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ONE MORE
THING
I had a bit of a wake-up call the other day. It took
45 years for me to realize that life is short. I know, I
know… everyone says this all the time. But… it really
hit me hard when I rounded up the number of Auto
Detailing News issues and discovered this is issue number
25. Where did the years go? The days in-between.
When we started out, with a call from Publisher Jackson
Vahaly about this magazine he wanted to pursue,
I was holding my baby daughter. Now, she is typing on
her chromebook beside me, all grown up. How did this
happen? Do I need to soak up each day more? The days
have felt long, but the years’ shortness is mind-blowing.
As moments from the past 25 issues rise to the surface
of my memory bank, the good ones often involve meeting
other detailers at Mobile Tech Expo, SEMA and
the Car Wash Show. I have always complimented the
camaraderie and enthusiasm. One of my greatest encounters
had to do with a man who was humble, welcoming
and friendly: Rick Goldstein. I remember how
he made me feel like a part of the family. He was enthusiastic
about the magazine and willing to help in any
way he could. He would email me, praising my articles
and thanking me for contributing to the industry. Such
a strong force of goodness, he was, and his kindness is
and will always be appreciated. Life is short. Each day is
a gift. Be kind. Most already know this. I am working on
it, but it’s a work in progress.
YOU DON’T HAVE
WHAT IT TAKES…
Has anyone out there held back on something because
of what went down in grade school? For instance,
when it came to any science class, I didn’t test well. It
just wasn’t happening. No matter how much I studied,
it wasn’t a natural fit for me. Heliograph? Atom versus
a molecule? Forget it. Any dream I had of being a doctor
was squashed. But was that all in my head. My best
friend in high school always wanted to be a nurse. She
was a candy striper, not afraid of any cut, scrape, or
injury. But math was easy for her. She was discouraged
from her dream. In her late 30s she encouraged herself
to take on the career she always wanted. Spent hours at
night school. Studied, slept, took care of her kids. Repeat.
Now she runs a nursing facility and is a local celebrity
for her accomplishments. Mind over matter. It’s
never too late. Life is short. You only get one shot at this.
Until next time…. Bless you, Rick.
Sincerely,
CONTENTS
P&S 60th Anniversary. ..................4
Marketing Tip. ........................10
Business of Detailing. ..................12
Innovations. ......................... 14
IDA Column . ......................... 16
Industry Dirt . ........................ 19
Detail Doctor . ........................ 26
THE ORIGINAL...
PNEUMATIC
ROTARY
SHAMPOO
TOOLS & MORE
Vol. 7, No. 1
SPRING 2022
Publisher: Jackson Vahaly
Editor: Debra Gorgos
Design: KBA Designs
Auto Detailing News is published 4 times per year and is independently
owned by Jackson Vahaly. Web address is www.autodetailingnews.com
All inquiries should be directed to:
Auto Detailing News
110 Childs Ln. Franklin, TN 37067
jacksonv@autodetailingnews.com
Copyright © 2022 Two Dollar Media, Inc./Auto Detailing News. All Rights Reserved.
DETAILPLUS.COM || 503-251-2955
VOL. 7, NO.1 • SPRING 2022 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | 3

60
Years of
Excellence
William Phillips,
founder of P&S
Sales, stands
next to the iconic
original delivery
van. Yes, he
made deliveries
in that outfit!
by Prentice St. Clair
Prentice St. Clair, CD-SV, RIT is the President of Detail in Progress, Inc., a San Diego based automotive reconditioning training and consulting firm. He is a Founder’s Club and Hall of Fame
member of the International Detailing Association. He can be reached at 619-701-1100 and prentice@detailinprogress.com.
(This information first appeared in the April,
2022 issue of Auto Detailing News.)
As a young man, William (Bill) Phillips’
first business endeavor was a body, upholstery,
and detail shop, which acted as a
one-stop-shop for automotive dealerships.
Early in that career, Bill saw an opportunity
to sell the products he used in his shop
to similar operations. He liked the idea of
selling consumables instead of service, and
he believed that doing so would better fit
his lifestyle and provide more growth opportunities
for more people.
Thus, in 1961, Bill established P&S
Sales with partner Art Stuber, and additional
partners Floyd Biava and Walter
Rosen. The first production and warehouse
facility was all of 10,000 square
feet and located in the “South of Market”
neighborhood of San Francisco,
California. P&S produced cleaners,
compounds, polishes, and glazes for the
auto body and detail industry.
The very first product was Formula
61, a general-purpose cleaner that was
madly popular for many years. From the
beginning, the P&S team looked for ways
to make things easier. The perfect early
example was Hi Tone Glaze, a liquid wax
that was designed as a substitute for paste
wax, which was the difficult-to-use standard
at the time.
In the early years, Bill, Art, and Walter
worked sales routes around the San Francisco
Bay Area. (Floyd was in charge of
production.) Bill’s route included the City,
the east side of the bay (“East Bay”), and
the Central Valley area of California. In
1968, Bill brought on the first independent
distributor, Henry Chin, who had been a
direct competitor in Hayward, California.
Henry took over East Bay and built a highly
successful distributorship, which he passed
down to his son. (The much-liked Steven
Chin still runs the distributorship today,
and it recently moved into P&S Headquarters
to become the “factory store”.)
In 1970, Floyd Biava expressed the
desire to separate from the company and
start his own chemical compounding business.
At the time, it made sense for P&S to
then simply buy its chemicals from Floyd’s
company, and for the next 20 years or so,
the focus for Bill was building the distributor
network and responding to customers’
feedback for new and better products. In
the mid-1970s, Bill bought out Walter and
Art, and they became independent distributors
for P&S. Art passed away in 1985,
and Walter in the mid-1990s.
The original P&S Sales building.
Look closely and you can see a
sales counter inside the open door.
P&S Sales 1980s fleet of branded vans.
4 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 7, NO. 5 • SPRING 2022

