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WINTER 2023 • 3

CONTENTS
Around the Wash:
When your car wash
‘catches’ a cold ....................6
Tips ................................... 10
Association News
& Calendar .................... 12
Tricks
of the Trade .................... 15
Fun & Games ............... 20
Industry
Dirt .................................... 24
Extra Extra ..................... 32
Fill in the
Blank/Poll ...................... 41
Around the Wash:
Keeping out
the cold ............................. 44
Note to Self
BY DEBRA GORGOS, EDITOR
I am having a hard time
focusing lately.
My heart and mind are listless. My father passed away last March. He was
one of the greatest people in the world, and I was lucky to have him as my
father. It’s sometimes hard to put one foot in front of the other, but I have
to. And, I want you to know if you’re suffering or grieving, you are not
alone, and I bet you still have to go to your car wash, physically maneuver
hoses and equipment, and mentally think about taxes, and paperwork. You
don’t have space to just “be.” But, maybe that is also a blessing. To keep
going on and not get lost in the blur of emotions.
My father always taught me to be kind to everyone. He didn’t have a single
enemy. Everyone liked him. “Jim, what a nice guy,” I would hear people
say. To live to 77 without any adversaries is more than impressive: It’s a
diamond in the *&%#%^&* rough.
In an effort to make this narrative more fun and enjoyable, here is a drawing
of a self serve car wash, from my daughter Emma Rose, age 7:
And, until next time,
Cover Story
The Right to Wash ........... 46
Darwin ............................. 50
VOL. 51, NO. 1, WINTER 2023
Publisher Jackson Vahaly
Editor Debra Gorgos
Design Katy Barret-Alley
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 2023. 2 Dollar Enterprises/SSCWN. All Rights Reserved
4 • WINTER 2023

LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Ms. Gorgos,
Thanks for printing my letter in its entirety*. I must point out again that you
did not explain why your article did not make any reference to President Biden’s
asinine actions which unquestionably attributed to the rise of oil prices and
inflation in general.
I had to smile at your declaration that you conceal your political views from
making their way into SSCWN. When you used the term “jab” in reference
to facts I wrote about President Biden and his handlers I knew your views. By
criticizing JJ because he is a conservative and did not pretend to conceal it, that
reinforced your politics in my opinion. But like you stated, freedom of speech
is a good thing. It is sad that most of your fellow Democrats do everything,
regardless of legality, to squelch free speech. No doubt you are following the
revelations of Elon Musk.
Thanks for your feature on keeping grounds and structures clean and neat. I am
in total agreement with all your observations and advice. I have a simple 4 bay self
serve on about 1/2 acre and I do my best to keep it clean--no simple task with so
many messy customers. (I won’t show your article to my competitors!)
Cheers,
Richard Keen
EDITOR’S RESPONSE:
Dear Richard,
I truly appreciate you writing back. I am
enjoying our banter and it lets me know
someone is reading the magazine :)
I also was biting my tongue, trying not
to reveal my personal opinion on anything,
but…….. I think Elon Musk is a
certifiable narcissist buffoon.
With deepest sincerity,
Debra
*Richard Keen’s first letter was featured in the
Fall 2022 issue of Self Serve Car Wash News.
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WINTER 2023 • 5

Around the Wash
When your car wash
‘catches’ a cold
There’s another virus that can impact
your business: Complacency
by Chuck Violand
Along with a worldwide pandemic, the name of
which I will not print here so that we can all take a
break from reading its name, another virus has been
running rampant within the ranks of business owners
and their companies for years; one that continues
to go largely unrecognized. This other the virus I’m
referring to is alive and well and thriving in far too
many business owners.
This virus can have as debilitating an effect on the
health of a business as the current pandemic has on
our own health. And, unfortunately, washing our
hands, coughing into our sleeve, or social distancing
is completely ineffective in controlling its spread.
The virus I’m referring to is Affluenza. Although
I’ve seen the virus’s destructive effects on businesses
for years, my first exposure to its name occurred
when I came across the term in an article written by
Dr. Denise Kenyon-Rouvinez in The Family Business
Advisor newsletter.
As a business advisor myself, I’ve witnessed the
terribly harsh effects Affluenza can have on previously
healthy companies. I’ve worked for years to
restrict its spread but, regrettably, I have not always
been successful in my efforts. There are times when
the virus gets such a strong grip on an owner that
he becomes blind to the harmful effects it’s having
on his company, or he enters a state of denial about
what’s taking place.
Affluenza doesn’t usually manifest itself when a
business is young or struggling. Most companies and
their owners seem to have a built-in immunity that
protects them during times such as these. It’s when a
company starts to succeed that its owner’s immune
system becomes compromised, and the virus comes
to life and spreads its infection with alarming speed
and devastating, sometimes even lethal, effects.
Although I have no hard data to support my claim,
I feel the physical and mental makeup of many entrepreneurs
predisposes them to carry the Affluenza
virus, although it can go on undetected for years.
Many seem to be drawn to a “work hard, reward lavishly”
lifestyle which appears to serve as a catalyst for
the virus. Complacency is a good word to describe
this. It’s great to have a high-regard for your success,
but it can stifle your growth if you’re not careful.
As with many other business ailments, Affluenza
infects a company when it is flush with cash or when
sales are robust. But the symptoms go unnoticed. It’s
when the company is put under pressure or when
it’s attacked by outside influences such as economic
turmoil or market changes that Affluenza raises its
head and can cause irreparable damage.
When symptoms of the virus are first detected
one of the strategies to combat it that many companies
adopt is to increase sales. While there is nothing
wrong with increasing sales, doing so doesn’t cure
the disease. Instead, it simply masks the symptoms,
bringing temporary relief to the pain, much like taking
an aspirin to treat COVID-19. It does nothing to
treat the underlying problem, and it will sometimes
backfire and actually feed the virus.
The troubled email I received from the Chief Financial
Officer of one of my clients got my attention
and serves as a textbook study of Affluenza at work.
We had developed a close working relationship
over a span of years, so the CFO felt comfortable
approaching me for advice. In her email, she was
expressing alarm at the financial decisions the owner
of the company was making. Most troubling was
the owner’s instructions for her to bury some of his
purchases on the company income statement where
they might not be noticed.
Apparently, he was concerned they would raise
uncomfortable questions when his numbers were
reviewed, both by the bank he was working with
and by me during our conferences.
This was a company that had enjoyed several
years of rapid growth and financial success. They
were on top of their game, celebrated as a model of
success in both their local community and in their
industry. It was not surprising that the owner wanted
to start reaping the rewards of his accomplishments,
as he had worked hard to get where he was.
Unfortunately, he was choosing to make financial
decisions that would contribute to the company’s
eventual decline. This brings me to the first underlying
cause of Affluenza.
We don’t know how to handle financial success.
As ridiculous as this might sound, handling finances
and financial success is a learned skill. Our parents
are usually our first teachers and, if they were
successful at managing their money, there’s a good
chance they passed on sound financial lessons to us.
If they weren’t particularly good with their finances,
then we may need to reprogram some of the money
lessons learned in our youth.
Another critical point in our lives when we’re especially
open to learning money lessons is early in
our business careers. The people we associate with
in business, the mentors with whom we surround
ourselves, and the business experiences we have all
leave lasting impressions, sometimes affecting the financial
decisions we make both professionally and
personally for the rest of our lives. As with the lessons
we learn from our parents, these early business
experiences can have either positive or negative consequences
on our behavior.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Chuck Violand founded Violand Management Associates in 1987 with the objective of helping owners
of small businesses build profitable businesses for their long-term professional and personal success. As an author and popular
keynote speaker, Violand is a respected authority on entrepreneurial small businesses, having spent more than 30 years as both
a business consultant and an executive coach. He is a regular contributor to trade journals and newsletters and is the author of
the popular weekly leadership series Monday Morning Notes. Violand Management Associates, LLC is a consulting firm working
internationally to help entrepreneurial companies achieve sustained profitable growth. Look them up at violand.com for details
or contact them at 1-800-360-3513.
6 • WINTER 2023

FGM 227-air-vac-machines-NE-carwasher-final-outline
final outline
-
WINTER 2023 • 7

AROUND THE WASH: WHEN YOUR CAR WASH ‘CATCHES’ A COLD
Most small businesses are started on a financial
shoestring. Business owners learn how to make one
dollar do two dollars’ worth of work, and they become
masters of cash flow in a cash-strapped environment.
When their company finally enjoys some
measure of financial success after years of struggle
and sacrifice, the owner sometimes finds themself
unprepared to handle the change. They haven’t developed
the discipline needed to manage an abundance
of money. So they find ways to move it out
of their life to return to the more familiar world of
being strapped for cash.
As with so many other personal behaviors, destructive
financial behaviors can be turned around. One of
the ways to accomplish this is with a concerted effort
over a long enough period of time to allow the new
behaviors to become habits. Although we can do this
on our own, the chances for success usually increase
dramatically when we have someone to help hold
us accountable. In the case of the owner mentioned
above, listening to the advice of his CFO would have
saved him a lot of heartburn … and money.
As with many diseases, Affluenza is harder to detect
in the early stages when it is easiest to cure. Conversely,
it’s easier to detect, but harder to cure, in its
later stages when behaviors have become habits.
You can usually trace the genesis of business problems
to when a company is doing well: Sales are
strong, profits are deep, and cash flow is healthy. This
is when business leaders lose focus, become complacent,
or adopt attitudes of entitlement. This brings us
to the second underlying cause of Affluenza.
Our decisions are driven by ego and a sense of entitlement.
Growing a business demands a lot of sacrifice
on the part of the owner. It can exact a heavy
toll in terms of time spent away from family, mental
exhaustion, and even getting worn down physically.
When business begins to go well, it seems logical
that some owners would feel a sense of entitlement
to lavishly reward themselves for their sacrifices: the
luxury car, the vacation home, the abundant travel.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with any of these
indulgences. It’s when they interfere with the performance
of the company or when they take value
away from customers that they get in the way.
Sometimes Affluenza is driven by a swollen ego,
similar to the attitude of entitlement above. The
primary difference is that with a swollen ego we
use Affluenza to draw attention to ourselves or to
maintain an appearance of success. An ego that is
out of control is one of the most difficult areas to
address with any business owner, as they are usually
the last one to recognize when their ego has gotten
out of control, and they usually don’t want to be
told about it by you.
Sometimes Affluenza doesn’t manifest itself
with purchases or financial decisions. Instead, it
shows up in subtle behaviors or in attitudes toward
other people.
We forget what it’s like to have a boss. Few of us
are plopped into our position of authority overnight.
We usually grow into it over time. As our company
grows or as we rise through the ranks in our business,
it’s easy to forget what it’s like to be one of the
“workers.” The Queen of Mean, Leona Helmsley, is
famous for her off-handed comment about “the little
people.” While few of us would be brash enough to
make such a comment, how often does our behavior
unconsciously telegraph a similar message?
When we’re the boss we can ignore feedback we
don’t want to hear. We don’t feel the need to ask others
for their opinion, but we can freely give our own.
We don’t need to follow the chain of command we
put in place if we feel like meddling. And we surely
don’t need to go to the boss to ask for a raise; we just
write ourselves a bigger check.
As we learn lessons throughout our life, we frequently
adopt rules to help guide our future decisions.
One of the rules I’ve used in my life is the “Alex
Bevan” rule. When I was in my early 20’s I owned a
night club, and one of the entertainers I hired was
a popular Cleveland recording artist named Alex
Bevan. In getting to know Alex, I learned he lived a
very frugal life. I found this interesting considering
his popularity and success … and the popular image
of recording stars living lavish lifestyles. Alex told me
his father advised him early on to “always live like
you don’t know when you’ll get your next gig. That
way you’ll never have to compromise your values to
get it.” That was great advice for a recording artist.
It’s also great advice for business owners.
Checking Your Ego at the Door
A 2018 Harvard Business Review (HBR)
article titled “Ego is the Enemy of Good
Leadership” made some interesting
observations about swollen egos.
According to its authors, Rasmus Hougaard
and Jacqueline Carter:
• “Our ego is like a target we carry with us.
And like any target, the bigger it is, the more
vulnerable it is to being hit. In this way, an
inflated ego makes it easier for others to
take advantage of us. Because our ego
craves positive attention, it can make us
susceptible to manipulation. It makes us
predictable. When people know this, they
can play to our ego. When we’re a victim of
our own need to be seen as great, we end
up being led into making decisions that may
be detrimental to ourselves, our people, and
our organization.
• “An inflated ego also corrupts our behavior.
When we believe we’re the sole architects
of our success, we tend to be ruder,
more selfish, and more likely to interrupt
others. This is especially true in the face
of setbacks and criticism. In this way, an
inflated ego prevents us from learning from
our mistakes and creates a defensive wall
that makes it difficult to appreciate the rich
lessons we glean from failure.
• “Finally, an inflated ego narrows our vision.
The ego always looks for information
that confirms what it wants to believe.
Basically, a big ego makes us have a strong
confirmation bias. Because of this, we lose
perspective and end up in a leadership
bubble where we only see and hear what
we want to. As a result, we lose touch with
the people we lead, the culture we are
a part of, and ultimately our clients and
stakeholders.
HBR offered the following advice for those
who can actually acknowledge they may have
an ego problem:
• “Consider the perks and privileges you
are being offered in your role. Some of
them enable you to do your job effectively.
That’s great. But some of them are simply
perks to promote your status and power
and ultimately ego. Consider which of your
privileges you can let go of. It could be the
reserved parking spot or…a special pass for
the elevator.
• “Support, develop, and work with people
who won’t feed your ego. Hire smart people
with the confidence to speak up.
• “Humility and gratitude are cornerstones
of selflessness. Make a habit of taking a
moment at the end of each day to reflect
on all the people that were part of making
you successful on that day. This helps you
develop a natural sense of humility, by
seeing how you are not the only cause of
your success. And end the reflection by
actively sending a message of gratitude to
those people.”
8 • WINTER 2023

