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CONTENTS 

Dr. Detail ............... 4 

Fill in the Blank ... # 

Poll ......................... # 

Modern 

Detailing ................ # 

IDA column .......... # 

Industry Dirt ........ # 

Business 

Spotlight ................ # 

SAFETY TIP 

New OSHA Training 

Centers now available 

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational 

Safety and Health Administration 

announced the addition of a new 

organization to its OSHA Training Institute 

Education Center network and the 

renewal of 25 existing education centers. 

OTI Education Centers are non-profit 

organizations that offer training courses 

on OSHA standards and occupational 

safety and health topics to workers and 

employers across the country. 

Since 1992, the OTI Education Center 

program has provided training nationwide 

to private sector and federal 

personnel from agencies outside OSHA 

and trained more than 42,000 people in 

fiscal year 2022. 

The centers also help administer OS- 

HA's Outreach Training Program and 

fulfill the program's monitoring requirements. 

They are the sole distribution 

channel for Outreach Training Program 

trainer courses, including OSHA standards 

and update courses. The program 

trained more than three million people 

from fiscal 2020 through fiscal 2022. 

This voluntary program is not a training 

requirement of any OSHA standard. 

Following a national competition, the 

new and renewed OTI Education Centers 

were announced on April 18, 2022. 

The competition evaluated applicants on 

organizational commitment, experience 

and qualifications; staff experience and 

QUICK 

TIPS 

qualifications; location and training facilities; 

marketing and administrative capabilities; 

Diversity Equity Inclusion and 

Accessibility; and language accessibility. 

OSHA does not fund OTI Education 

Centers. The centers are supported 

through established tuition and fee structures 

and provide instructors and facilities. 

For more information on the OTI Education 

Centers Program, the Outreach 

Training Program, and the Office of Training 

and Education, please visit the OSHA 

Training webpage at OSHA.gov 

The new and renewed OTI Education 

Centers are listed below. An asterisk indicates 

the new center for 2022: 

Looking ahead 

to MTE .................... # 

Cover Story ............ # 

Vol. 7, No. 4 | WINTER 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. 

REGION I 

• Keene State College – Manchester, NH 

REGION II 

• Atlantic OSHA Training Center, a 

consortium that includes Rutgers 

School of Public Health – Somerset, NJ 

(lead organization); Universidad Ana G. 

Mendez – Bayamon, PR; and University 

at Buffalo – Buffalo, NY 

• Rochester Institute of Technology – 

Rochester, NY 

REGION III 

• National Resource Center, a consortium 

that includes West Virginia University 

– Morgantown, WV (lead organization); 

and CPWR – Center for Construction 

Research & Training – Silver Spring, MD 

• Mid Atlantic, a consortium comprised 

that includes Chesapeake Region Safety 

Council – Baltimore, MD (lead organization); 

and Northampton Community 

College – Bethlehem, PA 

REGION IV 

• Eastern Kentucky University – Richmond, 

KY 

• University of South Florida – Wesley 

Chapel, FL 

• Georgia Institute of Technology – 

Atlanta, GA 

• Southeastern OTI Education Center, a 

consortium that includes North Carolina 

State University – Raleigh, NC (lead organization); 

and University of Tennessee 

– Nashville, TN 

• The University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa, AL 

• Volunteer State Community College - 

Gallatin, TN 

REGION V 

• Mid-America OTI Education Center, a 

consortium that includes Ohio Valley 

Construction Education Foundation – 

Springboro, OH 

• Great Lakes OSHA Education Center, a 

consortium that includes University of 

Cincinnati, College of Medicine – Cincinnati, 

OH (lead organization); Eastern 

Michigan University – Ypsilanti, MI; and 

UAW Health & Safety Department – 

Detroit, MI 

• National Safety Education Center, a 

consortium that includes Northern 

Illinois University – DeKalb, IL (lead 

organization); and Construction Safety 

Council – Hillside, IL 

REGION VI 

• Texas A&M University Engineering 

Extension (TEEX) – College Station, TX 

• University of Texas at Arlington – Arlington, 

TX 

• Mid-South OTI Education Center, a 

consortium that includes Alliance Safety 

Council – Baton Rouge, LA (lead organization); 

and Louisiana State University 

– Baton Rouge, LA 

• Oklahoma State University – 

Stillwater, OK 

REGION VII 

• Great Plains OSHA Education Center, a 

consortium that includes Metropolitan 

Community College – Independence, 

MO (lead organization); Barton County 

Community College – Grandview Plaza, 

KS; and Saint Louis University College 

for Public Health & Social Justice – St. 

Louis, MO 

REGION VIII 

• Mountain West OSHA Education Center 

– Salt Lake City, UT 

• *Construction Education Foundation – 

Denver, CO 

REGION IX 

• University of California, San Diego – 

La Jolla, CA 

• Arizona State University – Tempe, AZ 

• California State University, Dominguez 

Hills – Carson, CA 

• Chabot-Las Positas – Pleasanton, CA 

REGION X 

• University of Washington – Seattle, WA 

• For information on the geographic areas 

served by OSHA’s Regional Offices, visit 

https://www.osha.gov/contactus/bystate. 

VOL. 7, NO.4 • WINTER 2022 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | 3

FINANCIAL TIP 

What is the 504 loan program? 

The CDC/504 Loan Program provides 

long-term, fixed rate financing for 

major fixed assets that promote business 

growth and job creation. 

504 loans are available through 

Certified Development Companies 

(CDCs), the Small Business Administration’s 

(SBA) community-based partners 

who regulate nonprofits and promote 

economic development within 

their communities. CDCs are certified 

and regulated by the SBA. 

The maximum loan amount for a 

504 loan is $5 million. For certain energy 

projects, the borrower can receive 

a 504 loan for up to $5.5 million per 

project, for up to three projects not to 

exceed $16.5 million total. 

ARE YOU ELIGIBLE? 

To be eligible for a 504 loan, your 

business must: 

• Operate as a for-profit company in the 

United States or its possessions 

• Have a tangible net worth of less 

than $15 million 

• Have an average net income of less 

than $5 million after federal income 

taxes for the two years preceding 

your application 

Other general eligibility standards include 

falling within SBA size guidelines, 

having qualified management expertise, 

a feasible business plan, good character 

and the ability to repay the loan. 

Loans cannot be made to businesses 

engaged in nonprofit, passive, or 

speculative activities. For additional 

information on eligibility criteria and 

loan application requirements, small 

businesses and lenders are encouraged 

to contact a Certified Development 

Company in their area. 

How to use a 504 loan 

A 504 loan can be used for a range 

of assets that promote business growth 

and job creation. These include the 

purchase or construction of: 

• Existing buildings or land 

• New facilities 

• Long-term machinery and equipment 

Or the improvement or 

modernization of: 

• Land, streets, utilities, parking lots and 

landscaping 

• Existing facilities 

A 504 loan cannot be used for: 

• Working capital or inventory 

• Consolidating, repaying or refinancing 

debt 

• Speculation or investment in rental real 

estate 

HOW TO APPLY 

504 loans are available exclusively 

through Certified Development Companies 

(CDCs). First, find a CDC in 

your area to ensure you are dealing 

with a qualified lender. 

Then begin to prepare and assemble 

your 504 loan authorization package, 

using the 504 Authorization File Library 

at sba.gov to identify the documentation 

you will need to apply for 

your 504 CDC loan. 

HOW DO YOU PAY BACK 

A 504 LOAN? 

Loan repayment terms vary according 

to several factors: 

Repayment terms 

• Both 10- and 20-year maturity terms 

available 

Interest rates 

• Pegged to an increment above the 

current market rate for 5-year and 10- 

year U.S. Treasury issues 

• Totals approximately 3% of the debt, 

rate may be financed with the loan 

Existing borrowers can create an account 

in the SBA Capital Access Financial 

System (or CAFS) to monitor their 

loan status. 

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

0000 Malco Auto Detailing News Sept Ad 2022.indd 1 8/2/2022 2:19:59 PM

DETAIL 

DOCTOR 

This land 

is my land, 

and their land 

Everything you need to know 

when it comes to leasing 

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. 

By Bud Abraham 

buda@detailplus.com 

With the detail business improving 

and more revenues being generated by 

liquid glass coatings many detail business 

owners are either looking for a 

larger business property space or mobile 

detailers are looking for a place to call 

‘home.’ That being the case, it’s important 

that you understand your rights as 

a lessee, as well as the responsibilities of 

the landlord. Gaining this understanding 

begins from the moment you find a particular 

property and begin negotiations. 

To not get ‘burned’ with a lease in which 

you will have to live with for 4 to 5 years 

it is important you know the fine points 

of leasing. 