■ ENTER THE NEXT
GENERATION
From an early age, Bill’s son Robert
(Bob) Phillips was exposed to his father’s
business philosophies and guiding principles,
and remembers Bill’s mantra, “do
right by the industry, do right by the employees,
and do right by the customers”.
Bob started working for P&S in 1980 —
right out of high school — assisting with
the San Francisco route while attending
college. Bob recalls how much he enjoyed
that job, making sales stops across the city
in a cargo van, slinging “fivers” and mucking
it up with the customers. In fact, upon
graduating, he stayed on full-time at P&S.
Bill’s son Dave Phillips also began
working part-time in 1980, running sales
routes in specific cities that were near the
University of California at Davis, where
he was studying chemistry and biology.
Dave also recalls earlier memories, helping
his dad, and reminisces, “I remember
that Dad always liked his customers, and
he had great relationships with them.
Circa 1978, P&S original partners (from left) Bill Phillips, Walter Rosen,
and Art Stuber in front of the P&S Sales building in San Francisco.
Funny, in those days, the owners all wore
suits to deliver detail chemicals and supplies!
But that was part of the professionality
of the company.”
Dave was able to bring his education in
chemistry to bear when he started working
at the blending facility in 1986 to help out
with new formulations, developing P&S’s
line of products for the increasingly prevalent
clearcoat finishes, including Ultracoat
Polish, Haze Away, and Buff Tone.
As the 1980s progressed, it became
increasingly apparent to Bob and Dave
that P&S Sales was in need of some major
changes. Bill was also ready, both personally
and in the company for such change.
Dave saw the need to bring control of
manufacturing back into the company,
thus ensuring consistency, quality control,
and close relationship with suppliers of
raw materials. This would also allow more
cutting-edge formulations and allow P&S
control over its own destiny.
Dave said to Bob, “Well, we can do this,”
and they sat down one evening in their
shared apartment and ironed out a business
plan to take P&S in a new direction. Dave
typed it out on his original Mac computer,
and they brought it over to Bill’s house. Bob
recalls that Bill looked over the proposal,
thought about it for an hour, and said, “Let’s
do it.” Bob fondly remembers his father’s
ability to make large decisions without fear.
■ A COMPANY REBORN
In February 1990, P&S moved its facilities
across the San Francisco Bay to a
new industrial park in Hayward, which
was chosen because of a scarcity of available
buildings in San Francisco and elsewhere.
Production was brought back inhouse,
and Bob and Dave spent almost
two years designing, building, equipping,
and supplying with raw materials, a totally
new chemical manufacturing facility in a
23,000-square-foot warehouse.
The Hayward deal turned out to be a
great move, as the landlord was generous
with the necessary tenant improvements,
VOL. 7, NO.1 • SPRING 2022 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | 5

Today’s P&S Detail Products leadership team (from left) Ian Belcher, Sydni Brae Gwinn, Prentice St. Clair, Renny Doyle, Dave
Phillips, Bob Phillips, Keith Duplessie, Kyle Clark, and Chris Woolman at the 2021 McCall Motorworks Revival.
Education is one of P&S’s primary tenets. Several training events per
month are conducted in the Detail Training Studio in Hayward, CA.
which allowed Bob and Dave to set up the
facility for success from the ground up.
Dave oversaw most of the work, with the
help of a professional warehouse designer
and a retired fire captain. In the case of
a chemical manufacturing company, there
are special design considerations such as
the creation of a “flammable room”, an
“acid room”, and the installation of underground
storage tanks for bulk raw materials.
Dave also wanted to make sure that
the final layout would maximize efficient
movement within the warehouse.
At this point the company boasted 30
distributors across the United States, moving
about 100 different products. Leading
products at that time included Buff-Tone,
Velocity Glaze, and Multi-Dressing. The
company settled well into the new facility
and Dave had his wish of direct connection
with suppliers and control of formulas
and production. He was also able to continue
developing new products that solved
the workaday problems for the detailer.
During the 1990s, P&S established its
commitment to education, bringing in experienced
detailer Joe Newhoff to run the
company’s in-house training programs for
distributors and end-users alike. This led
to the creation of The Detail Studio, and
Mark Spindler took over training facilities
for a number of years.
In 1997, Bob became President of the
company. Bill was still around but was
able to play a more relaxed role. Bill’s wife
Diane, who he married in 1955, also continued
to work as the company bookkeeper,
a duty which she had performed since
day one. Bill retired completely in the early
2000s, and Bob became President and
Chief Executive Officer. Dave became
the Vice President of Operations. Bill
passed in 2015 and was inducted into the
founding class of the International Detailing
Association’s Hall of Fame in 2020.
The Phillips brothers carry on his legacy
with many of the same guiding principles
that helped Bill succeed.
■ INDUSTRY
COMMITMENT AT ITS BEST
In April of 2008, Bob describes a
fateful incoming call that would have a
long-lasting impact on the global detailing
industry. “P&S has always been involved
in trade associations one way or another,
so when Bud Abraham contacted me to
join a group of industry suppliers providing
seed money for the establishment of
a trade association for detailers, it was a
‘no-brainer’.” P&S Sales thus became one
of the founding members of the International
Detailing Association (IDA).
Bob spent countless hours and resources
in support of the IDA in its early years.
He served on the Board of Directors in
2011 and joined the prestigious Founder’s
Club in 2016. He has also served on several
IDA Committees through the years.
When asked about the importance of
the IDA, Bob gushes, “This is an extremely
important organization that looks out
for our industry. It brings detailers together.
It provides a platform for us to gather,
and every time we get together, great
things happen.”
A perfect example of that is a fateful
run-in with detailer Renny Doyle, CD-SV,
RIT, who Bob and Dave met during the
IDA’s educational sessions at the 2013 Western
Carwash Association annual convention
in San Diego. Since the brothers have
always understood the importance of continuing
education to keep up with trends in
the detailing industry, they decided to attend
Renny Doyle’s Detailing Success week-long
detail training in early 2014.
“The more contact we had, the more
obvious it was that we shared a lot of the
same philosophy and passion for the detail
industry,” Bob recalls, “and the three of us
could see a benefit to an affiliation that took
advantage of the fame and knowledge of
Renny and the product development capability
of P&S.” Renny and the Phillips
brothers worked together to develop a new
line of detail chemicals called “Renny Doyle
Double Black”, which launched in 2016.
A few years later, they continued William
Phillips’ early idea of creating growth
opportunities for others by launching the
Double Black Storefront concept, which
allowed detail operators to sell products
to end-users without becoming full-on
distributors, and without interfering with
P&S distributor operations in the same
market. The Double Black line of detail
chemicals continues to be extremely popular
amongst detailing professionals and
enthusiasts alike.
Bob shares, “Renny and I still shake
our heads at the unbelievable growth that
has happened. Neither of us had any idea
back in 2016 that the Double Black concept
would be this successful.” He continues,
“Double Black happened as a direct
result of the existence of the IDA.” P&S
actually doubled its warehouse space over
the last couple of years, during a pandemic!
P&S’s commitment to the detailing industry
has been acknowledged with multiple
awards, including:
• IDA Outstanding Service Award.
• Mobile Tech Expo Detailing
Supplier of the Year.
• Mobile Tech Expo Detailing
Person of the Year (Bob); and,
• IDA Supplier of the Year.
■ P&S NOW AND
IN THE FUTURE
P&S currently boasts 200 distributors
in 20 countries, with more coming
on each year. The company manufactures
over 200 products and continues to
develop new products to meet the needs
and simplify the detailing work for professionals
and do-it-yourself enthusiasts. “We
continue to benefit from our membership
in the IDA, and are able to follow the wave
of the detailing industry’s growth across the
globe,” adds Bob. Bill’s early vision — as reflected
in the original logo — of P&S being
a global company has been realized.
8 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 7, NO. 5 • SPRING 2022