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WINTER 2023 • 9

TIPs
TAX TIP
Also, did you know
The IRS has a site dedicated to small business owners. It offers everything
from what forms are needed, to workshops and everything in between.
You can find it at: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed
HIRING TIP
Looking for
help? Consider
a person with
disabilities…
According to the Small Business Administration
(SBA), now more than ever, small businesses
are finding it challenging to hire talented workers.
Hiring disabled individuals can help businesses
meet their talent needs while strengthening their
competitive edge. By hiring individuals with disabilities,
businesses can:
• Expand their pool of talent
• Create a culture of diversity
• Meet their workforce needs
• Foster creative business solutions
• Generate goodwill among customersRegion II
A disability is considered a physical or mental
impairment that substantially limits one or more
major life activity. Individuals with disabilities
often need workplace accommodations—a modification
or adjustment to a job, the work environment,
or the way things are usually done during
the hiring process.
Small businesses benefit when they value and
appreciate each person for their individual differences
and experiences. By investing in recruiting,
hiring, and retaining talent—including people
with disabilities—businesses can give themselves
a competitive edge and demonstrate their commitment
to inclusion.
The goal of the recruitment process is to attract
and identify individuals who have the best mix of
10 • WINTER 2023
skills and attributes for the job available. Ensuring
that all qualified individuals—including those
with disabilities—can take part in the process is
essential to achieving this goal. It is important
to know where to look to find candidates with
disabilities beyond the traditional recruiting processes.
Companies interested in hiring employees
with disabilities should begin by:
• Reaching out to the local Workforce
Development Board (WDB). WDBs are part of the
Public Workforce System, a network of federal,
state, and local offices that connect companies
to the resources they need to strengthen their
business and their workforce, including skilled
employees with disabilities.
• Connecting with a Business Services
Representative at a local American Job
Center. They provide assistance with recruiting,
hiring or training employees, including people with
disabilities who are ready and willing to work.
• EARN offers a list of online job posting boards
that can help small businesses find qualified
workers with disabilities.
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
The following Financial incentives encourage businesses
to hire individuals with disabilities and offset
the costs of workplace accommodations.
FEDERAL TAX INCENTIVES
The main federal tax incentives are:
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), available
for hiring individuals from certain groups who
have consistently faced significant barriers to employment.
• The Barrier Removal Deduction, whereby
businesses can deduct up to $15,000 for making
a facility or public transportation vehicle more
accessible.
• The Disabled Access Credit, a non-refundable
credit for small businesses that incur
expenditures for the purpose of providing
access to persons with disabilities.
STATE TAX INCENTIVES
• There are also state tax credits for employers
who hire people with disabilities. Check your
state office of tax and revenue for more details.

1
9
7
2
5
0
FINANCIAL TIP
I can deduct
what???
Doing taxes. Ugh. It can cause an overwhelming
sensation, with numbers, additions, subtractions,
receipts, records and dollar signs floating in the
undertone. But, one thing that can be somewhat
pleasant is going over all of your tax deductions
and realizing they will all be worth it. Sure, you can
take the standard deduction, which according to
QuickBooks, is faster, but you can ultimately miss
out on some opportunities to save money. “Itemizing
your deductions takes time and requires well-kept
records, but it’s the best way to take full advantage
of small business tax deductions.”
So, let’s get to the good stuff. The following are expenses
you might not have know are tax deductible.
If you did, good for you. If not, keep reading…
THE FOLLOWING
ARE DEDUCTIBLE:
• Professional magazines
• In-flight internet purchases
during business travel
• A portion of homeowners’
insurance if you have a home office
• Vandalism done to the building
• ATM withdrawals (if cash is
used for the business)
• Food purchased for stray cats
(if they help with pest control)
• Books related to your industry
• Gym membership (if a doctor
prescribes one for health reasons)
• Any kind of protective clothing such
as safety boots or masks or work gloves.
WHAT’S NEW
FOR 2023?
The Internal Revenue Service announced that
beginning on January 1, 2023, the standard mileage
rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel
trucks) will be:
• 65.5 cents per mile driven for business use, up
3 cents from the midyear increase setting the
rate for the second half of 2022.
• 22 cents per mile driven for medical or moving
purposes for qualified active-duty members of
the Armed Forces, consistent with the increased
midyear rate set for the second half of 2022.
• 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable
organizations; the rate is set by statute and
remains unchanged from 2022.
These rates apply to electric and hybrid-electric
automobiles, as well as gasoline and diesel-powered
vehicles.
The standard mileage rate for business use is based
on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of
operating an automobile. The rate for medical and
moving purposes is based on the variable costs.
It is important to note that under the Tax Cuts
and Jobs Act, taxpayers cannot claim a miscellaneous
itemized deduction for unreimbursed employee
travel expenses.
Taxpayers always have the option of calculating
the actual costs of using their vehicle rather than
using the standard mileage rates.
Taxpayers can use the standard mileage rate but
generally must opt to use it in the first year the car
is available for business use. Then, in later years,
they can choose either the standard mileage rate
or actual expenses. Leased vehicles must use the
standard mileage rate method for the entire lease
period (including renewals) if the standard mileage
rate is chosen.
WINTER 2023 • 11

2022
CALENDAR
OF EVENTS
*All events are subject
to changes due to c
urrent circumstances.
MARCH 7-8, 2023
The Convenience
U CARWASh Show
The International Centre
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
MAY 8-10, 2023
2023 ICA Car Wash Show
Las Vegas Convention Center
SEP, 21 & 22, 2023
Carwash Show Europe
EXPO Greater Amsterdam
The Netherlands
OCT 2-4, 2023
Northeast Regional
Carwash Association
Atlantic City Convention Center
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Association
News
International Carwash Association
2022 ICA U.S. Consumer
Study now available
The International Carwash Association
has released its 2022 U.S. Consumer Study,
according to a press release, after interviews
a census-balanced, nationally representative
sample of 1,794 adults who own or lease a vehicle.
“International Carwash Association has its
own mountain of data about the lifeblood of
our business, car wash consumers. Since the
first ICA Consumer Study was conducted 25
years ago, it has been our goal to provide car
wash operators and suppliers with meaningful
information from which to refine their own
business strategies,” the press release stated.
Seventy questions were asked, including
the following question, which according to the
ICA is what every operator wants to know:
What does the data mean for your business?
“Here are three simple questions to ask
that will help you unearth actionable insights
and make the 2022 ICA Consumer Study your
study,” the press release stated.
1. How satisfied are
your customers?
By asking your customers this simple
question, you can benchmark your location(s)
against the national average for all car washes.
You’ll no longer need to guess at how you’re
doing relative to other operators. You’ll know,
according to the ICA.
2. How satisfied are your
customers compared to
washes like ours?
…while it’s important to know how
you’re performing relative to all washes, it’s
far more insightful to know how satisfied your
customers are relative to your wash type, according
to the press release.
3. Why are your customers
more or less satisfied?
Five key factors drive customer satisfaction,
according to the ICA:
1. Quality
2. Price
3. Value
4. Experience, and
5. Service.
With this information, you can pinpoint
specific areas of strength, weakness, and opportunity
to enhance customer satisfaction,
loyalty and drive repeat business, the ICA
said of the report.
The 28-page total U.S. report is now available
as well as segment-specific reports for each
of the five major wash types. Learn more about
accessing the 2022 Consumer Study at https://
www.carwash.org/consumer-study.
Southwest Car Wash
Association
SCWA scores another
impressive speaker:
Dick Vitale
Sportscaster Dick Vitale has been named the
2023 Southwest Car Wash Association keynote
speaker. According to the SCWA, the college basketball’s
top analyst and ambassador who called
ESPN’s first-ever major NCAA basketball game,
is known for enthusiastic statements such as:
“Awesome, Baby!” “DIAPER DANDY” “THATTA
WAY” “Unbelievable!”
“The SCWA convention attendees are in store
for a great morning enjoying Vitale’s enthusiastic,
passionate, sometimes controversial—but never
boring—style. Known as Dickie V to his legions of
fans all over America, this New Jersey native is to
college basketball what fireworks and watermelon
are to the 4th of July,” the SCWA stated.
Vitale is well-suited for giving a motivational
keynote as he was raised by parents who didn’t
receive formal educations, but instead taught him
the power of hard work and positivity.
“They told me that if you give 110 percent
all the time; beautiful things will happen. I may
not always be right, but no one can ever accuse
me of not having a genuine love and passion for
whatever I do,” Vitale once stated of his parents.
The SCWA has been known for its impressive
list of keynote speakers. Past addresses have
been given by former Speaker of the House Newt
Gingrich, former United States Vice President
Dick Cheney, and media emperor Steve Forbes.
SCWA 2023 Convention & EXPO is taking
place February 22-24, 2023, at the Fort Worth
Convention Center.
12 • WINTER 2023

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Defining the World of Car Wash Technology
WINTER 2023 • 13

Association News
WE WANT
YOUR
STORIES!
Do you have a funny
story from the bay?
Maybe an inspiring
tale from the wash?
Try something
new that worked well?
“You won’t believe what this
Darwin did at my wash…”
“The best decision I ever made
for my business was…”
“On rainy days, I like to…”
Reach out to Editor Debra Gorgos
debgorgos@gmail.com to share
your story with our readers.
Carwash Association of Pennsylvania
CAP President letter addresses inflation,
keeping positive in 2023
The following is a letter written by Dave Edwards, President
of CAP and an Owner/Operator of IBA/SS sites in NEPA:
Greetings CAP Members, PA Operators
and Car Washers near and far.
As we look to Spring 2023, let’s take a brief moment to reflect upon what
we can learn and apply for a better 2023. In Pennsylvania, the Carwash
Association of Pennsylvania (CAP) closed out the fourth quarter with our
highest level of membership in recent years: inspired through four well received
and attended CAP events in late 2022 which provided many a renewed interest
in the benefits and comradery of this state car wash association. Plus, our
own home state founded company, KleenRite Corp. hosted its bi-annual Expo
in November, which brought in a host of vendors, suppliers, and car washer
operators alike. Kleen-Rite Corp. is a major sponsor of the CAP, as well as just
about every car wash event throughout Pennsylvania each year. CAP is proud of
each of the manufacturers, vendors, and suppliers that call Pennsylvania home.
Winter started off soft here in Pennsylvania and much of the northeast, making
for softer than normal sales by some sites. Yet, we must be mindful that weather
changing patterns have adversely affected our car washing brothers and sisters
in many other states recently. When and wherever possible, we should look to
lend a hand in the face of adversity. This sets up a nice segway into weathering
the everchanging economics we all currently face. Most notably is inflation across
the board. While the consumer is faced with needs and necessities vs. wants and
vanity. Each of us car washers are faced with walking that fine line to balance
our operating costs vs. keeping our sales revenue up. There’s an adage, “what
doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.” So, keep your game up, find ways to keep
your customer base coming to your wash. Take a few minutes to watch your
customers leaving your wash. More than not, you will see them smiling. This
is because they feel good. A car wash makes anyone feel good! Keep a positive
perspective amidst whatever challenges you may be facing and keep delivering
“good feelings!” The CAP is looking forward to hosting multiple events during
2023 including our Baseball Outing, New Investor Seminar, Annual Dinner and
Tabletop Show, and Golf Outing(s) and Picnic. We encourage everyone in the
carwash industry who touches business in PA to consider joining CAP. We await
you with open arms! Learn more about membership and our upcoming events as
details are announced at www.pacarwash.org.
Yours in service,
Dave Edwards President of CAP Owner/Operator
of IBA/SS sites in NEPA
14 • WINTER 2023

