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ONE MORE 

THING 

I had a bit of a wake-up call the other day. It took 

45 years for me to realize that life is short. I know, I 

know… everyone says this all the time. But… it really 

hit me hard when I rounded up the number of Auto 

Detailing News issues and discovered this is issue number 

25. Where did the years go? The days in-between. 

When we started out, with a call from Publisher Jackson 

Vahaly about this magazine he wanted to pursue, 

I was holding my baby daughter. Now, she is typing on 

her chromebook beside me, all grown up. How did this 

happen? Do I need to soak up each day more? The days 

have felt long, but the years’ shortness is mind-blowing. 

As moments from the past 25 issues rise to the surface 

of my memory bank, the good ones often involve meeting 

other detailers at Mobile Tech Expo, SEMA and 

the Car Wash Show. I have always complimented the 

camaraderie and enthusiasm. One of my greatest encounters 

had to do with a man who was humble, welcoming 

and friendly: Rick Goldstein. I remember how 

he made me feel like a part of the family. He was enthusiastic 

about the magazine and willing to help in any 

way he could. He would email me, praising my articles 

and thanking me for contributing to the industry. Such 

a strong force of goodness, he was, and his kindness is 

and will always be appreciated. Life is short. Each day is 

a gift. Be kind. Most already know this. I am working on 

it, but it’s a work in progress. 

YOU DON’T HAVE 

WHAT IT TAKES… 

Has anyone out there held back on something because 

of what went down in grade school? For instance, 

when it came to any science class, I didn’t test well. It 

just wasn’t happening. No matter how much I studied, 

it wasn’t a natural fit for me. Heliograph? Atom versus 

a molecule? Forget it. Any dream I had of being a doctor 

was squashed. But was that all in my head. My best 

friend in high school always wanted to be a nurse. She 

was a candy striper, not afraid of any cut, scrape, or 

injury. But math was easy for her. She was discouraged 

from her dream. In her late 30s she encouraged herself 

to take on the career she always wanted. Spent hours at 

night school. Studied, slept, took care of her kids. Repeat. 

Now she runs a nursing facility and is a local celebrity 

for her accomplishments. Mind over matter. It’s 

never too late. Life is short. You only get one shot at this. 

Until next time…. Bless you, Rick. 

Sincerely, 

CONTENTS 

P&S 60th Anniversary. ..................4 

Marketing Tip. ........................10 

Business of Detailing. ..................12 

Innovations. ......................... 14 

IDA Column . ......................... 16 

Industry Dirt . ........................ 19 

Detail Doctor . ........................ 26 

THE ORIGINAL... 

PNEUMATIC 

ROTARY 

SHAMPOO 

TOOLS & MORE 

Vol. 7, No. 1 

SPRING 2022 

Publisher: Jackson Vahaly 

Editor: Debra Gorgos 

Design: KBA Designs 

Auto Detailing News is published 4 times per year and is independently 

owned by Jackson Vahaly. Web address is www.autodetailingnews.com 

All inquiries should be directed to: 

Auto Detailing News 

110 Childs Ln. Franklin, TN 37067 

jacksonv@autodetailingnews.com 

Copyright © 2022 Two Dollar Media, Inc./Auto Detailing News. All Rights Reserved. 

DETAILPLUS.COM || 503-251-2955 

VOL. 7, NO.1 • SPRING 2022 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | 3

60 

Years of 

Excellence 

William Phillips, 

founder of P&S 

Sales, stands 

next to the iconic 

original delivery 

van. Yes, he 

made deliveries 

in that outfit! 

by Prentice St. Clair 

Prentice St. Clair, CD-SV, RIT is the President of Detail in Progress, Inc., a San Diego based automotive reconditioning training and consulting firm. He is a Founder’s Club and Hall of Fame 

member of the International Detailing Association. He can be reached at 619-701-1100 and prentice@detailinprogress.com. 

(This information first appeared in the April, 

2022 issue of Auto Detailing News.) 

As a young man, William (Bill) Phillips’ 

first business endeavor was a body, upholstery, 

and detail shop, which acted as a 

one-stop-shop for automotive dealerships. 

Early in that career, Bill saw an opportunity 

to sell the products he used in his shop 

to similar operations. He liked the idea of 

selling consumables instead of service, and 

he believed that doing so would better fit 

his lifestyle and provide more growth opportunities 

for more people. 

Thus, in 1961, Bill established P&S 

Sales with partner Art Stuber, and additional 

partners Floyd Biava and Walter 

Rosen. The first production and warehouse 

facility was all of 10,000 square 

feet and located in the “South of Market” 

neighborhood of San Francisco, 

California. P&S produced cleaners, 

compounds, polishes, and glazes for the 

auto body and detail industry. 

The very first product was Formula 

61, a general-purpose cleaner that was 

madly popular for many years. From the 

beginning, the P&S team looked for ways 

to make things easier. The perfect early 

example was Hi Tone Glaze, a liquid wax 

that was designed as a substitute for paste 

wax, which was the difficult-to-use standard 

at the time. 

In the early years, Bill, Art, and Walter 

worked sales routes around the San Francisco 

Bay Area. (Floyd was in charge of 

production.) Bill’s route included the City, 

the east side of the bay (“East Bay”), and 

the Central Valley area of California. In 

1968, Bill brought on the first independent 

distributor, Henry Chin, who had been a 

direct competitor in Hayward, California. 

Henry took over East Bay and built a highly 

successful distributorship, which he passed 

down to his son. (The much-liked Steven 

Chin still runs the distributorship today, 

and it recently moved into P&S Headquarters 

to become the “factory store”.) 

In 1970, Floyd Biava expressed the 

desire to separate from the company and 

start his own chemical compounding business. 

At the time, it made sense for P&S to 

then simply buy its chemicals from Floyd’s 

company, and for the next 20 years or so, 

the focus for Bill was building the distributor 

network and responding to customers’ 

feedback for new and better products. In 

the mid-1970s, Bill bought out Walter and 

Art, and they became independent distributors 

for P&S. Art passed away in 1985, 

and Walter in the mid-1990s. 

The original P&S Sales building. 

Look closely and you can see a 

sales counter inside the open door. 

P&S Sales 1980s fleet of branded vans. 

4 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 7, NO. 5 • SPRING 2022

■ ENTER THE NEXT 

GENERATION 

From an early age, Bill’s son Robert 

(Bob) Phillips was exposed to his father’s 

business philosophies and guiding principles, 

and remembers Bill’s mantra, “do 

right by the industry, do right by the employees, 

and do right by the customers”. 

Bob started working for P&S in 1980 — 

right out of high school — assisting with 

the San Francisco route while attending 

college. Bob recalls how much he enjoyed 

that job, making sales stops across the city 

in a cargo van, slinging “fivers” and mucking 

it up with the customers. In fact, upon 

graduating, he stayed on full-time at P&S. 

Bill’s son Dave Phillips also began 

working part-time in 1980, running sales 

routes in specific cities that were near the 

University of California at Davis, where 

he was studying chemistry and biology. 

Dave also recalls earlier memories, helping 

his dad, and reminisces, “I remember 

that Dad always liked his customers, and 

he had great relationships with them. 

Circa 1978, P&S original partners (from left) Bill Phillips, Walter Rosen, 

and Art Stuber in front of the P&S Sales building in San Francisco. 

Funny, in those days, the owners all wore 

suits to deliver detail chemicals and supplies! 

But that was part of the professionality 

of the company.” 

Dave was able to bring his education in 

chemistry to bear when he started working 

at the blending facility in 1986 to help out 

with new formulations, developing P&S’s 

line of products for the increasingly prevalent 

clearcoat finishes, including Ultracoat 

Polish, Haze Away, and Buff Tone. 

As the 1980s progressed, it became 

increasingly apparent to Bob and Dave 

that P&S Sales was in need of some major 

changes. Bill was also ready, both personally 

and in the company for such change. 