Most of all commercial leases are 

similar in nature whether it’s for a detail 

operation or for a convenience store. 

And, regardless of how much you think 

you know, it’s crucial to hire an experienced 

real-estate attorney to advise you 

before negotiating and closing any deal. 

Note any red flags you see with a socalled 

experienced real estate attorney. If 

an attorney is inexperienced, they’ll ‘hyper-focus’ 

on one issue and miss something 

more important. They might get 

wrapped up in some little thing and won’t 

address, for example, a relocation clause. 

Also, make sure he or she is specifically a 

real estate attorney. You can contact your 

state’s Bar Association to make sure they 

are a qualified candidate hire. 

IS DETAILING 

ALLOWED? 

Most commercial leases will have 

property use restrictions, and often a 

detail business might include an activity 

that is listed as restricted. So, you’ve got 

to make sure a proposed lease allows detail 

businesses at the site. You must also 

disclose you will be washing vehicles and 

cleaning greasy engines, or this could 

come back and be a big problem later 

on and eventually forcing you to relocate. 

You will want to make sure the site 

has a wash bay or area with a grease trap 

and a connection to the sanitary sewer. 

If it does not, this is something you 

can negotiate with the landlord to install 

for both his and your protection. 

WEIGHING THE 

TERMS 

The monthly rent amount has to near 

the top when it comes to weighing the 

various commercial lease terms. Another 

is the impact fee, which is a one-time 

charge that can be exorbitant for detail 

businesses, depending on which state or 

city you’re looking to locate in. Also, a 

lease length and the options to renew are 

right up there, too, in terms of priorities. 

If I were you, I would want is a fiveyear 

lease with a five-year option (to renew). 

When a tenant has an option in 

their lease, it’s completely one-sided. It 

only benefits the tenant. It never benefits 

the landlord. When you have an option, 

all you have to do is say, ‘I’m exercising 

my option’ and you stay. But, if the (rental) 

market goes south, you can choose 

not to exercise your option and then 

renegotiate a lower rent. If and when 

you’re a tenant, you have to fight for as 

many options as you can. 

Also, negotiate for a period of time 

to complete any buildout needed before 

you open your detail business. 

If you get 30 to 60 days for buildout 

and 30 days free rent, why not ask for a 

total of 90 days? If you get the buildout 

done sooner, you don’t have to start paying 

any rent. I would say, ‘Mr. Landlord, 

the reason to do that is it gets me motivated 

to push the contractor to get done 

by working nights and weekends.’ Landlords 

want tenants’ businesses opened as 

fast as possible. 


DETAIL DOCTOR 

When it’s time to retire 

The ability to assign a lease or to sublet is important if there’s a possibility 

that the business owner may want to sell the business or pass on the 

business to a family member. 

THE MEANING OF 

‘EXCLUSIVE USE’ 

Always ask for exclusive use, meaning 

there cannot be another car wash or 

detail business on the property, say if it 

is a strip mall or a commercial property 

lot full of various business. Also ask for 

a lease structure that includes monetary 

default rather than non-monetary. For 

example, if an accident happens and you 

don’t pay your rent one month, make 

sure you have the right to cure (that) … 

if I were a tenant, I would want it so that 

a non-monetary default could not lead to 

them taking the space back.” It could be 

that fellow tenants complain about excessive 

noise coming from your business due 

to buffers and/or vacuums, or you place 

signs in your windows that aren’t permitted, 

“(the landlord) can default you but it 

doesn’t mean they can evict you. 

Regarding signage, ask if your business 

name can be included in the center’s pylon 

or monument sign for greater visibility. 

And seek to have parking spaces nearest 

your business entrance/exit designated for 

your customers’ use only, as needed. 

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Whenever there is a disagreement 

with your landlord, always pay your rent 

on time, no matter what. 

Some tenants think, ‘I’m going to 

withhold my rent and send a message! 

That will show ‘em!’ No, you won’t. Instead, 

you’re going to lose all your power. 

Instead, pay your rent, then fight. 

Communicating with the landlord 

beyond mailing or dropping off the rent 

check each month can have its benefits. 

All healthy relationships have boundaries, 

and a business contractual agreement 

is no different. 

If you have the ability to have a cup of 

coffee with your landlord once a year, that’s 

pretty helpful. First off, it humanizes your 

business relationship. You know you’re 

dealing with (this person) vs. ‘the big, bad 

landlord.’ You also get to know them a little 

bit better, and it’s also good for them 

to have a sense of how your business is 

doing. 

CHEAPER PROPERTY 

COMES AT A COST 

The more knowledgeable the 

tenant, the better the tenant, and part 

of developing this knowledge base is establishing 

realistic tenancy expectations 

based on the age and condition of the 

property you want to lease. 

If you go into a 30-year-old auto service 

mall with no anchor (tenant) and 

you’re paying cheap rent, you should 

have a low expectation of what your 

landlord’s going to do. There’s not a lot 

of money to do things, as opposed to 

a brand-new, high-end property. Have 

clarity about what you expect them to 

do and not do. 

IF YOU HAVE 

TO MOVE ON 

Relocation would likely be difficult 

and costly for the you and owner leasing 

their property. So, what can a new 

owner do to protect the business against 

the prospect of relocation? 

Have the lease spell out what would 

happen if the business were to be relocated. 

For instance, it could only be 

moved to a similar spot (if the detail shop 

is located on one end of a strip mall, or it 

could be moved to the other end but not 

somewhere in the middle, for example). 

And be sure to put in the agreement 

that it’s all on the landlord’s dime if you 

have to relocate. The landlord has to pay 

for the relocation costs, and the space has 

to be provided with all impact fees paid. 

You need to detail all of this out so that everyone 

knows who is responsible for what. 

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE 

FOR WHAT? 

Common area maintenance (CAM) 

fees are paid by tenants to landlords to 

help cover costs associated with common-area 

overhead and operating expenses, 

such as removing snow from the 

parking lot or maintaining building security 

and landscaping. While most leases 

clearly spell out these fees, many tenants 

re surprised by them when their first 

rental payment is due. 

You need to know exactly what the 

dollar amount it is you’re writing out at 

the end of the month. Whether it’s triple 

net, whatever it is, with sales tax, what 

is the exact dollar amount? Fully understanding 

what (that covers) is absolutely 

key. Have an itemized list on your agreement 

so you’re not shocked when you’re 

paying a large fee for snow removal in a 

state with little to no snow, for example. 

Also, look around at the landscaping efforts 

on the property. If you have to pay 

for the maintenance of a few sad looking 

grassy areas, is it even worth it? 

There’s a lot to know about leasing. 

You as a detail business owner have the 

opportunity to negotiate a unique agreement 

that’s beneficial to you and future 

of your business. Look for red flags with 

a potential real estate attorney and with 

a landlord and choose wisely before you 

agree to anything. 

And remember, if you can’t agree on a 

deal on your first choice for a site, there’s 

more than likely another suitable property 

right down the road that’s more than 

fit to lease. If I can help you answer any 

questions or concerns, feel free to reach 

6 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 7, NO. 4 • WINTER 2022

Tales from ... 

beyond the Cringe! 

Poor SteadyEddy! 

Carwash.com forum user, who goes 

by SteadyEddy, recently shared the 

following pictures under the thread: 

The most disgusting thing I ever saw in 

a customer's car was (fill in the blank). 

Can any of you relate? Feel free to share 

your own pictures by visiting www.carwashforum.com/forums/detailing.10 

“Customer used the entire car as an ash tray and mobile garbage can. 

Half-eaten chicken wings, and mold of every color was imbedded into 

the back seat floors. Had to use a 3M respirator to stop from puking.” 

Other responses: 

… the customer ... 

- Dirt 

A couple of months ago, a customer wanted us to clean maggots out of their car but they never showed 

up for the detail. They had left a full chicken in the trunk for a month and it obviously, went very bad 

- Patkelly1336 


IDA 

CORNER 

Learn the Ins and Outs 

of the IDA Certification Program 

New Initiative Honors Two Industry Legends and 

Supports Future Detailing Professionals 

By Erin Reyes, 

IDA Communications Coordinator 

The first International Detailing Association 

(IDA) Certified Detailer was 

designated in June 2011. In the 11 years 

since, more than 3,200 detailers around 

the world have earned their certification. 

Currently, there are more than 1,500 active 

Certified Detailers across the globe, 

including more than 500 located outside 

of the United States. Keep reading to 

learn more about what IDA Certification 

is, how to become a Certified Detailer 

and maintain your certification, and all 

the exciting ways the IDA Certification 

Program continues to grow globally! 

What is IDA 

Certification? 