Current brands include the Pro Series
legacy detailing chemicals designed for
and still loved by many professional detailers;
BABE’S Boat Care Products, which is
intended for the do-it-yourself boat and
watercraft owner; the Inspiration Ceramic
Coating products line; the Double Black
professional detailing chemical line, which
is meant to be a straightforward and simple
collection of highly effective chemicals
that provides excellent results for both the
detailing professional and prosumer alike;
and ChemTrol, which, along with its customized
dispensing unit, is a line of industrial-strength
concentrated chemicals designed
for use in high-volume operations
like automotive dealerships.
P&S Continues to enhance the distributor
experience with new on-line ordering
tools and educational opportunities to help
distributors understand how to teach their
customers to get the most out of each product.
The in-house Detail Training Studio
was re-launched in 2021, and hosts monthly
seminars for enthusiasts, customers, and
A special reunion at the grand opening of the Hayward factory store in March.
Seated left to right: Pauline and Henry Chin and Diane Phillips. Standing:
Renny Doyle; Caden, Maria, Cailey, Steven Chin; Bob and Yvette Phillips, Keith
Duplessie, Dave Phillips
distributors, led by current P&S Director of
Training Prentice St. Clair, CD-SV, RIT.
Bob and Dave are proud of their current
leadership team which includes Renny
as the Brand Spokesman, Director of
Sales Keith Duplessie, CD-SV, RIT, Brand
Ambassadors Sydni Brae Gwinn, CD-SV,
and Kyle Clark, CD-SV; and marketing
coordinators Ian Belcher and Chris Woolman,
CD-SV. P&S Sales is the Official
Product Supplier for Renny Doyle’s Air
Force One Detail Team and the McCall
Official Detailing Team.
When asked about the future of the
detailing industry, Bob is more than optimistic.
“I gotta tell you, the detail industry
has been on a trajectory of substantial
growth in the past few years, and I see it
on a strong path for the next five-to-ten
years,” Bob explained. “It will continue
to be defined by the prosumer’s passion
for cars, creating growth for both detail
suppliers as well as detailing as a service.”
And how does P&S fit into that?
Bob’s answer was fourfold: “We will continue
to grow with the industry. We will
continue to grow into our brands. We
will continue to foster our relationships
with our distributors. We will continue to
invent products to solve problems.” And,
as you read this, P&S will be in the midst
of the launch of a new product line.
We can all learn from the benchmark
that this fine company has established,
immortalized by founder William Phillips’
guiding words: Do right by the industry,
do right by the employees, and do right by
the customers.
EPIC
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• Hydrophobic properties allow water
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• Backed by a 3 year (or 36,000 mile) warranty
Contact your Malco Automotive Distributor and order yours today
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0000 Auto Detailing News_Feb_2022.indd 1 2/17/2022 10:27:20 AM
VOL. 7, NO.1 • SPRING 2022 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | 9

MARKETING TIP
Marketing
Tip
Suggestion Connection
Every business should consider having
a Facebook page. From customer checkins,
to reviews, to being able to post specials,
holiday hours, new equipment, etc.,
it is a free way to monitor and market your
business. And, one feature many might
not know about is the allowance to have
your page suggested to Facebook users.
According to socialmediaexaminer.
com, by enabling the Similar Page Suggestions
feature you are allowing Facebook
to suggest your page as a result in
relevant searches. For instance, if a Facebook
user likes a self serve car wash across
town, Facebook will then automatically
suggest your Facebook page as it falls
under a similar category. This also goes
into play if a user likes a nearby business,
or one having to do with car care. The
drawback, though, is that by allowing this
feature, you’re also allowing Facebook to
suggest other businesses to users when
they ‘like’ your page.
If you are interested in doing this, you
need to follow these steps:
1. Click on Settings in the upper-right
corner of your business page.
2. Then, click on Similar Page
Suggestions.
Also, if you’re in a location where there
are multiple languages spoken regularly,
you might want to consider having your
page posted in those languages. According
to socialmediaexaminer.com, you just have
to check the Post in Multiple Languages
box and your posts will be shown to you r
fans and followers in their language.
THERE’S A
SECTION FOR
DETAILERS!
WWW.CARWASHFORUM.COM
10 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 7, NO. 5 • SPRING 2022

HIGH PERFORMANCE MATERIALS AND PROFILES
OPTIMIZED FOR DUAL-ACTION POLISHING TOOLS
Scan here to
find authorized
distributors
RUPES USA, Inc.
531 South Taylor Ave
Louisville, CO 80027
T +1- 877-224-5750
E info@rupesusa.com
W www.rupesusa.com

THE BUSINESS OF
DETAILING
Looking
back
and ahead
Why its important to see
how far you’ve come.
By Rob Schruefer
rob@onspotdetailing.com
As a business owner is it is a necessity
to sometimes stop and think about where
your business has come from and where
it may go in the future. Being able to look
into the past to see how and why you
started your company, and how it became
successful can be a vital tool in deciding
where your business will be in 5 or 10
years from now.
12 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 7, NO. 5 • SPRING 2022

How you started your business is the
history and story of your company, and it
should be shared occasionally with staff or
with others you want to do business with.
People love an origin story and will be far
more engaged with you and your business
if they know how it came to be. At least
99% of the people who work for me were
not around during the early stages of my
company. They did not see the struggles
of working nights and weekends as a bartender
and then detailing for hours upon
hours during the day, 7 days a week. They
only see what the company is now, and it
does not give them the full scope of why
the business exists in the form it is today.
I also keep mementos from those early
days. I have my original van sitting on
the side of my shop and the handwritten
scheduling books from the first few years
of business on a shelf in my office. I go
through them occasionally to remind myself
of where I started and how far my
Legend Ad Auto Detailing News.pdf 1 5/24/21 5:12 PM
business has come.
Just as important as where you came
from is where are you heading. You should
always be looking for the next big thing
that will help you get to that next level. I
can think of two things that my company
was out in front of that helped me build
my business.
GOOGLE ADWORDS:
When I started my business in the early
2000s the Internet was not even close to
what it is today. There was very little in the
way of tracking or advertising techniques
that are commonplace today. I taught myself
how to use Adwords effectively and to
tailor it to my specific market. By doing
this I was speaking to a large demographic
of people that my competitors did not
have access to. I was using a brand-new
advertising medium to my advantage and
was doing it successfully. I was on the cutting
edge of advertising and it propelled
my company forward at a remarkable rate.
Ceramic Coatings: Coatings are everywhere
today, but 10 years ago they were
not. In fact, back then they were a newly
introduced product to the detailing market.
Coatings were offered at a high margin
and were a huge addition to my service
menu. It took some time to introduce and
explain how they worked to my customer
base, but once I did, I was able to sell a lot
by being one of the only detailers in the
area offering coatings.
The next marketing or detailing trend
is out there on the horizon. If you can be
someone to identify one of the many possibilities
early on, and be one of the first to
use it, there is a lot of potential for profit
and growth. No one can see the future, but
if you do your research and continue to
push the boundaries of the detailing industry,
your business will grow faster than
you could imagine. Just be sure to ask a lot
of questions and practice how to explain
any new techniques or offerings to your
customers.
You can use the reminders of the past
to dictate how you will operate in the future.
In 10 years will you look back at
what you were doing in 2022 and think,
wow I have come a long way from there?
I hope so.
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.
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
LEGEND
A Premium Coating Experience
psdetailproducts.com
VOL. 7, NO.1 • SPRING 2022 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | 13