Dave saw the need to bring control of 

manufacturing back into the company, 

thus ensuring consistency, quality control, 

and close relationship with suppliers of 

raw materials. This would also allow more 

cutting-edge formulations and allow P&S 

control over its own destiny. 

Dave said to Bob, “Well, we can do this,” 

and they sat down one evening in their 

shared apartment and ironed out a business 

plan to take P&S in a new direction. Dave 

typed it out on his original Mac computer, 

and they brought it over to Bill’s house. Bob 

recalls that Bill looked over the proposal, 

thought about it for an hour, and said, “Let’s 

do it.” Bob fondly remembers his father’s 

ability to make large decisions without fear. 

■ A COMPANY REBORN 

In February 1990, P&S moved its facilities 

across the San Francisco Bay to a 

new industrial park in Hayward, which 

was chosen because of a scarcity of available 

buildings in San Francisco and elsewhere. 

Production was brought back inhouse, 

and Bob and Dave spent almost 

two years designing, building, equipping, 

and supplying with raw materials, a totally 

new chemical manufacturing facility in a 

23,000-square-foot warehouse. 

The Hayward deal turned out to be a 

great move, as the landlord was generous 

with the necessary tenant improvements, 


Today’s P&S Detail Products leadership team (from left) Ian Belcher, Sydni Brae Gwinn, Prentice St. Clair, Renny Doyle, Dave 

Phillips, Bob Phillips, Keith Duplessie, Kyle Clark, and Chris Woolman at the 2021 McCall Motorworks Revival. 

Education is one of P&S’s primary tenets. Several training events per 

month are conducted in the Detail Training Studio in Hayward, CA. 

which allowed Bob and Dave to set up the 

facility for success from the ground up. 

Dave oversaw most of the work, with the 

help of a professional warehouse designer 

and a retired fire captain. In the case of 

a chemical manufacturing company, there 

are special design considerations such as 

the creation of a “flammable room”, an 

“acid room”, and the installation of underground 

storage tanks for bulk raw materials. 

Dave also wanted to make sure that 

the final layout would maximize efficient 

movement within the warehouse. 

At this point the company boasted 30 

distributors across the United States, moving 

about 100 different products. Leading 

products at that time included Buff-Tone, 

Velocity Glaze, and Multi-Dressing. The 

company settled well into the new facility 

and Dave had his wish of direct connection 

with suppliers and control of formulas 

and production. He was also able to continue 

developing new products that solved 

the workaday problems for the detailer. 

During the 1990s, P&S established its 

commitment to education, bringing in experienced 

detailer Joe Newhoff to run the 

company’s in-house training programs for 

distributors and end-users alike. This led 

to the creation of The Detail Studio, and 

Mark Spindler took over training facilities 

for a number of years. 

In 1997, Bob became President of the 

company. Bill was still around but was 

able to play a more relaxed role. Bill’s wife 

Diane, who he married in 1955, also continued 

to work as the company bookkeeper, 

a duty which she had performed since 

day one. Bill retired completely in the early 

2000s, and Bob became President and 

Chief Executive Officer. Dave became 

the Vice President of Operations. Bill 

passed in 2015 and was inducted into the 

founding class of the International Detailing 

Association’s Hall of Fame in 2020. 

The Phillips brothers carry on his legacy 

with many of the same guiding principles 

that helped Bill succeed. 

■ INDUSTRY 

COMMITMENT AT ITS BEST 

In April of 2008, Bob describes a 

fateful incoming call that would have a 

long-lasting impact on the global detailing 

industry. “P&S has always been involved 

in trade associations one way or another, 

so when Bud Abraham contacted me to 

join a group of industry suppliers providing 

seed money for the establishment of 

a trade association for detailers, it was a 

‘no-brainer’.” P&S Sales thus became one 

of the founding members of the International 

Detailing Association (IDA). 

Bob spent countless hours and resources 

in support of the IDA in its early years. 

He served on the Board of Directors in 

2011 and joined the prestigious Founder’s 

Club in 2016. He has also served on several 

IDA Committees through the years. 

When asked about the importance of 

the IDA, Bob gushes, “This is an extremely 

important organization that looks out 

for our industry. It brings detailers together. 

It provides a platform for us to gather, 

and every time we get together, great 

things happen.” 

A perfect example of that is a fateful 

run-in with detailer Renny Doyle, CD-SV, 

RIT, who Bob and Dave met during the 

IDA’s educational sessions at the 2013 Western 

Carwash Association annual convention 

in San Diego. Since the brothers have 

always understood the importance of continuing 

education to keep up with trends in 

the detailing industry, they decided to attend 

Renny Doyle’s Detailing Success week-long 

detail training in early 2014. 

“The more contact we had, the more 

obvious it was that we shared a lot of the 

same philosophy and passion for the detail 

industry,” Bob recalls, “and the three of us 

could see a benefit to an affiliation that took 

advantage of the fame and knowledge of 

Renny and the product development capability 

of P&S.” Renny and the Phillips 

brothers worked together to develop a new 

line of detail chemicals called “Renny Doyle 

Double Black”, which launched in 2016. 

A few years later, they continued William 

Phillips’ early idea of creating growth 

opportunities for others by launching the 

Double Black Storefront concept, which 

allowed detail operators to sell products 

to end-users without becoming full-on 

distributors, and without interfering with 

P&S distributor operations in the same 

market. The Double Black line of detail 

chemicals continues to be extremely popular 

amongst detailing professionals and 

enthusiasts alike. 

Bob shares, “Renny and I still shake 

our heads at the unbelievable growth that 

has happened. Neither of us had any idea 

back in 2016 that the Double Black concept 

would be this successful.” He continues, 

“Double Black happened as a direct 

result of the existence of the IDA.” P&S 

actually doubled its warehouse space over 

the last couple of years, during a pandemic! 

P&S’s commitment to the detailing industry 

has been acknowledged with multiple 

awards, including: 

• IDA Outstanding Service Award. 

• Mobile Tech Expo Detailing 

Supplier of the Year. 

• Mobile Tech Expo Detailing 

Person of the Year (Bob); and, 

• IDA Supplier of the Year. 

■ P&S NOW AND 

IN THE FUTURE 

P&S currently boasts 200 distributors 

in 20 countries, with more coming 

on each year. The company manufactures 

over 200 products and continues to 

develop new products to meet the needs 

and simplify the detailing work for professionals 

and do-it-yourself enthusiasts. “We 

continue to benefit from our membership 

in the IDA, and are able to follow the wave 

of the detailing industry’s growth across the 

globe,” adds Bob. Bill’s early vision — as reflected 

in the original logo — of P&S being 

a global company has been realized. 


Current brands include the Pro Series 

legacy detailing chemicals designed for 

and still loved by many professional detailers; 

BABE’S Boat Care Products, which is 

intended for the do-it-yourself boat and 

watercraft owner; the Inspiration Ceramic 

Coating products line; the Double Black 

professional detailing chemical line, which 

is meant to be a straightforward and simple 

collection of highly effective chemicals 

that provides excellent results for both the 

detailing professional and prosumer alike; 

and ChemTrol, which, along with its customized 

dispensing unit, is a line of industrial-strength 

concentrated chemicals designed 

for use in high-volume operations 

like automotive dealerships. 

P&S Continues to enhance the distributor 

experience with new on-line ordering 

tools and educational opportunities to help 

distributors understand how to teach their 

customers to get the most out of each product. 

The in-house Detail Training Studio 

was re-launched in 2021, and hosts monthly 

seminars for enthusiasts, customers, and 

A special reunion at the grand opening of the Hayward factory store in March. 

Seated left to right: Pauline and Henry Chin and Diane Phillips. Standing: 

Renny Doyle; Caden, Maria, Cailey, Steven Chin; Bob and Yvette Phillips, Keith 

Duplessie, Dave Phillips 

distributors, led by current P&S Director of 

Training Prentice St. Clair, CD-SV, RIT. 