The IDA Certification Program is a 

culmination of the cooperative efforts 

of industry leaders specializing in the 

detailing industry. The multi-phased 

program evaluates a detailer’s technical 

knowledge and proficiency. Successful 

completion of the first phase (Phase I), 

consisting of 10 written exams, grants 

the detailer the title of IDA Certified 

Detailer (CD). Subsequently, successful 

completion of a higher-level second 

phase (Phase II), consisting of hands-on 

assessments, awards the detailer the title 

of IDA Certified Detailer, Skills Validated 

(CD-SV). The Certified Detailer and 

Skills Validated designations are a great 


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achievement that demonstrate a basic 

mastery of the knowledge and applied 

skills needed by the detailing professional. 

Certified Detailers have not only 

demonstrated competency, but they have 

also shown determination and commitment 

in completing the certification 

process. The pride of earning these designations 

places a detailing professional 

among a group at the top of their profession. 

Consumers can have confidence in 

the quality of service they are receiving 

when working with a Certified Detailer. 

Phase I in the IDA Certification process 

consists of 10 exams, in these subject 

areas: Equipment, Chemicals, Glass, Interior 

Detailing, Leather, Paint Correction 

& Protection, Wheels & Tires, Prep 

Wash/Wash Bay, Detailing Terminology, 

and Safety & Compliance. Phase II 

is for those who have successfully completed 

Phase I, and it represents the four 

primary categories that each candidate 

must demonstrate their “hands on” ability 

to perform: Wash Bay/Prep, Interior, 

Exterior Correction, and Finishing 

Steps. Phase II testing demonstrates 

hands-on skills and consists of in-person 

testing conducted by an IDA Recognized 

Independent Trainer (RIT) in a 

scenario-type format, which affords the 

detailer the opportunity to demonstrate 

the abilities expected of the advanced 

detailing professional. 

How Can Detailers 

Become IDA 

Certified? 

There are currently two paths available 

to become a Certified Detailer: 1) 

taking the Phase I exams online or 2) attending 

an in-person event hosted by an 

RIT and taking the exams onsite. Each 

of the 10 exams must be passed with 

a score of 80% or higher. The online 

exams can be completed anytime, anywhere, 

as long as the detailer has access 

to the internet. This makes it easy for 

anyone around the world to take the exams 

when it is most convenient for them. 

The IDA recognizes, though, that 

just because the exams have been available 

to anyone, that does not mean they 

have been accessible to everyone – primarily 

due to language barriers. Until 

now, the online 

exams have only been available in 

English, using U.S. terminology. Of 

course, as an international organization, 

many of the IDA’s members are 

non-native English speakers, and thus 

inherently are at a disadvantage when 

taking the exams in English. Only onethird 

of the current Certified Detailers 

are international. As the IDA continues 

to increase its global presence, it is vital 

to make the exams as accessible to as 

many international detailers as possible. 

With that in mind, the IDA is currently 

working to offer the exams in five additional 

languages: Dutch, French, Italian, 

Portuguese, and Spanish, along with an 

English version using U.K. terminology. 

The aim is to have these translations all 

available online by the end of 2022 or 

early 2023. Looking to the future, the 

IDA anticipates the need to offer the exams 

in many more languages to correspond 

with continued global growth and 

will continue to make them available on 

the IDA website. 

Since hands-on Skills Validated exams 

can currently only be administered 

in person by a Recognized Independent 

Trainer, it is a bit more challenging for 

detailers outside the U.S. or U.K. to earn 

the SV designation. There are currently 

804 Skills Validated Detailers worldwide, 

with just over a quarter of them 

located outside the United States and 

United Kingdom. This closely correlates 

with the current make-up of RITs: out 

of the 50 active RITs, less than onefourth 

of them are in countries outside 

the U.S. and U.K. The IDA knows that 

an increase in RITs outside of these two 

locations will result in an increase in 

SV designations, which is why the IDA 

Certification Committee has made it an 


ongoing goal to actively recruit non-U.S. 

trainers to become RITs. Over half of 

the RITs to earn the designation in 2022 

alone have been non-U.S.-based. Their 

efforts have been reflected with certification 

events being held this year for the 

first time in countries such as Bulgaria, 

Poland, the Philippines, Germany (in 

conjunction with Automechanika Frankfurt), 

and Italy (in conjunction with Autopromotec). 

Additionally, in 2021, the IDA established 

Global SV Week – a weeklong 

event during which all RITs around the 

world are encouraged to hold a Skills 

Validation event. During the 2nd annual 

event this year, a total of 24 detailers 

earned their SV designation. 

To further grow the availability of 

SV testing globally, the IDA Certification 

Committee is working to develop alternative 

digital evaluation opportunities, which 

will be announced in the near future. 

What Other IDA 

Certifications Are 

Available? 

Beyond CD and SV, the IDA has also 

recently begun offering specialty certifications 

for detailing professionals who 

demonstrate expertise in certain subspecialties. 

The first of these, Marine Certification 

(CD, MC), was introduced at the 

beginning of 2020. There are five exams 

in the series: Interior & Vinyl Care, Paint 

& Fiberglass, Safety & Environmental, 

Terminology, and Wood Trim, Metal & 

Brightwork. Those who earn the Marine 

Certified designation have exhibited the 

specific knowledge needed to properly care 

for vessels in marine environments, and 

they understand the intricacies that distinguish 

marine detailing from other forms 

of detailing. Just like with Phase I (CD) 

exams, marine exams are offered online or 

at in-person events. The online exams are 

currently available in English and will soon 

be available in Portuguese as well. 

The IDA Certification Committee 

is working with a task force to finalize 

the Motorcycle Certification exams and 

hopes to make them available online by 

early 2023. After that, the committee will 

turn its attention to developing the next 

specialty certification for Recreational 

Vehicles (RVs). 

How Do I Maintain my 

Certification Status? 

Once a detailer is certified, ongoing 

certification maintenance is required 

for Certified Detailers at each level. To 

maintain certification, CDs must complete 

eight hours of detailing-related 

continuing education and pay a recertification 

fee every two years. For Marine 

Certified detailers, two of those eight 

hours must be on topics specifically related 

to marine detailing. This continuing 

education requirement ensures that 

all those holding the title of Certified 

Detailer are keeping up to date with the 

latest detailing skills, tools, and advances 

in technology. 

There are numerous ways to go about 

earning continuing education credits, including 

attending the IDA’s monthly webinar 

series, watching recordings in the 

IDA’s ever-growing webinar library, and 

attending detailing educational sessions 

at tradeshows like Mobile Tech Expo 

or the Southern Detailers Conference. 

Additionally, the IDA will be offering its 

first ever International Education Day 

on February 15, 2023, which will feature 

webinars and educational content 

throughout the day presented in eight 

different languages. 

If you have any questions or are interested 

in learning more about the IDA 

Certification Program, visit the IDA 

website at the-ida.com/Certification or 

send an email to: info@the-ida.com. 

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MTE 

Mobile Tech 

Expo is just 

around 

the corner 

The 2023 Mobile Tech Expo will be 

taking place January 26-28, 2023, 

at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando. 

The keynote address will take place on Thursday, at 4 p.m. and will be given 

by Renny “Make Yourself Unbeatable” Doyle of Detailing Success, as well as 

the popular podcast, The Renny Doyle Podcast. As for educational sessions, 

there are lots being held for professional detailers, including (there are also 

numerous PDR and NAPDRT classes being held and those times and titles 

can be found at mobiletechexpo.com/education/ 

BUSINESS/SALES 

Take Your Sales from Prospect to $$$ 

8 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. 

Presented by: Dann Williams & Damon Gray, Owners 

Pride, and Daryl Lyons, Detail Lex 

You can farm all the leads in the world, but without 

an efficient sales process you won't achieve your 

sales goals. Get tips on the best way to develop a 

sales process that uses everyone's time most efficiently 

and increases the bottom line. 

Attracting More Customers and Closing 

Sales | 9 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. 

Presented by: Greg Natonson and Jason Otterness, Chicago 

Auto Pros Detailing 

The biggest challenge most shops face is how to 

get customers to pick up the phone and inquire 

about services. Greg and Jason will share the marketing 

and sales secrets they used to grow their 

business into a multi-million-dollar enterprise. 

How To Sell Value and Not Your Service 

(En Espanol) | 10 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. 

Presented by: Juan Gonzalez, The Rag Company 

Corino vender valor y no to servicio - La 

clave del exito de cualquier negocio esaprender 

a crear valor. - For the Spanish Speaking 

community, learn how to create value, how 

to approach a potential client, how to rebut 

customer complaints and create a sale. 

Romancing the Sale: Ignite High Tickets and 

Soaring Margins | 11a.m. – 11:45a.m. 