INNOVATIONS
Introducing new & improved products for professional auto, boat & motorcycle detailers.
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
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
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!
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 multiuse
air fresheners for all, but the brand is committed to protecting the
planet and improving air quality worldwide through its Fresh Air Initiative.
“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.
14 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 7, NO. 5 • SPRING 2022

IDA COLUMN
The IDA Ushers
in 2022 at Mobile
Tech Expo
International Detailing
Association starts the
year strong at MTE Orlando
By Erin Reyes,
IDA Communications Coordinator
Do you remember that first-day-ofschool
feeling? The anticipation of going
back to school after summer vacation. Seeing
old friends and catching up about all
your fun summer adventures. Meeting new
teachers and classmates. Knowing that the
year ahead held infinite possibilities.
Well, multiply that feeling by the thousands,
and you might get near capturing
the excitement that was in the air at Mobile
Tech Expo (MTE) in Orlando, Florida
at the end of January.
After nearly two years apart, the International
Detailing Association (IDA)
was so excited to once again be a part of
the biggest detailing industry tradeshow
of the year. Members enjoyed the opportunity
to be able to get together with familiar
faces that they had not seen in person
since MTE Orlando 2020. Although
some members had been able to gather at
the Southern Detailers Conference (SDC)
in Lexington, Kentucky last year, it certainly
was not as large scale as the regular
gathering at MTE.
As usual, the IDA kicked off its time at
the show with a day-long board retreat,
with board members and committee
leaders coming together to plan the orga-
16 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 7, NO. 5 • SPRING 2022

nization’s goals for the upcoming year. It
was quite a change of pace for everyone
to be in the same room, bouncing ideas
off one another, after months of collaborating
over Zoom calls with everyone in
different time zones.
The show officially started on Thursday,
January 27, with Education Day. The
IDA was well-represented by eight excellent
speakers on the IDA education track.
Topics ranged from specialties like marine
and RV detailing to marketing tips and a
detailing software panel, the latter of which
was particularly popular with attendees.
Throughout the weekend, the IDA
also held a complete certification event,
consisting of Phase I – Certified Detailer
(CD) exams, Phase II – Skills Validated
(SV) hands-on assessments, and for the first
time at MTE, Marine Certification (MC)
exams. The tests were proctored by IDA
Recognized Independent Trainers (RITs),
and, by the end of the weekend, the IDA
had welcomed 16 new CDs, 16 new SV
detailers, and nine new MC detailers.
The IDA also had a strong booth presence
throughout the two expo days, with
steady streams of visitors eager to learn
more about the association and how to
become a member. Over the course of
the show, 22 detailing professionals made
the decision to further their careers by
joining the organization. IDA committees
(Certification, Marketing & Communications,
Membership, and Tradeshow &
Education) were represented at the booth
during different time blocks, when visitors
could come by and chat with committee
chairs and co-chairs about their volunteer
work and the chance to get involved.
There were also multiple photo opportunities
with current IDA President Alan
Medcraf, CD-SV, RIT, and 2020-2021
President DJ Patterson, CD-SV.
Without a doubt, though, the most exciting
part of the show was the IDA’s Annual
Business Meeting and Awards Celebration.
Since its inception, this event has
been held every year in conjunction with
MTE, except last year, when it went virtual
due to the pandemic. Clearly, members
were eager to be able to celebrate
together in person once again. The room
was packed with more than 200 detailing
professionals and friends, and everywhere
you turned, there was an IDA badge, ribbon,
or patch for you to see, signifying how
strong the IDA community has become.
Everyone was thrilled to be back together
in one room with detailing friends and colleagues,
celebrating all the progress of the
association and the industry. Throughout
the evening’s festivities, members provided
an update on the state of the industry and
the association, installed the 2022 Board,
presented the IDA Award winners, announced
the 2022 IDA Founder’s Endowment
Fund recipients, and inducted the
Hall of Fame classes of 2021 and 2022 (see
sidebar). There was so much excitement in
VOL. 7, NO.1 • SPRING 2022 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | 17