Bob and Dave are proud of their current 

leadership team which includes Renny 

as the Brand Spokesman, Director of 

Sales Keith Duplessie, CD-SV, RIT, Brand 

Ambassadors Sydni Brae Gwinn, CD-SV, 

and Kyle Clark, CD-SV; and marketing 

coordinators Ian Belcher and Chris Woolman, 

CD-SV. P&S Sales is the Official 

Product Supplier for Renny Doyle’s Air 

Force One Detail Team and the McCall 

Official Detailing Team. 

When asked about the future of the 

detailing industry, Bob is more than optimistic. 

“I gotta tell you, the detail industry 

has been on a trajectory of substantial 

growth in the past few years, and I see it 

on a strong path for the next five-to-ten 

years,” Bob explained. “It will continue 

to be defined by the prosumer’s passion 

for cars, creating growth for both detail 

suppliers as well as detailing as a service.” 

And how does P&S fit into that? 

Bob’s answer was fourfold: “We will continue 

to grow with the industry. We will 

continue to grow into our brands. We 

will continue to foster our relationships 

with our distributors. We will continue to 

invent products to solve problems.” And, 

as you read this, P&S will be in the midst 

of the launch of a new product line. 

We can all learn from the benchmark 

that this fine company has established, 

immortalized by founder William Phillips’ 

guiding words: Do right by the industry, 

do right by the employees, and do right by 

the customers. 

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0000 Auto Detailing News_Feb_2022.indd 1 2/17/2022 10:27:20 AM 


MARKETING TIP 

Marketing 

Tip 

Suggestion Connection 

Every business should consider having 

a Facebook page. From customer checkins, 

to reviews, to being able to post specials, 

holiday hours, new equipment, etc., 

it is a free way to monitor and market your 

business. And, one feature many might 

not know about is the allowance to have 

your page suggested to Facebook users. 

According to socialmediaexaminer. 

com, by enabling the Similar Page Suggestions 

feature you are allowing Facebook 

to suggest your page as a result in 

relevant searches. For instance, if a Facebook 

user likes a self serve car wash across 

town, Facebook will then automatically 

suggest your Facebook page as it falls 

under a similar category. This also goes 

into play if a user likes a nearby business, 

or one having to do with car care. The 

drawback, though, is that by allowing this 

feature, you’re also allowing Facebook to 

suggest other businesses to users when 

they ‘like’ your page. 

If you are interested in doing this, you 

need to follow these steps: 

1. Click on Settings in the upper-right 

corner of your business page. 

2. Then, click on Similar Page 

Suggestions. 

Also, if you’re in a location where there 

are multiple languages spoken regularly, 

you might want to consider having your 

page posted in those languages. According 

to socialmediaexaminer.com, you just have 

to check the Post in Multiple Languages 

box and your posts will be shown to you r 

fans and followers in their language. 

THERE’S A 

SECTION FOR 

DETAILERS! 

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THE BUSINESS OF 

DETAILING 

Looking 

back 

and ahead 

Why its important to see 

how far you’ve come. 

By Rob Schruefer 

rob@onspotdetailing.com 

As a business owner is it is a necessity 

to sometimes stop and think about where 

your business has come from and where 

it may go in the future. Being able to look 

into the past to see how and why you 

started your company, and how it became 

successful can be a vital tool in deciding 

where your business will be in 5 or 10 

years from now. 


How you started your business is the 

history and story of your company, and it 

should be shared occasionally with staff or 

with others you want to do business with. 

People love an origin story and will be far 

more engaged with you and your business 

if they know how it came to be. At least 

99% of the people who work for me were 

not around during the early stages of my 

company. They did not see the struggles 

of working nights and weekends as a bartender 

and then detailing for hours upon 

hours during the day, 7 days a week. They 

only see what the company is now, and it 

does not give them the full scope of why 

the business exists in the form it is today. 

I also keep mementos from those early 

days. I have my original van sitting on 

the side of my shop and the handwritten 

scheduling books from the first few years 

of business on a shelf in my office. I go 

through them occasionally to remind myself 

of where I started and how far my 

Legend Ad Auto Detailing News.pdf 1 5/24/21 5:12 PM 

business has come. 

Just as important as where you came 

from is where are you heading. You should 

always be looking for the next big thing 

that will help you get to that next level. I 

can think of two things that my company 

was out in front of that helped me build 

my business. 

GOOGLE ADWORDS: 

When I started my business in the early 

2000s the Internet was not even close to 

what it is today. There was very little in the 

way of tracking or advertising techniques 

that are commonplace today. I taught myself 

how to use Adwords effectively and to 

tailor it to my specific market. By doing 

this I was speaking to a large demographic 

of people that my competitors did not 

have access to. I was using a brand-new 

advertising medium to my advantage and 

was doing it successfully. I was on the cutting 

edge of advertising and it propelled 

my company forward at a remarkable rate. 

Ceramic Coatings: Coatings are everywhere 

today, but 10 years ago they were 

not. In fact, back then they were a newly 

introduced product to the detailing market. 

Coatings were offered at a high margin 

and were a huge addition to my service 

menu. It took some time to introduce and 

explain how they worked to my customer 

base, but once I did, I was able to sell a lot 

by being one of the only detailers in the 

area offering coatings. 

The next marketing or detailing trend 

is out there on the horizon. If you can be 

someone to identify one of the many possibilities 

early on, and be one of the first to 

use it, there is a lot of potential for profit 

and growth. No one can see the future, but 

if you do your research and continue to 

push the boundaries of the detailing industry, 

your business will grow faster than 

you could imagine. Just be sure to ask a lot 

of questions and practice how to explain 

any new techniques or offerings to your 

customers. 

You can use the reminders of the past 

to dictate how you will operate in the future. 

In 10 years will you look back at 

what you were doing in 2022 and think, 

wow I have come a long way from there? 

I hope so. 

Rob Schruefer is the owner of On The 

Spot Detailing out of Columbia, Maryland. 

He proudly serves on the board 

of the International Detailing Association 

and works tirelessly to ensure 

that detailing business owners receive 

business development support to help 

them achieve their goals. 

C 

M 

Y 

CM 

MY 

CY 

CMY 

K 

LEGEND 

A Premium Coating Experience 

psdetailproducts.com 


INNOVATIONS 

Introducing new & improved products for professional auto, boat & motorcycle detailers. 

Disinfectant Wipes and Ready to Use Cleaner 

Malco® Products, Inc. has launched the addition 

of Disinfectant Products to its product portfolio. Malco 

Disinfectant Wipes are multi-purpose wipes that clean, 

disinfect3, and deodorize hard, non-porous surfaces in 

one easy step. Made with an EPA-approved bleach- and 

alcohol-free formula, the wipes are effective against 

cold1 and flu virusesttt and kill 99.9% of bacteria in 15 

seconds**. They are also effective against SARS-CoV-2, 

the virus that causes COVID-19, after 30 seconds***. 

Malco Disinfectant RTU Cleaner is a ready-to-use 

cleaner that disinfects3, sanitizes, cleans, and deodorizes 

hard, non-porous, and soft surfaces§. The cleaner is also 

made with an EPA-approved bleach- and alcohol-free 

formula that is effective against cold1 and flu virusesttt 

and kills 99.9% of bacteria in 5 seconds**** and is also 

effective against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes 

COVID-19, after 30 seconds***. 

“Malco has been providing trusted cleaning products 

to the automotive, marine, and consumer products 

markets for years. Once the pandemic hit, it only made 

sense that we should expand our offering to include 

disinfectant products,” said Malco President Seth Glaburman. 

“The Malco Disinfectant Products provide 

our existing customers access to the products they need, 

where and when they need them to keep their business, 

vehicle, office, and home safe for all who enter.” 