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
If you add this,
they will come, Ray
I’m looking for some ways to generate more revenue at my wash (5 bay
ss & 5 vacuums). I have added Cryptopay & raised my prices since we
bought it in May. We’re in a town of around 7000 & don’t have any
direct competition in the actual town but there are plenty of washes in
the surrounding areas. Would I see more revenue from adding a few
in-bay dryers or converting over to dollar tokens? I’d like to do both
eventually but am curious what y’all’s thoughts are? Am also planning
on running presoak through a foam gun vs through the high pressure
gun (as it is now). - BIGMATTHEW86
Did you set up count up or count down when
installing Cryptopay in the bays? - OURTOWN
Count up in my busiest 3 bays. They do about
20% right now & have been in since July. - BIG-
MATTHEW86
Have you considered making one or bays a Superbay?
Bonus time? Make 1 or 2 bays a Superbay
and add dryers to those. (That is what I
did.) - EARL WEISS
I guess that’s what I’m suggesting. I’d probably
only add dryers to the busiest 2 bays at this time.
- BIGMATTHEW86
Go with the dryers! It’s a GREAT way to differentiate
yourself from your competitors, and
your customers will enjoy them. Plan to spend
extra time at your car wash, giving away free
time, showing your customers how to use
them. If you don’t, customers will think they’re
in-bay vacuums and not use them. Now, most
of our customers use them and we’re busier
than ever!! We installed a Diskin dryer in each
of our 5 SS bays in 2018, and have DOUBLED
our gross profit. - KIMBERLY BERG
So I went back & forth about a million times
but decided to go to dollars tokens right now.
Still plan to add a few dryers but it’ll have to
wait until spring. I really like the idea of cash in
the box equaling money made. It will also give
me great joy for my habitual change-getters to
get a handful of tokens. Bays will still take quarters
as well as tokens, vacs & vending will be
tokens only. - BIGMATTHEW86
I am in a similar-sized market. And have owned
my ss 5 bay for over 5 years now. Business has
increased each year and I believe the most contributing
factor is customer service. Keeping
equipment working and clean. Also being present
and available. I have my number posted
and respond to issues quickly.
Nayax was installed last week to replace
our old system. I can now start a bay from my
phone if a customer has a problem.
We also just raised prices by 30%. A little nervous
about that but they have not changed in
over 9 years.
What is your current price per minute and
what is your minimum? - EAST ADAMS CAR WASH
2$ for 3 min wash with .25 for 20 seconds.
Vacs are 1$ for 2 min. Prices were $1.25 for a
4 min wash, with .25 being 30 seconds & .75
for 4 min on vacs when we got it last May. We
have fixed & replaced almost everything & my
number is posted by the change machine. I am
there at least 4 times a week for a few hours. I
give out air fresheners & whatnot. Business has
doubled but it wasn’t much before so I’d like it
to continue to rise. - BIGMATTHEW86
I was at $1.75 for 2.5 min and $4.75 for 12
min on my 2 MEGA Wash bays. I just raised
to $3 for 3 min and $7.50 for 12 min. I do
think this will affect a few customers. But
in the long run, I still believe it will be more
profitable and the loss in customers will be
made up by the increase in revenue. Time will
tell but so far so good. - EAST ADAMS CAR WASH
Read
‘em and
weep
I’m in Maine and
have always run
warm water weep and all other
spray applications to my self serve
guns. I heard someone saying they
run cold water weep and cold
water to all other spray applications
except soap that they run warm
water with. Have you seen this
or something similar before
in extreme cold weather
environments? - GOOD MOODY
We run cold weep and rinse but hot soap and
wax. The cold weep kept our bays from freezing
during our multi-day -10F days several weeks ago.
Your customers might prefer hot rinse though for
melting snow and ice off their cars. - OUR TOWN
Same as OurTown. We don’t live that far apart,
so similar weather and temps. Cold water weep
and rinse. Hot soap and wax cycles. I can weep
750 gallons of water a day below 15 deg, through
4 hp wands. To me, heating this much water is a
big waste of $$$. - 2BIZ
We never weep warm/hot water through our
weep system. It’d be a waste of money. This
morning it was 31 deg. and raining and the weep
was weeping. I hate to see all that water going
down the drain. - RANDY
I don’t weep foam brushes or foam guns. I use
a homemade air blowout and washer fluid injection
system that saves even more $$$ every
winter. - 2BIZ
Cold water weep and winterized foamy brush. -
SOAPY
I weep hot when it gets down below 5-8 degrees.
Did that at two washes this year and no freeze
ups, kept one weeping cold and all 3 bays froze.
Hit -4 that day. - SLASH007
WINTER 2023 • 15

TRICKS OF THE
No to storage units,
but how about a car wash?!
I currently have a 6-bay self serve. I had purchased some commercially zoned land a couple years ago with intentions of
building storage units there. My city has shot me down on the storage units because it’s not properly zoned and can’t be
rezoned per their rules. However, they did tell me I could build a wash there. Beyond stupid, yeah I know... My problem is
that it has city water but no possible sewer. I’m not interested in the reclaim water as of now. In Alabama, has anyone built
a new wash on a septic in the last couple of years that could tell me what I’m looking at expense wise? Or give me some
guidelines to the restrictions? Is there anyone specific I could call and find out this information from, other than just jumping
on board and paying for a PERC test? - HAMILTON’S CAR & DOG WASH
I have no idea about your question, but did you get a lawyer to try
the rezoning or do it yourself? Hiring the right lawyer that has experience
rezoning in your area is key to all rezoning attempts. Just
my 2 cents - KENO
I normally try to not jump on that bandwagon. We are in a smaller
town and lots of us believe the rules don’t apply to them. But,
they sure do like to hold grudges where they can and it will cost
you money when you go over their heads. - HAMILTON’S CAR & DOG
WASH
I know what you mean about small-town politics, going through
that at 1 of our sites. But I also have had experience in rezoning
where our lawyer used to be pretty high up at the county zoning
department before returning to private practice, so knew most of
the staff and could get things done that a normal citizen or even
another lawyer normally would have a hard time doing. It was a
big ‘who you know’ vs ‘what you know’ situation. - KENO
SSCWN EDITOR CHIMES IN: Did you know the city of Houston, Texas,
does not have zoning laws? They instead have outlined city ordinances,
but they do not enforce or address the usage of the land. Therefore,
there can be a house next to a grocery store that is next to a hotel that
is next to a…. you get the idea. For instance, here are some pictures
posted by the Houston Chronicle back in 2016, under the headline: The
weirdest images to come from Houston’s lack of zoning laws.
Hire a lawyer to rezone. Both your scenarios are going to require
legal representation for one reason or another. The simplest
task would be to lawyer up to rezone the lot for storage
units. May take a little time, and a few meetings but it will more
than likely be successful.
The more complex task, get a lawyer on your side ... lawyering
up when you want to use city water for a carwash ...someone will
point out and mention something about the EPA and clean water
regs: www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-clean-water-act. -
ECKERT16
I am in Alabama and I have had a 4-bay SS on septic for about
15 years. All the required work was done before I purchased the
car wash so I can’t help you with that part. Alabama Department
of Environmental Management (ADEM) can tell you everything
you will need to do to get a permit to operate without sewer. The
permit is $4290.00 every 5 years plus about $200.00 every year to
send water samples to a lab for testing. ADEM is very easy to deal
with and will be happy to help you.
One more thing.... the cost of my permit is about the same cost
as my other 4 bay SS that is on sewer. My sewer bill is based on
my water usage. Financially speaking the car wash on sewer costs
about the same as the car wash on a septic system every year. -
TRISHALE
Generally having wastewater not going to the city sewer is illegal in
all 51 states. Federal regulations. Be very careful here. Could be BIG
fines. If a lawyer says it might be fine, get another lawyer. - MAC
16 • WINTER 2023

WINTER 2023 • 17

TRICKS OF THE
Baby, it’s way, way, way
too cold outside
If I was going to close down the wash for let’s say 3-4 days and wanted to not waste weep water 24/7 to a 10 bay
SS and Automatic the weepmizers will run all the time darn near. Could I drain my HP rinse tank and refill with
-20 windsheild washer fluid and go to every bay and turn on HP so it fills the line and pump/purge with WW
and be safe for extreme cold weather and the same for low-pressure functions. The water consumption and the few
people washing = broken lines, fittings and a muddy frozen mess… wouldn’t be worth it. - TDLCONCEPTSLLC
This is how we shut down the car wash when it
gets really cold. I installed a “T” in the weep water
system just downstream of the weep solenoid
valve. I turn off the weep water, connect an air
hose to the down leg on the “T” and blow air into
the weep system, blowing out most of the water.
Then I connect a Flo-Jet pump to the “T” and
pump WW fluid into the weep system. I put the
furthest foam brush handle and gun in a bucket so
I can tell when I’ve got enough WW in the system.
When I’m satisfied that I have enough WW in the
system I disconnect the pump, turn off the power
to the pumps etc. and go home until it warms back
up. It normally only takes about 3 jugs of WW. I
went to Walmart the other day and bought WW
fluid so I have everything staged and ready to go.
- RANDY
Since we deal with freezing conditions every
year, our systems are automatic. We fancy. - CANT-
BREAK80
I have doors and heated floors, no problem here.
- SWAMPDONKEY
I do exactly the same as Randy, except I blow
the washer fluid out of all the lines 5-gallon buckets
to reuse. - JACK954
Randy: How cold does it need to be for you to
go through your process? - TRAVELER17
No doors or floor heat here. When I have a low
in the low 20s and it is followed by a day with a
high no higher than about 35 (~40 if it is cloudy)
I shut down. I know you guys up North will laugh
but these cold snaps are very short-lived. My business
drops substantially anyway during cold snaps
as people usually just wait until it gets warmer to
wash. The people that are determined to wash
usually aren’t the customers I want to deal with
anyway (muddy hunters, etc.) - GREG PACK
I’m in Southeast NC so like you, I have no doors
or floor heat. …I turn on the heat in the equipment
rooms and shut it down. - TRAVELER17
If you don’t have a “fancy” blowdown system, I
kinda like the idea of putting washer fluid in the
gravity tank and filling the HP lines using the HP
pump. One thing for all to consider, is however
you fill the HP lines with washer fluid. If you have
a dripping HP wand, it doesn’t take long to fill the
hose with water and freeze....Ask me how I know
this?! So when I replaced my gravity tanks, I put
ball valves on both the hot and cold side for each
bay. So if I decided to only close some of the bays,
I can shut off the water supply to these bays. I also
have ball valves on SFR to each bay....A solenoid
that leaks or leaks under pressure will do the same
thing....A ball valve between the solenoid and bay
is good insurance...
I generally close 2 of my 4 bays when temps
don’t get above 15° during the daytime, just to
save weep water. I only weep the HP wands and
have an automated washer fluid injection system
for FB and the TF/PS Foam Gun that is activated
at 32°. I shut completely down when temps don’t
get above zero. I have had people wash in bays at
-5° (I don’t have doors but do have heated floors),
so that’s when I decided to start shutting down
when it’s this cold. When I keep 2 bays open, I
keep the ones open on either side of the ER to
help with ice buildup on the walls...Here is a photo
of my gravity tank shut-off valves.
No one here in the Pacific Northwest has floor
heat so we stay closed or shut down when the daytime
temperature isn’t going to get to 25 deg. We
don’t do enough business to justify staying open
when it’s that cold. I think last year we closed for
4 or 5 days.
I think this year I’m going to pull the guns and
foam brush handles and blow out the water. Put a
1/4” ball valve on the end of each of the hoses and
then pump in the WW, then blow out the WW
with air into a bucket and reuse it again when
needed. I always turn off the city water in case one
of the solenoid valves leaks. - RANDY
I found my local Walmart had the least expensive
-25 fluid, a little less than $4/gallon. -25 freezing
temp suggests a roughly 45% dilution (by volume)
of methanol. I should be able to mix mine
50/50 with water and get the freeze protection I
need (mid teens). I was looking at RV antifreeze
and it has a lower percentage of methanol and a
freezing point of 9 degrees. The RV antifreeze has
a different goal of just preventing a hard freeze as
slush is permitted.
I’ve got some green marker dye I’m going to
use in my solution to let me know the system is
flushed.
GREG PACK
I use -20° Washer Fluid straight. No mixing. It’s
about $2.00 a gallon here when I catch it on sale.
No dye needed, it’s blue and very noticeable when
it comes out the HP wand...I use a clear plastic
measuring cup to make it easier to see when it
comes out the nozzles. It takes about a gallon to
do 4 HP hoses...So it doesn’t break the bank. The
other 8 LP hoses are done automatically with
air-washer fluid-air, so I don’t have to manually do
them. I used to blow out the washer fluid in the
HP hoses but got plugged nozzles 75% of the time
when reopening. So now I just leave the WF in the
hoses without blowing out. No problems opening
back up. - 2BIZ
A friend just told me a 55 drum of methanol
is available for less than $300. I have bought that
in the past but it took me years to use that drum
up. - GREG PACK
Do you have a racing fuel supplier nearby? We
18 • WINTER 2023