IDA COLUMN
Congratulations to the IDA Award winners,
IDA Founder’s Endowment Fund recipients,
and Hall of Fame inductees!
the room that night, celebrating the accomplishments
not only of the wonderful
individuals being recognized, but also of
all those in the detailing community and
what they have achieved despite the challenges
of the last two years.
Among the many things being celebrated
that night was that, for the first
time, the IDA surpassed 2,000 members
across the globe at the end of last year.
This is a long way to come for an association
that started with less than a dozen
members just over a decade ago. The
IDA also has nearly 1,000 Certified Detailers
worldwide. The evening was also
a celebration of the announcement of
three new international chapters: Brazil,
Netherlands, and Poland. With the addition
of these three, the IDA currently has
13 international chapters with a membership
presence in 79 countries.
With so much to love and celebrate
about the detailing profession, the IDA
happily marked its fifth annual Love Your
Detailer Day on February 15. IDA members
and Certified Detailers from across the
globe helped celebrate this day by sharing
their achievements and spreading awareness
about the profession on social media. It
is very fulfilling to see detailing professionals
finally begin to receive the recognition they
deserve – both inside and outside the industry
– for all their hard work.
The IDA also recently announced the
establishment of a scholarship in honor
of Rick Goldstein, one of the IDA’s
founders and a true pioneer in the industry.
Members were devastated to learn of
his passing in December, but the IDA is
glad to carry on his memory and passion
for this profession to aid future professionals
for years to come. Watch the-IDA.com
for more information.
With all these achievements just in the
first couple months of the year, it is exciting
to see what the rest of 2022 has in
store for the IDA community!
18 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 7, NO. 5 • SPRING 2022
2022 IDA AWARD WINNERS:
IDA Lifetime Achievement Award:
Rick Goldstein
(RAGGTOPP; Atlanta, Georgia, United States)
IDA Outstanding Service Award:
Tom Palancia, CD-SV, RIT
(Simoniz USA, Inc; Bolton, Connecticut, United States)
IDA Detail Shop of the Year:
Detailers of Las Vegas
(Las Vegas, Nevada, United States)
Joseph DiFiore,
CD-SV
(DiFiore's Auto Detailing;
Norwich, Connecticut,
United States)
Keith Duplessie,
CD-SV, MC, RIT
(Duplessie Products)
Laurentiu
Horubet, CD
(Pepper Studio;
Voluntari, Romania)
Jim Goguen,
CD-SV, MC
(Jim's Auto Installations &
Detailing Center)
IDA Mobile Detailer of the Year Award:
RC Auto Salon
(Brick, New Jersey, United States)
IDA Detailer of the Year Award:
Brian Finn, CD-SV, MC, RIT
(PRO® Products; New Castle, Delaware, United States)
IDA Detail Supplier of the Year Award:
AMDetails
(Elgin, Morayshire, United Kingdom)
2022 IDA FOUNDER’S ENDOWMENT FUND RECIPIENTS:
Jack Burford
(PRO® Products)
Karen Duncan
(We Love Your Car)
Kelly Jones,
CD-SV
(Showroom Auto
Detailing; West Branch,
Michigan, United States)
IDA HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES, CLASS OF 2022:
Robert Eichelberg
(Lake Country
Power Tools)
IDA HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES, CLASS OF 2021:
Elmer Rich (Simoniz)
Prentice St. Clair,
CD-SV, RIT
(Detail In Progress, Inc.)
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Jason Rose,
CD-SV, RIT
(Rupes USA)
Greg Swett,
CD-SV
(Classic Appreciation
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INDUSTRY
NEWS
Man turns his life around, thanks to detailing
Donte Wilburns of Colorado was only
22 when he almost lost his life. It was a drug
deal gone bad. A shoot-out ensued and his
friend was shot three times. Wilburns was
arrested and faced an eight-year prison sentence.
“I was suicidal,” he told WTHR in a
February 25 story. “I just didn't see myself
coming out of the pit that I put myself in,"
he said. "But my mom kept telling me, 'It's
gonna be OK. I promise you.' She said, 'I
know it hurts now, but it's gonna be OK.'
And thank God, I had her in my ear encouraging
me."
Autobahn signs on as
Canadian IGL distributor
IGL Coatings announced in a February
25 press release the appointment
of Autobahn Auto Salon as its new
exclusive distributor in Canada. Autobahn
will distribute IGL Coatings’ full
range of products and ceramic coatings.
Founded in 1991 by Frank Duarte in
Concord, Ontario, Autobahn specializes
in automobile detailing of fine cars, the
press release stated, and it is one of the
largest distributors of detailing products
in Canada.
For the past four years, the Autobahn
team has worked to build the IGL
Coatings presence in Ontario.
“It is an opportunity of a lifetime as
we are able to fully realize the expansion
of the IGL brand throughout the
five regions. We are glad to be part of
Repairify acquires AutoMobile
Technologies
Repairify, Inc. announced the acquisition
of AutoMobile Technologies (AMT),
a provider of enterprise-grade used vehicle
reconditioning software, according to a
February 22 story by BodyShop Business.
AMT helps automotive reconditioning
providers replace paperwork, enforce processes
and gain instant visibility into business
operations regardless of team size and
geographic distribution, the press release
stated. “With the combined capabilities of
AMT and Mobile Tech RX, the Repairify
family is now poised to become a comprehensive
provider of solutions, expertise
and capabilities for auto reconditioners
and paintless dent repair (PDR) customers
of all sizes, from small independents to
large, multi-location enterprises.”
AMT customers range from dealerships
and rental car companies to auto reconditioners,
PDR providers, and detailers.
“We are very excited to welcome the
entire AMT team to Repairify as they join
in our mission to simplify the repair and
His mom was right. Years later he is now
the proud owner of Premier Auto Detailing,
with locations in Lafayette and Kokomo,
Colorado, and he has plans to expand
soon to Indianapolis. Wilburn was also just
named Indiana's small business entrepreneur
of the year in 2021.
But how did Wilburn go from criminal
to celebrated citizen? Back when he
was caught by police, he was sentenced
to community corrections and got a job
washing cars for minimum wage, WTHR
reported. “He worked his way up to manager
and then saved up enough to open
his own business.”
Premier Auto Detailing is now a huge
success and Wilburns wants others to succeed
as well. His advice: Hard work and
determination.
"Never give up," he told WTHR while
tearing up. "Even when it's the worst of the
worst of the worst, you can come out of it.
It takes work. I had to basically rip up how I
was and start over as a new man. But it's not
impossible. That's what my story is. It's the
possibility of becoming better."
the IGL Family and look forward to a
green future,” Frank Duarte said in the
press release.
“IGL Canada is set to grow to unprecedented
heights. We’re glad to see
Frank on board and look forward to
an exciting 2022,” added Keong Chun
Chieh, founder, and CEO of IGL
Coatings, in the press release.
reconditioning of today’s complex modern
automobile using technology and an
amazing, growing network of certified
technicians,” said Tony Rimas, president
of Repairify, the press release. “The AMT
team brings a wealth of expertise, technology
know-how and client relationships that
will benefit our team greatly. As our vision
comes together, we believe the result will be
access to more services, more technicians,
and allowing our customers to drive costs
down and efficiency up.”
Detail shop
expands
in the
Twin Cities
The car detailing and window
tinting shop, Tint Pros/
Platinum Auto Wraps, is continuing
to expand in the Twin
Cities, according to the Minneapolis/St.
Paul Business
Journal. The February 23
story said the shop will be upgrading
into a bigger flagship
facility shortly after opening
a second satellite shop.
Owners Triet Nguyen
and Tien Truong bought the
property for more than $1.5
million in February 2022.
“At nearly 25,000 square
feet and with 12 garages, the
new building is too big for
just Tint Pros, so the shop
plans to operate out of about
half of them and then rent
the rest to other businesses
offering different automotive
services. Nguyen said he and
Truong want to set up a onestop
shop where customers
who are having work done
at Tint Pros can also have
a dent fixed, upgrade their
stereo system or have their
wheels painted in the same
trip,” the story said.
The shop frequently services
Tesla and counts Minnesota-based
professional
athletes among its clientele,
the story said. The owners
have worked in the automotive
industry for around 20
years. They hope to open the
new space in the beginning
of May 2022.
VOL. 7, NO.1 • SPRING 2022 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | 19