Malco Disinfectant Wipes are industry standard 7” 

x 8” and available in a 75 count canister. Malco RTU 

Cleaner is available in a 22 oz spray bottle, 1-gallon, 

or 5-gallon sizes to support the demand from consumer 

and automotive customers. The disinfectant products 

are available for purchase from local distributors across 

the U.S or on the Malco Automotive website. 

††† Influenza A Virus, Pandemic 2009 H1N1 Influenza A Virus, Human Coronavirus¹ 

** Staphylococcus aureus (Staph), Klebsiella pneumoniae, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia 

coli (E. coli) O157:H7 

3 When used according to disinfection directions 

*** When used according to package directions 

****Staphylococcus aureus (Staph), Klebsiella pneumoniae 

§Composed of 100% cotton, 100% polyester, or 50/50 cotton/polyester 

Inventory App 

Kleen-Rite Corp., the largest family-owned car wash distributor in the country, 

has introduced the new KR Stock app, bringing car wash inventory management to 

the palm of your hand. Kleen-Rite has developed an application aimed squarely at 

making life easier for car wash owners, whether they own one site or one dozen sites. 

KR Stock allows operators to keep track of the inventory levels of the Kleen-Rite 

products they need the most. Operators and employees can easily keep track of the 

products they currently have in their inventory, see which car wash they’re being 

stored at, and order immediately from the app. Instead of carrying around a pen 

and paper to do things the old-fashioned way, or having to deal with cumbersome 

spreadsheets, this app uses intuitive actions and icons to let operators adjust on the 

go, from their phone or tablet. 

The KR Stock app offers: 

• Inventory Management in the Palm of the Hand: Access inventory counts right 

from any handheld phone or device – both amount and car wash location. 

• Fast Track Ordering: Ability to order right away in the app when restocking is needed. 

• Personalized Management for Preferred Items: No information overload about 

irrelevant products, instead providing focus on previously-ordered products for focused 

reordering. 

• Order History: Past orders are shown, and can be clicked through immediately to add 

those products to the cart for reorder. 

Any experienced car wash owner knows that keeping a flow of chemicals, parts, 

equipment, vending items, and other supplies is absolutely crucial to the success of 

a car wash. This lets them spend less time shopping, and more time managing their 

car wash. 

The new KR Stock app is easy to access. Simply download the KR Stock app 

from the preferred download location – the app is available in both the Apple Store 

or Google Play Store. Access is done using customers’ existing Kleen-Rite customer 

log-in information, and allows them to get started immediately! 

New air 

freshener 

company 

Founded by three Los Angeles 

natives, Smellies is dedicated to developing 

high-quality scents that are 

environmentally friendly. 

“We are downright obsessed with delivering premium, safe, sustainable 

multi-use air that fills lives with freshness,” explained spokesperson 

Frank Ponce De Leon. 

Smellies air fresheners are available in ten scents: Vanilla, Black 

Ice, New Car, Tropical, Honey-Peach, Blueberry, Citrus, Fresh Linen, 

Lemon, and Lavender. 

Smellies is not just focused on odor removal and promoting multiuse 

air fresheners for all, but the brand is committed to protecting the 

planet and improving air quality worldwide through its Fresh Air Initiative. 

“Smellies Fresh Air Initiative is our pledge to sustainability, protecting 

vulnerable forest and ocean habitats, and meeting our annual 

carbon emission offset goals by offering our customers CO2 compensated 

shipping options at checkout to ensure carbon-neutral shipping 

operations.” 

“We also strive to reduce our environmental impact by using fully 

recyclable, minimalist, and eco-friendly packaging. To achieve our 

sustainability goals, Smellies partnered with the Ocean Conservancy, 

TerraPass, and the National Forest Foundation, which fund projects 

that promise fresh air for all,” stated Business Partner Greg Svorinich. 


IDA COLUMN 

The IDA Ushers 

in 2022 at Mobile 

Tech Expo 

International Detailing 

Association starts the 

year strong at MTE Orlando 

By Erin Reyes, 

IDA Communications Coordinator 

Do you remember that first-day-ofschool 

feeling? The anticipation of going 

back to school after summer vacation. Seeing 

old friends and catching up about all 

your fun summer adventures. Meeting new 

teachers and classmates. Knowing that the 

year ahead held infinite possibilities. 

Well, multiply that feeling by the thousands, 

and you might get near capturing 

the excitement that was in the air at Mobile 

Tech Expo (MTE) in Orlando, Florida 

at the end of January. 

After nearly two years apart, the International 

Detailing Association (IDA) 

was so excited to once again be a part of 

the biggest detailing industry tradeshow 

of the year. Members enjoyed the opportunity 

to be able to get together with familiar 

faces that they had not seen in person 

since MTE Orlando 2020. Although 

some members had been able to gather at 

the Southern Detailers Conference (SDC) 

in Lexington, Kentucky last year, it certainly 

was not as large scale as the regular 

gathering at MTE. 

As usual, the IDA kicked off its time at 

the show with a day-long board retreat, 

with board members and committee 

leaders coming together to plan the orga- 


nization’s goals for the upcoming year. It 

was quite a change of pace for everyone 

to be in the same room, bouncing ideas 

off one another, after months of collaborating 

over Zoom calls with everyone in 

different time zones. 

The show officially started on Thursday, 

January 27, with Education Day. The 

IDA was well-represented by eight excellent 

speakers on the IDA education track. 

Topics ranged from specialties like marine 

and RV detailing to marketing tips and a 

detailing software panel, the latter of which 

was particularly popular with attendees. 

Throughout the weekend, the IDA 

also held a complete certification event, 

consisting of Phase I – Certified Detailer 

(CD) exams, Phase II – Skills Validated 

(SV) hands-on assessments, and for the first 

time at MTE, Marine Certification (MC) 

exams. The tests were proctored by IDA 

Recognized Independent Trainers (RITs), 

and, by the end of the weekend, the IDA 

had welcomed 16 new CDs, 16 new SV 

detailers, and nine new MC detailers. 

The IDA also had a strong booth presence 

throughout the two expo days, with 

steady streams of visitors eager to learn 

more about the association and how to 

become a member. Over the course of 

the show, 22 detailing professionals made 

the decision to further their careers by 

joining the organization. IDA committees 

(Certification, Marketing & Communications, 

Membership, and Tradeshow & 

Education) were represented at the booth 

during different time blocks, when visitors 

could come by and chat with committee 

chairs and co-chairs about their volunteer 

work and the chance to get involved. 

There were also multiple photo opportunities 

with current IDA President Alan 

Medcraf, CD-SV, RIT, and 2020-2021 

President DJ Patterson, CD-SV. 

Without a doubt, though, the most exciting 

part of the show was the IDA’s Annual 

Business Meeting and Awards Celebration. 

Since its inception, this event has 

been held every year in conjunction with 

MTE, except last year, when it went virtual 

due to the pandemic. Clearly, members 

were eager to be able to celebrate 

together in person once again. The room 

was packed with more than 200 detailing 

professionals and friends, and everywhere 

you turned, there was an IDA badge, ribbon, 

or patch for you to see, signifying how 

strong the IDA community has become. 

Everyone was thrilled to be back together 

in one room with detailing friends and colleagues, 

celebrating all the progress of the 

association and the industry. Throughout 

the evening’s festivities, members provided 

an update on the state of the industry and 

the association, installed the 2022 Board, 

presented the IDA Award winners, announced 

the 2022 IDA Founder’s Endowment 

Fund recipients, and inducted the 

Hall of Fame classes of 2021 and 2022 (see 

sidebar). There was so much excitement in 


IDA COLUMN 

Congratulations to the IDA Award winners, 

IDA Founder’s Endowment Fund recipients, 

and Hall of Fame inductees! 

the room that night, celebrating the accomplishments 

not only of the wonderful 

individuals being recognized, but also of 

all those in the detailing community and 

what they have achieved despite the challenges 

of the last two years. 

Among the many things being celebrated 

that night was that, for the first 

time, the IDA surpassed 2,000 members 

across the globe at the end of last year. 