Presented by: Christorpher Racana, Dr. Beasley's 

Selling is Listening. Discover how to determine customers' 

wants, needs and pain points in order to 

make the client's life better and make them a customer 

for life. 

The Secret to Finding, Hiring & Keeping 

Great Employees | 1 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. 

Presented by: Jason Barker, Automotive Profits 

Academy 

There's a secret to finding and hiring your dream 

employees and keeping them motivated and enthusiastic. 

Treasures from this session include how 

to write a help-wanted ad to attract the best applicants, 

how to interview, spot the "bad eggs" and 

hire the real-deal applicants. 

Prioritizing Profits | 2 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. 

Presented by: Marcy and Alex Tran, Clean Car 

Custom Detail 

Accounting makes everyone groan! Find out how 

to cover the fallacy of GAP accounting and flip it 

upside down to change your outlook on budgeting 

and proper self pay. 

Adquiriendo Mas Negocios en la 

Industria Automotriz en Concesionarios 

y Negocios de Segunda Mano (sesion 

bilingue) | 3 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. 

Presented by: Shawn Rowan, Estefano Feliciano, 

Albert Hernandez, Shane Sawyer, Ardex Labs Inc. 

Acquiring More Business in the Retail Automotive 

Industry at Dealerships and Pre-Owned Businesses 

(bilingual session) 

DETAILING – 

POWERED BY IDA 

Reflection Artist Clinic: Getting to Know 

Your Buffing Pads | 8 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. 

Presented by: Mark Elliott and Justin Labato, Buff & 

Shine Mfg. 

How to Train and Keep Staff 

8 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. 

Presented by: Yvan Lacroix, CD-SV, RIT 

In this session participants will learn how to find, 

hire and keep good staff. In today's economy 

it's extremely important to provide exceptional 

training and support for your staff. Training costs 

much more than retention. With a history of 26 

locations and over 100 employees, this was a key 

to our success. 

The Top 10 Must-Have Tools for Starting 

and Running a Detailing Business 

9 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. 

Presented by: Robyn Sweet, AutoGeek 

Here they are, the top 10 tools you need as a detailer. 

Whether you are just getting started or looking 

to be more efficient in the shop, we'll lay out the 

essentials for you. 

Social Media 101: An Intro to Using 

Social Media as a Tool to Grow Your 

Business | 9 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. 

Presented by: Kyle Clark, CD-SV and Sydni Brae 

Gwinn, CD-SV 

Social media platforms can be a useful tool to 

connect one side of the world to the other, in a 

moment's time. Customers can connect with businesses 

in an instant, and their feedback on your 

service can be heard by everyone at a touch of a 

button. Learn how to turn what many people find 

to be intimidating, into one of your most useful marketing 

tools, and a better way to reach new clientele. 

Come listen in on two experts that can tell you 

first-hand how to create content for your business 

on social media, and more importantly, how to get 

that content in front of the right people to help grow 

your detailing business and online presence. 

The Power of Add-On Services 

10 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. 

Presented by: Justin Labato, AutoGeek 

Add revenue to your detailing business. 

Find out how "Add-On Services" on your price 

sheet will grow your business and increase your 

bottom line, and customer loyalty. Get a better idea 

of new products to look for on the MTE Expo floor. 


Learn How to Own a Detailing Business 

That Doesn't Need You 

10 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. 

Presented by: Jim Lafeber, CD-SV, RIT 

You started your business because you wanted 

freedom, yet somewhere along the way, you fell into 

the owner's trap. You started believing that unless 

every single decision goes through you, your business 

will fall apart. So, you spend just about every 

waking moment either working on - or worrying 

about - your business. This session will show you 

how to grow a business that does not need you. 

Discover how to create systems and build a team 

so you can have work-life balance. 

Ask a Pro | 11 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. 

Presented by: Justin Labato, AutoGeek 

Got questions? Want to know how others do it, 

how the pros do it? From business questions to 

marketing, here's your chance to dig in. Topics like 

how to communicate with customers and understanding 

your local market are just a few of the areas 

we'll dig into. 

Why You Need to be a Millionaire 

Detailer, and How to Stop Making 

Excuses | 11 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. 

Presented by: Jason Barker, CD-SV 

Discover this combination of practical tips on how 

to define "successful" in your business, through a 

powerful motivational presentation. Learn how to 

cut through the myriad of distractions and excuses 

that mount against us as we get more successful. 

This session is only for highly motivated people 

who still hold the dream of complete financial 

freedom, and who still want to make a positive difference 

in the world. Get focused on your usually 

abstract goal of "making a lot of money", and also 

gain a new respect for your blue-collar career of car 

detailing. Find out how to filter and brush-off the 

unrealistic claims that we all see online about detailing 

business success. Get the quiet confidence 

to wade through the BS, and how to listen only to 

those people who truly want to help you succeed. 

Learn next-level techniques of visualization from 

someone who has been successfully teaching 

this skill to professional athletes in the NFL, major 

league baseball players, Olympic boxers, people 

struggling with weight loss, and automotive business 

owners for over 20 years. 

Sub-surface Glass Polishing and 

Ceramic Glass Coatings 

1 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. 

Presented by: Mike Phillips, 3D Products 

How to remove wiper marks, swirls, scratches, and 

tiny pits in glass using cerium oxide-based glass 

polish. This class will teach how to safely machine 

polish glass using rotary and orbital polishers. Also 

covered will be how to correctly machine dry sand 

glass for severe below surface defects like deep 

scratches and wiper marks. Plus, how to seal the 

glass with a hydrophobic ceramic coating. 

Machine Dry Sanding to Remove 

Orange Peel | 2 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. 


This class will cover how to correctly machine dry 

sand paint to remove orange peel and other surface 

texture. Also covered is how to correctly use a rotary 

polisher to remove sanding marks and polish out 

swirl-free with an orbital polisher. Plus, how to install 

a ceramic coating. 

How to Increase Your Detailing Revenue, 

Improve Your Cash Flow and Boost Your 

Bottom Line | 2p.m. - 2:45 p.m. 

Presented by: Davy Tyburski, America's Chief Profit 

Officer® 

Quickly discover 7 of the most effective (and easiest 

to implement) profit building strategies for your detailing 

business. This session will provide the blueprint 

to help you generate more SALES and PROF- 

IT right now! These strategies and techniques are 

based on his Top Selling Book, "The Profit Book: 

21 Unique Ways to Increase Sales, Improve Cash 

Flow, and Boost Your Bottom Line!" "As a Shark, 

Davy speaks my language... PROFIT, PROFIT, 

PROFIT!" - Kevin Harrington, Original Shark on 

ABC's Hit TV Show "Shark Tank" 

Extreme Boat Detailing: Machine 

Sanding & Gelcoat Ceramic Coatings 

3 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. 


This class will show how to correctly machine wet 

sand gelcoat to remove deep oxidation followed 

by how to polish to a swirl-free finish and then how 

to correctly install a marine grade ceramic coating. 

Plus, how to educate the owner on proper maintenance 

for the coating. 

An Advanced Stain Removal Process 

3 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. 

Presented by: Tyler F. Cucchi, CD-SV, RIT 

Learn the common and less common stains that 

can be found in a vehicle's interior. Find out how 

to discern between stains separated into TANNIN 

stains, protein-based stains, and other stains. 

Looking at stains from this perspective, learn the 

3- step system needed in order to do a proper job. 

Get the simplest way to sort the stains into organic 

stains or a synthetic stain. Participate in a discussion 

on how to now look at these stains with a simple 

two- step system using activated enzymes and 

a cleaner rather than having to do a 3-steps system 

on every vehicle. 

DIGITAL/MARKETING 

Guide to Successful Growth Marketing 

8 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. 

Presented by: Mary Toledo, Dent Time 

Do you have a plan for growth marketing? Learn 

from a pro how their shop plans for growth through 

expert marketing. 

Your Network is Your Net worth 

9 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. 

Presented by: Kenya Williams, I Shine for You Auto 

Detailing 

Networking is a competitive skill designed to identify 

companies' net worth. This session will introduce 

networking standards, concepts and methods. Discover 

how to gain key information from your current 

clients who share the same passions. Find out how 

to measure your "network" based on your clients’ 

cars, careers, family history and lifestyle. From 

there, you can gain "Net worth" for your business. 

Sell on eBay and Boost your Revenue 

10 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. 

Presented by: Paul Apollonia 

This real time session will teach you how to enhance 

your listings with better descriptions and 

photography, monitor sales to know what's working 

and what's not, and learn how to avoid costly 

mistakes that new eBay sellers make. Bring your 

laptop or tablet, have your eBay account ready for a 

hands-on session which will give your sales a jump! 

Taught by a certified eBay trainer for over 10 years. 

