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WINTER 2023 • 3
CONTENTS<br />
Around the Wash:<br />
When your car wash<br />
‘catches’ a cold ....................6<br />
Tips ................................... 10<br />
Association News<br />
& Calendar .................... 12<br />
Tricks<br />
of the Trade .................... 15<br />
Fun & Games ............... 20<br />
Industry<br />
Dirt .................................... 24<br />
Extra Extra ..................... 32<br />
Fill in the<br />
Blank/Poll ...................... 41<br />
Around the Wash:<br />
Keeping out<br />
the cold ............................. 44<br />
Note to Self<br />
BY DEBRA GORGOS, EDITOR<br />
I am having a hard time<br />
focusing lately.<br />
My heart and mind are listless. My father passed away last March. He was<br />
one of the greatest people in the world, and I was lucky to have him as my<br />
father. It’s sometimes hard to put one foot in front of the other, but I have<br />
to. And, I want you to know if you’re suffering or grieving, you are not<br />
alone, and I bet you still have to go to your car wash, physically maneuver<br />
hoses and equipment, and mentally think about taxes, and paperwork. You<br />
don’t have space to just “be.” But, maybe that is also a blessing. To keep<br />
going on and not get lost in the blur of emotions.<br />
My father always taught me to be kind to everyone. He didn’t have a single<br />
enemy. Everyone liked him. “Jim, what a nice guy,” I would hear people<br />
say. To live to 77 without any adversaries is more than impressive: It’s a<br />
diamond in the *&%#%^&* rough.<br />
In an effort to make this narrative more fun and enjoyable, here is a drawing<br />
of a self serve car wash, from my daughter Emma Rose, age 7:<br />
And, until next time,<br />
Cover Story<br />
The Right to Wash ........... 46<br />
Darwin ............................. 50<br />
VOL. 51, NO. 1, WINTER 2023<br />
Publisher Jackson Vahaly<br />
Editor Debra Gorgos<br />
Design Katy Barret-Alley<br />
Editor Emeritus Jarret J. Jakubowski<br />
Editor Posthumous Joseph J. Campbell<br />
Editor Posthumous Julia E. Campbell<br />
Self Serve Carwash News is published 4 times<br />
per year and is independently owned by Jackson<br />
Vahaly. Web address is www.sscwn.com.<br />
All inquiries should be directed to:<br />
Self Serve Car Wash News<br />
110 Childs Ln., Franklin, TN 37067<br />
jacksonv@sscwn.com<br />
Copyright 2023. 2 Dollar Enterprises/<strong>SSCWN</strong>. All Rights Reserved<br />
4 • WINTER 2023
LETTER TO THE EDITOR<br />
Ms. Gorgos,<br />
Thanks for printing my letter in its entirety*. I must point out again that you<br />
did not explain why your article did not make any reference to President Biden’s<br />
asinine actions which unquestionably attributed to the rise of oil prices and<br />
inflation in general.<br />
I had to smile at your declaration that you conceal your political views from<br />
making their way into <strong>SSCWN</strong>. When you used the term “jab” in reference<br />
to facts I wrote about President Biden and his handlers I knew your views. By<br />
criticizing JJ because he is a conservative and did not pretend to conceal it, that<br />
reinforced your politics in my opinion. But like you stated, freedom of speech<br />
is a good thing. It is sad that most of your fellow Democrats do everything,<br />
regardless of legality, to squelch free speech. No doubt you are following the<br />
revelations of Elon Musk.<br />
Thanks for your feature on keeping grounds and structures clean and neat. I am<br />
in total agreement with all your observations and advice. I have a simple 4 bay self<br />
serve on about 1/2 acre and I do my best to keep it clean--no simple task with so<br />
many messy customers. (I won’t show your article to my competitors!)<br />
Cheers,<br />
Richard Keen<br />
EDITOR’S RESPONSE:<br />
Dear Richard,<br />
I truly appreciate you writing back. I am<br />
enjoying our banter and it lets me know<br />
someone is reading the magazine :)<br />
I also was biting my tongue, trying not<br />
to reveal my personal opinion on anything,<br />
but…….. I think Elon Musk is a<br />
certifiable narcissist buffoon.<br />
With deepest sincerity,<br />
Debra<br />
*Richard Keen’s first letter was featured in the<br />
Fall 2022 issue of Self Serve Car Wash News.<br />
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WINTER 2023 • 5
Around the Wash<br />
When your car wash<br />
‘catches’ a cold<br />
There’s another virus that can impact<br />
your business: Complacency<br />
by Chuck Violand<br />
Along with a worldwide pandemic, the name of<br />
which I will not print here so that we can all take a<br />
break from reading its name, another virus has been<br />
running rampant within the ranks of business owners<br />
and their companies for years; one that continues<br />
to go largely unrecognized. This other the virus I’m<br />
referring to is alive and well and thriving in far too<br />
many business owners.<br />
This virus can have as debilitating an effect on the<br />
health of a business as the current pandemic has on<br />
our own health. And, unfortunately, washing our<br />
hands, coughing into our sleeve, or social distancing<br />
is completely ineffective in controlling its spread.<br />
The virus I’m referring to is Affluenza. Although<br />
I’ve seen the virus’s destructive effects on businesses<br />
for years, my first exposure to its name occurred<br />
when I came across the term in an article written by<br />
Dr. Denise Kenyon-Rouvinez in The Family Business<br />
Advisor newsletter.<br />
As a business advisor myself, I’ve witnessed the<br />
terribly harsh effects Affluenza can have on previously<br />
healthy companies. I’ve worked for years to<br />
restrict its spread but, regrettably, I have not always<br />
been successful in my efforts. There are times when<br />
the virus gets such a strong grip on an owner that<br />
he becomes blind to the harmful effects it’s having<br />
on his company, or he enters a state of denial about<br />
what’s taking place.<br />
Affluenza doesn’t usually manifest itself when a<br />
business is young or struggling. Most companies and<br />
their owners seem to have a built-in immunity that<br />
protects them during times such as these. It’s when a<br />
company starts to succeed that its owner’s immune<br />
system becomes compromised, and the virus comes<br />
to life and spreads its infection with alarming speed<br />
and devastating, sometimes even lethal, effects.<br />
Although I have no hard data to support my claim,<br />
I feel the physical and mental makeup of many entrepreneurs<br />
predisposes them to carry the Affluenza<br />
virus, although it can go on undetected for years.<br />
Many seem to be drawn to a “work hard, reward lavishly”<br />
lifestyle which appears to serve as a catalyst for<br />
the virus. Complacency is a good word to describe<br />
this. It’s great to have a high-regard for your success,<br />
but it can stifle your growth if you’re not careful.<br />
As with many other business ailments, Affluenza<br />
infects a company when it is flush with cash or when<br />
sales are robust. But the symptoms go unnoticed. It’s<br />
when the company is put under pressure or when<br />
it’s attacked by outside influences such as economic<br />
turmoil or market changes that Affluenza raises its<br />
head and can cause irreparable damage.<br />
When symptoms of the virus are first detected<br />
one of the strategies to combat it that many companies<br />
adopt is to increase sales. While there is nothing<br />
wrong with increasing sales, doing so doesn’t cure<br />
the disease. Instead, it simply masks the symptoms,<br />
bringing temporary relief to the pain, much like taking<br />
an aspirin to treat COVID-19. It does nothing to<br />
treat the underlying problem, and it will sometimes<br />
backfire and actually feed the virus.<br />
The troubled email I received from the Chief Financial<br />
Officer of one of my clients got my attention<br />
and serves as a textbook study of Affluenza at work.<br />
We had developed a close working relationship<br />
over a span of years, so the CFO felt comfortable<br />
approaching me for advice. In her email, she was<br />
expressing alarm at the financial decisions the owner<br />
of the company was making. Most troubling was<br />
the owner’s instructions for her to bury some of his<br />
purchases on the company income statement where<br />
they might not be noticed.<br />
Apparently, he was concerned they would raise<br />
uncomfortable questions when his numbers were<br />
reviewed, both by the bank he was working with<br />
and by me during our conferences.<br />
This was a company that had enjoyed several<br />
years of rapid growth and financial success. They<br />
were on top of their game, celebrated as a model of<br />
success in both their local community and in their<br />
industry. It was not surprising that the owner wanted<br />
to start reaping the rewards of his accomplishments,<br />
as he had worked hard to get where he was.<br />
Unfortunately, he was choosing to make financial<br />
decisions that would contribute to the company’s<br />
eventual decline. This brings me to the first underlying<br />
cause of Affluenza.<br />
We don’t know how to handle financial success.<br />
As ridiculous as this might sound, handling finances<br />
and financial success is a learned skill. Our parents<br />
are usually our first teachers and, if they were<br />
successful at managing their money, there’s a good<br />
chance they passed on sound financial lessons to us.<br />
If they weren’t particularly good with their finances,<br />
then we may need to reprogram some of the money<br />
lessons learned in our youth.<br />
Another critical point in our lives when we’re especially<br />
open to learning money lessons is early in<br />
our business careers. The people we associate with<br />
in business, the mentors with whom we surround<br />
ourselves, and the business experiences we have all<br />
leave lasting impressions, sometimes affecting the financial<br />
decisions we make both professionally and<br />
personally for the rest of our lives. As with the lessons<br />
we learn from our parents, these early business<br />
experiences can have either positive or negative consequences<br />
on our behavior.<br />
EDITOR’S NOTE: Chuck Violand founded Violand Management Associates in 1987 with the objective of helping owners<br />
of small businesses build profitable businesses for their long-term professional and personal success. As an author and popular<br />
keynote speaker, Violand is a respected authority on entrepreneurial small businesses, having spent more than 30 years as both<br />
a business consultant and an executive coach. He is a regular contributor to trade journals and newsletters and is the author of<br />
the popular weekly leadership series Monday Morning Notes. Violand Management Associates, LLC is a consulting firm working<br />
internationally to help entrepreneurial companies achieve sustained profitable growth. Look them up at violand.com for details<br />
or contact them at 1-800-360-3513.<br />
6 • WINTER 2023
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WINTER 2023 • 7
AROUND THE WASH: WHEN YOUR CAR WASH ‘CATCHES’ A COLD<br />
Most small businesses are started on a financial<br />
shoestring. Business owners learn how to make one<br />
dollar do two dollars’ worth of work, and they become<br />
masters of cash flow in a cash-strapped environment.<br />
When their company finally enjoys some<br />
measure of financial success after years of struggle<br />
and sacrifice, the owner sometimes finds themself<br />
unprepared to handle the change. They haven’t developed<br />
the discipline needed to manage an abundance<br />
of money. So they find ways to move it out<br />
of their life to return to the more familiar world of<br />
being strapped for cash.<br />
As with so many other personal behaviors, destructive<br />
financial behaviors can be turned around. One of<br />
the ways to accomplish this is with a concerted effort<br />
over a long enough period of time to allow the new<br />
behaviors to become habits. Although we can do this<br />
on our own, the chances for success usually increase<br />
dramatically when we have someone to help hold<br />
us accountable. In the case of the owner mentioned<br />
above, listening to the advice of his CFO would have<br />
saved him a lot of heartburn … and money.<br />
As with many diseases, Affluenza is harder to detect<br />
in the early stages when it is easiest to cure. Conversely,<br />
it’s easier to detect, but harder to cure, in its<br />
later stages when behaviors have become habits.<br />
You can usually trace the genesis of business problems<br />
to when a company is doing well: Sales are<br />
strong, profits are deep, and cash flow is healthy. This<br />
is when business leaders lose focus, become complacent,<br />
or adopt attitudes of entitlement. This brings us<br />
to the second underlying cause of Affluenza.<br />
Our decisions are driven by ego and a sense of entitlement.<br />
Growing a business demands a lot of sacrifice<br />
on the part of the owner. It can exact a heavy<br />
toll in terms of time spent away from family, mental<br />
exhaustion, and even getting worn down physically.<br />
When business begins to go well, it seems logical<br />
that some owners would feel a sense of entitlement<br />
to lavishly reward themselves for their sacrifices: the<br />
