ADN SPRING 2023 web

INDUSTRY
NEWS
All the news and dirt concerning detailing
businesses, suppliers, events and industry icons.
Business named
Top place to work
in South Florida
Mint Eco Car Wash and Detailing Center
of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, was
named a 2023 Top Workplaces in South
Florida by The Sun Sentinel, according to a
May 23 report.
The Sun Sentinel's annual South Florida
Top Workplaces award is given to companies
that create a positive and supportive workplace
culture, the story said. “The award is
based solely on anonymous employee feedback
gathered through a third-party survey
administered by technology partner Energage
LLC. Mint Eco was acknowledged for
its commitment to employee development,
recognition, and engagement.”
CEO Geoff Jervis said in a statement,
"We are proud to have been named a Top
Workplace by the Sun Sentinel. We believe
that our most valuable advantage is organizational
health and the positive workplace
that it creates. This award is an important
validation that our critical employee relationship
is strong and healthy."
According to the story, Mint Eco prides
itself on putting culture first, with its primary
focus on the employees.
"We exist to make people happy,” is the
company’s mission statement. And, that
starts by having happy employees, stated
Jervis. "While other car washes are providing
a service, we endeavor to provide not
only the same or better service, but also an
experience. This experience is delivered in
large part by our employees."
In Worthington, South Dakota,
Miguel Zavala has opened up
South of the Border Mobile Auto
Detailing for business, according
to a May 1 Globe report.
“I’ve always been a big car guy. I’ve
owned a lot of different sporty cars and
I’ve always been very clean with my vehicles,”
Zavala said in the story. “I’ve always
liked cleaning cars and it made me feel
good when it was all clean and shiny.”
Zavala’s older brother worked in the
service department at a local Chevrolet
dealership and got Zavala his first job as
a detailer.
Border Mobile opened up back in January
and Zavala is continuously busy. He
prides himself of using a generator so
that he doesn’t use any of his customers’
water or electricity. don’t use any of the
customer’s water or electricity,” Zavala
said. He also works seven days a week.
“I think about people who work the
third or overnight shift,” he said in the
story. “If they ever need a car done on
the weekend, I’m there — I’m available.”
Alleged auto detailer
arrested for fraud
A woman alledging to own a detail
shop is going to prison for fraudulently
receiving more than $15,000 in
COVID-19 relief funds, The Spokemas-Review
reported. According to the
May 15 story, Natasha Ann Opsal, 41,
was sentenced to six months in prison
after pleading guilty to making false and
fraudulent claims after obtaining three
Payment Protection Program (PPP)
loans in 2021.
“According to court documents and
proceedings, Opsal obtained the loans
for an ‘alleged auto detailing company to
obtain COVID-19 financing,’” a release
from the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated.
Now, Opsal must keep her job and
pay back all the money when she is released
from prison.
U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref
established a COVID-19 “fraud strike
force” in February 2022 to prosecute
such crimes in Eastern Washington, the
story said.
“COVID-19 utilities are designed to
uplift our community during a crisis,
and due to the number of people and
businesses requesting funding, some
deserving small businesses were unable
to get funding to keep their businesses
running,” Waldref stated in the story.
“We created the Strike Force to ensure
that those who misused COVID-19 relief
funding are held accountable and
to protect the strength and safety of our
vital small business community.”
10 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 8, NO. 2 • SUMMER 2023