TRICKS OF THE
have one near us and the methanol pump is a self
serve pump so you can bring any container to fill. I
went last week and filled 11 used and cleaned out
5-gallon square chemical buckets and it was $175
after tax. - OURTOWN
I did a test bay 2 nights ago on my farthest #10
bay that hit 26 degrees and 27 degrees at night
since with no freeze up. Are you guys up North
familiar with WW fluid? Tell me if I am wrong on
this process: First I disconnected the supply hose
to the pump and turned it on for 20 seconds with
no supply water to purge. Then I sucked a gallon
of -20 washer fluid, turned the pump on until it
came out in the bay…. I left the spray wand and
tip still attached. Was thinking about doing several
more bays and leaving them like this through a
deep freeze. I just don’t want lines & swivels to all
freeze and have a genuine mess. I want to do this
to save on weeping water, as water, where I am
located, can be pricey. - TDLCONCEPTSLLC
That should work. Just as long as you fill the system
with WW it’ll work.
I shut down my car wash yesterday afternoon,
pulled the guns and foam brush handles off, blew out
the lines with air from the weep solenoid. I pumped
about 3 gallons of WW into the weep system, blew
out the weep system after I filled it with WW and
reclaimed about 21/2 gallons of WW. - RANDY
Thomas, if you have a weep system, it would be
much easier to rig up a pump and use the weep
system to winterize your hp hoses. You will use a
lot less wf. I did 4 bays tonight and used about 1.5
gallons. - 2BIZ
Update: I shut down Thursday and flushed a
50% mixture of -20 WW fluid and water through
the system. Gotta admit it was a little bit of a hassle
and I need to find a better way to do it. I did
build a Flojet pump with an air fitting and had
several fittings with me so I could just swap out as
needed to flush out lines on both the SS and water
wizard IBA. I think adding a female fitting and
check valve to the various chemical lines might
be a good way to handle it next time. During the
freeze, I went by and made daily checks on the
washes. On Saturday, it was in the low teens (after
lows in the single digits) and the 50% solution I
made was a very soft slush on the brush. I cranked
back up today when it got to about 35 degrees
with no issue and was glad not to have any ice
buildup. A wash owner south of me was dealing
with several busted lines so I’m glad I made the
effort to prevent start-up problems. - GREG PACK
The windshield washer fluid worked great. I used
about 13-14 bottles on my 10-bay SS and flushed
every line. Every option didn’t have freeze-ups. It
took me a little while but I got it done and closed
for 5 days when it got to 7 degrees one night and 8
degrees the next and not above freezing in the day.
…Thank you guys, I need to build a blowdown
system. It would save on my water bill like crazy. I
waste a lot of weep water with a weepmizer on my
SS for a 10 bay - TDLCONCEPTSLLC
The low here was 9. I’m sure if I could do it with
a gallon I wouldn’t bother diluting it. It took me
12 gallons of concentrate to do two washes, but
I’m not set up to operate in sub-freezing weather.
We actually shut down when it gets in the 20s due
to no floor heat and the chance of ice buildup. -
GREG PACK
I didn’t do any of this in South Carolina & I
got hammered. Busted lines everywhere. Live &
learn, most of my damage was old & needed to
be replaced anyway… but it still sucked. - BIGMAT-
THEW86
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WINTER 2023 • 19

FUN & GAMES
WHAT’S DIFFERENT?
Think
these two pictures taken at a self serve car
wash are the same? Think again!
There are five differences. Can you spot them?
1. Garage door is yellow 2. Bay hose is missing 3. Waste baskets have doubled 4. Two puddles in the parking lot 5. Change machine is gone 6. OMG a UFO!!!!!
20 • WINTER 2023

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WINTER 2023 • 21

Can you guess the countries of where
these self serves are located?
Here are the choices:
Canada
Norway
d
Egypt
Hungary
Romania
Slovenia
a
b
e
c
f
a. Easy Wash of Trebnje, Slovenia b. Dive In Carwash of Trondheim, Norway c. Carwash Auto Spa of Comănești, Romania
d. Wash It Car Wash of Cairo, Egypt e. Suds Car Wash of Ontario of Canada f. Car Spa of Budapest, Hungary
22 • WINTER 2023

DATA ACCESS NETWORK
REAL-TIME DATA & REPORTS | INTEGRATED WITH
D.A.N. is a central hub that networks your Hamilton
equipment to Hosted Solutions, giving you access to
real-time data and reports for your self-serve bays.
SCAN QR CODE TO
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CELEBRATING
hamiltonmfg.com | 888-723-4858
WINTER 2023 • 23

INDUSTRY DIRT
HAPPENINGS
IN & AROUND THE
SELF SERVE CARWASHING INDUSTRY
D&S reflects on the past year
In a December 21, 2022, letter from D&S Car
Wash Supply CEO Tim Huntington, he stated he
was proud to announced that 2022 was its third
consecutive record year regarding equipment and
invoice sales.
Thanking the company’s distribution channels,
Huntington wrote: As 2022 comes to a close,
D&S would like to recognize and thank our Distributor
partners, Vendor partners, Customers,
End-Users, D&S Equipment Enthusiasts, and all
of our business partners for your hard work and
dedication throughout the year.
“We’d also like to recognize the hard work and
dedication of all D&S employees over the last year
- we thank you all for coming to work every day to
keep business moving smoothly.”
The past year saw the official market debut of
the IQ MAX Large Vehicle Wash, the company’s
and it saw the creation of the Field Sales & Service
(FSS) Division, created through the acquisitions
Spotless Brands names
new Executive to its
leadership team
According to a November 15, 2022, press
release, George Alexandris has joined the Senior
Leadership Team in the role of Senior Vice President
of Development and Construction for Spotless
Brands. With several decades of developmental
experience, George will join the brand’s development
team on all managing aspects of major renovation,
new construction and development projects
from conceptualization through completion.
Alexandris brings to Spotless Brands over 20+
years of experience in retail development, property
acquisitions, entitlements, permitting and construction,
the press release stated. Before starting
his career, he graduated from Southern California
Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles, CA with
a B.A. in Architecture. He has developed over
1 million square feet of Big Box anchored retail
shopping centers and 500+ build to suite NNN
retail projects over the course of his career.
“Spotless Brands has untapped potential and
I’m blessed to be joining the company as a senior
leader to contribute to the already impressive developmental
growth,” Alexandris stated in the press
release. “I’m inspired by the incredible individuals
I’ll be working alongside to bring Spotless’ market-leading
car wash services to more communities,
and look forward to reaching monumental growth.”
Alexandris previously worked as Vice President
of Development for Hutton where he was
integral in the development and various stages of
of former D&S distributors, DS Car Wash Systems
and Mid States Car Wash Solutions LLC. They
have moved into a new location at the top of the
hill on Brandi Lane, just a short distance from the
main D&S facility, wrote Huntington. “With this
move, FSS is excited about expanding our footprint
in the areas of service, parts, and chemical
sales, and has already developed a very strong,
working relationship with Enterprise Home Store
renovations.”
The D&S website was overhauled in 2022.
“Through this channel, we’ve seen increased usage
of our online parts catalog as a time saver and
error reduction activity for ordering parts,” wrote
the CEO.
“In addition, our flagship IQ In Bay Automatic
System fleet reached 700 units in service with
locations in 37 states and 3 Canadian provinces.”
Huntington ended the letter by thanking the
D&S team, and business partners.
construction of over 65 Express Car Wash sites
under the ModWash banner.
“Spotless Brands is very excited to welcome
George to the team as he helps continue to drive
the expansion of our organization’s new development
and construction activities,” said Russ Reynolds,
CEO of Spotless Brands, in the press release.
“Bringing on key leaders like George who are passionate
about brand growth and aggressive development
is what moves our brand forward, allowing
us to be one of the fastest growing and largest
car wash platforms in the United States.”
Alexandris will work to support the company’s
current goal of working with over 150 locations
by the end of 2023. Spotless Car Wash
Brands’ portfolio surpassed 135 units across Arizona,
Colorado, Oklahoma, Washington, D.C.,
Virginia, and Maryland via the Cobblestone Auto
Spa, Okie Express Auto Wash, Ultimate Shine Car
Wash and Flagship Carwash brands.
ICA names new
Vendor Director
Mark Tentis have been named a Vendor
Director on the International Carwash Association’s
(ICA) board of directors, according
to a January 18, 2023, press release.
OPW Vehicle Wash Solutions stated it
was pleased and proud to announce that
Tentis, who serves at OPW’s Senior Vice
President for Global Sales and Service, has
been named as one of two new Vendor Directors
on the 2023-24 Board of Directors.
The ICA is a non-profit organization that
for more than 65 years has represented the
interests of the vehicle wash industry in the
United States and around the world, the
press release stated. “For many years, the
International Carwash Association has been
a vital and steadfast advocate for the vehicle
wash industry worldwide, so it is a great
honor to be selected as a Vendor Director
on the association’s Board of Directors,”
Tentis stated. “I can’t wait to start collaborating
with my fellow board members as we
work with a wide array of ICA members and
their companies to find new and exciting
ways to identify challenges, craft solutions
and generally optimize performance within
the vehicle wash industry around the globe.”
Tentis, who has 22 years of experience as a
professional in the vehicle wash market, was
nominated for the Vendor Director position
by his fellow colleagues in the industry. He
will serve a two-year term, which began on
Jan. 1, 2023.
24 • WINTER 2023