luxury car, the vacation home, the abundant travel.<br />
There’s nothing inherently wrong with any of these<br />
indulgences. It’s when they interfere with the performance<br />
of the company or when they take value<br />
away from customers that they get in the way.<br />
Sometimes Affluenza is driven by a swollen ego,<br />
similar to the attitude of entitlement above. The<br />
primary difference is that with a swollen ego we<br />
use Affluenza to draw attention to ourselves or to<br />
maintain an appearance of success. An ego that is<br />
out of control is one of the most difficult areas to<br />
address with any business owner, as they are usually<br />
the last one to recognize when their ego has gotten<br />
out of control, and they usually don’t want to be<br />
told about it by you.<br />
Sometimes Affluenza doesn’t manifest itself<br />
with purchases or financial decisions. Instead, it<br />
shows up in subtle behaviors or in attitudes toward<br />
other people.<br />
We forget what it’s like to have a boss. Few of us<br />
are plopped into our position of authority overnight.<br />
We usually grow into it over time. As our company<br />
grows or as we rise through the ranks in our business,<br />
it’s easy to forget what it’s like to be one of the<br />
“workers.” The Queen of Mean, Leona Helmsley, is<br />
famous for her off-handed comment about “the little<br />
people.” While few of us would be brash enough to<br />
make such a comment, how often does our behavior<br />
unconsciously telegraph a similar message?<br />
When we’re the boss we can ignore feedback we<br />
don’t want to hear. We don’t feel the need to ask others<br />
for their opinion, but we can freely give our own.<br />
We don’t need to follow the chain of command we<br />
put in place if we feel like meddling. And we surely<br />
don’t need to go to the boss to ask for a raise; we just<br />
write ourselves a bigger check.<br />
As we learn lessons throughout our life, we frequently<br />
adopt rules to help guide our future decisions.<br />
One of the rules I’ve used in my life is the “Alex<br />
Bevan” rule. When I was in my early 20’s I owned a<br />
night club, and one of the entertainers I hired was<br />
a popular Cleveland recording artist named Alex<br />
Bevan. In getting to know Alex, I learned he lived a<br />
very frugal life. I found this interesting considering<br />
his popularity and success … and the popular image<br />
of recording stars living lavish lifestyles. Alex told me<br />
his father advised him early on to “always live like<br />
you don’t know when you’ll get your next gig. That<br />
way you’ll never have to compromise your values to<br />
get it.” That was great advice for a recording artist.<br />
It’s also great advice for business owners.<br />
Checking Your Ego at the Door<br />
A 2018 Harvard Business Review (HBR)<br />
article titled “Ego is the Enemy of Good<br />
Leadership” made some interesting<br />
observations about swollen egos.<br />
According to its authors, Rasmus Hougaard<br />
and Jacqueline Carter:<br />
• “Our ego is like a target we carry with us.<br />
And like any target, the bigger it is, the more<br />
vulnerable it is to being hit. In this way, an<br />
inflated ego makes it easier for others to<br />
take advantage of us. Because our ego<br />
craves positive attention, it can make us<br />
susceptible to manipulation. It makes us<br />
predictable. When people know this, they<br />
can play to our ego. When we’re a victim of<br />
our own need to be seen as great, we end<br />
up being led into making decisions that may<br />
be detrimental to ourselves, our people, and<br />
our organization.<br />
• “An inflated ego also corrupts our behavior.<br />
When we believe we’re the sole architects<br />
of our success, we tend to be ruder,<br />
more selfish, and more likely to interrupt<br />
others. This is especially true in the face<br />
of setbacks and criticism. In this way, an<br />
inflated ego prevents us from learning from<br />
our mistakes and creates a defensive wall<br />
that makes it difficult to appreciate the rich<br />
lessons we glean from failure.<br />
• “Finally, an inflated ego narrows our vision.<br />
The ego always looks for information<br />
that confirms what it wants to believe.<br />
Basically, a big ego makes us have a strong<br />
confirmation bias. Because of this, we lose<br />
perspective and end up in a leadership<br />
bubble where we only see and hear what<br />
we want to. As a result, we lose touch with<br />
the people we lead, the culture we are<br />
a part of, and ultimately our clients and<br />
stakeholders.<br />
HBR offered the following advice for those<br />
who can actually acknowledge they may have<br />
an ego problem:<br />
• “Consider the perks and privileges you<br />
are being offered in your role. Some of<br />
them enable you to do your job effectively.<br />
That’s great. But some of them are simply<br />
perks to promote your status and power<br />
and ultimately ego. Consider which of your<br />
privileges you can let go of. It could be the<br />
reserved parking spot or…a special pass for<br />
the elevator.<br />
• “Support, develop, and work with people<br />
who won’t feed your ego. Hire smart people<br />
with the confidence to speak up.<br />
• “Humility and gratitude are cornerstones<br />
of selflessness. Make a habit of taking a<br />
moment at the end of each day to reflect<br />
on all the people that were part of making<br />
you successful on that day. This helps you<br />
develop a natural sense of humility, by<br />
seeing how you are not the only cause of<br />
your success. And end the reflection by<br />
actively sending a message of gratitude to<br />
those people.”<br />
8 • WINTER 2023
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WINTER 2023 • 9
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TAX TIP<br />
Also, did you know<br />
The IRS has a site dedicated to small business owners. It offers everything<br />
from what forms are needed, to workshops and everything in between.<br />
You can find it at: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed<br />
HIRING TIP<br />
Looking for<br />
help? Consider<br />
a person with<br />
disabilities…<br />
According to the Small Business Administration<br />
(SBA), now more than ever, small businesses<br />
are finding it challenging to hire talented workers.<br />
Hiring disabled individuals can help businesses<br />
meet their talent needs while strengthening their<br />
competitive edge. By hiring individuals with disabilities,<br />
businesses can:<br />
• Expand their pool of talent<br />
• Create a culture of diversity<br />
• Meet their workforce needs<br />
• Foster creative business solutions<br />
• Generate goodwill among customersRegion II<br />
A disability is considered a physical or mental<br />
impairment that substantially limits one or more<br />
major life activity. Individuals with disabilities<br />
often need workplace accommodations—a modification<br />
or adjustment to a job, the work environment,<br />
or the way things are usually done during<br />
the hiring process.<br />
Small businesses benefit when they value and<br />
appreciate each person for their individual differences<br />
and experiences. By investing in recruiting,<br />
hiring, and retaining talent—including people<br />
with disabilities—businesses can give themselves<br />
a competitive edge and demonstrate their commitment<br />
to inclusion.<br />
The goal of the recruitment process is to attract<br />
and identify individuals who have the best mix of<br />
10 • WINTER 2023<br />
skills and attributes for the job available. Ensuring<br />
that all qualified individuals—including those<br />
with disabilities—can take part in the process is<br />
essential to achieving this goal. It is important<br />
to know where to look to find candidates with<br />
disabilities beyond the traditional recruiting processes.<br />
Companies interested in hiring employees<br />
with disabilities should begin by:<br />
• Reaching out to the local Workforce<br />
Development Board (WDB). WDBs are part of the<br />
Public Workforce System, a network of federal,<br />
state, and local offices that connect companies<br />
to the resources they need to strengthen their<br />
business and their workforce, including skilled<br />
employees with disabilities.<br />
• Connecting with a Business Services<br />
Representative at a local American Job<br />
Center. They provide assistance with recruiting,<br />
hiring or training employees, including people with<br />
disabilities who are ready and willing to work.<br />
• EARN offers a list of online job posting boards<br />
that can help small businesses find qualified<br />
workers with disabilities.<br />
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES<br />
The following Financial incentives encourage businesses<br />
to hire individuals with disabilities and offset<br />
the costs of workplace accommodations.<br />
FEDERAL TAX INCENTIVES<br />
The main federal tax incentives are:<br />
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for hiring individuals from certain groups who<br />
have consistently faced significant barriers to employment.<br />
• The Barrier Removal Deduction, whereby<br />
businesses can deduct up to $15,000 for making<br />
a facility or public transportation vehicle more<br />
accessible.<br />
• The Disabled Access Credit, a non-refundable<br />
credit for small businesses that incur<br />
expenditures for the purpose of providing<br />
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STATE TAX INCENTIVES<br />
• There are also state tax credits for employers<br />
who hire people with disabilities. Check your<br />
state office of tax and revenue for more details.
1<br />
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0<br />
FINANCIAL TIP<br />
I can deduct<br />
what???<br />
Doing taxes. Ugh. It can cause an overwhelming<br />
sensation, with numbers, additions, subtractions,<br />
receipts, records and dollar signs floating in the<br />
undertone. But, one thing that can be somewhat<br />
pleasant is going over all of your tax deductions<br />
and realizing they will all be worth it. Sure, you can<br />
take the standard deduction, which according to<br />
QuickBooks, is faster, but you can ultimately miss<br />
out on some opportunities to save money. “Itemizing<br />
your deductions takes time and requires well-kept<br />
records, but it’s the best way to take full advantage<br />
of small business tax deductions.”<br />
So, let’s get to the good stuff. The following are expenses<br />
you might not have know are tax deductible.<br />
If you did, good for you. If not, keep reading…<br />
THE FOLLOWING<br />
ARE DEDUCTIBLE:<br />
• Professional magazines<br />
• In-flight internet purchases<br />
during business travel<br />
• A portion of homeowners’<br />
insurance if you have a home office<br />
• Vandalism done to the building<br />
• ATM withdrawals (if cash is<br />
used for the business)<br />
• Food purchased for stray cats<br />
(if they help with pest control)<br />
• Books related to your industry<br />
• Gym membership (if a doctor<br />
prescribes one for health reasons)<br />
• Any kind of protective clothing such<br />
as safety boots or masks or work gloves.<br />
WHAT’S NEW<br />
FOR 2023?<br />
The Internal Revenue Service announced that<br />
beginning on January 1, 2023, the standard mileage<br />
rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel<br />
trucks) will be:<br />
• 65.5 cents per mile driven for business use, up<br />
3 cents from the midyear increase setting the<br />
rate for the second half of 2022.<br />
• 22 cents per mile driven for medical or moving<br />
purposes for qualified active-duty members of<br />
the Armed Forces, consistent with the increased<br />
midyear rate set for the second half of 2022.<br />
• 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable<br />
organizations; the rate is set by statute and<br />
remains unchanged from 2022.<br />
These rates apply to electric and hybrid-electric<br />
automobiles, as well as gasoline and diesel-powered<br />
vehicles.<br />
The standard mileage rate for business use is based<br />
on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of<br />
operating an automobile. The rate for medical and<br />
moving purposes is based on the variable costs.<br />
It is important to note that under the Tax Cuts<br />
and Jobs Act, taxpayers cannot claim a miscellaneous<br />
itemized deduction for unreimbursed employee<br />
travel expenses.<br />
Taxpayers always have the option of calculating<br />
the actual costs of using their vehicle rather than<br />
using the standard mileage rates.<br />
Taxpayers can use the standard mileage rate but<br />
generally must opt to use it in the first year the car<br />
is available for business use. Then, in later years,<br />
they can choose either the standard mileage rate<br />
or actual expenses. Leased vehicles must use the<br />
standard mileage rate method for the entire lease<br />
period (including renewals) if the standard mileage<br />
rate is chosen.<br />
WINTER 2023 • 11
2022<br />
CALENDAR<br />
OF EVENTS<br />
*All events are subject<br />
to changes due to c<br />
urrent circumstances.<br />
MARCH 7-8, 2023<br />
The Convenience<br />
U CARWASh Show<br />
The International Centre<br />
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada<br />
MAY 8-10, 2023<br />
2023 ICA Car Wash Show<br />
Las Vegas Convention Center<br />
SEP, 21 & 22, 2023<br />
Carwash Show Europe<br />