Mastermind Marketing Strategy: 

Without A Website, You Don't Exist! 

1 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. 

Presented by: Karl Stearns, KMS Marketing Solution 

Today's connected consumers have come to expect 

availability of information from businesses they 

wish to deal with. Without a well-designed website, 

the digital world does not know you exist. This 

session will show you simple ways to define your 

"brand", create a logo, and get a website up and 

running at an affordable cost. Yes, you can have 

a good website with a few hours work, without 

spending thousands! 

Mastermind Marketing Strategy: 

Utilizing Digital Marketing to Build 

Business | 2 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. 

Presented by: Karl Stearns, 

KMS Marketing Solutions 

Gaining and retaining customers is the 

lifeblood of your business. Digital marketing: 

Social media, video, email and now SMS marketing 

are vital tools in your arsenal. This session 

will cover some of what is available and show 

you how to build your marketing strategy around 

tools that work. 

Edit TikTok Like A Pro | 3 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. 

Presented by: Myke Toledo, Dent Time 

Not a lecture, but a hands-on course! Bring your 

iPad or your laptop and learn to use the fastest 

growing social media platform for businesses. 

LEARNING TOOLS 

How to Make $250k Yearly with 

Diamond Clear | 8 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. 

Presented by: Jonathan Garrett, Paint Pros LLC 

How to apply Diamond Clear. How to gain dealership 

accounts with Diamond Clear. 

Angelwax Coatings Experience 

9 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. 

Presented by: Rick van der Lee 

From creation to application on paint, a step-bystep 

journey with chemist John Hogg also known 

as Evil Genius, and trainer Rain Albertson 

Be Found, Get Noticed and Generate 

Leads (Detailing) | 11a.m. - 11:45a.m. 

Presented by: Zack Kessle 

For auto Detailers, by Pushin PDR & Detailing / YPC 

Media 

PADS, POLISHING 

AND PROFITS 

Wet/Dry Sanding to a Perfect Gloss in 

Easy Steps | 1 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. 

Presented by: Kelly Harris, 

Lake Country Manufacturing 

Manufacturing. Discover the insider knowledge for 

mastering wet sanding to polishing to perfection. 

Become a Production Detail One-Step 

Master - One Machine and One Pad 

2 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. 

Presented by: Kelly Harris, 

Lake Country Manufacturing 

Top tips to get the most for a single pad and motion 

choice. Find out which motion and pad are best for 

each and every situation. 

TECHNOLOGY/PRODUCT 

TALKS 

Leather Color Mixing | 8a.m. - 8:45a.m. 

Presented by: Lars Pickhardt, 

Lederzentrum GmbH-Colourlock 

Basics, knowledge and simple tricks and tips. 

Microfiber 101 | 9 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. 

Presented by: Levi Gates, The Rag Company 

Compare the differences in various microfiber towels 

and their uses. This overlooked tool will help 

take your detailing to the next level. 

Paint Chip Repair - Added Revenue 

Source for the Entire Industry 

10 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. 

Presented by: Tony Pando, Dr. Colorchip 

Whether you are a detailer or a PDR tech, join this 

session to discover paint chip repair, how to add 

this service to your business and monetize it. 

Vegan Leather? Now What? 

11 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. 

Presented by: Lars Pickhardt, 

Lederzentrum GmbH-Colourlock 

What is Vegan Leather, how is it recognized, how 

can it be cleaned, protected and repaired? Discover 

the next hot product on the market and how you 

can become an expert. 

Introduction to PCR - Paintless 

Clearcoat Repair | 1 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. 

Presented by: Ryan Kaye, RestorFX Automotive 

PCR is the fastest-growing reconditioning service 

in the business. Find out how this is changing the 

way the industry is looking at the restoration and 

reconditioning of automotive clear coat. 

Introduction to Paint Protection 

2 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. 

Presented by: Ricky Parker, Maxpro Film 

What is paint protection and how can you make it 

a bottom-line booster? At this session from Maxpro 

Film you'll find out the benefits as well as a handson 

demonstration, so you can make a profit in your 

business. 

Introduction to Window Tint 

3 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. 

Presented by: Ricky Parker, Maxpro Film 

Using Maxpro Window Films catch all the tips on 

how to promote, market and get all the benefits of 

Window Tinting. This hands-on session will give 

you another profit center to consider in growing 

your business. 


2023 

CALENDAR 

OF EVENTS 

*All events are subject to changes 

due to current circumstances. 

Jan 15-17, 2023 

7th Women in 

Carwash Conference 

B Ocean Resort 

Fort Lauderdale, Florida 

Jan 26-28, 2023 

Mobile Tech Expo 

Orlando, Florida 

Rosen Shingle Creek Resort 

Feb 22-24, 2023 

Southwest Car 

Wash Association’s 

Convention & Expo 

Fort Worth Convention Center 

Fort Worth, Texas 

May 8-10, 2023 

2023 ICA Car Wash Show 

Las Vegas Convention Center 

Las Vegas, Nevada 

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 

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 with a 

day dedicated to learning 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. That 

day, held November 15 was sold out. On 

November 16, the warehouse opened its 

doors for attendees to visit with vendor 

booths, win thousands of dollars worth of 

door prizes, attend more classes and enjoy 

a delicious lunch by Harvey’s BBQ. 

INDUSTRY 

NEWS 

The last Expo was took place back 

in 2018, and with its tradition of being 

held every years, the pandemic thwarted 

the 2020 Expo. However, the company 

did hold a Virtual Expo featuring Master 

Classes from its top vendors for the 

carwashing and detailinging. industry. 

Resuming it’s biennial timetable, the next 

show is scheduled to take place in 2024. 


INDUSTRY NEWS 

Auto Detailing 360 partners with Ceramic Pro Americas 

Auto Detailing 360 announced on 

November 29 the launch of Ceramic Pro 

Elite Grand Junction. According to a press 

release, “In 2022 Auto Detailing 360 began 

its affiliation with Ceramic Pro Americas 

and recently became a flagship location 

of their new Elite Dealer Program.” 

Justin Krauss, Managing Member of 

Auto Detailing 360 

Since its opening, Ceramic Pro Elite 

Grand Junction has been the choice of 

residents in the Western Slope cities of 

Fruita, Palisade, Moab, Utah, Montrose, 

and other towns in Mesa County. As an 

exclusive Ceramic Pro Elite Dealer, this 

upscale auto salon in Grand Junction installs 

the full complement of Ceramic Pro 

nano coatings and KAVACA Paint Protection 

Film and Window Tint solutions. 

The primary objective of the Ceramic 

Pro Elite Dealer program is to create a 

unified series of professional auto spas that 

makes the buying process seamless and 

enjoyable while building relationships for 

years to come. 

Elite Dealers offer Ceramic Pro's exclusive 

protective products, including Ceramic 

Pro ION Ceramic Coatings, KA- 

VACA Ultimate IR Window Film, and the 

new Ultimate Armor complete exterior 

vehicle protection program – the world's 

first-lifetime warranty for exterior vehicle 

protection. Ceramic Pro Elite Grand 

Junction was one of the first locations to 

offer the Ultimate Armor package and is 

onboarding Ceramic Pro ION currently. 

"The Grand Junction area is growing, 

but the options for auto detailing, ceramic 

coatings, and paint protection films have not 

grown nearly as fast," noted Justin Krauss, 

Managing Member of Auto Detailing 360. 

"While Grand Junction, Delta, Montrose, 

and even Moab have a Plethora 

of local detail companies and mobile detailing 

companies, there was not a single 

Ceramic Pro Elite dealer this side of Glenwood 

Springs. By partnering with Ceramic 

Pro, we can offer services that carry legitimate 

warranties backed nationwide," 

Krauss concluded. 

Ceramic Pro Elite Grand Junction is a 

collaborative effort between Justin Krauss 

and Jeremy Jolley. These two represent the 

company's owners and are both members 

of the International Detailing Association. 

Krauss, the company's Managing Member, 

focuses on customer satisfaction, sales, 

marketing, and the website. At the same 

time, Jolley is the head of the technical 

team and focuses on product application, 

detailing, and shop management. 

"While a nice facility and good staff 

are important, what is truly powerful 

about Elite Dealers such as Ceramic Pro 

Elite Grand Junction is that they are part 

of an exclusive network that ensures that 

all future services will be provided at the 

same level, in all of North America," stated 

Brett Benito, CEO of Ceramic Pro. 

Benito concluded, "People move, vehicles 

are sold, and those owners move. Since 

all Ceramic Pro warranties are assigned to 

the VIN and documented on Carfax, the 

transferable warranty, provided through a 

Ceramic Pro Elite Dealer, ensures that the 

customer can have the peace of mind that 

their vehicle is truly covered throughout 

North America." 