This is a long way to come for an association 

that started with less than a dozen 

members just over a decade ago. The 

IDA also has nearly 1,000 Certified Detailers 

worldwide. The evening was also 

a celebration of the announcement of 

three new international chapters: Brazil, 

Netherlands, and Poland. With the addition 

of these three, the IDA currently has 

13 international chapters with a membership 

presence in 79 countries. 

With so much to love and celebrate 

about the detailing profession, the IDA 

happily marked its fifth annual Love Your 

Detailer Day on February 15. IDA members 

and Certified Detailers from across the 

globe helped celebrate this day by sharing 

their achievements and spreading awareness 

about the profession on social media. It 

is very fulfilling to see detailing professionals 

finally begin to receive the recognition they 

deserve – both inside and outside the industry 

– for all their hard work. 

The IDA also recently announced the 

establishment of a scholarship in honor 

of Rick Goldstein, one of the IDA’s 

founders and a true pioneer in the industry. 

Members were devastated to learn of 

his passing in December, but the IDA is 

glad to carry on his memory and passion 

for this profession to aid future professionals 

for years to come. Watch the-IDA.com 

for more information. 

With all these achievements just in the 

first couple months of the year, it is exciting 

to see what the rest of 2022 has in 

store for the IDA community! 

18 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 7, NO. 5 • SPRING 2022 

2022 IDA AWARD WINNERS: 

IDA Lifetime Achievement Award: 

Rick Goldstein 

(RAGGTOPP; Atlanta, Georgia, United States) 

IDA Outstanding Service Award: 

Tom Palancia, CD-SV, RIT 

(Simoniz USA, Inc; Bolton, Connecticut, United States) 

IDA Detail Shop of the Year: 

Detailers of Las Vegas 

(Las Vegas, Nevada, United States) 

Joseph DiFiore, 

CD-SV 

(DiFiore's Auto Detailing; 

Norwich, Connecticut, 

United States) 

Keith Duplessie, 

CD-SV, MC, RIT 

(Duplessie Products) 

Laurentiu 

Horubet, CD 

(Pepper Studio; 

Voluntari, Romania) 

Jim Goguen, 

CD-SV, MC 

(Jim's Auto Installations & 

Detailing Center) 

IDA Mobile Detailer of the Year Award: 

RC Auto Salon 

(Brick, New Jersey, United States) 

IDA Detailer of the Year Award: 

Brian Finn, CD-SV, MC, RIT 

(PRO® Products; New Castle, Delaware, United States) 

IDA Detail Supplier of the Year Award: 

AMDetails 

(Elgin, Morayshire, United Kingdom) 

2022 IDA FOUNDER’S ENDOWMENT FUND RECIPIENTS: 

Jack Burford 

(PRO® Products) 

Karen Duncan 

(We Love Your Car) 

Kelly Jones, 

CD-SV 

(Showroom Auto 

Detailing; West Branch, 

Michigan, United States) 

IDA HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES, CLASS OF 2022: 

Robert Eichelberg 

(Lake Country 

Power Tools) 

IDA HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES, CLASS OF 2021: 

Elmer Rich (Simoniz) 

Prentice St. Clair, 

CD-SV, RIT 

(Detail In Progress, Inc.) 

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Jason Rose, 

CD-SV, RIT 

(Rupes USA) 

Greg Swett, 

CD-SV 

(Classic Appreciation 

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INDUSTRY 

NEWS 

Man turns his life around, thanks to detailing 

Donte Wilburns of Colorado was only 

22 when he almost lost his life. It was a drug 

deal gone bad. A shoot-out ensued and his 

friend was shot three times. Wilburns was 

arrested and faced an eight-year prison sentence. 

“I was suicidal,” he told WTHR in a 

February 25 story. “I just didn't see myself 

coming out of the pit that I put myself in," 

he said. "But my mom kept telling me, 'It's 

gonna be OK. I promise you.' She said, 'I 

know it hurts now, but it's gonna be OK.' 

And thank God, I had her in my ear encouraging 

me." 

Autobahn signs on as 

Canadian IGL distributor 

IGL Coatings announced in a February 

25 press release the appointment 

of Autobahn Auto Salon as its new 

exclusive distributor in Canada. Autobahn 

will distribute IGL Coatings’ full 

range of products and ceramic coatings. 

Founded in 1991 by Frank Duarte in 

Concord, Ontario, Autobahn specializes 

in automobile detailing of fine cars, the 

press release stated, and it is one of the 

largest distributors of detailing products 

in Canada. 

For the past four years, the Autobahn 

team has worked to build the IGL 

Coatings presence in Ontario. 

“It is an opportunity of a lifetime as 

we are able to fully realize the expansion 

of the IGL brand throughout the 

five regions. We are glad to be part of 

Repairify acquires AutoMobile 

Technologies 

Repairify, Inc. announced the acquisition 

of AutoMobile Technologies (AMT), 

a provider of enterprise-grade used vehicle 

reconditioning software, according to a 

February 22 story by BodyShop Business. 

AMT helps automotive reconditioning 

providers replace paperwork, enforce processes 

and gain instant visibility into business 

operations regardless of team size and 

geographic distribution, the press release 

stated. “With the combined capabilities of 

AMT and Mobile Tech RX, the Repairify 

family is now poised to become a comprehensive 

provider of solutions, expertise 

and capabilities for auto reconditioners 

and paintless dent repair (PDR) customers 

of all sizes, from small independents to 

large, multi-location enterprises.” 

AMT customers range from dealerships 

and rental car companies to auto reconditioners, 

PDR providers, and detailers. 

“We are very excited to welcome the 

entire AMT team to Repairify as they join 

in our mission to simplify the repair and 

His mom was right. Years later he is now 

the proud owner of Premier Auto Detailing, 

with locations in Lafayette and Kokomo, 

Colorado, and he has plans to expand 

soon to Indianapolis. Wilburn was also just 

named Indiana's small business entrepreneur 

of the year in 2021. 

But how did Wilburn go from criminal 

to celebrated citizen? Back when he 

was caught by police, he was sentenced 

to community corrections and got a job 

washing cars for minimum wage, WTHR 

reported. “He worked his way up to manager 

and then saved up enough to open 

his own business.” 

Premier Auto Detailing is now a huge 

success and Wilburns wants others to succeed 

as well. His advice: Hard work and 

determination. 

"Never give up," he told WTHR while 

tearing up. "Even when it's the worst of the 

worst of the worst, you can come out of it. 

It takes work. I had to basically rip up how I 

was and start over as a new man. But it's not 

impossible. That's what my story is. It's the 

possibility of becoming better." 

the IGL Family and look forward to a 

green future,” Frank Duarte said in the 

press release. 

“IGL Canada is set to grow to unprecedented 

heights. We’re glad to see 

Frank on board and look forward to 

an exciting 2022,” added Keong Chun 

Chieh, founder, and CEO of IGL 

Coatings, in the press release. 

reconditioning of today’s complex modern 

automobile using technology and an 

amazing, growing network of certified 

technicians,” said Tony Rimas, president 

of Repairify, the press release. “The AMT 

team brings a wealth of expertise, technology 

know-how and client relationships that 

will benefit our team greatly. As our vision 

comes together, we believe the result will be 

access to more services, more technicians, 

and allowing our customers to drive costs 

down and efficiency up.” 

Detail shop 

expands 

in the 

Twin Cities 

The car detailing and window 

tinting shop, Tint Pros/ 

Platinum Auto Wraps, is continuing 

to expand in the Twin 

Cities, according to the Minneapolis/St. 

Paul Business 

Journal. The February 23 

story said the shop will be upgrading 

into a bigger flagship 

facility shortly after opening 

a second satellite shop. 

Owners Triet Nguyen 

and Tien Truong bought the 

property for more than $1.5 

million in February 2022. 