EXPO Greater Amsterdam<br />
The Netherlands<br />
OCT 2-4, 2023<br />
Northeast Regional<br />
Carwash Association<br />
Atlantic City Convention Center<br />
Atlantic City, New Jersey<br />
Association<br />
News<br />
International Carwash Association<br />
2022 ICA U.S. Consumer<br />
Study now available<br />
The International Carwash Association<br />
has released its 2022 U.S. Consumer Study,<br />
according to a press release, after interviews<br />
a census-balanced, nationally representative<br />
sample of 1,794 adults who own or lease a vehicle.<br />
“International Carwash Association has its<br />
own mountain of data about the lifeblood of<br />
our business, car wash consumers. Since the<br />
first ICA Consumer Study was conducted 25<br />
years ago, it has been our goal to provide car<br />
wash operators and suppliers with meaningful<br />
information from which to refine their own<br />
business strategies,” the press release stated.<br />
Seventy questions were asked, including<br />
the following question, which according to the<br />
ICA is what every operator wants to know:<br />
What does the data mean for your business?<br />
“Here are three simple questions to ask<br />
that will help you unearth actionable insights<br />
and make the 2022 ICA Consumer Study your<br />
study,” the press release stated.<br />
1. How satisfied are<br />
your customers?<br />
By asking your customers this simple<br />
question, you can benchmark your location(s)<br />
against the national average for all car washes.<br />
You’ll no longer need to guess at how you’re<br />
doing relative to other operators. You’ll know,<br />
according to the ICA.<br />
2. How satisfied are your<br />
customers compared to<br />
washes like ours?<br />
…while it’s important to know how<br />
you’re performing relative to all washes, it’s<br />
far more insightful to know how satisfied your<br />
customers are relative to your wash type, according<br />
to the press release.<br />
3. Why are your customers<br />
more or less satisfied?<br />
Five key factors drive customer satisfaction,<br />
according to the ICA:<br />
1. Quality<br />
2. Price<br />
3. Value<br />
4. Experience, and<br />
5. Service.<br />
With this information, you can pinpoint<br />
specific areas of strength, weakness, and opportunity<br />
to enhance customer satisfaction,<br />
loyalty and drive repeat business, the ICA<br />
said of the report.<br />
The 28-page total U.S. report is now available<br />
as well as segment-specific reports for each<br />
of the five major wash types. Learn more about<br />
accessing the 2022 Consumer Study at https://<br />
www.carwash.org/consumer-study.<br />
Southwest Car Wash<br />
Association<br />
SCWA scores another<br />
impressive speaker:<br />
Dick Vitale<br />
Sportscaster Dick Vitale has been named the<br />
2023 Southwest Car Wash Association keynote<br />
speaker. According to the SCWA, the college basketball’s<br />
top analyst and ambassador who called<br />
ESPN’s first-ever major NCAA basketball game,<br />
is known for enthusiastic statements such as:<br />
“Awesome, Baby!” “DIAPER DANDY” “THATTA<br />
WAY” “Unbelievable!”<br />
“The SCWA convention attendees are in store<br />
for a great morning enjoying Vitale’s enthusiastic,<br />
passionate, sometimes controversial—but never<br />
boring—style. Known as Dickie V to his legions of<br />
fans all over America, this New Jersey native is to<br />
college basketball what fireworks and watermelon<br />
are to the 4th of July,” the SCWA stated.<br />
Vitale is well-suited for giving a motivational<br />
keynote as he was raised by parents who didn’t<br />
receive formal educations, but instead taught him<br />
the power of hard work and positivity.<br />
“They told me that if you give 110 percent<br />
all the time; beautiful things will happen. I may<br />
not always be right, but no one can ever accuse<br />
me of not having a genuine love and passion for<br />
whatever I do,” Vitale once stated of his parents.<br />
The SCWA has been known for its impressive<br />
list of keynote speakers. Past addresses have<br />
been given by former Speaker of the House Newt<br />
Gingrich, former United States Vice President<br />
Dick Cheney, and media emperor Steve Forbes.<br />
SCWA 2023 Convention & EXPO is taking<br />
place February 22-24, 2023, at the Fort Worth<br />
Convention Center.<br />
12 • WINTER 2023
Corporate Office: 81 Highland Avenue, Suite 300, Bethlehem, PA 18017 | icscarwashsystems.com | 800.642.9396<br />
Defining the World of Car Wash Technology<br />
WINTER 2023 • 13
Association News<br />
WE WANT<br />
YOUR<br />
STORIES!<br />
Do you have a funny<br />
story from the bay?<br />
Maybe an inspiring<br />
tale from the wash?<br />
Try something<br />
new that worked well?<br />
“You won’t believe what this<br />
Darwin did at my wash…”<br />
“The best decision I ever made<br />
for my business was…”<br />
“On rainy days, I like to…”<br />
Reach out to Editor Debra Gorgos<br />
debgorgos@gmail.com to share<br />
your story with our readers.<br />
Carwash Association of Pennsylvania<br />
CAP President letter addresses inflation,<br />
keeping positive in 2023<br />
The following is a letter written by Dave Edwards, President<br />
of CAP and an Owner/Operator of IBA/SS sites in NEPA:<br />
Greetings CAP Members, PA Operators<br />
and Car Washers near and far.<br />
As we look to Spring 2023, let’s take a brief moment to reflect upon what<br />
we can learn and apply for a better 2023. In Pennsylvania, the Carwash<br />
Association of Pennsylvania (CAP) closed out the fourth quarter with our<br />
highest level of membership in recent years: inspired through four well received<br />
and attended CAP events in late 2022 which provided many a renewed interest<br />
in the benefits and comradery of this state car wash association. Plus, our<br />
own home state founded company, KleenRite Corp. hosted its bi-annual Expo<br />
in November, which brought in a host of vendors, suppliers, and car washer<br />
operators alike. Kleen-Rite Corp. is a major sponsor of the CAP, as well as just<br />
about every car wash event throughout Pennsylvania each year. CAP is proud of<br />
each of the manufacturers, vendors, and suppliers that call Pennsylvania home.<br />
Winter started off soft here in Pennsylvania and much of the northeast, making<br />
for softer than normal sales by some sites. Yet, we must be mindful that weather<br />
changing patterns have adversely affected our car washing brothers and sisters<br />
in many other states recently. When and wherever possible, we should look to<br />
lend a hand in the face of adversity. This sets up a nice segway into weathering<br />
the everchanging economics we all currently face. Most notably is inflation across<br />
the board. While the consumer is faced with needs and necessities vs. wants and<br />
vanity. Each of us car washers are faced with walking that fine line to balance<br />
our operating costs vs. keeping our sales revenue up. There’s an adage, “what<br />
doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.” So, keep your game up, find ways to keep<br />
your customer base coming to your wash. Take a few minutes to watch your<br />
customers leaving your wash. More than not, you will see them smiling. This<br />
is because they feel good. A car wash makes anyone feel good! Keep a positive<br />
perspective amidst whatever challenges you may be facing and keep delivering<br />
“good feelings!” The CAP is looking forward to hosting multiple events during<br />
2023 including our Baseball Outing, New Investor Seminar, Annual Dinner and<br />
Tabletop Show, and Golf Outing(s) and Picnic. We encourage everyone in the<br />
carwash industry who touches business in PA to consider joining CAP. We await<br />
you with open arms! Learn more about membership and our upcoming events as<br />
details are announced at www.pacarwash.org.<br />
Yours in service,<br />
Dave Edwards President of CAP Owner/Operator<br />
of IBA/SS sites in NEPA<br />
14 • WINTER 2023
TRICKS OF THE<br />
(Note: Some posts feature minor edits for readability.)<br />
Presenting some of the best discussions from the Self Serve, IBA and General Discussions sections of CarwashForum.com. To view more posts<br />
discussing some interesting and common problems, as well as some of the best and brightest solutions, visit CarwashForum.com<br />
If you add this,<br />
they will come, Ray<br />
I’m looking for some ways to generate more revenue at my wash (5 bay<br />
ss & 5 vacuums). I have added Cryptopay & raised my prices since we<br />
bought it in May. We’re in a town of around 7000 & don’t have any<br />
direct competition in the actual town but there are plenty of washes in<br />
the surrounding areas. Would I see more revenue from adding a few<br />
in-bay dryers or converting over to dollar tokens? I’d like to do both<br />
eventually but am curious what y’all’s thoughts are? Am also planning<br />
on running presoak through a foam gun vs through the high pressure<br />
gun (as it is now). - BIGMATTHEW86<br />
Did you set up count up or count down when<br />
installing Cryptopay in the bays? - OURTOWN<br />
Count up in my busiest 3 bays. They do about<br />
20% right now & have been in since July. - BIG-<br />
MATTHEW86<br />
Have you considered making one or bays a Superbay?<br />
Bonus time? Make 1 or 2 bays a Superbay<br />
and add dryers to those. (That is what I<br />
did.) - EARL WEISS<br />
I guess that’s what I’m suggesting. I’d probably<br />
only add dryers to the busiest 2 bays at this time.<br />
- BIGMATTHEW86<br />
Go with the dryers! It’s a GREAT way to differentiate<br />
yourself from your competitors, and<br />
your customers will enjoy them. Plan to spend<br />
extra time at your car wash, giving away free<br />
time, showing your customers how to use<br />
them. If you don’t, customers will think they’re<br />
in-bay vacuums and not use them. Now, most<br />
of our customers use them and we’re busier<br />
than ever!! We installed a Diskin dryer in each<br />
of our 5 SS bays in 2018, and have DOUBLED<br />
our gross profit. - KIMBERLY BERG<br />
So I went back & forth about a million times<br />
but decided to go to dollars tokens right now.<br />
Still plan to add a few dryers but it’ll have to<br />
wait until spring. I really like the idea of cash in<br />
the box equaling money made. It will also give<br />
me great joy for my habitual change-getters to<br />
get a handful of tokens. Bays will still take quarters<br />
as well as tokens, vacs & vending will be<br />
tokens only. - BIGMATTHEW86<br />
I am in a similar-sized market. And have owned<br />
my ss 5 bay for over 5 years now. Business has<br />
increased each year and I believe the most contributing<br />
factor is customer service. Keeping<br />
equipment working and clean. Also being present<br />
and available. I have my number posted<br />
and respond to issues quickly.<br />
Nayax was installed last week to replace<br />
our old system. I can now start a bay from my<br />
phone if a customer has a problem.<br />
We also just raised prices by 30%. A little nervous<br />
about that but they have not changed in<br />
over 9 years.<br />
What is your current price per minute and<br />
what is your minimum? - EAST ADAMS CAR WASH<br />
2$ for 3 min wash with .25 for 20 seconds.<br />
Vacs are 1$ for 2 min. Prices were $1.25 for a<br />
4 min wash, with .25 being 30 seconds & .75<br />
for 4 min on vacs when we got it last May. We<br />
have fixed & replaced almost everything & my<br />
number is posted by the change machine. I am<br />
there at least 4 times a week for a few hours. I<br />
give out air fresheners & whatnot. Business has<br />
doubled but it wasn’t much before so I’d like it<br />
to continue to rise. - BIGMATTHEW86<br />
I was at $1.75 for 2.5 min and $4.75 for 12<br />
min on my 2 MEGA Wash bays. I just raised<br />
to $3 for 3 min and $7.50 for 12 min. I do<br />
think this will affect a few customers. But<br />
in the long run, I still believe it will be more<br />
profitable and the loss in customers will be<br />
made up by the increase in revenue. Time will<br />
tell but so far so good. - EAST ADAMS CAR WASH<br />
Read<br />
‘em and<br />
weep<br />
I’m in Maine and<br />
have always run<br />
warm water weep and all other<br />
spray applications to my self serve<br />
guns. I heard someone saying they<br />
run cold water weep and cold<br />
water to all other spray applications<br />
except soap that they run warm<br />
water with. Have you seen this<br />
or something similar before<br />
in extreme cold weather<br />
environments? - GOOD MOODY<br />
We run cold weep and rinse but hot soap and<br />
wax. The cold weep kept our bays from freezing<br />
during our multi-day -10F days several weeks ago.<br />
Your customers might prefer hot rinse though for<br />
melting snow and ice off their cars. - OUR TOWN<br />
Same as OurTown. We don’t live that far apart,<br />
so similar weather and temps. Cold water weep<br />
and rinse. Hot soap and wax cycles. I can weep<br />
750 gallons of water a day below 15 deg, through<br />
4 hp wands. To me, heating this much water is a<br />
big waste of $$$. - 2BIZ<br />
We never weep warm/hot water through our<br />
weep system. It’d be a waste of money. This<br />
morning it was 31 deg. and raining and the weep<br />
was weeping. I hate to see all that water going<br />
down the drain. - RANDY<br />
I don’t weep foam brushes or foam guns. I use<br />
a homemade air blowout and washer fluid injection<br />
system that saves even more $$$ every<br />