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WINTER 2023 • 25

Association News
Kleen-Rite Expo
welcomed back
with enthusiasm
The Kleen-Rite Expo was recently
held at the company’s headquarters
in Columbia, Pennsylvania,
and after a four-year hiatus (due to
the pandemic), the company didn’t
skip a beat in celebrating and welcoming
its customers, products, vendors
and those who are new to the
industry. Learn More, Earn More!
was the theme of this year’s Expo
and offered a dedicated to learning,
that ended up selling out, with a
tour of local car washes, roundtable
discussions, a keynote address from
an industry expert, and lunch. Also
included was a tour of Kleen-Rite’s
new distribution facility in Mount
Joy. On November 16, 2022, the
warehouse opened its doors for attendees
to visit vendor booths, win
thousands of dollars worth of door
prizes, attend more classes and enjoy
a delicious lunch by Harvey’s BBQ.
The last Expo took place back
in 2018, with the next scheduled
for 2020, but that Expo was thwarted
by the pandemic. However, the
company did hold a Virtual Expo
featuring Master Classes from its
top vendors for the carwashing and
detailing industry.
Resuming its biennial timetable,
the next show is scheduled to take
place in 2024.
26 • WINTER 2023

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WINTER 2023 • 27

Carwash
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sales@zierden.com
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28 • WINTER 2023

Carwash
Boom
Assemblies
Zierco’s Easy Service Swivel and
Boom Systems with
MODEL 204 and 206 FEATURES
• Twin compression springs are tension-adjustable
for a variety of hose and gun weights
• Swivel rotates 360˚ - 12 ft. diameter
• Temperatures to 280˚ max., pressure to 2000 psi
• Longer hose life as spring prevents kinks
• Ruggedly built, satisfaction guaranteed
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STYLE D
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FOR COMPLETE
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CALL
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7355 S. 1st Street
Oak Creek, WI 53154
Fax: (414) 764-9763
sales@zierden.com
QUALITY PRODUCTS SINCE 1937
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INQUIRIES
INVITED
VISA and Master Card
accepted
WINTER 2023 • 29

Association News
Sonny’s Enterprises Announces the Acquisition of CWT Services
Sonny’s, the world’s leading manufacturer of
conveyorized car wash equipment, parts, and supplies,
announced on December 12, 2022, the acquisition
of CWT Services (CWT) of Sacramento,
California.
Since 1985, CWT has sold, installed, and serviced
equipment for tunnels, in-bay automatics, and selfserves
in the Northern California and Nevada regions.
“We couldn’t ask for a better partner to establish
our Sonny’s CarWash Services Northwest region.
CWT is California’s largest car wash and C-Store
service company with over 250 years of combined
experience in the industry. The team knows the region
best and our shared passion and commitment to
customers is what makes this partnership possible,”
said Sonny’s CEO Paul Fazio, in the press release.
Loren York, owner of CWT Services, stated in
the press release, “With CWT joining Sonny’s Car-
Wash Services, our localized knowledge combined
with Sonny’s leadership position in carwash innovation
and manufacturing will only elevate the solutions
we deliver to all our customers on a local level
to make them more profitable.”
CWT will continue to be led by the same management
team for the hundreds of clients it serves.
Car Wash Operators
of New Jersey
CWONJ hands out award;
talks impacts of PE on
carwashing and its attempts
to make car washes essential
On November 1, according to a November
press release, The Car Wash Operators of New
Jersey welcomed George Odden with Ardent Advisory
Group to share his thoughts on the impact
of Private Equity (PE) on the Northeast market.
The talk took place at the association’s Fall Membership
Meeting at Galloping Hill Golf Course
in Kenilworth, New Jersey. “The topic was timely
and the comments from George were eye-opening,”
according to CWONJ President Dino Nicoletta
stated in the press release. “We had a great
turnout and lots of Q & A from attendees. I was
extremely happy with the event and the venue.”
According to Odden, “PE is here to stay and
will continue to grow,” said Odden, “but not at the
rate you’ve seen because financing has changed
and there is some uncertainty now.”
Odden stated that in New Jersey, in which fullserves
are still popular, where there is still a significant
number of full-serves, PE deals can be done,
and there is interest, but it’s more of a challenge.
He said the most attractive washes to a PE group
are those with four or more locations, express sites
over full-serves, those with a robust development
pipeline, clean books/records/operating history,
consistent earnings over time and a growing club
or the potential to create/grow one, the press release
stated. “PE loves the subscription model,”
Odden stated during the event. “And a strong return
on investment is critical to them. They are
also interested in Greenfield Development (sites
that have not been previously developed or polluted).
But they are driven by the potential financial
return. That is everything to them.”
Next, Doug Rieck received the President’s
Award from CWONJ President Dino Nicoletta.
Rieck, who recently completed his second term
as president, is a past recipient of the Northeast
Regional Carwash Convention’s (NRCC) Most
Distinguished Person Award and its highest honor,
The Hall of Fame Award. He is active on their
board and has served the CWONJ in various capacities
for many years. The honor was to note
his exemplary service and his most recent term
as President, the press release stated.
And finally, Sam Weinstein with the Princeton
Public Affairs Group (PPAG), the association’s
lobbying firm, updated attendees on the association’s
effort to get carwashes across the state
classified as “essential” businesses in case of future
state shutdowns or drought restrictions, according
to the press release. He reported that there is
now a bill in both houses deeming carwashes as
essential businesses. He is hopeful that the legislation
will be signed into law by Governor Phil
Murphy in the upcoming months.
New York State
Car Wash Association
NYSCWA Fall Meeting
features tour, beer
tastings and industry icon
Bill Martin
The NYSCWA held its Fall Membership
Meeting on October 20 with its first visit to the
Utica, New York market, stated President Walt
Hartl in a press release. “With a state this large
it’s challenging to hit every market, but we try.
Our first visit to the Utica market proved extremely
successful, however,” he said. “It was a
great day of touring, learning and bonding with
our members.”
Before heading out on tour, the group enjoyed
a lunch from Pumpernickel’s, thanks to
NCS Chemistry. With a packed bus, courtesy of
Micrologic, two washes were visited. First was
the new $8 million Hoffman express exterior
site in Yorkville featuring a 160-foot tunnel,
two Washworld in-bays, a Micrologic POS, three
self-service bays with InnovateIt equipment and
18 free Vacutech vacuums on approximately two
acres, the press release stated. The site opened in
November of 2021.
The second site was Pristine Auto Wash,
owned by Frank and Maurizio Salamone and
family. “The wash was built in 2016 and includes
lighting at its vac islands from the former ice
cream establishment that adds to the site’s history,”
the press release stated. “It boasts an attractive
facade and features two friction (Surfline)
and two frictionless (Laserwash) PDQ in-bays.
All the chemicals are from NCS by CSI chemistry.
The wash volume mix is roughly 55 percent
friction and 45 percent frictionless.”
Next up was a visit to F.X. Matt Brewing
Company for a tour of the facility, compliments
of Simoniz USA. Beer, cider and dinner was then
enjoyed compliments of G & G Industrial Lighting.
The historic 1888 Tavern, F.X. Matt Brewing
Co., is the fourth oldest family-owned US brewery,
having brewed beer since 1888 and is known
for its line of Saranac beer.
Hartl ran a brief business meeting where he
noted the Association’s finances and asked Secretary
Rob Peter to read his Secretary Report.
He then asked Past President Mark Kubarek to
read the 2023 NYSCWA Officer Slate that was
voted in unanimously. The slate includes: President
Walt Hartl, Vice President Steve Weekes,
Treasurer Christian King and Secretary Rob Peter.
Directors include Gary Baright, Chris Kubarek,
Paul Vallario, Mackenzie Wilock, Jack Collison
and new board member Meeghan Sheckler.
A main highlight of the day was featured
speaker, industry Icon Bill Martin, who spoke
about the evolution of the industry and the impact
of private equity on the carwashing landscape,
the press release stated. Martin is the
founding partner of Amplify Car Wash Advisors,
a full-service carwash advisory firm that helps
businesses sell, partner or grow. He is also the
owner/operator of Metro Express Car Wash in
Idaho, Montana and Washington State. He formerly
served as ICA President and was a 2012
Hall of Fame inductee. “You can grow, you can go
or you can do nothing,” Martin told the crowd.
“But doing nothing probably won’t work well
for you. You continually have to reinvest in your
business to prosper.”
Hartl noted of Bill’s remarks, “Bill is the whole
package. His wealth of knowledge is unparalleled
and his insight is truly priceless. It was an honor
to have him come out to Utica and speak to our
group. I know I learned a lot.”
30 • WINTER 2023

WINTER 2023 • 31

EXTRA!
EXTRA!
Presenting the news stories featuring
self serve car washes
Now, this is a new use for
a self serve bay!
Due to a chronic lack of funding, the Manitoba
Archaeological Society of Manitoba, Canada, has
had to make some creative changes to the way it
stores its artifacts. Everything is now stored in the
vacant office of a three-compartment car wash in
the small town of Virden in southwestern Manitoba,
according to a January 28 CBC story.
“My car wash has a wonderfully curated collection
of Aboriginal artifacts, but they should be in
museums,” says Alicia Gooden, the car wash owner
who also serves as the Association’s president.
Underfunding has forced the Manitoba Archaeological
Society to make many budget cuts,
but while it’s working for now, Gooden said her
car wash is not ideal for storing what are considered
priceless artifacts.
“They need to be displayed properly and stored
properly,” she also said in the story. “Same with our
records — I have 60-year-old great records that are
just boxed.”
It is a shame that their mission isn’t respected
as the Society recently came across its most impressive
findings.
In southwestern Manitoba… Known as the Olson
site, evidence has been discovered indicating
that Indigenous people were farming before European
contact, the story said.
“It’s a huge discovery. It started off as what we
thought was maybe a small little tool-making site,”
but it’s turned into something much bigger, Gooden
said in the story.
MotorBiscuit gives bad press for self serves
You shouldn’t bucket wash and self serve tools
won’t damage your car, are a few of the positive
things named in a December 15 MotorBiscuit article.
MotorBiscuit, a popular website for car enthusiasts
answered some of the pressing questions
from self serve and potential self serve customers.
“Most of the time, you’ll see a sign posted
specifically stating that “no bucket washing is allowed.”
In that case, if you’re caught washing your
car using a bucket and a wash mitt by the owner
or an employee, you could be asked to leave,” the
article stated.
However, that’s where the good news ends.
The second half of the article lists the downsides
of using a self serve, including:
• Many self-service car washes use
unfiltered water, so the car might have
water spots after drying.
Renovated self serve receives $5k grant
In Rochelle, Indiana, the city presented a
$5,000 check to Hub City Car Wash South Owner
Dave Hoffman as part of its facade grant program.
A Rochelle News-Leader story from November
11, said the program covers half the cost of any improvements
made to business fronts with a limit of
$5,000. Hoffman recently purchased and renovated
the car wash after his previous location was bought
by Kwik Trip and ultimately demolished. Hoffman
is now the owner of two Hub City Car Wash.
• The cleaning solutions at the car wash
might not be pH balanced, which can
end up harming your car’s paint.
• Most car washes charge you by the minute,
which could make you want to rush the
process. Also, the per-minute charge can
add up to a lot of money in the end.
• A self-service car wash can take up to
an hour to complete, depending on the
process you use.
If any of you would like to respond to the
article, you can email the website at feedback@
motorbiscuit.com. Be sure to mention the author,
Joe Santos. You can also comment on the article
online by going to motorbiscuit.com keyword:
bucket washing.
As of January 28, there are 0 comments.
Improvements to the car wash include all new
equipment and five self-service wash bays.
“It’s going to be all-new technology down
here,” Hoffman said in the story. “It’s completely
different from the north site. That site has all water
tanks because the pressure is weaker up there.
Down here, the pressure is better.”
City Community Development Director Michelle
Pease called the car wash, “an awesome investment”
in the area, the story said.
Self serve car
washes make Top
50 list
If any of you were wondering if you
made the right career move, rest easy in
knowing Small Biz Trends put owning a
self serve car wash in its Top 50 List. On
January 9, the site posted the story: 50
Best Offline Business Ideas to Consider
in 2023. “If you’re thinking of starting a
new business in 2023, there are plenty
of profitable business opportunities that
can run mainly offline. You may still utilize
online marketing or tools. But the
bulk of your operations can be handled
in-person. Here are some of the best
business ideas for those who want to
stay mostly offline.”
“Car Wash” was listed at number 29,
right between “Technology Repair Service”
and “Errand Service.”
What was number 1? Food Truck.
Hoffman said there’s a chance the largest bay
could be converted to an automatic wash in two or
three years.
“This place will have a lot of upgraded technology,”
Hoffman said in the story. “Everything will be
a lot faster with higher pressure. I always reinvest
my money back into the wash, because I go to car
shows every year and I want to keep updating.”
32 • WINTER 2023