INDUSTRY
NEWS
Atlanta detailer
hires ‘street sellers’
for new operation
Myron Fountaine, a reformed felon, is helping find employees for
a luxurious car detailing operation, by going to the streets of Atlanta.
According to a Channel 2 February 16 story, young men and
older teens are often seen amongst the busy streets selling bottles of
water to people at red lights. Fountaine is looking to offer those people
more reliable jobs with Onsite Shine. Fountaine said he wants to
hire at least 30 young people before the shop opens in March.
Fountaine, who was incarcerated on vehicular armed robbery
charges when he was just 19, went on to become a motivational
speaker and “prison prevention specialist” who goes by the name
“The Prison Doctor,” according to the story.
Onsite Shine owner Jim Thomas was more than happy to
team up with Fountaine to empower at-risk kids and adults.
“We just want to try to transform their lives and prevent them
from going to a place I went to,” Fountaine said in the story. “Jim
has offered Onsite Shine as a place where I can now mentor kids
and hire them to work here, and pay these kids up to $15 per hour.”
Fountaine said that the teens could potentially make even
more money if they graduate to more complex skills like detailing
and waxing, the story said.
“My heart really reaches out to those folks, because I think the
business that I’m in can offer a lot to train someone to do something
that they really love, like I do,” Thomas said in the story.
One teen who has already been hired said he was more than
happy to be offered the job. “I feel way better about myself,” one
teen said in the story. “I feel like I can take my life in a whole other
direction.”
Malco Automotive named official
supplier for Live Fast Motorsports
Live Fast Motorsports (LFM) and Malco
Products, Inc. announced on February
18 that Malco Automotive Products now has
the title of the “Official Detailing Products of
Live Fast Motorsports.” The two companies
hope their strategic partnership will illustrate
the crucial relationship of admiration and
proper care that is required for the longevity
of automotive vehicles, a press release stated.
The agreement combines professional
stock car racing and quality automotive and
specialty cleaning products. Malco Products,
Inc. was founded in 1953 in Barberton, Ohio,
by Murray Glauberman. Today, the company
has grown into a global manufacturing company
while still being owned and operated
by the same family. The company has three
world-class production facilities in northeast
Ohio, producing multiple lines of specialty
chemical products for the automotive, marine,
recreational vehicle, and consumer products
markets and serving over 70 countries.
“Malco is excited to enter their second
year of partnership with Live Fast Motorsports,”
said President, Seth Glauberman,
in a press release. “We are thrilled to continue
to work with Live Fast Motorsports
showcasing the great value and outstanding
performance that our cleaning and detailing
products offer. We are flattered that this
professional NASCAR Cup team trusts our
products to carry their prized car to the finish
line all-season long.”
The Malco Automotive brand of professional-grade
automotive detailing, paint correction,
and auto service solutions recently
expanded into the enthusiast automotive
aftermarket. Live Fast Motorsport fans will
be provided with tutorials, before-and-after
demonstrations, testimonials, and giveaways
of Malco Automotive Products.
“I have had the honor of working with
Malco Products since 2008,” said co-founder
of Live Fast Motorsports, Matt Tifft, in
the press release. “Malco’s products, employees
and brand have always displayed
great value over the years. When it comes to
racing, it’s imperative to have a high quality
and reliable partner- that’s why Malco
Automotive Products have been the perfect
sponsor fit for our brand.”
Detail Garage keeps growing and growing and ...
Detail Garage, an 80-unit retail store
for car care enthusiasts, DIY and professional
detailers, saw a 28% increase in sales
for 2021 compared to 2020. It also added
on 25 franchisees in 2021, according to a
February 15 press release.
“We have an incredible amount of
franchisee interest and growth leading into
2022,” said John Mansfield, chief revenue
officer for Detail Garage, in the press release.
“In addition, it is exciting to see our
existing franchisees continue to scale their
portfolio as we support them in every aspect
of the business.”
As of 2022, Detail Garage has welcomed
seven new franchisees, including
multi-unit owners in Warwick, Rhode Island;
Culver City, California; Lincoln, Nebraska;
Gresham, Oregon; Prosper, Texas;
Newnan, Georgia; and Farmington, Connecticut.
Multi-unit owner Gil Gonzalez, of
California, was Detail Garage’s first franchisee.
He started as an employee with
Chemical Guys, which is Detail Garage’s
parent manufacturing company, back in
2008. He worked his way up through the
company and held different roles on the
team. In 2015, Gonzalez discovered Detail
Garage and realized it would provide
a great opportunity to achieve his dream
of starting his own store, the press release
said. In 2016 Gonzalez opened the first
franchised Detail Garage store in Montclair,
California. He has opened two other
locations since then.
“The Detail Garage corporate
team was there for me 100% during
COVID-19,” Gonzalez said in the press
release. “Within less than a month, they
had set up an e-commerce platform for
whomever wanted to get involved with
curbside pickup. Usually, a project like that
takes a long time, but the team made it a
priority and helped us drive sales and keep
customer loyalty up. In addition, we’ve
seen a lot of people more interested in our
professional classes because many people
are starting to think about opening their
own detailing business. Overall, this has
been one of our strongest years so far in
terms of sales.”
Today, Detail Garage wants to expand
by opening 100 new units this year, followed
by 50 new locations. “This has been
a strong growth year for the Detail Garage
brand, and we are proud of our franchisees
who are expanding and excited to partner
with new franchisees coming onboard,”
said Chad Zani, director of business development,
in the press release. “With so
much momentum, the time has never been
better to join our brand, and if you want to
jump in the driver's seat and start your own
automotive business, you'd be hard pressed
to find an opportunity with as much potential
and as loyal of a consumer following as
Detail Garage.”
20 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 7, NO. 5 • SPRING 2022

INDUSTRY
NEWS
Chemical Guys reaches
1 million followers
Chemical Guys announced on December 22, 2021, that it now has over 1
million followers on Instagram. According to a press release, it is now the most
followed car care brand on social media in the United States. To celebrate the
milestone, the company hosted its largest giveaway since the brand's first-ever Instagram
post in 2012, offering followers the chance to win an arsenal of Chemical
Guys' top products totaling $750, as well as a SUPER73-ZX Electric Motorbike.
"Together with our team and our Chemical Guys Family we have created
something incredible – 1 million strong and growing," said Jennifer Olvera,
Chemical Guys Brand Director, in the press release. "We are truly grateful for
the passion that is not only shared by our team but shared by each and every
person that takes time out of their day to post and tag us to share their passion
for shine with us. We love having the ability to interact with our growing Chemical
Guys Family on Instagram and look forward to welcoming many more to
our Family!"
"Our team has spent countless hours building a complete ecosystem designed
to attract, educate, empower and provide members of the Chemical
Guys Family with solutions and a community," stated John Mansfield, Chemical
Guys Chief Revenue Officer, in the press release. "Reaching this incredible
milestone of 1 million engaged Instagram followers demonstrates how strong
our shared passion for shine really is."
Wicked Detailing gets ‘wag’
of approval
Wicked Auto Detailing of Santa Ana, California, teamed up with Barks of
Love, an Orange County animal rescue to host a canine-friendly Cars & Coffee
benefit event on Jan. 9, 2022, according to a press release.
The event was held to raise money and awareness for Barks of Love, with
Wicked Auto Detailing donating 10% of each service.
Barks of Love is a volunteer animal rescue that helps provide homes to neglected,
abandoned, and abused animals, as well as education on animal abuse
and euthanization, the press release said.
“I found out about Barks of Love when I adopted my dog Taco in 2013 as
a companion for my corgi, Waffles,” said Steve Goelman, Marketing Director
at Wicked Auto Detailing, in the press release. “Everyone at Wicked Auto Detailing
has and loves dogs. I rarely see a day in the office without some furry
friends, so we're really excited that Barks of Love will be at the event.”
Wicked Auto Detailing welcomed all leashed dogs and their owners, and provided
fresh, hot coffee and donuts. A silent auction was also held at the event.
22 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 7, NO. 5 • SPRING 2022