winter. - 2BIZ<br />
Cold water weep and winterized foamy brush. -<br />
SOAPY<br />
I weep hot when it gets down below 5-8 degrees.<br />
Did that at two washes this year and no freeze<br />
ups, kept one weeping cold and all 3 bays froze.<br />
Hit -4 that day. - SLASH007<br />
WINTER 2023 • 15
TRICKS OF THE<br />
No to storage units,<br />
but how about a car wash?!<br />
I currently have a 6-bay self serve. I had purchased some commercially zoned land a couple years ago with intentions of<br />
building storage units there. My city has shot me down on the storage units because it’s not properly zoned and can’t be<br />
rezoned per their rules. However, they did tell me I could build a wash there. Beyond stupid, yeah I know... My problem is<br />
that it has city water but no possible sewer. I’m not interested in the reclaim water as of now. In Alabama, has anyone built<br />
a new wash on a septic in the last couple of years that could tell me what I’m looking at expense wise? Or give me some<br />
guidelines to the restrictions? Is there anyone specific I could call and find out this information from, other than just jumping<br />
on board and paying for a PERC test? - HAMILTON’S CAR & DOG WASH<br />
I have no idea about your question, but did you get a lawyer to try<br />
the rezoning or do it yourself? Hiring the right lawyer that has experience<br />
rezoning in your area is key to all rezoning attempts. Just<br />
my 2 cents - KENO<br />
I normally try to not jump on that bandwagon. We are in a smaller<br />
town and lots of us believe the rules don’t apply to them. But,<br />
they sure do like to hold grudges where they can and it will cost<br />
you money when you go over their heads. - HAMILTON’S CAR & DOG<br />
WASH<br />
I know what you mean about small-town politics, going through<br />
that at 1 of our sites. But I also have had experience in rezoning<br />
where our lawyer used to be pretty high up at the county zoning<br />
department before returning to private practice, so knew most of<br />
the staff and could get things done that a normal citizen or even<br />
another lawyer normally would have a hard time doing. It was a<br />
big ‘who you know’ vs ‘what you know’ situation. - KENO<br />
<strong>SSCWN</strong> EDITOR CHIMES IN: Did you know the city of Houston, Texas,<br />
does not have zoning laws? They instead have outlined city ordinances,<br />
but they do not enforce or address the usage of the land. Therefore,<br />
there can be a house next to a grocery store that is next to a hotel that<br />
is next to a…. you get the idea. For instance, here are some pictures<br />
posted by the Houston Chronicle back in 2016, under the headline: The<br />
weirdest images to come from Houston’s lack of zoning laws.<br />
Hire a lawyer to rezone. Both your scenarios are going to require<br />
legal representation for one reason or another. The simplest<br />
task would be to lawyer up to rezone the lot for storage<br />
units. May take a little time, and a few meetings but it will more<br />
than likely be successful.<br />
The more complex task, get a lawyer on your side ... lawyering<br />
up when you want to use city water for a carwash ...someone will<br />
point out and mention something about the EPA and clean water<br />
regs: www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-clean-water-act. -<br />
ECKERT16<br />
I am in Alabama and I have had a 4-bay SS on septic for about<br />
15 years. All the required work was done before I purchased the<br />
car wash so I can’t help you with that part. Alabama Department<br />
of Environmental Management (ADEM) can tell you everything<br />
you will need to do to get a permit to operate without sewer. The<br />
permit is $4290.00 every 5 years plus about $200.00 every year to<br />
send water samples to a lab for testing. ADEM is very easy to deal<br />
with and will be happy to help you.<br />
One more thing.... the cost of my permit is about the same cost<br />
as my other 4 bay SS that is on sewer. My sewer bill is based on<br />
my water usage. Financially speaking the car wash on sewer costs<br />
about the same as the car wash on a septic system every year. -<br />
TRISHALE<br />
Generally having wastewater not going to the city sewer is illegal in<br />
all 51 states. Federal regulations. Be very careful here. Could be BIG<br />
fines. If a lawyer says it might be fine, get another lawyer. - MAC<br />
16 • WINTER 2023
WINTER 2023 • 17
TRICKS OF THE<br />
Baby, it’s way, way, way<br />
too cold outside<br />
If I was going to close down the wash for let’s say 3-4 days and wanted to not waste weep water 24/7 to a 10 bay<br />
SS and Automatic the weepmizers will run all the time darn near. Could I drain my HP rinse tank and refill with<br />
-20 windsheild washer fluid and go to every bay and turn on HP so it fills the line and pump/purge with WW<br />
and be safe for extreme cold weather and the same for low-pressure functions. The water consumption and the few<br />
people washing = broken lines, fittings and a muddy frozen mess… wouldn’t be worth it. - TDLCONCEPTSLLC<br />
This is how we shut down the car wash when it<br />
gets really cold. I installed a “T” in the weep water<br />
system just downstream of the weep solenoid<br />
valve. I turn off the weep water, connect an air<br />
hose to the down leg on the “T” and blow air into<br />
the weep system, blowing out most of the water.<br />
Then I connect a Flo-Jet pump to the “T” and<br />
pump WW fluid into the weep system. I put the<br />
furthest foam brush handle and gun in a bucket so<br />
I can tell when I’ve got enough WW in the system.<br />
When I’m satisfied that I have enough WW in the<br />
system I disconnect the pump, turn off the power<br />
to the pumps etc. and go home until it warms back<br />
up. It normally only takes about 3 jugs of WW. I<br />
went to Walmart the other day and bought WW<br />
fluid so I have everything staged and ready to go.<br />
- RANDY<br />
Since we deal with freezing conditions every<br />
year, our systems are automatic. We fancy. - CANT-<br />
BREAK80<br />
I have doors and heated floors, no problem here.<br />
- SWAMPDONKEY<br />
I do exactly the same as Randy, except I blow<br />
the washer fluid out of all the lines 5-gallon buckets<br />
to reuse. - JACK954<br />
Randy: How cold does it need to be for you to<br />
go through your process? - TRAVELER17<br />
No doors or floor heat here. When I have a low<br />
in the low 20s and it is followed by a day with a<br />
high no higher than about 35 (~40 if it is cloudy)<br />
I shut down. I know you guys up North will laugh<br />
but these cold snaps are very short-lived. My business<br />
drops substantially anyway during cold snaps<br />
as people usually just wait until it gets warmer to<br />
wash. The people that are determined to wash<br />
usually aren’t the customers I want to deal with<br />
anyway (muddy hunters, etc.) - GREG PACK<br />
I’m in Southeast NC so like you, I have no doors<br />
or floor heat. …I turn on the heat in the equipment<br />
rooms and shut it down. - TRAVELER17<br />
If you don’t have a “fancy” blowdown system, I<br />
kinda like the idea of putting washer fluid in the<br />
gravity tank and filling the HP lines using the HP<br />
pump. One thing for all to consider, is however<br />
you fill the HP lines with washer fluid. If you have<br />
a dripping HP wand, it doesn’t take long to fill the<br />
hose with water and freeze....Ask me how I know<br />
this?! So when I replaced my gravity tanks, I put<br />
ball valves on both the hot and cold side for each<br />
bay. So if I decided to only close some of the bays,<br />
I can shut off the water supply to these bays. I also<br />
have ball valves on SFR to each bay....A solenoid<br />
that leaks or leaks under pressure will do the same<br />
thing....A ball valve between the solenoid and bay<br />
is good insurance...<br />
I generally close 2 of my 4 bays when temps<br />
don’t get above 15° during the daytime, just to<br />
save weep water. I only weep the HP wands and<br />
have an automated washer fluid injection system<br />
for FB and the TF/PS Foam Gun that is activated<br />
at 32°. I shut completely down when temps don’t<br />
get above zero. I have had people wash in bays at<br />
-5° (I don’t have doors but do have heated floors),<br />
so that’s when I decided to start shutting down<br />
when it’s this cold. When I keep 2 bays open, I<br />
keep the ones open on either side of the ER to<br />
help with ice buildup on the walls...Here is a photo<br />
of my gravity tank shut-off valves.<br />
No one here in the Pacific Northwest has floor<br />
heat so we stay closed or shut down when the daytime<br />
temperature isn’t going to get to 25 deg. We<br />
don’t do enough business to justify staying open<br />
when it’s that cold. I think last year we closed for<br />
4 or 5 days.<br />
I think this year I’m going to pull the guns and<br />
foam brush handles and blow out the water. Put a<br />
1/4” ball valve on the end of each of the hoses and<br />
then pump in the WW, then blow out the WW<br />
with air into a bucket and reuse it again when<br />
needed. I always turn off the city water in case one<br />
of the solenoid valves leaks. - RANDY<br />
I found my local Walmart had the least expensive<br />
-25 fluid, a little less than $4/gallon. -25 freezing<br />
temp suggests a roughly 45% dilution (by volume)<br />
of methanol. I should be able to mix mine<br />
50/50 with water and get the freeze protection I<br />
need (mid teens). I was looking at RV antifreeze<br />
and it has a lower percentage of methanol and a<br />
freezing point of 9 degrees. The RV antifreeze has<br />
a different goal of just preventing a hard freeze as<br />
slush is permitted.<br />
I’ve got some green marker dye I’m going to<br />
use in my solution to let me know the system is<br />
flushed.<br />
GREG PACK<br />
I use -20° Washer Fluid straight. No mixing. It’s<br />
about $2.00 a gallon here when I catch it on sale.<br />
No dye needed, it’s blue and very noticeable when<br />
it comes out the HP wand...I use a clear plastic<br />
measuring cup to make it easier to see when it<br />
comes out the nozzles. It takes about a gallon to<br />
do 4 HP hoses...So it doesn’t break the bank. The<br />
other 8 LP hoses are done automatically with<br />
air-washer fluid-air, so I don’t have to manually do<br />
them. I used to blow out the washer fluid in the<br />
HP hoses but got plugged nozzles 75% of the time<br />
when reopening. So now I just leave the WF in the<br />
hoses without blowing out. No problems opening<br />
back up. - 2BIZ<br />
A friend just told me a 55 drum of methanol<br />
is available for less than $300. I have bought that<br />
in the past but it took me years to use that drum<br />
up. - GREG PACK<br />
Do you have a racing fuel supplier nearby? We<br />
18 • WINTER 2023
TRICKS OF THE<br />
have one near us and the methanol pump is a self<br />
serve pump so you can bring any container to fill. I<br />
went last week and filled 11 used and cleaned out<br />
5-gallon square chemical buckets and it was $175<br />
after tax. - OURTOWN<br />
I did a test bay 2 nights ago on my farthest #10<br />
bay that hit 26 degrees and 27 degrees at night<br />
since with no freeze up. Are you guys up North<br />
familiar with WW fluid? Tell me if I am wrong on<br />
this process: First I disconnected the supply hose<br />
to the pump and turned it on for 20 seconds with<br />
no supply water to purge. Then I sucked a gallon<br />
of -20 washer fluid, turned the pump on until it<br />
came out in the bay…. I left the spray wand and<br />
tip still attached. Was thinking about doing several<br />
more bays and leaving them like this through a<br />
deep freeze. I just don’t want lines & swivels to all<br />
freeze and have a genuine mess. I want to do this<br />
to save on weeping water, as water, where I am<br />
located, can be pricey. - TDLCONCEPTSLLC<br />
That should work. Just as long as you fill the system<br />
with WW it’ll work.<br />
I shut down my car wash yesterday afternoon,<br />
pulled the guns and foam brush handles off, blew out<br />
the lines with air from the weep solenoid. I pumped<br />
about 3 gallons of WW into the weep system, blew<br />
out the weep system after I filled it with WW and<br />
reclaimed about 21/2 gallons of WW. - RANDY<br />
Thomas, if you have a weep system, it would be<br />
much easier to rig up a pump and use the weep<br />
system to winterize your hp hoses. You will use a<br />
lot less wf. I did 4 bays tonight and used about 1.5<br />
gallons. - 2BIZ<br />
Update: I shut down Thursday and flushed a<br />
50% mixture of -20 WW fluid and water through<br />
the system. Gotta admit it was a little bit of a hassle<br />
and I need to find a better way to do it. I did<br />
build a Flojet pump with an air fitting and had<br />
several fittings with me so I could just swap out as<br />
needed to flush out lines on both the SS and water<br />
wizard IBA. I think adding a female fitting and<br />
check valve to the various chemical lines might<br />
be a good way to handle it next time. During the<br />
freeze, I went by and made daily checks on the<br />
washes. On Saturday, it was in the low teens (after<br />
lows in the single digits) and the 50% solution I<br />
made was a very soft slush on the brush. I cranked<br />
back up today when it got to about 35 degrees<br />
with no issue and was glad not to have any ice<br />
buildup. A wash owner south of me was dealing<br />
with several busted lines so I’m glad I made the<br />