Ceramic Pro Elite Grand Junction offers 

its services to customers from Rifle, Co 

to Moab, UT, and from Grand Junction 

to Montrose and some of the neighboring 

mountain communities. When asked 

about the large footprint, Krauss responded, 

"We are worth the drive." 

Please visit our website to learn about 

Ceramic Pro Elite Grand Junction, review 

our services, or book a consultation. 

Southeastern Car Wash Association Joins The Car Wash Show 

The International Carwash Association 

(ICA) announced that Southeastern 

Car Wash Association (SECWA) will become 

a co-marketer of The Car Wash 

Show, owned by ICA. The SECWA joins 

the Automotive Oil Change Association, 

the Midwest Carwash Association and the 

Western Carwash Association in partnering 

with the world’s largest car wash event, 

The Car Wash Show. According to the 

ICA, with this change, SECWA will exclusively 

support The Car Wash Show as its 

annual convention, discontinuing its own 

trade show, while increasing its focus on 

educational and networking opportunities 

for car wash 

operators and 

suppliers in the 

southeastern 

United States. 

“ W e ’ r e 

thrilled to welcome SECWA to The Car 

Wash Show and our family of association 

collaborators,” said ICA CEO Eric Wulf, 

in a statement to the press. “SECWA’s support 

of The Car Wash Show will make for 

an even more dynamic environment for 

members, attendees and exhibitors. ICA 

collaborates with car wash associations 

across the United States, and around the 

world, based on our belief that we can 

accomplish more by working together. 

That’s why we’re equally excited about 

the role we’ll be able to play in supporting 

SECWA’s pivot toward delivering new value 

to its members." 

“We are excited to be working closely 

with ICA to support the car wash community,” 

said SECWA President David Reep, 

in a statement to the press. “We have an 

ambitious educational and road show calendar 

coming up starting with our Atlanta 

Road Show on November 2, 2022. We also 

look forward to partnering with ICA for 

The Car Wash Show and more.” 

The Car Wash Show 2023 will be held 

May 7-9 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Las 

Vegas Convention Center’s new West Hall 

will host the event for the first time, which 

is expected to be record-setting. The Car 

Wash Show 2024 will be held in Nashville, 

Tennessee. 

Detail businesses is the only one to accept cryptocurrency in Indianapolis 

Brian Lattimore, the owner of Ohana Detailers, 

in Indianapolis, is seeking to transform 

and modernize the Indianapolis Detail scene 

by combining user-friendly software with the 

Detailing industry, according to a November 

28, newstrail.com story. 

“...we are the ONLY detail shop that accepts 

cryptocurrency as payment in Indianapolis… 

And currently, only 1 of 2 that accept it as 

a form of payment in the Midwest,” Lattimore 

said in the story. 

Ohana Detailers, which is a mobile detailing 

shop, also offers user-friendly online booking, 

which, according to Lattimer, is not offered 

by his competition. 

As for the future, Lattimer said they are 

in the early testing stages of a mobile app to 

provide an even better user-friendly interface 

to book our services and earn loyalty reward 

points, according to the story. 


Secret Service returns $286 million in 

fraudulent small business loans 

The U.S. Secret Service returned 

$286 million in fraudulently obtained 

pandemic aid loans to the Small Business 

Administration (SBA), according to 

an August 29 CNBC report. 

The agency announced that the funds 

sent back to the SBA were obtained via the 

Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) 

program using both fabricated information 

and stolen identities, the story said. 

Around 15,000 accounts were caught 

using Green Dot Bank, a fintech institution. 

“Fraudsters in general are always 

looking for ways and techniques to better 

do their crimes and modern conveniences 

are just one of those things they 

use. So currently, cryptocurrency is a big 

thing, fintechs, third-party payment systems. 

But there’s not an institution, even 

our traditional financial institutions, that 

weren’t targeted during the pandemic,” 

Roy Dotson, lead investigator for the Secret 

Service, told CNBC in an interview. 

Green Dot stated it was cooperating 

and even partnering with federal agencies 

to identify the culprits. 

“Account protection and fraud prevention 

are top priorities for us, and we 

work around the clock and invest heavily 

to identify, block and address fraudulent 

activity. We’re committed to protecting 

customers, and also to serving as [a] proactive 

ally to government agencies and 

industry peers as we work together to 

prevent fraud,” Green Dot spokeswoman 

Alison Lubert said in a statement. 

While investigations are still ongoing, 

there have so far been more than 400 

indictments and nearly 300 convictions 

related to pandemic fraud. 

Since the pandemic started back in 

March 2020, the U.S. government allocated 

more than $1 trillion to “Main 

Street” under both the Paycheck Protection 

Program and EIDL program to help 

small businesses stay afloat. “Reviews of 

the two programs by the SBA’s Office of 

INDUSTRY NEWS 

Inspector General warned that criminals 

would potentially exploit the system due 

to the fast-moving nature of the rollout 

and demand for aid,” CNBC reported. 

The SBA OIG said it has identified 

$87 billion of potentially fraudulent 

EIDL loans. The Secret Service has so 

far seized over $1.4 billion in fraudulently 

obtained funds and has been able to return 

approximately $2.3 billion to state 

unemployment insurance programs. 

Little Trees turns 70! 

The air freshener company, made 

famous for its tree-shaped ornaments 

scented with ‘Black Ice’ (which launched 

in 2004), ‘New Car Scent’ and ‘Morning 

Rain’ aromas, is now 70 years old. According 

to the company website, back In 

1952, a milk truck driver in northern New 

York complained to Julius Sämann about 

the smell of spilled milk. To address this 

issue, Julius combined exceptional fragrances 

with specialized blotter material 

and invented the first car air freshener. 

He gave it the shape of an abstract evergreen 

tree in honor of his years extracting 

aromatic oils in Canada’s pine forests. 

A 2012 New York Times article titled, 

“Who Made Those Little Trees 

Air Fresheners?”stated that In 

1954, Samann filed a patent 

for paper impregnated 

with “odor-destroying, 

air-perfuming substances,” 

a cellophane wrapper 

and a string to hang 

it on. The string was a 

necessity, he noted in his application, 

because “the substances 

are sometimes of an oily or sticky nature 

or hard to remove from the hands.” The 

accompanying drawing featured a container 

holding a paper cutout 

of the profile of a bosomy, 

arch-backed pinup. But 

Samann eventually 

swapped out the pinup 

for the pine tree. 

“The reasons were 

largely practical,” the 

article stated, as the tree’s 

conical shape allowed its 

cellophane wrapper to be rolled 

back slowly, from its apex down, so the 

fragrance could be drawn out, branch by 

branch. Judicious users could preserve the 

pine scent for up to seven weeks. 

The first fragrances included Royal 

Pine, Spice and Bouquet. As the air fresheners 

grew in popularity, so did its catalogs 

of offerings. Based in Watertown, New 

York, the company expanded and added 

a factory in DeWitt, Iowa. The product 

offerings grew to vent wraps, vent liquids 

and sprays. Today, the company offers 

over 60 different scents. 

NRCC keynote speaker talks about hope, perseverance 

It was another successful Northeast 

Regional Carwash Convention (NRCC), 

which once again took place at the Atlantic 

City Convention Center, between 

September 19-21, 2022. Hosted by the 

New England Carwash Association 

with Dave Ellard and John Shalbey Jr. 

as co-chairmen, the tradeshow floor 

was bustling the first day. With a pickleball 

convention happening next door, it 

seemed as if crowded conventions were 

back to normal and people were swarming 

the Atlantic City Convention Center 

to once again mingle, network, get ideas, 

and upgrades. One of the highlights of 

the recent Convention was the keynote 

address given by New York Times Author, 

Travis Mills. Mills, who is famous 

for writing Tough as They Come, is a retired 

United States Army Staff Sergeant 

who calls himself a recalibrated warrior, 

motivational speaker, actor, author and 

advocate for veterans and amputees. 

Mills lost portions of both arms and 

legs from an IED (improvised explosive 

device) while on active duty in Afghanistan. 

Mills’ road to recovery was not one 

marked with sorrow or pity, or despair, 

but instead humor, grace and determination. 

“You cannot always change your 

situation, but you can change your attitude,” 

he told the packed crowd. Mills 

and his wife Kelsey founded the Travis 

Mills Foundation, a nonprofit organization, 

to benefit and assist post 9/11 

veterans who have been injured in active 

duty or as a result of their service to 

the country. He offered up the advice of 

moving forward and being grateful that 

you’re still alive and, to not dwell on the 

past. Mills was kind enough to greet attendees 

of the keynote address and even 

answer questions. 