“At nearly 25,000 square 

feet and with 12 garages, the 

new building is too big for 

just Tint Pros, so the shop 

plans to operate out of about 

half of them and then rent 

the rest to other businesses 

offering different automotive 

services. Nguyen said he and 

Truong want to set up a onestop 

shop where customers 

who are having work done 

at Tint Pros can also have 

a dent fixed, upgrade their 

stereo system or have their 

wheels painted in the same 

trip,” the story said. 

The shop frequently services 

Tesla and counts Minnesota-based 

professional 

athletes among its clientele, 

the story said. The owners 

have worked in the automotive 

industry for around 20 

years. They hope to open the 

new space in the beginning 

of May 2022. 


INDUSTRY 

NEWS 

Atlanta detailer 

hires ‘street sellers’ 

for new operation 

Myron Fountaine, a reformed felon, is helping find employees for 

a luxurious car detailing operation, by going to the streets of Atlanta. 

According to a Channel 2 February 16 story, young men and 

older teens are often seen amongst the busy streets selling bottles of 

water to people at red lights. Fountaine is looking to offer those people 

more reliable jobs with Onsite Shine. Fountaine said he wants to 

hire at least 30 young people before the shop opens in March. 

Fountaine, who was incarcerated on vehicular armed robbery 

charges when he was just 19, went on to become a motivational 

speaker and “prison prevention specialist” who goes by the name 

“The Prison Doctor,” according to the story. 

Onsite Shine owner Jim Thomas was more than happy to 

team up with Fountaine to empower at-risk kids and adults. 

“We just want to try to transform their lives and prevent them 

from going to a place I went to,” Fountaine said in the story. “Jim 

has offered Onsite Shine as a place where I can now mentor kids 

and hire them to work here, and pay these kids up to $15 per hour.” 

Fountaine said that the teens could potentially make even 

more money if they graduate to more complex skills like detailing 

and waxing, the story said. 

“My heart really reaches out to those folks, because I think the 

business that I’m in can offer a lot to train someone to do something 

that they really love, like I do,” Thomas said in the story. 

One teen who has already been hired said he was more than 

happy to be offered the job. “I feel way better about myself,” one 

teen said in the story. “I feel like I can take my life in a whole other 

direction.” 

Malco Automotive named official 

supplier for Live Fast Motorsports 

Live Fast Motorsports (LFM) and Malco 

Products, Inc. announced on February 

18 that Malco Automotive Products now has 

the title of the “Official Detailing Products of 

Live Fast Motorsports.” The two companies 

hope their strategic partnership will illustrate 

the crucial relationship of admiration and 

proper care that is required for the longevity 

of automotive vehicles, a press release stated. 

The agreement combines professional 

stock car racing and quality automotive and 

specialty cleaning products. Malco Products, 

Inc. was founded in 1953 in Barberton, Ohio, 

by Murray Glauberman. Today, the company 

has grown into a global manufacturing company 

while still being owned and operated 

by the same family. The company has three 

world-class production facilities in northeast 

Ohio, producing multiple lines of specialty 

chemical products for the automotive, marine, 

recreational vehicle, and consumer products 

markets and serving over 70 countries. 

“Malco is excited to enter their second 

year of partnership with Live Fast Motorsports,” 

said President, Seth Glauberman, 

in a press release. “We are thrilled to continue 

to work with Live Fast Motorsports 

showcasing the great value and outstanding 

performance that our cleaning and detailing 

products offer. We are flattered that this 

professional NASCAR Cup team trusts our 

products to carry their prized car to the finish 

line all-season long.” 

The Malco Automotive brand of professional-grade 

automotive detailing, paint correction, 

and auto service solutions recently 

expanded into the enthusiast automotive 

aftermarket. Live Fast Motorsport fans will 

be provided with tutorials, before-and-after 

demonstrations, testimonials, and giveaways 

of Malco Automotive Products. 

“I have had the honor of working with 

Malco Products since 2008,” said co-founder 

of Live Fast Motorsports, Matt Tifft, in 

the press release. “Malco’s products, employees 

and brand have always displayed 

great value over the years. When it comes to 

racing, it’s imperative to have a high quality 

and reliable partner- that’s why Malco 

Automotive Products have been the perfect 

sponsor fit for our brand.” 

Detail Garage keeps growing and growing and ... 

Detail Garage, an 80-unit retail store 

for car care enthusiasts, DIY and professional 

detailers, saw a 28% increase in sales 

for 2021 compared to 2020. It also added 

on 25 franchisees in 2021, according to a 

February 15 press release. 

“We have an incredible amount of 

franchisee interest and growth leading into 

2022,” said John Mansfield, chief revenue 

officer for Detail Garage, in the press release. 

“In addition, it is exciting to see our 

existing franchisees continue to scale their 

portfolio as we support them in every aspect 

of the business.” 

As of 2022, Detail Garage has welcomed 

seven new franchisees, including 

multi-unit owners in Warwick, Rhode Island; 

Culver City, California; Lincoln, Nebraska; 

Gresham, Oregon; Prosper, Texas; 

Newnan, Georgia; and Farmington, Connecticut. 

Multi-unit owner Gil Gonzalez, of 

California, was Detail Garage’s first franchisee. 

He started as an employee with 

Chemical Guys, which is Detail Garage’s 

parent manufacturing company, back in 

2008. He worked his way up through the 

company and held different roles on the 

team. In 2015, Gonzalez discovered Detail 

Garage and realized it would provide 

a great opportunity to achieve his dream 

of starting his own store, the press release 

said. In 2016 Gonzalez opened the first 

franchised Detail Garage store in Montclair, 

California. He has opened two other 

locations since then. 

“The Detail Garage corporate 

team was there for me 100% during 

COVID-19,” Gonzalez said in the press 

release. “Within less than a month, they 

had set up an e-commerce platform for 

whomever wanted to get involved with 

curbside pickup. Usually, a project like that 

takes a long time, but the team made it a 

priority and helped us drive sales and keep 

customer loyalty up. In addition, we’ve 

seen a lot of people more interested in our 

professional classes because many people 

are starting to think about opening their 

own detailing business. Overall, this has 

been one of our strongest years so far in 

terms of sales.” 

Today, Detail Garage wants to expand 

by opening 100 new units this year, followed 

by 50 new locations. “This has been 

a strong growth year for the Detail Garage 

brand, and we are proud of our franchisees 

who are expanding and excited to partner 

with new franchisees coming onboard,” 

said Chad Zani, director of business development, 

in the press release. “With so 

much momentum, the time has never been 

better to join our brand, and if you want to 

jump in the driver's seat and start your own 

automotive business, you'd be hard pressed 

to find an opportunity with as much potential 

and as loyal of a consumer following as 

Detail Garage.” 


INDUSTRY 

NEWS 

Chemical Guys reaches 

1 million followers 

Chemical Guys announced on December 22, 2021, that it now has over 1 

million followers on Instagram. According to a press release, it is now the most 

followed car care brand on social media in the United States. To celebrate the 

milestone, the company hosted its largest giveaway since the brand's first-ever Instagram 

post in 2012, offering followers the chance to win an arsenal of Chemical 

Guys' top products totaling $750, as well as a SUPER73-ZX Electric Motorbike. 

"Together with our team and our Chemical Guys Family we have created 

something incredible – 1 million strong and growing," said Jennifer Olvera, 

Chemical Guys Brand Director, in the press release. "We are truly grateful for 

the passion that is not only shared by our team but shared by each and every 

person that takes time out of their day to post and tag us to share their passion 

for shine with us. We love having the ability to interact with our growing Chemical 

Guys Family on Instagram and look forward to welcoming many more to 

our Family!" 

"Our team has spent countless hours building a complete ecosystem designed 

to attract, educate, empower and provide members of the Chemical 

Guys Family with solutions and a community," stated John Mansfield, Chemical 

Guys Chief Revenue Officer, in the press release. "Reaching this incredible 

milestone of 1 million engaged Instagram followers demonstrates how strong 

our shared passion for shine really is." 