effort to prevent start-up problems. - GREG PACK<br />
The windshield washer fluid worked great. I used<br />
about 13-14 bottles on my 10-bay SS and flushed<br />
every line. Every option didn’t have freeze-ups. It<br />
took me a little while but I got it done and closed<br />
for 5 days when it got to 7 degrees one night and 8<br />
degrees the next and not above freezing in the day.<br />
…Thank you guys, I need to build a blowdown<br />
system. It would save on my water bill like crazy. I<br />
waste a lot of weep water with a weepmizer on my<br />
SS for a 10 bay - TDLCONCEPTSLLC<br />
The low here was 9. I’m sure if I could do it with<br />
a gallon I wouldn’t bother diluting it. It took me<br />
12 gallons of concentrate to do two washes, but<br />
I’m not set up to operate in sub-freezing weather.<br />
We actually shut down when it gets in the 20s due<br />
to no floor heat and the chance of ice buildup. -<br />
GREG PACK<br />
I didn’t do any of this in South Carolina & I<br />
got hammered. Busted lines everywhere. Live &<br />
learn, most of my damage was old & needed to<br />
be replaced anyway… but it still sucked. - BIGMAT-<br />
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WINTER 2023 • 19
FUN & GAMES<br />
WHAT’S DIFFERENT?<br />
Think<br />
these two pictures taken at a self serve car<br />
wash are the same? Think again!<br />
There are five differences. Can you spot them?<br />
1. Garage door is yellow 2. Bay hose is missing 3. Waste baskets have doubled 4. Two puddles in the parking lot 5. Change machine is gone 6. OMG a UFO!!!!!<br />
20 • WINTER 2023
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WINTER 2023 • 21
Can you guess the countries of where<br />
these self serves are located?<br />
Here are the choices:<br />
Canada<br />
Norway<br />
d<br />
Egypt<br />
Hungary<br />
Romania<br />
Slovenia<br />
a<br />
b<br />
e<br />
c<br />
f<br />
a. Easy Wash of Trebnje, Slovenia b. Dive In Carwash of Trondheim, Norway c. Carwash Auto Spa of Comănești, Romania<br />
d. Wash It Car Wash of Cairo, Egypt e. Suds Car Wash of Ontario of Canada f. Car Spa of Budapest, Hungary<br />
22 • WINTER 2023
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WINTER 2023 • 23
INDUSTRY DIRT<br />
HAPPENINGS<br />
IN & AROUND THE<br />
SELF SERVE CARWASHING INDUSTRY<br />
D&S reflects on the past year<br />
In a December 21, 2022, letter from D&S Car<br />
Wash Supply CEO Tim Huntington, he stated he<br />
was proud to announced that 2022 was its third<br />
consecutive record year regarding equipment and<br />
invoice sales.<br />
Thanking the company’s distribution channels,<br />
Huntington wrote: As 2022 comes to a close,<br />
D&S would like to recognize and thank our Distributor<br />
partners, Vendor partners, Customers,<br />
End-Users, D&S Equipment Enthusiasts, and all<br />
of our business partners for your hard work and<br />
dedication throughout the year.<br />
“We’d also like to recognize the hard work and<br />
dedication of all D&S employees over the last year<br />
- we thank you all for coming to work every day to<br />
keep business moving smoothly.”<br />
The past year saw the official market debut of<br />
the IQ MAX Large Vehicle Wash, the company’s<br />
and it saw the creation of the Field Sales & Service<br />
(FSS) Division, created through the acquisitions<br />
Spotless Brands names<br />
new Executive to its<br />
leadership team<br />
According to a November 15, 2022, press<br />
release, George Alexandris has joined the Senior<br />
Leadership Team in the role of Senior Vice President<br />
of Development and Construction for Spotless<br />
Brands. With several decades of developmental<br />
experience, George will join the brand’s development<br />
team on all managing aspects of major renovation,<br />
new construction and development projects<br />
from conceptualization through completion.<br />
Alexandris brings to Spotless Brands over 20+<br />
years of experience in retail development, property<br />
acquisitions, entitlements, permitting and construction,<br />
the press release stated. Before starting<br />
his career, he graduated from Southern California<br />
Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles, CA with<br />
a B.A. in Architecture. He has developed over<br />
1 million square feet of Big Box anchored retail<br />
shopping centers and 500+ build to suite NNN<br />
retail projects over the course of his career.<br />
“Spotless Brands has untapped potential and<br />
I’m blessed to be joining the company as a senior<br />
leader to contribute to the already impressive developmental<br />
growth,” Alexandris stated in the press<br />
release. “I’m inspired by the incredible individuals<br />
I’ll be working alongside to bring Spotless’ market-leading<br />
car wash services to more communities,<br />
and look forward to reaching monumental growth.”<br />
Alexandris previously worked as Vice President<br />
of Development for Hutton where he was<br />
integral in the development and various stages of<br />
of former D&S distributors, DS Car Wash Systems<br />
and Mid States Car Wash Solutions LLC. They<br />
have moved into a new location at the top of the<br />
hill on Brandi Lane, just a short distance from the<br />
main D&S facility, wrote Huntington. “With this<br />
move, FSS is excited about expanding our footprint<br />
in the areas of service, parts, and chemical<br />
sales, and has already developed a very strong,<br />
working relationship with Enterprise Home Store<br />
renovations.”<br />
The D&S <strong>web</strong>site was overhauled in 2022.<br />
“Through this channel, we’ve seen increased usage<br />
of our online parts catalog as a time saver and<br />
error reduction activity for ordering parts,” wrote<br />
the CEO.<br />
“In addition, our flagship IQ In Bay Automatic<br />
System fleet reached 700 units in service with<br />
locations in 37 states and 3 Canadian provinces.”<br />
Huntington ended the letter by thanking the<br />
D&S team, and business partners.<br />
construction of over 65 Express Car Wash sites<br />
under the ModWash banner.<br />
“Spotless Brands is very excited to welcome<br />
George to the team as he helps continue to drive<br />
the expansion of our organization’s new development<br />
and construction activities,” said Russ Reynolds,<br />
CEO of Spotless Brands, in the press release.<br />
“Bringing on key leaders like George who are passionate<br />
about brand growth and aggressive development<br />
is what moves our brand forward, allowing<br />
us to be one of the fastest growing and largest<br />
car wash platforms in the United States.”<br />
Alexandris will work to support the company’s<br />
current goal of working with over 150 locations<br />
by the end of 2023. Spotless Car Wash<br />
Brands’ portfolio surpassed 135 units across Arizona,<br />
Colorado, Oklahoma, Washington, D.C.,<br />
Virginia, and Maryland via the Cobblestone Auto<br />
Spa, Okie Express Auto Wash, Ultimate Shine Car<br />
Wash and Flagship Carwash brands.<br />
ICA names new<br />
Vendor Director<br />
Mark Tentis have been named a Vendor<br />
Director on the International Carwash Association’s<br />
(ICA) board of directors, according<br />
to a January 18, 2023, press release.<br />
OPW Vehicle Wash Solutions stated it<br />
was pleased and proud to announce that<br />
Tentis, who serves at OPW’s Senior Vice<br />
President for Global Sales and Service, has<br />
been named as one of two new Vendor Directors<br />
on the 2023-24 Board of Directors.<br />
The ICA is a non-profit organization that<br />
for more than 65 years has represented the<br />
interests of the vehicle wash industry in the<br />
United States and around the world, the<br />
press release stated. “For many years, the<br />
International Carwash Association has been<br />
a vital and steadfast advocate for the vehicle<br />
wash industry worldwide, so it is a great<br />
honor to be selected as a Vendor Director<br />
on the association’s Board of Directors,”<br />
Tentis stated. “I can’t wait to start collaborating<br />
with my fellow board members as we<br />
work with a wide array of ICA members and<br />
their companies to find new and exciting<br />
ways to identify challenges, craft solutions<br />
and generally optimize performance within<br />
the vehicle wash industry around the globe.”<br />
Tentis, who has 22 years of experience as a<br />
professional in the vehicle wash market, was<br />
nominated for the Vendor Director position<br />
by his fellow colleagues in the industry. He<br />
will serve a two-year term, which began on<br />
Jan. 1, 2023.<br />
24 • WINTER 2023
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WINTER 2023 • 25
Association News<br />
Kleen-Rite Expo<br />
welcomed back<br />
with enthusiasm<br />
The Kleen-Rite Expo was recently<br />
held at the company’s headquarters<br />
in Columbia, Pennsylvania,<br />
and after a four-year hiatus (due to<br />
the pandemic), the company didn’t<br />
skip a beat in celebrating and welcoming<br />
its customers, products, vendors<br />
and those who are new to the<br />
industry. Learn More, Earn More!<br />
was the theme of this year’s Expo<br />
and offered a dedicated to learning,<br />
that ended up selling out, with a<br />
tour of local car washes, roundtable<br />
discussions, a keynote address from<br />
an industry expert, and lunch. Also<br />
included was a tour of Kleen-Rite’s<br />
new distribution facility in Mount<br />
Joy. On November 16, 2022, the<br />
warehouse opened its doors for attendees<br />
to visit vendor booths, win<br />
thousands of dollars worth of door<br />
prizes, attend more classes and enjoy<br />
a delicious lunch by Harvey’s BBQ.<br />
The last Expo took place back<br />
in 2018, with the next scheduled<br />
for 2020, but that Expo was thwarted<br />
by the pandemic. However, the<br />
company did hold a Virtual Expo<br />
featuring Master Classes from its<br />
top vendors for the carwashing and<br />
detailing industry.<br />
Resuming its biennial timetable,<br />
the next show is scheduled to take<br />
place in 2024.<br />
26 • WINTER 2023
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WINTER 2023 • 27
Carwash<br />
Boom Assembly<br />
MODEL 203<br />
Zierco’s Original Swivel and<br />
Boom Assembly, with<br />
New Rebuildable<br />
Cartridge<br />
• Feather light rotating action<br />
• Twin compression springs are<br />
tension-adjustable for a variety<br />
of hose and gun weights<br />
• Swivel rotates 360˚ - 12 ft.<br />
diameter<br />
MODEL 203 FEATURES<br />
• Temperatures to 280˚ max.,<br />
pressure to 2000 psi<br />
• Longer hose life as spring<br />
prevents kinks<br />
• Ruggedly built, satisfaction<br />
guaranteed<br />
• Proven performance with over 50 years<br />
service in the field (Since 1962)<br />
OPTIONAL<br />
107C CARTRIDGE<br />
FOR COMPLETE<br />
INFORMATION<br />
CALL<br />
414-764-6630<br />
FAX: (414) 764-9763<br />
www.ziercowaterboy.com<br />
107C Cartridge Features:<br />
• Field Repairable<br />
• 100% 304 Stainless Steel Internal<br />
Materials Eliminate Failure Due to<br />
Corrosion<br />
• Double O-Ring Design Uses Any<br />
Type of Grease<br />
7355 S. 1st. Street<br />
Oak Creek, WI 53154<br />
sales@zierden.com<br />
TM<br />
VISA and Master Card accepted<br />
DISTRIBUTOR INQUIRIES INVITED<br />
QUALITY PRODUCTS SINCE 1937<br />
28 • WINTER 2023
Carwash<br />
Boom<br />
Assemblies<br />
Zierco’s Easy Service Swivel and<br />
Boom Systems with<br />
MODEL 204 and 206 FEATURES<br />
• Twin compression springs are tension-adjustable<br />
for a variety of hose and gun weights<br />
• Swivel rotates 360˚ - 12 ft. diameter<br />
• Temperatures to 280˚ max., pressure to 2000 psi<br />
• Longer hose life as spring prevents kinks<br />
• Ruggedly built, satisfaction guaranteed<br />
• Optional stainless steel components<br />
• Proven performance with over 50 years service in<br />
the field (Since 1962)<br />
Boom Systems with Full 360 Degree roTATIoN<br />
Booms are Available with 3 Different Mountings<br />
MODEL 204<br />
ENHANCE YOUR SELF SERVING<br />
CONVENIENCE<br />
STYLE B<br />
Flat Plate<br />
Mounts directly<br />
to the ceiling or<br />
beam.<br />
Easy to Use -"Feather Light" rotating action<br />
STYLE C<br />
Swivel Base<br />
Mounts directly to<br />
the ceiling.<br />
MODEL 206<br />
OFFSET Overhead Carwash Boom<br />
Allows for TWO Center Boom Installation<br />
STYLE D<br />
Wall Bracket<br />
Mounts to wall and<br />
is adjustable so<br />
boom swings<br />
to wall when<br />
not in use.<br />
Ideal for foaming brushes.<br />
FOR COMPLETE<br />
INFORMATION<br />
CALL<br />
(414)-764-6630<br />
www.ziercowaterboy.com<br />
CONVERSION KIT<br />
204B<br />
To Convert Model 203<br />
to a 204 Assembly<br />
Remove boom body<br />
from hinge plate<br />
EASY 3 STEP PROCEDURE<br />
TO CHANGE SEALS.<br />
NO TOOLS REQUIRED.<br />
Rotate hinge plate<br />
counter clockwise to<br />
remove seal elbow<br />
Replace O-Rings<br />
7355 S. 1st Street<br />
Oak Creek, WI 53154<br />
Fax: (414) 764-9763<br />
sales@zierden.com<br />
QUALITY PRODUCTS SINCE 1937<br />
TM<br />
DISTRIBUTOR<br />
INQUIRIES<br />
INVITED<br />
VISA and Master Card<br />
accepted<br />
WINTER 2023 • 29
Association News<br />
Sonny’s Enterprises Announces the Acquisition of CWT Services<br />
Sonny’s, the world’s leading manufacturer of<br />
conveyorized car wash equipment, parts, and supplies,<br />
announced on December 12, 2022, the acquisition<br />
of CWT Services (CWT) of Sacramento,<br />
California.<br />
Since 1985, CWT has sold, installed, and serviced<br />