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EXTRA! EXTRA!
Car washes booming and multiplying in Tampa Bay
and Fargo, North Dakota
According to a November 14 Tampa Bay
Times report, in a move that reflects a nationwide
trend, companies are hoping to saturate
Florida — and especially Tampa Bay — with as
many car wash locations as possible.
Jay Shadday, the president of Big Dan’s, a car
wash chain with 20 locations, said in the story,
“There’s been a lot of private equity capital that’s
been poured into the car wash industry. The biggest
reason is the subscription. I would say 99% of
the car washes that you’re seeing built in Florida,
and really across the country, are focused on that.”
It also might have to do with the Florida clientele
and climate. “Tampa Bay is especially appealing
to developers in the car wash business. According
to the story Tampa Bay has a high car-to-household
rate. And, as new residents pour into the area, many
are commuting longer distances, which quickly
dirties up their vehicles. Then there’s the annoyances
which cause trouble for vehicles in Florida and
neighboring states including pollen dust, salty air,
House Small Business Committee names
Texas Republican as chair
Congressman Roger Williams of Texas has
been named chair of the House’s Small Business
Committee, a SmallBizTrends story stated.
The January 26 report stated that the republican
is a current small business owner as his family
owns a car dealership and cattle business.
What exactly is the Small Business Committee?
Here’s a look at its list of goals and initiatives,
which might help give insight into its purpose. According
to its statement, the Committee hopes to:
• Advocate for free market principles and progrowth
policies.
• Rigorous oversight of the current administration,
especially costly policies and regulatory
burdens.
• Highlight the American Dream and success
stories of small business owners, entrepreneurs
and love bugs that splatter all over cars. “The demand
is right there,” the story said.
As for Fargo, North Dakota, according to a
January 23 Valley News Live story, “As you drive
through the streets of Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo,
there’s one thing you’ll say to yourself. ‘Man, do
these guys love car washes.’”
The article stated that car wash chain companies
are moving into the area for the first time, such as
Silver Star, Zip’s and Tommy’s Express.
“It just seems like there’s a lot of them going up,”
said resident Jarred Kowalski. “I don’t know how
they’re all going to make it with competition the
way it is. Every place I go, it seems like there’s another
one being built.”
“It seems like we see a new one on every street,
every month,” added resident Bree Hollingshead.
Some credit the harsh Fargo winters as the reason
for the car wash boom. As Kowalski noted in
the story, “Maybe there’s a demand since we live in
a slush belt in the winter.”
and innovators from all corners of the United
States.
• Five of its more long-term goals include:
• Reforming the Small Business Administration
• Enhancing private sector lending
• Empowering entrepreneurs
• Enhancing small business federal contracting
• Keeping focus on oversight and transparency
Already, Williams has sponsored HR 7664,
Small Business Career & Technical Education
Act. The bill has passed the House and is currently
in the hands of the Senate Small Business
and Entrepreneur Committee, the story stated.
He has also sponsored HR6802, a bill Preventing
Racial Profiling in Lending.
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These self serve owners understand the
need for caffeine
In Moses Lake, Washington, self serve owners
Omar and Farid Altayar, are getting into the java
business. The Altayar family owns FAA Self Service
Car Wash and they are currently constructing
a two-story business that will sell coffee and
act as a storage area on the second floor. The two
businesses will be on the same property.
The coffee shop, which will be called FAA
Coffee House, will have a drive-thru feature as
well.
Omar told iFIBER One News, “We started
working on this project two years ago, the engineering
process took a long time. We are getting
into this business because we see the demand.”
34 • WINTER 2023

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Here’s how some Houston small business
owners are fighting crime
Tired of all of the break-ins, a handful of small
owners in and around Houston, Texas, are sleeping
overnight at their businesses, armed with guns, a
Fox 26 story reported. The January 20 story quoted
Houston bar owner Marin Slanina who has been
burglarized 15 times this past year and twice in
one day. “Some [business owners] have gone to the
great lengths of living in their business with a bulletproof
vest and shotgun, during the hours these
break-ins are happening,” Slanina said in the story.
“Anybody who walks in the door, you want to
give them the benefit of the doubt. [However], you
still have to have your guard up. You still have to be
ready to take care of your house,” Slanina added.
According to the story, the City of Houston has
been seeing a rise in burglaries, thefts, and break-ins.
“Back in May of last year, we were broken into
for the first time, as you saw from that surveillance
video, it was a cash and grab, came in and stole our
cash box,” Slanina recalled in the story. “They also
broke into the nail salon next door and the hair salon.
And then less than 48 hours later, they came and got
us. The nail salon, the hair salon, another restaurant
business, and another restaurant business.”
Slanina said bar owners have slept in their bars
armed with guns to protect their business.
“Reserve 101 has the highest-end bourbon selection
in the city of Houston. One bottle out that
door could cost $25,000. So any loss to a small
business is too much, especially in this day and
age,” she noted, defending the lengths some business
owners are taking.
Cobo’s BBQ owner Raul Jacobo echoed Slanina’s
account. “This is a major issue with our city
right now,” Jacobo said in the story. “If I’m frustrated…
based on these burglaries, I could just
imagine how families feel that they’ve actually lost
loved ones because certain criminals are put back
out on the street.”
“We are fearful for our lives, and we’ve got to
defend what’s ours… under any means necessary,”
Jacobo added to the story.
“Hopefully he does get caught again, and it sticks.
But… we just don’t see that that’s the case. We really
feel like Houston is letting us down on this one.”
On January 18, Slanina along with other small business
owners took their concerns to the city council.
According to Fox News, Slanina stated to the
council, “It’s definitely not a neighborhood-exclusive
thing. The City of Houston as a whole
has a problem with burglaries, thefts, and breakins…
It’s scary. It’s not comfortable. We know we
have to do something bigger as a whole to change
what’s going on in our small businesses.”
Our town needs a self
serve car wash!
A radio host in Toms River, New Jersey, a
township with over 95,000 people, is pleading
on air for a self serve car wash. A guy who goes
by Buehler on station 92.7, posted a blog asking,
“Where is OUR self serve car wash!?”
I think that a self-service car wash would be
a great addition to Toms River, he wrote, noting
that the closest one is about a half hour away in
Point Pleasant.
“I’m more than willing to drive for this, however
trying to sneak out during work to drive a
half hour each way plus the time it takes while
I’m at this business? It’s not exactly practical.”
Buehler said his wife told him to use another
type of car wash, but he said it’s not the same.
“She’s not wrong, but I’m a creature of habit and
I get this weird feeling of pride whenever I go to
one of these places.”
A self-service car wash is the best type of car
wash, he added.
“You know the kind where you drive up
and use the wall-mounted power washer to
clean, soap, lather, wax, and wash your vehicle…
I take a lot of pride in having a clean car
and I feel like you just get a better clean with a
self-service car wash.”
Kansas City car wash owner served with $60K water bill
Yikes! Dominic Cuccia, owner of The Better
Wash in Kansas City, Missouri, said he panicked
when he received his July KC Water bill for almost
$60,000. Cuccia told Fox 4 News back on January
23, “I was like, ‘Oh my god, not another problem
here,’ and the bill was just ridiculous, $20,000 too
high,” he said. “It didn’t make sense.”
This wasn’t his first unusually high water bill.
Back in 2018, he noticed his water bills were way
too high so he went and he hired Leah Battista,
president of Energy Carrot LLC, a Kansas limited
liability company, to help him track his water usage
and billing history, the story said.
Battista has since collected more than five
years’ worth of water usage history and billings, as
well as how many cars are washed and how much
water is used per car for each billing period.
And, the findings were troublesome.
“Normally, we run about 85 cents (for water)
per car,” Cuccia said in the story. “It jumped all the
way up to $1.30 and that was the red flag. That’s
when I reached out to Leah, at that time, and she
did an investigation on that.”
According to the story, data shows the combined
bill total for April and May last year was
$51,702.45 and the combined total for June and
July 2022 was $72,561.45. What’s odd about
those findings is that Cuccia washed fewer vehicles
in June and July 2022 than he did in April
and May 2022, but his bill showed a 40 percent
increase for the summer months.
When Battista notified KC Water in August regarding
the $60,000 bill, the company conducted
an internal investigation. However, Battista said
the water company was less than helpful and took
zero responsibility.
“Even though the reads were there, and they
looked at them and verified them, the numbers
still didn’t make sense,” she said in the story. “So
once they did their part and said, ‘We verified the
reads,’ it’s like they just ignored the data that I
gave them.”
What’s even worse, that even with the questionable
findings, KC Water still sent Cuccia a water
shut-off notice, asking him to pay the $60,000
outstanding bill or his water would be shut off for
the entire business. In a panic, Cuccia paid the bill,
using his credit card.
That’s when FOX4 Problem Solvers got involved.
The news program, which helps out
“wronged” people or businesses, emailed KC Water
at least four times and left at least two voicemails,
but got no response.
Problem Solvers was able to track down Larry
Sears, the man who patented the meter transmitting
unit used by The Better Wash.
“Human error is the usual explanation for these
situations, especially when a meter change out is
involved,” Sears said in an email to FOX4 Problem
Solvers.
Without a resolution or reimbursement in
sight, Cuccia said in the story that he’s struggling,
frustrated, and disheartened with the fact that KC
Water is his only option for a water provider.
“It does [have an] impact, especially because,
you know, the economy’s down right now, business
is down tremendously, we had a bad November,
December [was] bad,” Cuccia said in the story.
“So, it impacted me pretty good.”
36 • WINTER 2023

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WINTER 2023 • 37

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WINTER 2023 • 39

40 • WINTER 2023

POLL
We ask. You answer.
The following polls were posted on carwashforum.com
The Biden Administration has affected my
car wash business ...
0
%
75
Positively
% Negatively
Not in any way at all
2.8
%
2.8
%
19.4
%
I thought Trump won
the election?
The person in the Oval
Office has no impact
on my business
With the increase on the cost of everyday items,
we are seeing about a 30% decrease in sales
across all locations. People are still washing
but we are not seeing the numbers we had 3+
months ago. Had a meeting with our banker and
he told us they are seeing fewer transactions on
debit and credit card usage on their end as well.
He told us that he is anticipating that things are
going to be worse by year’s end. But, hey, the
president and media puppets say all is good. -
STXCW
Business is up for us in the Dallas, Texas, area. I
see my credit card usage up but some could be
because we lowered time. I am worried if the
economy does retract we could see a drop. Our
business is dependent on the working class and
if construction drops our business will decline.
- CARWASHKING
My business is up , but, as you know , so is the
price of everything else. Chemicals , shipping
etc.. just curious why did you cut your time w
expenses rising? - TRAVELER17
We lowered time to reflect the 20 percent increase
in cost to operate and give myself a 20% raise. We
lowered time per quarter by 20%. - CARWASHKING
No. The person in the Oval office is a red
herring regardless if a GOP or a Dem. Too many
people just want to find someone else to blame
for a challenging situation as it is easier than
working to fix the issue or challenge. I cannot
stand Trump (who is a know-nothing jerk) or
Biden (who is nice but ineffective and lacks
leadership) or any of the people in congress as
they just do nothing but fight, call the other side
names, blame the other side for anything bad
(real or imagined), makeup BS ideas about one
another, and just give fuel to the crazy people in
our country. Is it a 50/50 split for the previously
mentioned BS, no not even close, but it really
does not matter if nothing productive comes out
of DC or our local governments - a pox on both
houses. Gas, well you can thank (“our friends”)
the OPEC countries for those prices as we
refuel their bank accounts so they can continue
to sponge off the world’s back. Biden does have
a cool classic car (see Jay Leno’s Garage this
week). - ROZÅ
I prefer a business person over a career politician…
Our society must have law and order or we will
be forced to impose our own, and society as we
know it will crater further… I believe that we must
have secure borders… I believe we must be energy
independent… I believe that the pendulum always
swings too far in either direction, and we must first
stop the hemorrhaging, and get back to a more
central political agenda, for society’s sake! - SJB
SJB ... well said. Just so there are “best possible
for ‘we the people’” universal safeguards for
future election processes over the world &
especially here in the USA! To see “foxes in the
henhouse” blocking & sabotaging looking at
election hard drive logs that have been proven
to reveal blatant illegal algorithm injections &
even illegal “air gap violations”. What they are
currently trying to perpetrate on the duly elected
“Tina Peters” in Colorado urgently needs to be
corrected regardless of some selfish temporary
fleeting successes some of us may be having in
our car wash industry. - MJWALSH
Too many factors at work to clearly establish
cause and effect. Most importantly Covid
shutdowns and the War in Ukraine and the
lack thereof affected gas prices and the amount
of driving plus the price of gas as a result
thereof. Biden’s tightening of restrictions on
oil exploration, production, and transport will
certainly be a factor in prices and may already be
a factor but tough to tell due to the other factors.
- EARL WEISS
WINTER 2023 • 41