Wicked Detailing gets ‘wag’ 

of approval 

Wicked Auto Detailing of Santa Ana, California, teamed up with Barks of 

Love, an Orange County animal rescue to host a canine-friendly Cars & Coffee 

benefit event on Jan. 9, 2022, according to a press release. 

The event was held to raise money and awareness for Barks of Love, with 

Wicked Auto Detailing donating 10% of each service. 

Barks of Love is a volunteer animal rescue that helps provide homes to neglected, 

abandoned, and abused animals, as well as education on animal abuse 

and euthanization, the press release said. 

“I found out about Barks of Love when I adopted my dog Taco in 2013 as 

a companion for my corgi, Waffles,” said Steve Goelman, Marketing Director 

at Wicked Auto Detailing, in the press release. “Everyone at Wicked Auto Detailing 

has and loves dogs. I rarely see a day in the office without some furry 

friends, so we're really excited that Barks of Love will be at the event.” 

Wicked Auto Detailing welcomed all leashed dogs and their owners, and provided 

fresh, hot coffee and donuts. A silent auction was also held at the event. 


Tesla’s vegan leather seats 

are baloney, says carbuzz 

Gerhard Horn of carbuzz.com, 

wrote in a December 24 review that 

Tesla’s vegan leather seats aren’t very 

impressive. 

A Tesla Motors Club user called 

gidster99 complained about his 

Model 3's driver seat bubbling after a 

few weeks of hot weather, he wrote in 

his column. “At the time, the car had 

6,500 miles on the clock. He took the 

car in for a service, and Tesla quoted 

him $1,400 (roughly $1,880) to fix 

the problem. A picture of the leather 

bubbling is below. 

“Being the greenest manufacturer 

of them all, Tesla obviously 

adopted this strategy a while ago. 

Many Tesla owners say they don't 

miss genuine leather at all on the plus 

side. Faux leather does not crack like 

real leather and seems more resilient 

to wear and tear. But, as we've seen 

with so many Teslas before, not all its 

cars are built to a high standard. Inside 

EVs reported on Tesla headrests 

bubbling last year.” 

New ‘Big Sky’ detailer 

takes advantage of 

heavy demand 

Matthias Saad, 21, recently launched 

MS Detailing, a mobile detailing business 

based in Big Sky, a scenic area in Southwest 

Montana. Saad had been working in 

the detailing industry for four years, starting 

out in Minnesota and moving to the Big 

Sky area in October. 

“It was [a successful business in Minnesota], 

but now it’s an even more successful 

business out here,” Saad said in a December 

22 Big Sky story. 

Saad said he attributes his success to 

how adventurous Big Sky drivers are with 

INDUSTRY 

NEWS 

their vehicles, in addition to the fact that 

there are no other car washes or detailing 

operations in the area. 

“In Montana, I’ve definitely seen more 

dirt and more pet hair—because everyone 

has a dog out here,” Saad said in the story. 

“Dirt roads, snow, lots of people like hiking 

and biking and adventures. Adventures 

come with dirty cars.” 

Later this spring, Saad will be changing 

the name of his company to Detail Doctor, 

not to be confused with Auto Detailing 

News’ columnist Bud Abraham. 

Vermont’s Detail Works gets national spotlight 

National morning news program 

CBS Mornings visited Detail Works of 

Williston, Vermont, to showcase its commitment 

to helping at-risk youth. 

A December Burlington Free Press 

story said the business is run by Spectrum 

Youth & Family Services, a program 

that helps train at-risk youth with 

real-life, hireable skills. 

“Working at the shop gives youth 

struggling with a variety of issues the opportunity 

to learn job skills and succeed 

at work. Money made by the business 

flows back into the Burlington nonprofit,” 

the story said. 

The piece aired on December 9 as 

part of CBS Morning’s “A More Perfect 

Union” series. It included interviews 

with current employees, including one 

who has been working at Detail Works 

for four years who said the detailing job 

was the turning point for him. 

The entire segment is available on 

www.cbsnews.com. 


INDUSTRY 

NEWS 

1963 Lincoln Continental gets 

its first wash in 30 years 

It was Mother's Day in 1995. Brothers 

Mike, Greg and Pete Zlotnick had just lost 

their mom. Their dad decided to load the 

kids up into his 1963 Lincoln to visit their 

mother’s grave. On their way home, they 

were pulled over. According to a December 

Drive story, Mike vividly remembers 

the incident, noting the car had the wrong 

license plates and it was neither registered 

or insured. Also, the car’s convertible top 

was stuck, and it had to be towed home. 

“That was the last time it was ever driven, 

and the land yacht spent the next half of 

its life hidden from the sunlight in an old 

chick coop,” the story said. 

Recently the boys had an idea to surprise 

their dad and reached out to famed 

YouTuber Larry Kosilla of AMMO NYC 

to see if he could help in restoring the vehicle. 

Kosilla said, “yes.” 

The brothers sent their father out to 

golf for the day, and carefully extracted the 

18-foot-long Lincoln from storage. Upon 

its unearthing, they noticed the paint was 

faded, the chrome was dull, the tires were 

flat, and the car was covered in animal 

droppings and urine. 

None of that scared Kosilla. 

The brothers were able to get the car 

into Kosilla’s shop in New York. Kosilla 

started by giving it a washing. Next, he 

treated the oxidized single-stage paint followed 

by a second deeper wash. 

According to Kosilla’s AMMONYC 

blog, “The ‘mow down’ paint correction 

technique pulled off the years of ‘dead paint’ 

to reveal the fresh coat underneath. The clarity 

improved significantly after compounding 

but due to the heavier cut, it required a final 

polish to remove the swirls. We used the 1 

inch rotary for the elegant door line which 

worked perfectly in the tight space.” 

Next was the hardest part of the detail, 

the interior. Dirtied with acorns, feces, 

dust, mold, rodent bungalows and a huge 

nest in the glovebox, The Drive reported. 

Kosilla started by vacuuming the entire 

interior. Next, he steamed the seats, door 

panels, and dashboard. Next, he used a 

small brush and microfiber cloth. He wrote 

in his blog: With the seats looking much 

better, I focused on flushing out the seams 

of the steering wheel and drivers side dash. 

I used the single-hole “sniper” Steamer 

attachment to get into the little nooks and 

crannies then followed up on the worn 

drivers’ pedals. The center console needed 

more attention, so I used Lather with 

a short bristle Interior Brush to clean the 

classic buttons and dials. The old supple 

leather, gleaming metal trim, and tactile 

buttons are from a completely different era 

and one the reasons why I love detailing 

these automotive classics. 

And that aforementioned glove box 

nest? It involved a major undertaking. According 

to Kosilla he opened the glove box 

door with apprehension and encountered 

one of the largest mouse nests he’s ever 

seen in his years of detailing. “I picked up 

the nest piece by piece and recoiled when 

I touched the sopping wet owner’s manual. 

These nests are essentially biohazards 

which is why detailing is a critical part 

of any restoration. If these areas aren’t 

cleaned out thoroughly for an upholsterer 

or mechanic to work, they run the risk of 

getting sick,” Kosilla wrote in his blog. 

Kosilla also spent a lot of time on the 

engine bay, which was also covered in 

mouse droppings, and contained another 

mouse nest. He blew out the engine bay 

with compressed air and then filled a foam 

gun degreaser and cleaned the bay with a 

good scrubbing. 

The next day, he gave the leather interior 

some hydration using two coats 

of interior mousse. “The finishing touch 

was to polish the metal brightwork by 

hand with Flitz and a microfiber towel. 

Although time consuming, the end result 

was worth it as the tactile dials, buttons, 

and switches are part of the Lincoln’s 

charm,” wrote Kosilla. 

Because of the acreage of paint, chrome, 

and aluminum trim, he wrote, he decided to 

perform another wash prior to the coating 

step. He also cleaned up the white convertible 

top and coated the Spanish Red Paint 

with a single stage paint. While the car 

Before 

After 


cured, he cleaned the windshield and windows 

and then restored the tires. 