equipment for tunnels, in-bay automatics, and selfserves<br />
in the Northern California and Nevada regions.<br />
“We couldn’t ask for a better partner to establish<br />
our Sonny’s CarWash Services Northwest region.<br />
CWT is California’s largest car wash and C-Store<br />
service company with over 250 years of combined<br />
experience in the industry. The team knows the region<br />
best and our shared passion and commitment to<br />
customers is what makes this partnership possible,”<br />
said Sonny’s CEO Paul Fazio, in the press release.<br />
Loren York, owner of CWT Services, stated in<br />
the press release, “With CWT joining Sonny’s Car-<br />
Wash Services, our localized knowledge combined<br />
with Sonny’s leadership position in carwash innovation<br />
and manufacturing will only elevate the solutions<br />
we deliver to all our customers on a local level<br />
to make them more profitable.”<br />
CWT will continue to be led by the same management<br />
team for the hundreds of clients it serves.<br />
Car Wash Operators<br />
of New Jersey<br />
CWONJ hands out award;<br />
talks impacts of PE on<br />
carwashing and its attempts<br />
to make car washes essential<br />
On November 1, according to a November<br />
press release, The Car Wash Operators of New<br />
Jersey welcomed George Odden with Ardent Advisory<br />
Group to share his thoughts on the impact<br />
of Private Equity (PE) on the Northeast market.<br />
The talk took place at the association’s Fall Membership<br />
Meeting at Galloping Hill Golf Course<br />
in Kenilworth, New Jersey. “The topic was timely<br />
and the comments from George were eye-opening,”<br />
according to CWONJ President Dino Nicoletta<br />
stated in the press release. “We had a great<br />
turnout and lots of Q & A from attendees. I was<br />
extremely happy with the event and the venue.”<br />
According to Odden, “PE is here to stay and<br />
will continue to grow,” said Odden, “but not at the<br />
rate you’ve seen because financing has changed<br />
and there is some uncertainty now.”<br />
Odden stated that in New Jersey, in which fullserves<br />
are still popular, where there is still a significant<br />
number of full-serves, PE deals can be done,<br />
and there is interest, but it’s more of a challenge.<br />
He said the most attractive washes to a PE group<br />
are those with four or more locations, express sites<br />
over full-serves, those with a robust development<br />
pipeline, clean books/records/operating history,<br />
consistent earnings over time and a growing club<br />
or the potential to create/grow one, the press release<br />
stated. “PE loves the subscription model,”<br />
Odden stated during the event. “And a strong return<br />
on investment is critical to them. They are<br />
also interested in Greenfield Development (sites<br />
that have not been previously developed or polluted).<br />
But they are driven by the potential financial<br />
return. That is everything to them.”<br />
Next, Doug Rieck received the President’s<br />
Award from CWONJ President Dino Nicoletta.<br />
Rieck, who recently completed his second term<br />
as president, is a past recipient of the Northeast<br />
Regional Carwash Convention’s (NRCC) Most<br />
Distinguished Person Award and its highest honor,<br />
The Hall of Fame Award. He is active on their<br />
board and has served the CWONJ in various capacities<br />
for many years. The honor was to note<br />
his exemplary service and his most recent term<br />
as President, the press release stated.<br />
And finally, Sam Weinstein with the Princeton<br />
Public Affairs Group (PPAG), the association’s<br />
lobbying firm, updated attendees on the association’s<br />
effort to get carwashes across the state<br />
classified as “essential” businesses in case of future<br />
state shutdowns or drought restrictions, according<br />
to the press release. He reported that there is<br />
now a bill in both houses deeming carwashes as<br />
essential businesses. He is hopeful that the legislation<br />
will be signed into law by Governor Phil<br />
Murphy in the upcoming months.<br />
New York State<br />
Car Wash Association<br />
NYSCWA Fall Meeting<br />
features tour, beer<br />
tastings and industry icon<br />
Bill Martin<br />
The NYSCWA held its Fall Membership<br />
Meeting on October 20 with its first visit to the<br />
Utica, New York market, stated President Walt<br />
Hartl in a press release. “With a state this large<br />
it’s challenging to hit every market, but we try.<br />
Our first visit to the Utica market proved extremely<br />
successful, however,” he said. “It was a<br />
great day of touring, learning and bonding with<br />
our members.”<br />
Before heading out on tour, the group enjoyed<br />
a lunch from Pumpernickel’s, thanks to<br />
NCS Chemistry. With a packed bus, courtesy of<br />
Micrologic, two washes were visited. First was<br />
the new $8 million Hoffman express exterior<br />
site in Yorkville featuring a 160-foot tunnel,<br />
two Washworld in-bays, a Micrologic POS, three<br />
self-service bays with InnovateIt equipment and<br />
18 free Vacutech vacuums on approximately two<br />
acres, the press release stated. The site opened in<br />
November of 2021.<br />
The second site was Pristine Auto Wash,<br />
owned by Frank and Maurizio Salamone and<br />
family. “The wash was built in 2016 and includes<br />
lighting at its vac islands from the former ice<br />
cream establishment that adds to the site’s history,”<br />
the press release stated. “It boasts an attractive<br />
facade and features two friction (Surfline)<br />
and two frictionless (Laserwash) PDQ in-bays.<br />
All the chemicals are from NCS by CSI chemistry.<br />
The wash volume mix is roughly 55 percent<br />
friction and 45 percent frictionless.”<br />
Next up was a visit to F.X. Matt Brewing<br />
Company for a tour of the facility, compliments<br />
of Simoniz USA. Beer, cider and dinner was then<br />
enjoyed compliments of G & G Industrial Lighting.<br />
The historic 1888 Tavern, F.X. Matt Brewing<br />
Co., is the fourth oldest family-owned US brewery,<br />
having brewed beer since 1888 and is known<br />
for its line of Saranac beer.<br />
Hartl ran a brief business meeting where he<br />
noted the Association’s finances and asked Secretary<br />
Rob Peter to read his Secretary Report.<br />
He then asked Past President Mark Kubarek to<br />
read the 2023 NYSCWA Officer Slate that was<br />
voted in unanimously. The slate includes: President<br />
Walt Hartl, Vice President Steve Weekes,<br />
Treasurer Christian King and Secretary Rob Peter.<br />
Directors include Gary Baright, Chris Kubarek,<br />
Paul Vallario, Mackenzie Wilock, Jack Collison<br />
and new board member Meeghan Sheckler.<br />
A main highlight of the day was featured<br />
speaker, industry Icon Bill Martin, who spoke<br />
about the evolution of the industry and the impact<br />
of private equity on the carwashing landscape,<br />
the press release stated. Martin is the<br />
founding partner of Amplify Car Wash Advisors,<br />
a full-service carwash advisory firm that helps<br />
businesses sell, partner or grow. He is also the<br />
owner/operator of Metro Express Car Wash in<br />
Idaho, Montana and Washington State. He formerly<br />
served as ICA President and was a 2012<br />
Hall of Fame inductee. “You can grow, you can go<br />
or you can do nothing,” Martin told the crowd.<br />
“But doing nothing probably won’t work well<br />
for you. You continually have to reinvest in your<br />
business to prosper.”<br />
Hartl noted of Bill’s remarks, “Bill is the whole<br />
package. His wealth of knowledge is unparalleled<br />
and his insight is truly priceless. It was an honor<br />
to have him come out to Utica and speak to our<br />
group. I know I learned a lot.”<br />
30 • WINTER 2023
WINTER 2023 • 31
EXTRA!<br />
EXTRA!<br />
Presenting the news stories featuring<br />
self serve car washes<br />
Now, this is a new use for<br />
a self serve bay!<br />
Due to a chronic lack of funding, the Manitoba<br />
Archaeological Society of Manitoba, Canada, has<br />
had to make some creative changes to the way it<br />
stores its artifacts. Everything is now stored in the<br />
vacant office of a three-compartment car wash in<br />
the small town of Virden in southwestern Manitoba,<br />
according to a January 28 CBC story.<br />
“My car wash has a wonderfully curated collection<br />
of Aboriginal artifacts, but they should be in<br />
museums,” says Alicia Gooden, the car wash owner<br />
who also serves as the Association’s president.<br />
Underfunding has forced the Manitoba Archaeological<br />
Society to make many budget cuts,<br />
but while it’s working for now, Gooden said her<br />
car wash is not ideal for storing what are considered<br />
priceless artifacts.<br />
“They need to be displayed properly and stored<br />
properly,” she also said in the story. “Same with our<br />
records — I have 60-year-old great records that are<br />
just boxed.”<br />
It is a shame that their mission isn’t respected<br />
as the Society recently came across its most impressive<br />
findings.<br />
In southwestern Manitoba… Known as the Olson<br />
site, evidence has been discovered indicating<br />
that Indigenous people were farming before European<br />
contact, the story said.<br />
“It’s a huge discovery. It started off as what we<br />
thought was maybe a small little tool-making site,”<br />
but it’s turned into something much bigger, Gooden<br />
said in the story.<br />
MotorBiscuit gives bad press for self serves<br />
You shouldn’t bucket wash and self serve tools<br />
won’t damage your car, are a few of the positive<br />
things named in a December 15 MotorBiscuit article.<br />
MotorBiscuit, a popular <strong>web</strong>site for car enthusiasts<br />
answered some of the pressing questions<br />
from self serve and potential self serve customers.<br />
“Most of the time, you’ll see a sign posted<br />
specifically stating that “no bucket washing is allowed.”<br />
In that case, if you’re caught washing your<br />
car using a bucket and a wash mitt by the owner<br />
or an employee, you could be asked to leave,” the<br />
article stated.<br />
However, that’s where the good news ends.<br />
The second half of the article lists the downsides<br />
of using a self serve, including:<br />
• Many self-service car washes use<br />
unfiltered water, so the car might have<br />
water spots after drying.<br />
Renovated self serve receives $5k grant<br />
In Rochelle, Indiana, the city presented a<br />
$5,000 check to Hub City Car Wash South Owner<br />
Dave Hoffman as part of its facade grant program.<br />
A Rochelle News-Leader story from November<br />
11, said the program covers half the cost of any improvements<br />
made to business fronts with a limit of<br />
$5,000. Hoffman recently purchased and renovated<br />
the car wash after his previous location was bought<br />
by Kwik Trip and ultimately demolished. Hoffman<br />
is now the owner of two Hub City Car Wash.<br />
• The cleaning solutions at the car wash<br />
might not be pH balanced, which can<br />
end up harming your car’s paint.<br />
• Most car washes charge you by the minute,<br />
which could make you want to rush the<br />
process. Also, the per-minute charge can<br />
add up to a lot of money in the end.<br />
• A self-service car wash can take up to<br />
an hour to complete, depending on the<br />
process you use.<br />
If any of you would like to respond to the<br />
article, you can email the <strong>web</strong>site at feedback@<br />
motorbiscuit.com. Be sure to mention the author,<br />
Joe Santos. You can also comment on the article<br />
online by going to motorbiscuit.com keyword:<br />
bucket washing.<br />
As of January 28, there are 0 comments.<br />
Improvements to the car wash include all new<br />
equipment and five self-service wash bays.<br />
“It’s going to be all-new technology down<br />
here,” Hoffman said in the story. “It’s completely<br />
different from the north site. That site has all water<br />
tanks because the pressure is weaker up there.<br />
Down here, the pressure is better.”<br />
City Community Development Director Michelle<br />
Pease called the car wash, “an awesome investment”<br />
in the area, the story said.<br />
Self serve car<br />
washes make Top<br />
50 list<br />
If any of you were wondering if you<br />
made the right career move, rest easy in<br />
knowing Small Biz Trends put owning a<br />
self serve car wash in its Top 50 List. On<br />
January 9, the site posted the story: 50<br />
Best Offline Business Ideas to Consider<br />
in 2023. “If you’re thinking of starting a<br />
new business in 2023, there are plenty<br />
of profitable business opportunities that<br />
can run mainly offline. You may still utilize<br />
online marketing or tools. But the<br />
bulk of your operations can be handled<br />
in-person. Here are some of the best<br />
business ideas for those who want to<br />
stay mostly offline.”<br />
“Car Wash” was listed at number 29,<br />
right between “Technology Repair Service”<br />
and “Errand Service.”<br />
What was number 1? Food Truck.<br />
Hoffman said there’s a chance the largest bay<br />
could be converted to an automatic wash in two or<br />
three years.<br />
“This place will have a lot of upgraded technology,”<br />
Hoffman said in the story. “Everything will be<br />
a lot faster with higher pressure. I always reinvest<br />
my money back into the wash, because I go to car<br />