Details for next year’s NRCC are 

already being revealed. It will 

once again take place at the Atlantic 

City Convention Center, but 

this time in October and will be 

held from October 2-4, 2023. 


THE BUSINESS OF 

DETAILING 

Are your 

prices right? 

By Rob Schruefer 

rob@onspotdetailing.com 

How you price your service is always 

a hot topic in the detailing world. There 

are so many different detailing styles and 

markets in the industry that there is a 

place for everyone. I have seen this debate 

play out in many forums and even in 

person at industry events. There is always 

someone who thinks they are a better detailer 

or a better businessperson because 

they have the highest prices. 

The example I always use is to illustrate 

this through the McDonalds and 

Ruth’s Chris Steak House comparison. 

They both obviously serve food to their 

guests, but one does it at a significantly 

higher price point. Even though McDonalds 

sells food at a lower price, no one 

would consider them unsuccessful or a 

worse business than Ruth’s Chris, they 

just cater to a different market. 

Who are your customers? 

The most important piece of pricing 

your services is knowing your market. If 

you live in a town with a lot of blue-collar, 

working-class people, it will not make 

sense to exclusively offer $5000 correction 

and coating services on their super-fancy 

car. Sure, there are some people that 

could afford that, but would it be enough 

to sustain your business year-round and 

into the future? Instead, you have to create 

services and prices that fit the market 

and demographic in which you operate 

your business. 

Four important variables 

I also hear a lot about what other people 

in town are charging and worrying 

about what others are doing. You should 

not concern yourself with what others are 

doing. What works is you creating your 

prices based on the following four things” 

✔ 

✔ 

✔ 

✔ 

Product costs 

Overhead (Rent, insurance, 

utilities, etc.) 

The amount of profit needed to 

support yourself and your family 

Labor costs (if you are going to 

have employees) 

If any one of these items is out of 

alignment with your prices, your business 

cannot and will not survive. Lowering 

your price below the point of profitability 

to compete with someone else does not 

make financial sense. 

The most important 

variable of all 

If it wasn’t difficult enough determining 

your prices with the variables listed 

above, we have not talked about the biggest 

variable yet, and that is time. I am 

talking the time is takes you to complete 

the service as compared to the price that 

you charge. I cannot even begin to tell you 

how many times I have seen detailers talk 

about the 24-hour correction they did on 

a black vehicle. Yes, the vehicle looks absolutely 

perfect, but if you were only paid 

a few hundred dollars to complete it, you 

probably made less than minimum wage. 

If you are not charging enough for your 

time, everything else is irrelevant. 

Gauging how much your time is worth 

is a tough question to answer. If you ask 

a dozen people, you will probably get a 

dozen different answers. No one can tell 

you how much your time is worth, or 

what your market can support. When I 

try to calculate how much a job should 

cost, I estimate how long it will take me 

to complete it, and then put around $100 

an hour on the service. This allows me 

to cover all of the costs listed above and 

gives a little bit of wiggle room if something 

takes longer than anticipated. This 

is by no means a definitive guide for all 

detailers, only you can know your costs 

and what you need to make per service, 

but it is a helpful way for new detailers to 

create a pricing plan. 

Final piece of advice 

The best advice I can give is to figure 

out your numbers (costs) and work backwards 

from there. Add all the costs up, 

add your desired profit percent on top of 

it, and there is your price for the service. 

Also remember, the better service you 

provide to your customers, the less the 

price will even be a factor. 

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. 


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Shining the Spotlight On ... 

Bailey's of Fargo, North Dakota 

By Editor Debra Gorgos 

debrag@autodetailingnews.com 

This vehicle had paint correction and a ceramic coating applied and is on display at a car show. 

I had the pleasure of meeting Kevin 

Bailey at the Mobile Tech Expo in Orlando 

back in January 2022. Kevin stopped 

by the Auto Detailing News booth, and 

he was kind, humble… and young (at 

least to me). I wasn’t shocked to learn he 

was just 35 years old. What did shock me 

was that he had been steadily self-employed 

for 15 years. I was impressed with 

his business knowledge and modesty considering 

the fact that he owns a successful 

three-pronged detailing business in Fargo, 

North Dakota. Bailey’s motto is “Just 

Take it to Bailey’s” and I noticed that he 

or someone from the business takes the 

time to ‘thank’ and/or reply to all of the 

reviews on Facebook and Google. When 

we met, I told him we have never profiled 

a business from the Upper Midwest. 

Nicknamed the Peace Garden State, 

some also call it Heaven on Earth, and 

Kevin was kind enough to allow me to 

put a pin on the map of businesses profiled, 

and he took the time to answer the 

questions below. 


What is the name of your 

business? 

Kevin Bailey: So, this is a little complicated. 

We've branded our business 

into 3 different brands, but most people 

know of us as Bailey's. Our three 

different brands are: Bailey's PDR, 

Bailey's Reconditioning, & Bailey's Auto 

Body. We also have a used car dealership, 

but that’s a separate business, and 

it’s called Bailey's Auto Sales. 

How long has it been open? 

We've been in our location since 2014. Bailey's 

Reconditioning started in 2016. 

What kind of a business is it 

and what services does it offer? 

We are a one-stop automotive shop. We 

offer several services. Just in our reconditioning 

department, we offer: Interior/exterior 

auto & marine detailing, 

ceramic coatings, paint protection film, 

headlight restoration, wheel repair, and 

glass services. Our other services are: 

Paintless dent repair, auto body, painting, 

and collision repair. 

Is there a lot of competition 

in the area? If yes, 

what do you do to stand 

apart from the competition? 

There is a healthy amount of competition. 

Most dealerships do their own 

recon and there are a few smaller detail 

shops around. We made ourselves stand 

out by being the first in our area to detail 

vehicles and offering PDR services. 

People love it when they can bundle 

services. It saves them time and money! 

How many people work 

for you? 

We usually have between 10 to 15 

employees. For detailers, we employ two 

full time detailers and 4 to 6 during our 

busier seasons. 

This is our body shop 

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How do you keep your 

employees motivated? 

By listening to them. If they want to 

try something new or do something 

different, we listen to them and usually 

give them the opportunity. Depending 

on the outcome, we may 

change things completely or go back 

to what we were doing. The biggest 

thing is to listen to them and consider 

their advice or opinions. Oftentimes, 

they come up with ideas that make 

things better or more efficient. 

What is the best 

advice you have for other 

detailers in terms of what not 

to do when detailing a car? 

Don't just jump in and start detailing a vehicle 

but learn what works for you or your 

company. Write up procedures for every type 

of detail you offer and follow them. You'll be 

more efficient, and you'll be able to teach 

others easier, since you have a plan. 

How many cars 

do you service a year? 

We service over 1,200 vehicles a year 

overall. 

What is the most often 

requested service? 

Our complete detail package is the most 

chosen service in our detailing department. 

What is your advice 

for a detailer who 

is just starting out? 

Start small and build up. Cash is king so 

don't go into debt by buying everything 

and thinking you're going to make it big 

right away. 

What are your hours? 

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. now, but we are doing 

a trial period of a 4-day work week 

What 

ways do you advertise your 

business? 

Word-of-mouth is our best advertising. 

Our clients tell their family 

and friends about us. If we provide 

our clients the quality and customer 

service they desire, they promote 

us. One of our core values is customer 

satisfaction, and we accomplish 

that by exceeding each customer's 

expectations. 

Two great workers working together. 

What type of 

clientele do you have? 

We do not have a very specific clientele, 

and it is more wide ranged. 

From male to female ages ranging 

from 20 to 80 years old, we service 

anyone who has a vehicle. Our clients 

trust us with their sports cars, 

hot rods, boats, motorcycles and 

their daily drivers. We also have 

some fleet accounts and dealerships 

that we service as well. 

This photo is a vehicle that the owner filed an insurance claim for mice that infested their vehicle and caused over $10k in damage. 

We work with insurance companies and are known to disassemble and clean everything. 

What are your goals for the 

business? 

Our goal is to challenge people within 

our company and build leaders so 

we can continue to grow and serve 

more customers. We are currently 

looking for a larger facility to better 

help serve our community. 

Front office 


Offer 

An 

They Can’t 

Refuse 

AUTOMOTIVE PROFITS ACADEMY 

How much should I 

charge for my services? 

By Jason Barker 

jason@automotiveprofitsacademy.com 

We see this question asked all the 

time… “How much should I charge for 

my services?” 

Let me tell you the three wrong way 

to determine your prices: 

✔ Charge about the same as your 

competitors. 

✔ Charge what you think the 

customer will pay. 

✔ Charge what you think is “fair”. 

