dark silver wedding ring on his left ring
finger. About 5ft 10in.
As always we appreciate your local business.
We are small business owners like many navigating
through the many challenges faced with Covid,
And then we have the
carwashforum.com user
named “Bricks” who posted:
Caught these people in the act of dumping
about five bags of trash less than an hour ago
on a random camera check. Crystal clear license
plate shot. Our police are great. An officer
is going to their house now. The other guy
pleaded guilty Monday….
supply chain issues and rising costs to do business.
We are working hard to always offer a quality
and affordable wash. Over the past few months,
we’ve invested thousands into new chemicals and
improvements to the self-serve and automatic bays,
along with a new service agreement by the same
company who maintains Kwik Trip. We are open
for business and we can’t wait to see you soon for
your next wash at your favorite local Clear Lake
Car Wash!
God Bless & Thank You.
And, apparently, the posting worked as the
suspect was caught.
would stay down there whimpering, but that’s just
me) and the assailant then sped off on foot.
Surveillance video from a nearby car wash confirmed
the encounter.
Officers arrived on the scene right after the suspect
fled and were able to track down Vasbinder.
And in a shock to no one, the vehicle he crashed
into the sign, it turns out, was stolen and his driver’s
license had been revoked. Vasbinder is now
facing charges for assault and battery, carjacking,
operating a vehicle without a license, leaving the
scene of property damage, and using a motor vehicle
without authority.
And I thought showing
up late to work was offensive.
But, in true Dumb Criminals fashion, some employees
are just bad… and some are just plain
psycho! A former employee of Telly’s Restaurant
& Pizzeria in Epping, New Hampshire, is now
in jail for vandalism, thanks to a neighboring car
wash’s camera.
According to a December 21 Seacoastonline.com
story, Alexander Garrett is accused of breaking the
windows at Telly’s, causing $39,000 in damages.
Police arrested Garrett on December 11 after
Epping police were given surveillance footage
from the nearby American Legion, Epping Dry
Cleaners and Epping Car Wash. That footage
caught him allegedly taking a hammer to the windows
of Telly’s.
“According to a police affidavit filed by Epping
police detective Russell Hero, police were called to
Telly’s at 1 a.m. by an employee reporting the damage.
Employees of Telly’s interviewed that night
pointed to Garrett as a suspect stating he was a
former disgruntled employee and was suspected of
breaking two windows when he was let go. Garrett
was also in the area that night, according to one employee
and later verified by police. Apparently Garrett
had been asked to leave the nearby Applebee’s
restaurant due to ‘a previous complaint of him harassing
or stalking the employees,’” the story said.
And, here’s another Facebook post
that helped in capturing this guy:
I am trying to figure out what he used to cover
the lower half of his face…is it a seat cushion?
Police in Lawrence County, Missouri, posted the
above image and message on its Facebook page:
The Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office is asking for
your assistance in identifying the suspect and/or vehicle
pictured below. The person pictured is suspected
of burglarizing the car wash on Hwy 39 in Miller,
MO at approximately 4:00 am on 11/23/2021. The
suspect stole an undetermined amount of cash in the
form of quarters and dollar bills. While doing so, he
caused an extensive amount of damage to the facility.
The suspect is described as a white male in his
early to mid 20s. He was wearing a brown Carhart
jacket with hood, a black stocking cap and gloves. His
face was partially covered. The interior camera was
an infrared camera thus the quality is not great. All
images are still images. We ask that you pay specific
attention to his somewhat unique eyebrow pattern as
well as the vehicle.
The vehicle appears to be an early 2000’s light blue
or possibly gray Ford Windstar or Freestar van. It
does not have license plates but is displaying dealership
license plate inserts that are solid black with red
lettering. If you recognize the suspect, the vehicle or
happen to know which dealership uses those license
plate inserts, please let us know.
And, it looks like the posting also worked as the
suspect was recognized and arrested.
60 • WINTER 2022