The entire detail took four days to complete. 

The work was arduous, but the payoff 

was seeing Mr. Zlotnick’s face when he was 

presented with the newly-restored vehicle. 

The detailing job took about four days 

to complete. The work was arduous, but the 

payoff was seeing Mr. Zlotnick’s face when 

he was presented with the newly-restored 

vehicle. Kosilla wrote: The brothers threw 

a clean car cover on the Continental in 

preparation for the big reveal. Mike and Mr. 

Z arrived at the AMMO Studio and Mr. Z 

couldn’t believe his eyes when he walked in 

the door. The brothers all rushed downstairs 

to greet their dad and pull off the cover. It 

was all hugs and smiles as Mr. Z circled 

around the Lincoln he hadn’t seen in almost 

30 years. He recounted some great stories 

of the vehicle and told some hilarious jokes 

(the kind only pops can get away with). All 

in all, it was a resounding success and Mr. Z 

was already making phone calls to continue 

the restoration. 

Join Today & Get Involved! 

The-IDA.com 

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DETAIL 

DOCTOR 

The Ultimate Quiz. 

Can you pass the test? 

While you think you have a passion for owning and operating a business, 

do you have the necessary technical and business knowledge? 

By Bud Abraham 

buda@detailplus.com 

There are many detail business owners 

who have a real passion for the industry, 

which is wonderful. But that passion 

cannot be enough if there is an absence 

of knowledge. 

Consider gardening, for example. 

Prior to planting each type of plant, you 

read the guidelines to make sure you are 

not planting the bulbs too deep. You 

determine the correct type of fertilizer, 

how much water and light the plant 

needs, and whether the plant will resist 

frost. Put simply, it is great to have a passion 

for gardening, but it’s the time the 

gardener invests in building knowledge 

that will make the plant grow. 

How you operate your detail business 

is no different, and passion and knowledge 

must be combined in order for 

you to succeed and grow. That passion 

should also be put into obtaining knowledge, 

skills and experience. Too many 

detailers put up a great front, but don’t 

understand even the most basic things 

about the processes they should perform 

with consistently high quality. 

For example, try quizzing yourself 

with the following questions to see if you 

really have what it takes. 

BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE QUIZ 

Even if you have all the technical knowledge, 

do you have the knowledge that it 

takes to set up and operate a successful detail 

business? 

Review these questions and honestly 

answer if you can say yes to all of them, 

some of them or few of them. Your business 

knowledge is critical if you are to succeed 

for the long term in the business of detailing. 

• Do you know how to negotiate a 

lease for a fixed location? 

• Do you know the various business 

structures you can use to set up your 

company? Do you know the difference 

between a sole proprietorship, 

partnership, corporation, either a C or S, 

LLC? Do you know the advantages and 

disadvantages of each? 

• Do you know how to do a trademark 

or service mark search to determine 

if someone else is using the name 

you have chosen? Why is the search 

important to do? 

• Do you know the difference between 

filing an assumed business name and a 

corporate registration? 

• Do you know what type of insurance 

to get and what coverages? 

• Do you know that you must have 

Workers Compensation Insurance if you 

have employees? And, do you know 

how to purchase it at the best rates? 

• Do you know why the IRS and 

Departments of Labor do not recognize 

detail employees as contract laborers? 

• Do you know how to determine your prices? 

• Do you know how to calculate an hourly 

service rate for your detail services? 

• Do you know how to read a Profit and 

Loss Statement? Why is that important? 

• Do you know how to read a Balance 

Sheet and why that is important? 

• Do you know how to selectively 

search, interview, train and motivate 

and monitor employees? 

• How to cover yourself if an 

employee(s) quit on you? 

• Do you have a Business Plan? Do you 

know how to develop one and use it? 

• Do you understand Marketing and 

why it is important for your business? 


marketing and advertising? 

• Do you know how to use Public 

Relations to promote your business? 


DETAILING KNOWLEDGE QUIZ 

• What do you know about the 

differences between gasoline and diesel 

engines, as they concern pressure 

washing? 

• What about the differences between 

engines with distributors and those with 

electric ignitions? 

• What are paint protection products? 

What are waxes, paint sealants, fast 

waxes, and express waxes, ceramic 

coatings and why do you need them all? 

• Do paint protection products last for 

one year, two years, or three years? 

• What is the difference between velour 

and other types of fabric upholstery? 

• Do you know the different types of 

leather? Can you tell the difference 

between protected, aniline, nubuck and 

suede? 

• Do you know how to remove all 

different types of stains that can be 

encountered in an auto interior, such as 

red dyes, tannins, grease, protein, and 

urine? 

• How can you remove odors from 

interiors? 


lacquer and enamel paints, and does it 

make a difference? 

• What type of dressing should you use 

on an engine – solvent or water based? 


single stage and clear coat paint 

finishes? Can you tell the difference? 

• What is a tri-coat? A tinted clear coat? 

Does the difference matter? 

• Can you identify paint finish 

problems? Do you know which ones you 

can correct, and to what extent? 

• How many types of paint finishing 

compounds are there? Which should 

you use on clear coats or single stage 

paint finishes? 

• What is a swirl remover? A polish? Do 

you need both? 

• Does a ceramic coating really last for 

3, 4 or 5 years or more? 

• What is clay, as it pertains to 

detailing? 

• Did you know some wheels are clear 

coated? Why? 

• How can you tell the difference 

between a wheel that is clear coated 

and one that is not? Do you clean them 

differently? 

• Do you know the dangers of using 

solvent-based dressings on tires? 

• Can you use a brush or extractor to 

clean headliners? 

• What type of material is automotive 

carpet made from? Does it matter? 

• What type of material is fabric 

upholstery made from? 

• What can you do and not do when 

cleaning leather? 

• Can you put dressings on leather? If 

yes, can you use solvent or water based? 

• What is the difference between readyto-use 

glass cleaner and high-dilution 

glass cleaner? 

• Did you know that interior glass is 

often difficult to clean because of an oil 

film on the surface? Where does it come 

from? 

• Should you spray cleaners on 

dashboards and door panels and 

allow them to dwell longer to get more 

effective cleaning? 

• What is wicking? What is re-soiling? 

• How should you clean carpets? With 

an extractor? With a vacuum? With a 

scrub brush? Why are there so many 

methods and which one is best? 

• What is ozone? 

How does it work? 

• What are foggers? 

How do they work? 

• What about special problems, 

like rail dust or acid rain? 

What are the procedures for 

dealing with these problems? 

• Do you know how often to tell 

customers to wash their vehicles? 

Should they use a cloth or touchless 

automatic, or wash their cars by hand? 

• What are fabric protectants? 

How do they work and how long 

do they last? 

Both the technical and business questions 

presented here should help you gauge 

how effectively your passion for owning 

and operating a business that offers detailing 

services matches up with your actual 

knowledge. Remember, a smart person 

“knows what they don’t know.” 

Too often, salespeople will bombard 

customers with information about the 

capabilities of their products. Sometimes 

this information is misleading, and other 

times it is downright false. If you don’t 

know what you don’t know, you are at the 

mercy of these salespeople. If you don’t 

have your own base of knowledge against 

which you can compare information from 

these salespeople, you’ll never be able to 

tell fact from fiction. 

The business of detailing is your selected 

trade, so spend more time getting to know it. 

You may always have the passion for detailing, 

but without the knowledge your business 

will never reach its full potential. 

If I can help you answer any of these 

questions let me know: buda@detailplus. 

com or (503)-816-7304. 

Bud Abraham is Founder and President Emeritus of DETAIL PLUS Car Appearance Systems, with more than 40 years of 

experience in the car care industry as a manufacturer, operator, distributor and consultant. He writes articles and gives 

seminars on the subject of auto detailing throughout the automotive industry. He can be reached at buda@detailplus.com. 


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