Let’s start with the realization that 

your business accounting is only made 

up of numbers, that’s it, period. Any 

business is simply numbers going in and 

numbers going out. The numbers (money) 

coming in must always be more than 

the numbers (money) going out. It really 

is as simple as that. Don’t overthink this. 

So, to determine your prices you 

just need to add up all your overhead 

and expenses and profit, easy! Yes… 

it is really easy because numbers do 

not care about what your competitors 

are charging, or whether the customer 

thinks you’re charging too much, or 

what you think is “fair”. Numbers don’t 

think, they just are. 


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Overhead vs. Expenses 

To understand the difference between 

overhead and expenses; think of overhead 

as any costs that are going to continue to 

incur whether you’re doing any work or 

not. In other words, if all work stopped, 

what costs would you still have to pay? 

Expenses are everything else you pay 

in order to do the work. Here are some 

examples: 

OVERHEAD: 

✔ Rent 

✔ Shop insurance 

✔ Water 

✔ Electricity 

✔ Garbage 

✔ Advertising 

✔ Health insurance (only if you’re 

in the USA) 

✔ Your employee’s paid time off 

✔ Banking fees 

✔ Software subscriptions (like 

Urable and Quickbooks) 

✔ Annual CPA/attorney costs 

✔ Phone bill 

✔ Significant tools (like polishers/ 

pressure washers/plotters/ 

steamers) 

✔ Uniforms 

✔ Debt/loan payments 

✔ Your wages 

✔ Your employees’ wages. 

Here’s where people get confused… 

they say “But Jason, why should the wages 

be categorized as overhead?” The answer 

to that is because if you’re trying 

to build a business that keeps you and 

your employees in full employment yearround, 

then you need to consider these 

as overhead costs that will continue no 

matter what. Otherwise, you’ll be tempted 

to think it’s “ok” to cut your own 

wages during slow times, or send workers 

home early when there’s not enough 

work for them. You need the pressure of 

knowing that all wages are going to incur 

no matter what… so you better take in 

enough income to cover them! 

Another small item; I know that if all 

work stopped you technically wouldn’t 

have to pay for electricity and water, 

but we’re going on the assumption that 

you’ll have to pay these monthly as usual. 

Don’t get caught up in the minutia here. 

EXPENSES: 

✔ Chemicals 

✔ Towels 

✔ Ceramic coating kits 

✔ PPF rolls 

Converting these numbers into prices 

✔ Merchant credit card fees 

✔ Damage to customers’ cars 

✔ Small tool expenses (like 

buffer pads, brushes, 

microfiber towels) 

✔ Repairs on tools (Like o-rings, 

valves, cords, and anything 

else that gets “used up” when 

you work) 

PROFITS: I take home at least 15% of 

my company’s total gross receipts and 

so should you. This is your stockholder 

dividend/distribution as the company 

owner. This is in addition to your wages. 

No, I’m not joking. Design your company 

to pay you for your time, effort, and 

risk just like any company. Most owners 

make the mistake of thinking that 

their take-home profits are just anything 

left over after paying all the bills. This 

is why most business owners never have 

any profits to take home, because they 

do not prioritize them as an essential 

part of their business. If you design 

profits into your pricing, then you’ll 

have a company that truly serves you. 

Now you have to whittle these numbers 

down to your actual prices. 

To do this: 

1. Take all your annual overhead 

costs and divide it by the 

number of days you’re open 

for business per year. Usually, 

it’s around 243 days per year 

on average if you’re open 5 

days a week. This accounts 

for holidays, snow days, etc. 

This number is your 

Daily Overhead Minimum. 

2. Divide your DOM by the 

number of daily hours you 

have as inventory. Meaning, 

how many hours do you 

have at your disposal to 

do the actual work? This 

does not include time you 

need to spend doing other 

items like setting up shop, 

answering calls, invoicing, 

driving to appointments, fixing 

equipment, paying bills, giving 

estimates, etc. You don’t get 

paid to do these tasks so you 

need to charge accordingly 

when you are doing tasks that 

you get paid for. 

3. For a solopreneur this may 

mean that you have 6 hours 

available to do the work each 

day. If you have employees, 

then add in the number of 

hours they actually work on 

jobs each day. For a company 

of 3 employees plus yourself it 

might look something like this: 

You: 4 hours 

Manager: 2 hours 

Two Worker Employees: 

7 hours each 

This equals a total of 20 hours per day 

of actually working on jobs. (Remember, 

this doesn’t include time spent setting up 

equipment, repairing tools, cleaning vacuums, 

etc.). This number is your Daily 

Hourly Inventory. The sooner you start 

thinking of your company as having an 

“inventory of hours”, the easier it is to really 

start making more profits because it shifts 

your mindset to try to “sell” as many of the 

hours you have as inventory every day. Just 

like a hotel manager has an inventory of 

rooms that they must sell every night, you 

must sell your hours of inventory every 

day, or they’re lost… forever. Once a hotel 

room goes vacant for a night, they can never 

earn that lost money back, and neither 

can you on your labor inventory. 

4. Now divide your DOM by your 

DHI and this result is your 

Hourly Overhead Minimum. 

As a side note, these calculations assume 

that all your workers are working 

on jobs, not standing around waiting for 

work to come in the door, or fixing/cleaning 

equipment, or otherwise on-the-clock 

but not doing the work. 

Now you’re starting to understand 

what kind of hourly rate you need to 

charge for your shop. But we’re not done 

yet! When quoting a job, you’ll estimate 

how many hours you think it will take to 

complete the job, then multiply that by 

your HOM, then add in the expenses that 

you will incur for that specific job. 

Let’s say it’s a ceramic coating job 

where the kit costs you $300. Since you 

should be marking up all your product 

sales at least 20%-50% (to cover shipping, 

storage, spoilage, etc) then you’d add another 

$60 to the quote. How much do you 

charge for little things like buffer pads, 

towels, polishes, clay towels, etc? Those 

are harder to break down into a per-job 

cost, so just estimate it using your historical 

costs over time. It’s too tedious to calculate 

how much polish you use per car, 

so just estimate it. Close enough is good 

enough for small items like that. Just be 

very accurate with large things like ceramic 

kits, PPF, etc. so sharpen your pencil 

when calculating those items. 


5. Lastly, add at least 20% for 

profit, of which 15% you’ll 

take home yourself. 

EXAMPLE QUOTE: 

DOM: $1,700 

DHI: 20 hours 

Hourly Overhead Minimum: $85 

Ceramic Coating Job: 8 hours 

labor $85 x 8 = $680 

Ceramic kit: $300 + 20% markup 

= $360 

Profit 20%: $680 + $360 = $1,040 

/ 0.84 = $1,238 

termined by what someone is willing to 

pay for it. This means that you can and 

should charge anything over the $1,238 

that your clients are willing to pay.How 

much more? This is where learning 

what your closest competitors charge 

can help you. If you’re trying to position 

yourself as the expert in your field, 

then you must be the highest priced 

shop around. For example; if your competitors 

are charging $1,498 for a ceramic 

coating job, then you should be at 

least $200+ over that. 

On the other hand, if you’re trying 

to position yourself as the low-price 

leader (which is strongly discouraged 

by me), then just charge your calculated 

amount from above. But be aware that 

you’re leaving free money on the table 

for all your hard work, training, expertise, 

passion, risk, and investment. 

There you have it, the most accurate 

way to determine your pricing. After 

So $1,238 is the bare minimum you 

must charge for this job. However, there 

is another factor at play that you must 

consider: In a free market, the true value 

of any service is, by definition, desome 

time you’ll get better at quoting 

accurate prices. Just remember to regularly 

review all your numbers so that 

your prices keep up with your rising expenses. 

I do a deep-dive review quarterly 

and raise prices accordingly. 

Questions about what we’ve discussed 

here? I can be reached at: jason@automotiveprofitsacademy.com 

You may also check out my other 

free PDFs for detail business owners at 

www.automotiveprofitsacademy.com. 

JASON BARKER, CD-SV, has owned 

and operated Fresh Start Detail Co. in 

Beaverton, Oregon, since 1995. He also 

sells online courses that help owners turn 

their businesses into a more profitable 

asset that they enjoy. Jason is also a 

public speaker within the automotive 

industry. He can be reached at: jason@ 

automotiveprofitsacademy.com or www. 

Automotive ProfitsAcademy.com. 

Questions 

to Ask: 

✔ What are your 

overhead costs? 

✔ What is your daily 

overhead minimum 

(DOM)? 

✔ What are your expenses? 

✔ What is your 

competitor charging? 

✔ What is your daily 

hourly income (DHI)? 

✔ What is your hourly 

overhead minimum 

(HOM)? 

✔ How many hours will it 

take to complete a job? 

Join Today & Get Involved! 

The-IDA.com 

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