Tesla’s vegan leather seats
are baloney, says carbuzz
Gerhard Horn of carbuzz.com,
wrote in a December 24 review that
Tesla’s vegan leather seats aren’t very
impressive.
A Tesla Motors Club user called
gidster99 complained about his
Model 3's driver seat bubbling after a
few weeks of hot weather, he wrote in
his column. “At the time, the car had
6,500 miles on the clock. He took the
car in for a service, and Tesla quoted
him $1,400 (roughly $1,880) to fix
the problem. A picture of the leather
bubbling is below.
“Being the greenest manufacturer
of them all, Tesla obviously
adopted this strategy a while ago.
Many Tesla owners say they don't
miss genuine leather at all on the plus
side. Faux leather does not crack like
real leather and seems more resilient
to wear and tear. But, as we've seen
with so many Teslas before, not all its
cars are built to a high standard. Inside
EVs reported on Tesla headrests
bubbling last year.”
New ‘Big Sky’ detailer
takes advantage of
heavy demand
Matthias Saad, 21, recently launched
MS Detailing, a mobile detailing business
based in Big Sky, a scenic area in Southwest
Montana. Saad had been working in
the detailing industry for four years, starting
out in Minnesota and moving to the Big
Sky area in October.
“It was [a successful business in Minnesota],
but now it’s an even more successful
business out here,” Saad said in a December
22 Big Sky story.
Saad said he attributes his success to
how adventurous Big Sky drivers are with
INDUSTRY
NEWS
their vehicles, in addition to the fact that
there are no other car washes or detailing
operations in the area.
“In Montana, I’ve definitely seen more
dirt and more pet hair—because everyone
has a dog out here,” Saad said in the story.
“Dirt roads, snow, lots of people like hiking
and biking and adventures. Adventures
come with dirty cars.”
Later this spring, Saad will be changing
the name of his company to Detail Doctor,
not to be confused with Auto Detailing
News’ columnist Bud Abraham.
Vermont’s Detail Works gets national spotlight
National morning news program
CBS Mornings visited Detail Works of
Williston, Vermont, to showcase its commitment
to helping at-risk youth.
A December Burlington Free Press
story said the business is run by Spectrum
Youth & Family Services, a program
that helps train at-risk youth with
real-life, hireable skills.
“Working at the shop gives youth
struggling with a variety of issues the opportunity
to learn job skills and succeed
at work. Money made by the business
flows back into the Burlington nonprofit,”
the story said.
The piece aired on December 9 as
part of CBS Morning’s “A More Perfect
Union” series. It included interviews
with current employees, including one
who has been working at Detail Works
for four years who said the detailing job
was the turning point for him.
The entire segment is available on
www.cbsnews.com.
VOL. 7, NO.1 • SPRING 2022 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | 23

INDUSTRY
NEWS
1963 Lincoln Continental gets
its first wash in 30 years
It was Mother's Day in 1995. Brothers
Mike, Greg and Pete Zlotnick had just lost
their mom. Their dad decided to load the
kids up into his 1963 Lincoln to visit their
mother’s grave. On their way home, they
were pulled over. According to a December
Drive story, Mike vividly remembers
the incident, noting the car had the wrong
license plates and it was neither registered
or insured. Also, the car’s convertible top
was stuck, and it had to be towed home.
“That was the last time it was ever driven,
and the land yacht spent the next half of
its life hidden from the sunlight in an old
chick coop,” the story said.
Recently the boys had an idea to surprise
their dad and reached out to famed
YouTuber Larry Kosilla of AMMO NYC
to see if he could help in restoring the vehicle.
Kosilla said, “yes.”
The brothers sent their father out to
golf for the day, and carefully extracted the
18-foot-long Lincoln from storage. Upon
its unearthing, they noticed the paint was
faded, the chrome was dull, the tires were
flat, and the car was covered in animal
droppings and urine.
None of that scared Kosilla.
The brothers were able to get the car
into Kosilla’s shop in New York. Kosilla
started by giving it a washing. Next, he
treated the oxidized single-stage paint followed
by a second deeper wash.
According to Kosilla’s AMMONYC
blog, “The ‘mow down’ paint correction
technique pulled off the years of ‘dead paint’
to reveal the fresh coat underneath. The clarity
improved significantly after compounding
but due to the heavier cut, it required a final
polish to remove the swirls. We used the 1
inch rotary for the elegant door line which
worked perfectly in the tight space.”
Next was the hardest part of the detail,
the interior. Dirtied with acorns, feces,
dust, mold, rodent bungalows and a huge
nest in the glovebox, The Drive reported.
Kosilla started by vacuuming the entire
interior. Next, he steamed the seats, door
panels, and dashboard. Next, he used a
small brush and microfiber cloth. He wrote
in his blog: With the seats looking much
better, I focused on flushing out the seams
of the steering wheel and drivers side dash.
I used the single-hole “sniper” Steamer
attachment to get into the little nooks and
crannies then followed up on the worn
drivers’ pedals. The center console needed
more attention, so I used Lather with
a short bristle Interior Brush to clean the
classic buttons and dials. The old supple
leather, gleaming metal trim, and tactile
buttons are from a completely different era
and one the reasons why I love detailing
these automotive classics.
And that aforementioned glove box
nest? It involved a major undertaking. According
to Kosilla he opened the glove box
door with apprehension and encountered
one of the largest mouse nests he’s ever
seen in his years of detailing. “I picked up
the nest piece by piece and recoiled when
I touched the sopping wet owner’s manual.
These nests are essentially biohazards
which is why detailing is a critical part
of any restoration. If these areas aren’t
cleaned out thoroughly for an upholsterer
or mechanic to work, they run the risk of
getting sick,” Kosilla wrote in his blog.
Kosilla also spent a lot of time on the
engine bay, which was also covered in
mouse droppings, and contained another
mouse nest. He blew out the engine bay
with compressed air and then filled a foam
gun degreaser and cleaned the bay with a
good scrubbing.
The next day, he gave the leather interior
some hydration using two coats
of interior mousse. “The finishing touch
was to polish the metal brightwork by
hand with Flitz and a microfiber towel.
Although time consuming, the end result
was worth it as the tactile dials, buttons,
and switches are part of the Lincoln’s
charm,” wrote Kosilla.
Because of the acreage of paint, chrome,
and aluminum trim, he wrote, he decided to
perform another wash prior to the coating
step. He also cleaned up the white convertible
top and coated the Spanish Red Paint
with a single stage paint. While the car
Before
After
24 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 7, NO. 5 • SPRING 2022

cured, he cleaned the windshield and windows
and then restored the tires.
The entire detail took four days to complete.
The work was arduous, but the payoff
was seeing Mr. Zlotnick’s face when he was
presented with the newly-restored vehicle.
The detailing job took about four days
to complete. The work was arduous, but the
payoff was seeing Mr. Zlotnick’s face when
he was presented with the newly-restored
vehicle. Kosilla wrote: The brothers threw
a clean car cover on the Continental in
preparation for the big reveal. Mike and Mr.
Z arrived at the AMMO Studio and Mr. Z
couldn’t believe his eyes when he walked in
the door. The brothers all rushed downstairs
to greet their dad and pull off the cover. It
was all hugs and smiles as Mr. Z circled
around the Lincoln he hadn’t seen in almost
30 years. He recounted some great stories
of the vehicle and told some hilarious jokes
(the kind only pops can get away with). All
in all, it was a resounding success and Mr. Z
was already making phone calls to continue
the restoration.
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VOL. 7, NO.1 • SPRING 2022 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | 25