shows every year and I want to keep updating.”<br />
32 • WINTER 2023
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Car washes booming and multiplying in Tampa Bay<br />
and Fargo, North Dakota<br />
According to a November 14 Tampa Bay<br />
Times report, in a move that reflects a nationwide<br />
trend, companies are hoping to saturate<br />
Florida — and especially Tampa Bay — with as<br />
many car wash locations as possible.<br />
Jay Shadday, the president of Big Dan’s, a car<br />
wash chain with 20 locations, said in the story,<br />
“There’s been a lot of private equity capital that’s<br />
been poured into the car wash industry. The biggest<br />
reason is the subscription. I would say 99% of<br />
the car washes that you’re seeing built in Florida,<br />
and really across the country, are focused on that.”<br />
It also might have to do with the Florida clientele<br />
and climate. “Tampa Bay is especially appealing<br />
to developers in the car wash business. According<br />
to the story Tampa Bay has a high car-to-household<br />
rate. And, as new residents pour into the area, many<br />
are commuting longer distances, which quickly<br />
dirties up their vehicles. Then there’s the annoyances<br />
which cause trouble for vehicles in Florida and<br />
neighboring states including pollen dust, salty air,<br />
House Small Business Committee names<br />
Texas Republican as chair<br />
Congressman Roger Williams of Texas has<br />
been named chair of the House’s Small Business<br />
Committee, a SmallBizTrends story stated.<br />
The January 26 report stated that the republican<br />
is a current small business owner as his family<br />
owns a car dealership and cattle business.<br />
What exactly is the Small Business Committee?<br />
Here’s a look at its list of goals and initiatives,<br />
which might help give insight into its purpose. According<br />
to its statement, the Committee hopes to:<br />
• Advocate for free market principles and progrowth<br />
policies.<br />
• Rigorous oversight of the current administration,<br />
especially costly policies and regulatory<br />
burdens.<br />
• Highlight the American Dream and success<br />
stories of small business owners, entrepreneurs<br />
and love bugs that splatter all over cars. “The demand<br />
is right there,” the story said.<br />
As for Fargo, North Dakota, according to a<br />
January 23 Valley News Live story, “As you drive<br />
through the streets of Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo,<br />
there’s one thing you’ll say to yourself. ‘Man, do<br />
these guys love car washes.’”<br />
The article stated that car wash chain companies<br />
are moving into the area for the first time, such as<br />
Silver Star, Zip’s and Tommy’s Express.<br />
“It just seems like there’s a lot of them going up,”<br />
said resident Jarred Kowalski. “I don’t know how<br />
they’re all going to make it with competition the<br />
way it is. Every place I go, it seems like there’s another<br />
one being built.”<br />
“It seems like we see a new one on every street,<br />
every month,” added resident Bree Hollingshead.<br />
Some credit the harsh Fargo winters as the reason<br />
for the car wash boom. As Kowalski noted in<br />
the story, “Maybe there’s a demand since we live in<br />
a slush belt in the winter.”<br />
and innovators from all corners of the United<br />
States.<br />
• Five of its more long-term goals include:<br />
• Reforming the Small Business Administration<br />
• Enhancing private sector lending<br />
• Empowering entrepreneurs<br />
• Enhancing small business federal contracting<br />
• Keeping focus on oversight and transparency<br />
Already, Williams has sponsored HR 7664,<br />
Small Business Career & Technical Education<br />
Act. The bill has passed the House and is currently<br />
in the hands of the Senate Small Business<br />
and Entrepreneur Committee, the story stated.<br />
He has also sponsored HR6802, a bill Preventing<br />
Racial Profiling in Lending.<br />
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These self serve owners understand the<br />
need for caffeine<br />
In Moses Lake, Washington, self serve owners<br />
Omar and Farid Altayar, are getting into the java<br />
business. The Altayar family owns FAA Self Service<br />
Car Wash and they are currently constructing<br />
a two-story business that will sell coffee and<br />
act as a storage area on the second floor. The two<br />
businesses will be on the same property.<br />
The coffee shop, which will be called FAA<br />
Coffee House, will have a drive-thru feature as<br />
well.<br />
Omar told iFIBER One News, “We started<br />
working on this project two years ago, the engineering<br />
process took a long time. We are getting<br />
into this business because we see the demand.”<br />
34 • WINTER 2023
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Here’s how some Houston small business<br />
owners are fighting crime<br />
Tired of all of the break-ins, a handful of small<br />
owners in and around Houston, Texas, are sleeping<br />
overnight at their businesses, armed with guns, a<br />
Fox 26 story reported. The January 20 story quoted<br />
Houston bar owner Marin Slanina who has been<br />
burglarized 15 times this past year and twice in<br />
one day. “Some [business owners] have gone to the<br />
great lengths of living in their business with a bulletproof<br />
vest and shotgun, during the hours these<br />
break-ins are happening,” Slanina said in the story.<br />
“Anybody who walks in the door, you want to<br />
give them the benefit of the doubt. [However], you<br />
still have to have your guard up. You still have to be<br />
ready to take care of your house,” Slanina added.<br />
According to the story, the City of Houston has<br />
been seeing a rise in burglaries, thefts, and break-ins.<br />
“Back in May of last year, we were broken into<br />
for the first time, as you saw from that surveillance<br />
video, it was a cash and grab, came in and stole our<br />
cash box,” Slanina recalled in the story. “They also<br />
broke into the nail salon next door and the hair salon.<br />
And then less than 48 hours later, they came and got<br />
us. The nail salon, the hair salon, another restaurant<br />
business, and another restaurant business.”<br />
Slanina said bar owners have slept in their bars<br />
armed with guns to protect their business.<br />
“Reserve 101 has the highest-end bourbon selection<br />
in the city of Houston. One bottle out that<br />
door could cost $25,000. So any loss to a small<br />
business is too much, especially in this day and<br />
age,” she noted, defending the lengths some business<br />
owners are taking.<br />
Cobo’s BBQ owner Raul Jacobo echoed Slanina’s<br />
account. “This is a major issue with our city<br />
right now,” Jacobo said in the story. “If I’m frustrated…<br />
based on these burglaries, I could just<br />
imagine how families feel that they’ve actually lost<br />
loved ones because certain criminals are put back<br />
out on the street.”<br />
“We are fearful for our lives, and we’ve got to<br />
defend what’s ours… under any means necessary,”<br />
Jacobo added to the story.<br />
“Hopefully he does get caught again, and it sticks.<br />
But… we just don’t see that that’s the case. We really<br />
feel like Houston is letting us down on this one.”<br />
On January 18, Slanina along with other small business<br />
owners took their concerns to the city council.<br />
According to Fox News, Slanina stated to the<br />
council, “It’s definitely not a neighborhood-exclusive<br />
thing. The City of Houston as a whole<br />
has a problem with burglaries, thefts, and breakins…<br />
It’s scary. It’s not comfortable. We know we<br />
have to do something bigger as a whole to change<br />
what’s going on in our small businesses.”<br />
Our town needs a self<br />
serve car wash!<br />
A radio host in Toms River, New Jersey, a<br />
township with over 95,000 people, is pleading<br />
on air for a self serve car wash. A guy who goes<br />
by Buehler on station 92.7, posted a blog asking,<br />
“Where is OUR self serve car wash!?”<br />
I think that a self-service car wash would be<br />
a great addition to Toms River, he wrote, noting<br />
that the closest one is about a half hour away in<br />
Point Pleasant.<br />
“I’m more than willing to drive for this, however<br />
trying to sneak out during work to drive a<br />
half hour each way plus the time it takes while<br />
I’m at this business? It’s not exactly practical.”<br />
Buehler said his wife told him to use another<br />
type of car wash, but he said it’s not the same.<br />
“She’s not wrong, but I’m a creature of habit and<br />
I get this weird feeling of pride whenever I go to<br />
one of these places.”<br />
A self-service car wash is the best type of car<br />
wash, he added.<br />
“You know the kind where you drive up<br />
and use the wall-mounted power washer to<br />
clean, soap, lather, wax, and wash your vehicle…<br />
I take a lot of pride in having a clean car<br />
and I feel like you just get a better clean with a<br />
self-service car wash.”<br />
Kansas City car wash owner served with $60K water bill<br />
Yikes! Dominic Cuccia, owner of The Better<br />
Wash in Kansas City, Missouri, said he panicked<br />
when he received his July KC Water bill for almost<br />
$60,000. Cuccia told Fox 4 News back on January<br />
23, “I was like, ‘Oh my god, not another problem<br />
here,’ and the bill was just ridiculous, $20,000 too<br />
high,” he said. “It didn’t make sense.”<br />
This wasn’t his first unusually high water bill.<br />
Back in 2018, he noticed his water bills were way<br />
too high so he went and he hired Leah Battista,<br />
president of Energy Carrot LLC, a Kansas limited<br />
liability company, to help him track his water usage<br />
and billing history, the story said.<br />
Battista has since collected more than five<br />
years’ worth of water usage history and billings, as<br />
well as how many cars are washed and how much<br />
water is used per car for each billing period.<br />
And, the findings were troublesome.<br />
“Normally, we run about 85 cents (for water)<br />
per car,” Cuccia said in the story. “It jumped all the<br />
way up to $1.30 and that was the red flag. That’s<br />
when I reached out to Leah, at that time, and she<br />
did an investigation on that.”<br />
According to the story, data shows the combined<br />
bill total for April and May last year was<br />
$51,702.45 and the combined total for June and<br />
July 2022 was $72,561.45. What’s odd about<br />
those findings is that Cuccia washed fewer vehicles<br />
in June and July 2022 than he did in April<br />
and May 2022, but his bill showed a 40 percent<br />
increase for the summer months.<br />
When Battista notified KC Water in August regarding<br />
the $60,000 bill, the company conducted<br />
an internal investigation. However, Battista said<br />
the water company was less than helpful and took<br />
zero responsibility.<br />
“Even though the reads were there, and they<br />
looked at them and verified them, the numbers<br />
still didn’t make sense,” she said in the story. “So<br />
once they did their part and said, ‘We verified the<br />
reads,’ it’s like they just ignored the data that I<br />
gave them.”<br />
What’s even worse, that even with the questionable<br />
findings, KC Water still sent Cuccia a water<br />
shut-off notice, asking him to pay the $60,000<br />
outstanding bill or his water would be shut off for<br />
the entire business. In a panic, Cuccia paid the bill,<br />
using his credit card.<br />
That’s when FOX4 Problem Solvers got involved.<br />
The news program, which helps out<br />
“wronged” people or businesses, emailed KC Water<br />
at least four times and left at least two voicemails,<br />
but got no response.<br />
Problem Solvers was able to track down Larry<br />
Sears, the man who patented the meter transmitting<br />
unit used by The Better Wash.<br />
“Human error is the usual explanation for these<br />
situations, especially when a meter change out is<br />
involved,” Sears said in an email to FOX4 Problem<br />
Solvers.<br />
Without a resolution or reimbursement in<br />
sight, Cuccia said in the story that he’s struggling,<br />
frustrated, and disheartened with the fact that KC<br />
Water is his only option for a water provider.<br />
“It does [have an] impact, especially because,<br />
you know, the economy’s down right now, business<br />
is down tremendously, we had a bad November,<br />
December [was] bad,” Cuccia said in the story.<br />
“So, it impacted me pretty good.”<br />
36 • WINTER 2023
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38 • WINTER 2023
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888 920 2646<br />
WINTER 2023 • 39
40 • WINTER 2023
POLL<br />
We ask. You answer.<br />
The following polls were posted on carwashforum.com<br />
The Biden Administration has affected my<br />
car wash business ...<br />
0<br />
%<br />
75<br />
Positively<br />
% Negatively<br />
Not in any way at all<br />
2.8<br />
%<br />
2.8<br />
%<br />
19.4<br />
%<br />
I thought Trump won<br />
the election?<br />
The person in the Oval<br />
Office has no impact<br />
on my business<br />
With the increase on the cost of everyday items,<br />
we are seeing about a 30% decrease in sales<br />
across all locations. People are still washing<br />
but we are not seeing the numbers we had 3+<br />
months ago. Had a meeting with our banker and<br />
he told us they are seeing fewer transactions on<br />