POLL
We ask.
You answer.
So, what happens when ...?
Do you have a public bathroom
is this a
Joke?
yes
at your self serve car wash?
no
My customers don’t respect my property as it is!
no NO
not
sure
yet
Well,
did you?
Back
yes
See you in May, maybe?
Are you attending the 2023 Car Wash
Show in Las Vegas this May?
No, I am not. I go to Kleen Rite’s when it’s in PA, and that’s it. I should do more,
admittedly. - WASH4LIFE
Yes, I’m going it’s been awhile and will go to the Vegas shows @ nite too. - SWAMPDONKEY
I make the show on a regular basis, where else can you see, talk to suppliers, see new
ideals, and chew out a weak supplier? We run Muli locations, so looking back 5 years
ago there is a gold mine of new ideals and equipment that we have installed and now
reap the benefits. we look at some other operators and there has been no change in their
operations, just a lack of investment in their business. Thats their problem, and Vegas has
some fun places to go… - CMAWASH
in May 2022, we asked on carwashforum.com, whether or not any of you were
planning on taking a summer vacation. Only 50% of you said “yes.” In a follow up post,
we asked if anyone actually did take a summer break and here are some of the replies.
… Hell yeah I took a vacation.....I took 3 actually
each a week long. The car washes will be there
and their problems. I have to step away to
recharge from the washes and other businesses…
- RFREEMAN
I sometimes think my wash runs better when I
am out of town…!
I can’t imagine shutting down the biz unless
forced to … (I did however turn off the breakers
to the bays in December for 4 days when we had
freezing temps…)
Couldn’t you have your “associates/workers “
just put a cone in the bay if it developes a coin
jam or leaking hose, etc…? Imho, that is why we
have 24/7 businesses that generate revenue for us
when we are not there! - SJB
I feel the same! I’m gone for at least a week each
month from my wash. Sometimes more. NOV
and DEC I was there only a week. Sure things
happen and most times one of my guys is able
to get it fixed. My best employee is an Army
Veteran and he was a helicopter mechanic so he
can usually get it done.
Don’t become a slave to your business. One of
the biggest advantages of owning is the freedom.
Utilize it. - CAR_WASH_GUY
One of my favorite things about the business is
making money when I’m not there. Going away
while revenue still comes in is fun! - DAVIDM
I take regular vacations. Got 3 planned for 2
weeks each this year. Never understood how car
wash owners don’t take vacations. They are not
indispensable, they will regret not enjoying time
with family or relaxing when faced with heath
issues. Life is to be lived, not to be a slave to your
business. - SWAMPDONKEY
I am retiring this spring from the manufacturing
company where I have worked for 43 years! We
enjoy camping on the Ohio River which is only 12
miles from home. It’s easy to check on the wash
on the weekends and still enjoy our favorite place
to be....We always say we get to go on vacation
every weekend, even though I still have to tend
the wash. Does that count?! Now that I will be
retired, we can spend even more time there! It
will be nice not having to rush back home to get
“life stuff” done for the work-week. - 2BIZ
42 • WINTER 2023

The Best for Your Success !
The Best for Your Success !
D&S Car Wash Supply
WINTER 2023 • 43

Around the Wash
Keeping out the cold
By Jim Johnson,
General Manager, Airlift Doors, Inc
This has been a harsh winter for many self serve owners. From Buffalo to
Texas, the season has been harsh for so many people. One way to keep customers
coming to your self serve in the winter is to keep them from the elements.
As we are starting out in a new year, we have seen a significant increase in the
number of self-serve car washes installing doors. While many places require
the use of car wash doors because of extreme temperatures, there has even
been an increase in the use of car wash doors being installed in warmer states
which have experienced unusually cold weather.
As cold air or wind starts to move into a car wash bay, the first line of defense
are the car wash doors. Besides the benefit of protecting the car wash equipment
itself, these doors are protecting the customer, making it more comfortable
to use a self-serve bay. It is our experience that when doors are installed on
a self-serve bay, customer satisfaction increases and they are likely to become
repeat customers.
While temperatures start to fall, there are maintenance steps we recommend
following to ensure optimum performance from your car wash doors.
Step
one:
Lubricant
The most important step is making sure all of the moving door parts
get a coat of lubricant. This includes greasing or lubing the shaft line
bearing, hinges, rollers and springs (if you have them.) This important step
increases the lifespan of these parts during harsher climates.
Step
two:
Weather
Stripping
Another crucial part of winterizing your door is the weather stripping. By
replacing the worn or cracked weather strip, you are creating a better
seal against freezing temperatures and the corrosion that can build up
on wet car wash equipment. This is a fairly easy and cost-effective way
to keep up your car wash doors.
Step
three:
Buying
the right
door
for the
elements
If you are thinking of installing a door, be sure to get one that is
designed to withstand water and chemicals. One of the biggest
mistakes car wash owners make is not buying a door that is designed
for the corrosive environment of a car wash bay. The water and
chemicals can cause build-up and corrode the working parts of
an overhead door. Some insulated doors gain weight from water
absorption, causing the door to become off balance. The door as
well as all of its working parts should be able to withstand the harsh
environment within and around a working car wash, including the
hinges, track, rollers, shaft line, and drums. It is crucial to do your
research and buy the right door and opener for your application.
44 • WINTER 2023

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WINTER 2023 • 45

The Right
to Wash
ONE SELF SERVE OWNER SHARES
HIS UNBELIEVABLE STORY
To properly tell the story of Dale Davenport and
his business, Jim’s Car Wash, we need to go back
to the early 1960s. A dozen eggs were $0.57. A
movie ticket was $0.77. And a car wash was about
a quarter. Davenport, a teenager at the time, remembered
going to a small 3-bay car wash in
Naples, Texas. Naples was a small city, about an
hour from the border of Oklahoma, as well as the
border of Arkansas and also Louisiana. Not a lot
of crime. People went to church on Sundays. “It
was a slice of America,” he said. “A small town, but
diverse and I loved going to that car wash. It was
only 25 cents to wash your car,” he said, joking, “I
hope that doesn’t reveal how old I am.”
Davenport, with a perfect Texas tone to his
voice, loved what the state of Texas had to offer. “I
love Texas,” he said. “I’m a fifth generation Texan.
The people here are hard working. It’s diverse and
you can be independent.” (Note that he has now
46 • WINTER 2023
mentioned his appreciation of diversity twice. This
is an important part of Davenport’s story and will
be talked about more in future issues). He was full
of hope. Promise. The ‘American Dream’ was alive
and well in Davenport. When he found out that
same car wash was for sale, he went to his dad,
Freddy Joe Davenport, and asked if they could buy
it. His father said yes, and with a few financial negotiations
they bought it. He was only 16 and his
American Dream of being a business owner was
put in motion.
His dad, an electrician at a steel mill, helped him
get the car wash up and running, and soon, it was a
bonafide success. He helped the local church with
fundraisers and got to work alongside his dad. “My
dad and I were best friends. We both were only
children, so we were very tight.”
Soon, another car wash was up for sale. This time
it was in Hughes Springs, Texas. The father-son
duo couldn’t pass it up. Hughes Springs, Texas,
was another small town without a lot of crime.
Locals there praised the way they maintained the
car wash. It was a good business for the city, people
claimed.
A few years later, he went onto college and
studied finance. Everything was going as planned.
Marriage, healthy twin girls. The car wash industry
was growing. In 1993 Dale and his father were
presented with another car wash for sale. It was
up for auction by the FDIC. This time, a 7-bay self
serve on the desirable MLK Boulevard. in Dallas,
Texas. MLK Boulevard is the place to be for a
small business. It has continuous traffic and offers
everything from fried chicken to pizza and glides
right into the Texas Fair Park, a destination mecca
with everything from parks, to concerts, to the

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WINTER 2023 • 47

THE RIGHT TO WASH
Texas State Fair. And, not to mention the Park sees
5.3 million people each year. Having a car wash on
MLK Blvd. was a smart choice, full of possibilities.
Plus, they got it for a bargain. Everything seemed
perfect. Or, one would hope.
What happens next, is a saga so unbelievable, intertwined,
abstruse and maddening, it might very
well leave you questioning whether or not it is fiction.
Similar to a plot contrived by a Hollywood
fabulist, this story is 100% true. Dale Davenport,
a nice guy who wanted to run a nice car wash and
make some nice money, would soon be embroiled
in years’ worth of political mayhem, phone calls,
national news articles, paperwork, uproar and upheaval,
and hundreds of hundreds of dollars, all to
keep his car wash open.
There is so much to this story, that it will take
four parts to properly cover. In this issue, we will
lay out the beginning of his saga. Hang on to your
stetsons, because this one is a doozy.
PART 1
Jim’s Car Wash is, or was, a popular working self
serve car wash. It was busy during the day. With six
bays, six vacuums, one carpet cleaner and one fragrance
machine, everyone was using something at
his car wash. It was on a valuable piece of property,
“an opportunity zone,” as Davenport describes it.
It had almost 10 good years, but now, it is chained
up and closed to the public. And, not because of
Davenport.
“Business was great,” he said. “I liked the customers,
the community. The car wash was a place
for people to hang out….” Davenport kept the car
wash immaculate. He added bright lights, made
sure all of the garbage was properly picked up. In
face, he would pick up every piece of trash himself,
as well as any that was on neighboring properties.
Even Though he lived about 35 minutes away, he
went to the car wash every day. It was important
to him to be present and to greet customers. He
and his father put a quarter of a million dollars
into the property, hoping it would have a positive
impact on the popular Boulevard. His car wash
was always busy. Customers would visit and then
go to other businesses along the boulevard and
other businesses appreciated that. He was proud
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THE RIGHT TO WASH
of Jim’s Car Wash and felt lucky to be a part of the
neighborhood.
“In all my life, and in the 28 years I had owned
car washes, I had never gotten a single ticket or
fine or complaint,” he said.
Then, in 2013, things started to unravel. Although
the location of his car wash was ideal,
some of the surrounding areas were plagued with
drug deals and gang-like brawls. Davenport and
his father put up a sturdy fence, posted signs and
made sure there were no unlit corners on his lot.
And, Davenport, as any good citizen would do,
would call 9-1-1 if anything suspicious happened
on his property.
“There wasn’t a ton of crime at the car wash,”
he emphasized. “But, if I saw something going on
that looked suspicious I would call 9-1-1. But, I
would never abuse the system, and I respected the
people behind the 9-1-1 calls as well as the police.
I would only call if what I observed was dangerous
and could hurt someone.”
Davenport, who thought he was doing the right
thing, didn’t want his car wash to be a target for
criminal activity, but, at the same time, he made
sure no exaggerations or superlatives were used.
People could easily say, “That car wash is a criminal
hot-spot,” but that wasn’t the case, Davenport
said. “It was mostly drug deals,” he said. “And, if
they saw me on the property, or saw me making a
phone call [to 9-1-1] they would take off.” Davenport
would even chase them off the property on
foot. And he and his father were willing to work
with the police to combat the criminal activity,
but their efforts were denied. Sometimes the police
wouldn’t even show up, he said. And, if they
did, I was always honest and respectful with them.
I have always respected the law, and the police.
Then in 2003, the city of Dallas demanded he
make more efforts to combat criminal activity.
They had already put up a 6-foot fence, put up
signs, lights and added security cameras… so he
was somewhat confused. But, he obliged anyway.
They put up an 8-foot fence, added even more
signs and more security cameras and more lights.
The city said that wasn’t enough. Then he was told
the lights he installed were too bright.
“I was confused. I did everything they asked me
to do, but it didn’t seem to be enough. And, this
was the first time since I first owned a car wash
when I was 16 that I had any sort of issue with the
city, but I was willing to do what I had to do to
keep the car wash open.”
They then demanded he hire a guard company.
And, like any good citizen, he did that, too. But,
then, he was told he didn’t hire the right guard
company. This is where the story takes a turn. “I
was told I had to hire the guard company that just
happened to be owned by a city council member…
and this is when I realized something was
right. It was… [for lack of a better word] crazy.”
I have to win this
battle because
what has happened
is not right.
“Everything I am about to tell you is entirely
true. I couldn’t even make up what happened and
is still happening,” he shared. “My father passed
away last March, so it is just me right now, but I
still hope things will work out.”
“I love this country,” he said. “And, I think small
businesses are the backbone of America. I have to
win this battle because what has happened is not
right. The way I was treated is like a business owner
in a place like Russia. I wasn’t following their
rules, but the rules were not clear and they would
change. It was just unbelievable.”
This the first in a four-part series that will appear in Self
Serve Car Wash News. In the next issue, Davenport’s
legal battles, as well as his rise to fame for taking on the
city, will be revealed.
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WINTER 2023 • 49