DETAIL
DOCTOR
The Ultimate Quiz.
Can you pass the test?
While you think you have a passion for owning and operating a business,
do you have the necessary technical and business knowledge?
By Bud Abraham
buda@detailplus.com
There are many detail business owners
who have a real passion for the industry,
which is wonderful. But that passion
cannot be enough if there is an absence
of knowledge.
Consider gardening, for example.
Prior to planting each type of plant, you
read the guidelines to make sure you are
not planting the bulbs too deep. You
determine the correct type of fertilizer,
how much water and light the plant
needs, and whether the plant will resist
frost. Put simply, it is great to have a passion
for gardening, but it’s the time the
gardener invests in building knowledge
that will make the plant grow.
How you operate your detail business
is no different, and passion and knowledge
must be combined in order for
you to succeed and grow. That passion
should also be put into obtaining knowledge,
skills and experience. Too many
detailers put up a great front, but don’t
understand even the most basic things
about the processes they should perform
with consistently high quality.
For example, try quizzing yourself
with the following questions to see if you
really have what it takes.
BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE QUIZ
Even if you have all the technical knowledge,
do you have the knowledge that it
takes to set up and operate a successful detail
business?
Review these questions and honestly
answer if you can say yes to all of them,
some of them or few of them. Your business
knowledge is critical if you are to succeed
for the long term in the business of detailing.
• Do you know how to negotiate a
lease for a fixed location?
• Do you know the various business
structures you can use to set up your
company? Do you know the difference
between a sole proprietorship,
partnership, corporation, either a C or S,
LLC? Do you know the advantages and
disadvantages of each?
• Do you know how to do a trademark
or service mark search to determine
if someone else is using the name
you have chosen? Why is the search
important to do?
• Do you know the difference between
filing an assumed business name and a
corporate registration?
• Do you know what type of insurance
to get and what coverages?
• Do you know that you must have
Workers Compensation Insurance if you
have employees? And, do you know
how to purchase it at the best rates?
• Do you know why the IRS and
Departments of Labor do not recognize
detail employees as contract laborers?
• Do you know how to determine your prices?
• Do you know how to calculate an hourly
service rate for your detail services?
• Do you know how to read a Profit and
Loss Statement? Why is that important?
• Do you know how to read a Balance
Sheet and why that is important?
• Do you know how to selectively
search, interview, train and motivate
and monitor employees?
• How to cover yourself if an
employee(s) quit on you?
• Do you have a Business Plan? Do you
know how to develop one and use it?
• Do you understand Marketing and
why it is important for your business?
• Do you know the difference between
marketing and advertising?
• Do you know how to use Public
Relations to promote your business?
26 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 7, NO. 5 • SPRING 2022

DETAILING KNOWLEDGE QUIZ
• What do you know about the
differences between gasoline and diesel
engines, as they concern pressure
washing?
• What about the differences between
engines with distributors and those with
electric ignitions?
• What are paint protection products?
What are waxes, paint sealants, fast
waxes, and express waxes, ceramic
coatings and why do you need them all?
• Do paint protection products last for
one year, two years, or three years?
• What is the difference between velour
and other types of fabric upholstery?
• Do you know the different types of
leather? Can you tell the difference
between protected, aniline, nubuck and
suede?
• Do you know how to remove all
different types of stains that can be
encountered in an auto interior, such as
red dyes, tannins, grease, protein, and
urine?
• How can you remove odors from
interiors?
• Do you know the difference between
lacquer and enamel paints, and does it
make a difference?
• What type of dressing should you use
on an engine – solvent or water based?
• Do you know the difference between
single stage and clear coat paint
finishes? Can you tell the difference?
• What is a tri-coat? A tinted clear coat?
Does the difference matter?
• Can you identify paint finish
problems? Do you know which ones you
can correct, and to what extent?
• How many types of paint finishing
compounds are there? Which should
you use on clear coats or single stage
paint finishes?
• What is a swirl remover? A polish? Do
you need both?
• Does a ceramic coating really last for
3, 4 or 5 years or more?
• What is clay, as it pertains to
detailing?
• Did you know some wheels are clear
coated? Why?
• How can you tell the difference
between a wheel that is clear coated
and one that is not? Do you clean them
differently?
• Do you know the dangers of using
solvent-based dressings on tires?
• Can you use a brush or extractor to
clean headliners?
• What type of material is automotive
carpet made from? Does it matter?
• What type of material is fabric
upholstery made from?
• What can you do and not do when
cleaning leather?
• Can you put dressings on leather? If
yes, can you use solvent or water based?
• What is the difference between readyto-use
glass cleaner and high-dilution
glass cleaner?
• Did you know that interior glass is
often difficult to clean because of an oil
film on the surface? Where does it come
from?
• Should you spray cleaners on
dashboards and door panels and
allow them to dwell longer to get more
effective cleaning?
• What is wicking? What is re-soiling?
• How should you clean carpets? With
an extractor? With a vacuum? With a
scrub brush? Why are there so many
methods and which one is best?
• What is ozone?
How does it work?
• What are foggers?
How do they work?
• What about special problems,
like rail dust or acid rain?
What are the procedures for
dealing with these problems?
• Do you know how often to tell
customers to wash their vehicles?
Should they use a cloth or touchless
automatic, or wash their cars by hand?
• What are fabric protectants?
How do they work and how long
do they last?
Both the technical and business questions
presented here should help you gauge
how effectively your passion for owning
and operating a business that offers detailing
services matches up with your actual
knowledge. Remember, a smart person
“knows what they don’t know.”
Too often, salespeople will bombard
customers with information about the
capabilities of their products. Sometimes
this information is misleading, and other
times it is downright false. If you don’t
know what you don’t know, you are at the
mercy of these salespeople. If you don’t
have your own base of knowledge against
which you can compare information from
these salespeople, you’ll never be able to
tell fact from fiction.
The business of detailing is your selected
trade, so spend more time getting to know it.
You may always have the passion for detailing,
but without the knowledge your business
will never reach its full potential.
If I can help you answer any of these
questions let me know: buda@detailplus.
com or (503)-816-7304.
Bud Abraham is Founder and President Emeritus of DETAIL PLUS Car Appearance Systems, with more than 40 years of
experience in the car care industry as a manufacturer, operator, distributor and consultant. He writes articles and gives
seminars on the subject of auto detailing throughout the automotive industry. He can be reached at buda@detailplus.com.
VOL. 7, NO.1 • SPRING 2022 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | 27

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