WINTER 2022 • 61

And, from carwashforum.com,
we have forum user Toms
PTcarwash, of Landisville,
Pennsylvania, who was able to turn a
“grass-clip-leaving-bandit” (that name
doesn’t roll off the tongue) thanks to his
security cameras. Here is his post: Bad pic,
but his guy was dropping huge bags of grass
clippings in the middle of the bay for a couple
weeks. I was able to get his plate on this drop
and had the police return his clippings!
Back that thing up, but not like
that! A driver in Cleveland, Ohio,
is wanted after he backed out of a car wash bay and
into a vacuum station. According to the WOIO
story, the driver then drove off. The car wash’s surveillance
footage captured the incident on January
8 and the images have been released to the public.
Another evil person is locked up, thanks to a
car wash’s security footage, according to KSAT.
In San Antonio, Texas, a 19-year-old man was arrested
after being accused of kidnapping a woman
from a car wash and sexually assaulting her.
Francisco Javier Juarez Gonzalez was charged on
December 2, 2021, with aggravated kidnapping,
aggravated sexual assault and evading arrest.
An arrest warrant affidavit stated the 58-yearold
victim called the police and reported that she
was abducted at a car wash. She said the man displayed
a gun and demanded her to get inside her
vehicle on the passenger’s side.
He then drove her to an unknown location
where the assault took place. He then returned to
the car wash to get back into his own vehicle.
But, his getaway was short-lived as surveillance
footage from the car wash captured the suspect’s
description and the suspect’s vehicle.
The story said that the police caught up with
the suspect’s vehicle and attempted to pull it over,
but Gonzales along with another man fled on foot.
However, both men were eventually apprehended.
This is a story in which that lovely trash, containing
personal information, that is so often dumped
at self serve washes, has actually done some good.
Two men have been arrested in East Baton Rouge
Parish, Louisiana, after a string of at least 15 burglaries,
a January 11 WBRZ story said.
According to the story, three suspects were
caught on a doorbell camera pulling on a car’s
door handles and then driving off in a black Hyundai
Sonata.
When deputies investigated the incident, they
learned that three different police departments
were working on various burglaries between January
8 and 9 involving the same vehicle.
In one incident police responded to Benny’s Car
Wash after two men were caught on camera throwing
away items that were in new or good condition.
Police also found a black duffel bag, backpack and
Gucci wallet that contained a checkbook with a
name, at the car wash. Then cameras showed they
were driving the black Hyundai Sonata. A ha! Go
get ‘em, Columbo.
Law enforcement agents were able to trace the
car back to an AVIS rental car service and eventually
caught up with 19-year-old Bobby Duncan and
18-year-old Daniel Buffington, and a female. All
three were detained and taken in for questioning.
Offering up even more incriminating evidence,
officers logged into the female’s cell phone location
records and deputies were able to link Duncan
and Buffington Deputies to many of the 15
burglaries.
I would like to know what the firefighter said
after he climbed up the ladder in this next story.
“Hey, man…like the jig is up, there’s literally no
where to go unless you’re Spiderman.” Or maybe
the guy was waiting for a helicopter to drop a rope
ladder and whisk him away? Who knows…..
A man in Texarkana, Texas, has been arrested
for allegedly breaking into a car wash by entering
through a hole in the roof, according to a January
24 Texarkana Gazette story.
This all took place around 4:15 a.m. at the
Baywash Car Wash. Police were called to check
the property after an alarm went off. They heard
movement up on the roof and discovered 37-yearold
Wayde Land. Land refused to come down.
“When the suspect refused to come down off the
roof after police arrived, the Texarkana Texas Fire
Department responded with a ladder truck to get
him down,” the story said.
“Before his arrest Land had allegedly used a
grinder saw to cut a hole in the roof that was just
big enough for him to slip through and get inside
the building. Once he got in, he allegedly loaded up
several tools he found and also broke into one of the
vending machines on the wall too,” the story said.
It wasn’t such a quick trip
for the driver of a truck
in New Ulm, Minnesota, according to a January 27
Gazette report. Wait… can we talk about the name
“New Ulm,” for a minute. New Ulm…..just doesn’t
roll off the tongue. No offense, as I live in a county
called Schenectady (Skin-neck-tid-ee) for crying
out loud. Anyway, the truck was parked at the Kwik
Trip North car wash entrance for 30 to 40 minutes
in the early morning hours of January 25, causing
police officer Tara Martin to take notice.
“Martin reported she noticed the truck due to
the -9 degree temperature and -27 degree wind
chill, but the truck’s driver’s side window was
down and it had not moved for 30 to 40 minutes,
despite no vehicles in the car wash,” the story said.
Police approached the truck and saw the driver
drop a large amount of $100 bills onto the
floor from his hand. Police said they also noted an
overwhelming odor of masking scents despite the
truck window being down for a long time for at
least 40 minutes.
When questioned, the driver was identified as
Robert Olson, who said he believed he was in New
Auburn and said he lived in Brownton. However
his driver’s license showed he did not live there.
After searching his vehicle, police found a vape
device with what was recognized as THC concentrate,
a baggie that tested positive for methamphetamines,
28.9 grams of marijuana, .5 grams of
THC concentrate and 1 gram of cocaine.
Olson was arrested and charges include two
felony counts of 2nd-degree narcotic drug possession
near a park, three counts of felony 3rd-degree
drugs, two counts of 4th-degree and 5th-degree
drugs and possession of more than 1.4 grams marijuana
in a motor vehicle.
Olson should count himself lucky that this
didn’t take place in Northampton, England, because
he could have also received a fine for spending
too much time at the car wash (And for those
of you who have no idea what I’m talking about,
turn to the Extra Extra section of this magazine
and look for the “Man fined for spending too much
time washing car” story).
62 • WINTER 2022

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WINTER 2022 • 63

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www.cpcarwash.com | sales@cpcarwash.com
225 Crown Blvd. Timberlake, NC 27583 | PO Box 488, Roxboro, NC 27573