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.
I am having a hard time trying to
figure out who the following
criminal reminds me of.
At first, I thought she looks like Twisted Sister’s
Dee Snider:
Then, it was fashion designer Donatella Versace.
But, I think I finally figured it out: Janice from The
Muppets.
Here is the actual picture of the woman:
What do you think? The woman pictured, along
with the male driver, is accused of breaking and
entering into Mike’s Carwash in West Chester,
Ohio, according to a January 11 Journal News
report. The suspects were apparently caught on
camera during the break-in attempt which took
place around 10:30 p.m. on January 1. The suspect
pried open the coin machine and stole the money
from inside, the story said.
The male suspect also has a large tattoo on his
left upper arm. The male suspect was driving an
older model pickup truck with a dump bed, according
to the story.
A man in Spring Hill, Florida, just
couldn’t stop himself from damaging
a car wash again and again and again.
Surveillance footage from January 5 showed a male
pulling into the Mr. Car Wash parking lot, according
to a January 9 Tampa Free Press story. Footage shows
the man forcibly removing a surveillance camera
from its post. He then proceeded to use a broom in
an attempt to open a door that led into the car wash
building. And, as if that wasn’t enough, he also damaged
a nearby vending machine.
And, finally, to end his wave of criminal mischief,
he also damaged a front gate arm before driving
off into the “caught-on-camera-but-didn’t-get-adime”
sunset. Detectives were able to identify the
suspect as Brian Aaron Dow Sr. When questioned,
he used the good old amnesia excuse and said he
didn’t remember causing any damage.
To put it as kindly as possible, the
woman in this next story is just a crazy
mess. But, thankfully car wash footage helped in
catching her and keeping her from affecting others
with her dangerous shenanigans. In Thorton, Colorado,
a woman faces over a dozen charges, including
car theft, making threats with a stun gun, and trying
to escape the police. According to the January 18
Denver 7 story, on January 12, a little after 2 p.m.,
an officer with the Lakewood Police Department
responded to the Cobblestone Car Wash after receiving
a report of a carjacking. Dispatch told the
officer that a woman stole a car and pointed a Taser
at the vehicle owner before she drove away in the
vehicle, the story said. The woman then took off,
driving through the car wash’s barrier after hitting
another car wash customer’s car. Another car wash
customer, who was vacuuming out his car at the
time, provided a witness statement. Even better, the
car wash was able to hand over camera footage of
the carjacking.
The female menace then drove to a Family Dollar
Store, where she stole a bunch of merchandise.
Footage from that store showed it was the same
woman from the car wash.
Eventually, police were able to arrest her, after
she stole from another business and led police on a
crazy police chase.
50 • WINTER 2023

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WINTER 2023 • 51

Welp, we have another criminal who
made a ‘smart’ move, which always makes
me wonder why he doesn’t just get a job, but along
with who built Stonehenge and Donald Trump’s
hairline, it will remain one of life’s little mysteries.
In Clermont County, Ohio, police are looking for
a man who caused some major damage to the Day
Heights Car Wash on December 15, 2022. According
to Fox 19 Now, around 10:30 p.m., the suspect
was caught driving onto the property, but he used
some sort of a cloth to cover his license plate. Footage
shows the man cutting wires and damaging the
automatic wash doors, as well as the coin machines
for the vacuums. Nothing was actually stolen, according
to the story, but the car wash owner will
need to rewire the damaged parts and repair the coin
collectors.
You’re fined, mate! In Forrestdale, Australia,
David Bell has been charged
after he was caught dumping waste
inside a WashWorks car wash bay. The
dumping took place around 9:40 p.m. on June 24,
2021. Car wash footage showed Bell driving a forklift
carrying a tank into the bay. According to a press
release from the Government of Western Australia,
once he was in the bay, he opened two valves at the
base of the tank, released liquid waste onto the floor
where it flowed into a contained area. It did not enter
the environment, the press release stated. But,
the incident, which was recorded on CCTV, left the
owner of the carwash with a clean-up cost of $2,211.
Bell was eventually caught and fined $2,000, and
his company was fined $6,000. An order was made
for the offender to pay WashWorks $2,211 for the
clean-up as well as well as another $7,598. He should
count himself lucky as the maximum penalty for the
offense is $62,500 for an individual and $125,000
for a company.
This next story is perfect for the sequel
to Gone in 60 Seconds, but instead, it’s upping
the ante and would be titled: Gone in 13
Seconds! Back on November 16, 2022, police reported
that a 2019 BMW 740 was taken from
Butch’s Lube ‘n Wash in Colts Neck, New Jersey.
The car wash’s operating manager, Chuck Siebert,
said in a Facebook post that the theft occurred
at 12:50 p.m. after an attendant had just
finished cleaning the car and went inside the shop
to get the car’s owner.
According to a local newsletter called redbank-
52 • WINTER 2023
green.com, a person in a black Mercedes G Wagon,
got out out that car and stole the BMW.
“The whole thing happened in 13 seconds,” Siebert
said, noting that the whole incident was caught
on surveillance.
Siebert said this was their first theft in 65 years of
operation.
No word on whether the thrives have been caught.
Maybe I have been writing for this section
too long and I have gone “soft,” but
I am actually praising this next criminal because he
got away with a nice amount of cash. Usually it’s $30
here, $40 there, but this guy nabbed almost $1,000
in cash. Of course, he still got caught so my praise
stops there. He also is accused of driving drunk. So,
that’s another demerit point.
In Damariscotta, Maine, on December 11, police
arrested Nathan Brewer in connection with a car
wash crime. Almost two weeks earlier on November
28, he was caught on camera rummaging through a
desk and placing items in his left pocket. No word on
how he got into the car wash office, but the footage
also got a great image of the thief’s vehicle. According
to The Lincoln County News, the owners of the

car wash reported that $720 in car wash tokens,
$595 in cash from a money bag, and $175 in cash
from a tip bag were stolen for a total estimated
amount of $1,490.
On November 29, that same car was impounded
after the driver was accused of driving
under the influence. Upon searching the vehicle,
some car wash tokens were found in the car after
the department obtained a search warrant
on December 5, the story said.
Chief Jason Warlick said in a statement. “This
is another great example of how community
policing and having video systems can help either
thwart crime or lead to successful arrest and
prosecution of the person responsible. I can’t
urge other business owners enough on the importance
of a security surveillance system in the
event their business becomes a victim of a crime.”
As part of Brewer’s bail conditions, the arrest
affidavit requests that he not be able to return to
Coastal Car Wash or have any contact with the
owners or employees there.
I’m not sure what makes me want to cry more:
The fact that Peter Gabriel songs are now played on
“Oldies” stations, or the fact that the song Sledgehammer
is stuck in my head and will not leave. If you do not want
a 5-star earworm to infiltrate your head, and you know Peter
Gabriel tunes, I suggest you move on to the next story.
In Brockway, Pennsylvania, a suspect is in custody after he
allegedly used a sledgehammer to break a concrete wall to
gain access to a change machine at Mr. Quick Car Wash,
the Courier Express reported.
Look at the damage he did!
According to state police, car wash camera footage from
December 3 showed a man in his mid-30s driving a red
1994 Ford Ranger with a visible registration number.
State police reported that the Ford Ranger was entered
in the system as “stolen” through the Brookville Police Department.
The suspect was apprehended on December 12. “The
initial police report listed the damaged concrete wall and
bill acceptors at a value of $1,200 with an additional $500
of cash stolen from the car wash,” according to the story.
The suspect has not been charged as the investigation is
ongoing, but he is in custody.
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WINTER 2023 • 53

Pee Wee’s Big Adventure has nothing
on this caper, which took place in
Worcester, England.
Back on November 19, 2022, thieves were captured
on CCTV cameras wheeling away with two
mountain bikes belonging to the Selita Hand Car
Wash, according to a Worcester News story. Car wash
owner Markiljan Selita said it was such a shame that
the bikes were stolen, because they would use them
to ride around the property and to ride into town.
“I became aware of what happened on Saturday
and am lucky that we have CCTV to see when
the bikes were stolen. It is such a shame,” he said
in the story.
The first clip shows a person wearing a black
hoodie and can be seen quickly riding the bike
through the car wash bay. He is followed by another
guy, just plodding alone on foot. Why wasn’t
he riding the other bike?
He is followed by a man wearing black shorts,
a gray hoodie and a black hat, and no bike. He’s
just walking. Not sure why he didn’t ride the other
bike either!
Oh, wait! We have a fourth man, this time walking
last in line along with the bike. What is this, some
sort of Parade of Thieves?
And, finally, in Jackson County,
Kentucky, a car wash has released
photos of a pair of vandals caught
on tape. Shine Time Car Wash posted surveillance
photos of the suspects and what they were
driving on its Facebook page back on November
7, 2022. According to the car wash chain’s post,
they caused damage and stole items.. Now, I’m not
one to judge, considering the minivan I drive, but
this is certainly no getaway car. Perhaps the duo
was trying to be more like Bo and Luke Duke?
Yet, I believe no person could slide through this
window unscathed. What a piece of junk.
Also, what gives? How many people are needed to
steal two bicycles? Also, if these are their two “getaway
vehicles” then what do the other two do, ride
on the handle bars?
Now, it’s time
for an update!
Does anyone remember that horrible
story of a woman dumping a
bunch of kittens on top of a grate
at a car wash in Muskegon, Michigan?
To refresh your memory, or maybe
you blocked it out on purpose, back in September
2022, a woman was caught on camera
abandoning a group of kittens, who all died as
a result of neglect. Well, guess what? She has
been caught! Donna Jean Puisis, 75, pled guilty
after being charged with one felony count of
abandoning/cruelty. Back in September, Will
Kuczmera, owner of Grand Bays Car Wash, had
filed a police report after he caught the incident
on his surveillance video. He said the mother
of the kittens was also dumped at the car wash.
During an interview with 13 ON YOUR SIDE
back in September, Kuczema said he watched
the woman remove a cooler from the back of
the car and remove each kitten one by one and
put them onto the grate. Puisis is due in court
for a sentencing hearing in April.
Lawbreaking Term
of the Day: Fly Tipping
Along with sharing news from around the world, this section is also educational. In this issue we will
learn about the phrase: Fly tipping. At first, I thought this was a scaled-down version of cow-tipping,
but I was way off. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, Fly tipping is illegally leaving things that you
do not want next to a road, in fields, in rivers, etc.
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56 • WINTER 2023