debit and credit card usage on their end as well.<br />
He told us that he is anticipating that things are<br />
going to be worse by year’s end. But, hey, the<br />
president and media puppets say all is good. -<br />
STXCW<br />
Business is up for us in the Dallas, Texas, area. I<br />
see my credit card usage up but some could be<br />
because we lowered time. I am worried if the<br />
economy does retract we could see a drop. Our<br />
business is dependent on the working class and<br />
if construction drops our business will decline.<br />
- CARWASHKING<br />
My business is up , but, as you know , so is the<br />
price of everything else. Chemicals , shipping<br />
etc.. just curious why did you cut your time w<br />
expenses rising? - TRAVELER17<br />
We lowered time to reflect the 20 percent increase<br />
in cost to operate and give myself a 20% raise. We<br />
lowered time per quarter by 20%. - CARWASHKING<br />
No. The person in the Oval office is a red<br />
herring regardless if a GOP or a Dem. Too many<br />
people just want to find someone else to blame<br />
for a challenging situation as it is easier than<br />
working to fix the issue or challenge. I cannot<br />
stand Trump (who is a know-nothing jerk) or<br />
Biden (who is nice but ineffective and lacks<br />
leadership) or any of the people in congress as<br />
they just do nothing but fight, call the other side<br />
names, blame the other side for anything bad<br />
(real or imagined), makeup BS ideas about one<br />
another, and just give fuel to the crazy people in<br />
our country. Is it a 50/50 split for the previously<br />
mentioned BS, no not even close, but it really<br />
does not matter if nothing productive comes out<br />
of DC or our local governments - a pox on both<br />
houses. Gas, well you can thank (“our friends”)<br />
the OPEC countries for those prices as we<br />
refuel their bank accounts so they can continue<br />
to sponge off the world’s back. Biden does have<br />
a cool classic car (see Jay Leno’s Garage this<br />
week). - ROZÅ<br />
I prefer a business person over a career politician…<br />
Our society must have law and order or we will<br />
be forced to impose our own, and society as we<br />
know it will crater further… I believe that we must<br />
have secure borders… I believe we must be energy<br />
independent… I believe that the pendulum always<br />
swings too far in either direction, and we must first<br />
stop the hemorrhaging, and get back to a more<br />
central political agenda, for society’s sake! - SJB<br />
SJB ... well said. Just so there are “best possible<br />
for ‘we the people’” universal safeguards for<br />
future election processes over the world &<br />
especially here in the USA! To see “foxes in the<br />
henhouse” blocking & sabotaging looking at<br />
election hard drive logs that have been proven<br />
to reveal blatant illegal algorithm injections &<br />
even illegal “air gap violations”. What they are<br />
currently trying to perpetrate on the duly elected<br />
“Tina Peters” in Colorado urgently needs to be<br />
corrected regardless of some selfish temporary<br />
fleeting successes some of us may be having in<br />
our car wash industry. - MJWALSH<br />
Too many factors at work to clearly establish<br />
cause and effect. Most importantly Covid<br />
shutdowns and the War in Ukraine and the<br />
lack thereof affected gas prices and the amount<br />
of driving plus the price of gas as a result<br />
thereof. Biden’s tightening of restrictions on<br />
oil exploration, production, and transport will<br />
certainly be a factor in prices and may already be<br />
a factor but tough to tell due to the other factors.<br />
- EARL WEISS<br />
WINTER 2023 • 41
POLL<br />
We ask.<br />
You answer.<br />
So, what happens when ...?<br />
Do you have a public bathroom<br />
is this a<br />
Joke?<br />
yes<br />
at your self serve car wash?<br />
no<br />
My customers don’t respect my property as it is!<br />
no NO<br />
not<br />
sure<br />
yet<br />
Well,<br />
did you?<br />
Back<br />
yes<br />
See you in May, maybe?<br />
Are you attending the 2023 Car Wash<br />
Show in Las Vegas this May?<br />
No, I am not. I go to Kleen Rite’s when it’s in PA, and that’s it. I should do more,<br />
admittedly. - WASH4LIFE<br />
Yes, I’m going it’s been awhile and will go to the Vegas shows @ nite too. - SWAMPDONKEY<br />
I make the show on a regular basis, where else can you see, talk to suppliers, see new<br />
ideals, and chew out a weak supplier? We run Muli locations, so looking back 5 years<br />
ago there is a gold mine of new ideals and equipment that we have installed and now<br />
reap the benefits. we look at some other operators and there has been no change in their<br />
operations, just a lack of investment in their business. Thats their problem, and Vegas has<br />
some fun places to go… - CMAWASH<br />
in May 2022, we asked on carwashforum.com, whether or not any of you were<br />
planning on taking a summer vacation. Only 50% of you said “yes.” In a follow up post,<br />
we asked if anyone actually did take a summer break and here are some of the replies.<br />
… Hell yeah I took a vacation.....I took 3 actually<br />
each a week long. The car washes will be there<br />
and their problems. I have to step away to<br />
recharge from the washes and other businesses…<br />
- RFREEMAN<br />
I sometimes think my wash runs better when I<br />
am out of town…!<br />
I can’t imagine shutting down the biz unless<br />
forced to … (I did however turn off the breakers<br />
to the bays in December for 4 days when we had<br />
freezing temps…)<br />
Couldn’t you have your “associates/workers “<br />
just put a cone in the bay if it developes a coin<br />
jam or leaking hose, etc…? Imho, that is why we<br />
have 24/7 businesses that generate revenue for us<br />
when we are not there! - SJB<br />
I feel the same! I’m gone for at least a week each<br />
month from my wash. Sometimes more. NOV<br />
and DEC I was there only a week. Sure things<br />
happen and most times one of my guys is able<br />
to get it fixed. My best employee is an Army<br />
Veteran and he was a helicopter mechanic so he<br />
can usually get it done.<br />
Don’t become a slave to your business. One of<br />
the biggest advantages of owning is the freedom.<br />
Utilize it. - CAR_WASH_GUY<br />
One of my favorite things about the business is<br />
making money when I’m not there. Going away<br />
while revenue still comes in is fun! - DAVIDM<br />
I take regular vacations. Got 3 planned for 2<br />
weeks each this year. Never understood how car<br />
wash owners don’t take vacations. They are not<br />
indispensable, they will regret not enjoying time<br />
with family or relaxing when faced with heath<br />
issues. Life is to be lived, not to be a slave to your<br />
business. - SWAMPDONKEY<br />
I am retiring this spring from the manufacturing<br />
company where I have worked for 43 years! We<br />
enjoy camping on the Ohio River which is only 12<br />
miles from home. It’s easy to check on the wash<br />
on the weekends and still enjoy our favorite place<br />
to be....We always say we get to go on vacation<br />
every weekend, even though I still have to tend<br />
the wash. Does that count?! Now that I will be<br />
retired, we can spend even more time there! It<br />
will be nice not having to rush back home to get<br />
“life stuff” done for the work-week. - 2BIZ<br />
42 • WINTER 2023
The Best for Your Success !<br />
The Best for Your Success !<br />
D&S Car Wash Supply<br />
WINTER 2023 • 43
Around the Wash<br />
Keeping out the cold<br />
By Jim Johnson,<br />
General Manager, Airlift Doors, Inc<br />
This has been a harsh winter for many self serve owners. From Buffalo to<br />
Texas, the season has been harsh for so many people. One way to keep customers<br />
coming to your self serve in the winter is to keep them from the elements.<br />
As we are starting out in a new year, we have seen a significant increase in the<br />
number of self-serve car washes installing doors. While many places require<br />
the use of car wash doors because of extreme temperatures, there has even<br />
been an increase in the use of car wash doors being installed in warmer states<br />
which have experienced unusually cold weather.<br />
As cold air or wind starts to move into a car wash bay, the first line of defense<br />
are the car wash doors. Besides the benefit of protecting the car wash equipment<br />
itself, these doors are protecting the customer, making it more comfortable<br />
to use a self-serve bay. It is our experience that when doors are installed on<br />
a self-serve bay, customer satisfaction increases and they are likely to become<br />
repeat customers.<br />
While temperatures start to fall, there are maintenance steps we recommend<br />
following to ensure optimum performance from your car wash doors.<br />
Step<br />
one:<br />
Lubricant<br />
The most important step is making sure all of the moving door parts<br />
get a coat of lubricant. This includes greasing or lubing the shaft line<br />
bearing, hinges, rollers and springs (if you have them.) This important step<br />
increases the lifespan of these parts during harsher climates.<br />
Step<br />
two:<br />
Weather<br />
Stripping<br />
Another crucial part of winterizing your door is the weather stripping. By<br />
replacing the worn or cracked weather strip, you are creating a better<br />
seal against freezing temperatures and the corrosion that can build up<br />
on wet car wash equipment. This is a fairly easy and cost-effective way<br />
to keep up your car wash doors.<br />
Step<br />
three:<br />
Buying<br />
the right<br />
door<br />
for the<br />
elements<br />
If you are thinking of installing a door, be sure to get one that is<br />
designed to withstand water and chemicals. One of the biggest<br />
mistakes car wash owners make is not buying a door that is designed<br />
for the corrosive environment of a car wash bay. The water and<br />
chemicals can cause build-up and corrode the working parts of<br />
an overhead door. Some insulated doors gain weight from water<br />
absorption, causing the door to become off balance. The door as<br />
well as all of its working parts should be able to withstand the harsh<br />
environment within and around a working car wash, including the<br />
hinges, track, rollers, shaft line, and drums. It is crucial to do your<br />
research and buy the right door and opener for your application.<br />
44 • WINTER 2023
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WINTER 2023 • 45
The Right<br />
to Wash<br />
ONE SELF SERVE OWNER SHARES<br />
HIS UNBELIEVABLE STORY<br />
To properly tell the story of Dale Davenport and<br />
his business, Jim’s Car Wash, we need to go back<br />
to the early 1960s. A dozen eggs were $0.57. A<br />
movie ticket was $0.77. And a car wash was about<br />
a quarter. Davenport, a teenager at the time, remembered<br />
going to a small 3-bay car wash in<br />
Naples, Texas. Naples was a small city, about an<br />
hour from the border of Oklahoma, as well as the<br />
border of Arkansas and also Louisiana. Not a lot<br />
of crime. People went to church on Sundays. “It<br />
was a slice of America,” he said. “A small town, but<br />
diverse and I loved going to that car wash. It was<br />
only 25 cents to wash your car,” he said, joking, “I<br />
hope that doesn’t reveal how old I am.”<br />
Davenport, with a perfect Texas tone to his<br />
voice, loved what the state of Texas had to offer. “I<br />
love Texas,” he said. “I’m a fifth generation Texan.<br />
The people here are hard working. It’s diverse and<br />
you can be independent.” (Note that he has now<br />
46 • WINTER 2023<br />
mentioned his appreciation of diversity twice. This<br />
is an important part of Davenport’s story and will<br />
be talked about more in future issues). He was full<br />
of hope. Promise. The ‘American Dream’ was alive<br />
and well in Davenport. When he found out that<br />
same car wash was for sale, he went to his dad,<br />
Freddy Joe Davenport, and asked if they could buy<br />
it. His father said yes, and with a few financial negotiations<br />
they bought it. He was only 16 and his<br />
American Dream of being a business owner was<br />
put in motion.<br />
His dad, an electrician at a steel mill, helped him<br />
get the car wash up and running, and soon, it was a<br />
bonafide success. He helped the local church with<br />
fundraisers and got to work alongside his dad. “My<br />
dad and I were best friends. We both were only<br />
children, so we were very tight.”<br />
Soon, another car wash was up for sale. This time<br />
it was in Hughes Springs, Texas. The father-son<br />
duo couldn’t pass it up. Hughes Springs, Texas,<br />
was another small town without a lot of crime.<br />
Locals there praised the way they maintained the<br />
car wash. It was a good business for the city, people<br />
claimed.<br />
A few years later, he went onto college and<br />
studied finance. Everything was going as planned.<br />
Marriage, healthy twin girls. The car wash industry<br />
was growing. In 1993 Dale and his father were<br />
presented with another car wash for sale. It was<br />
up for auction by the FDIC. This time, a 7-bay self<br />
serve on the desirable MLK Boulevard. in Dallas,<br />
Texas. MLK Boulevard is the place to be for a<br />
small business. It has continuous traffic and offers<br />
everything from fried chicken to pizza and glides<br />
right into the Texas Fair Park, a destination mecca<br />
with everything from parks, to concerts, to the
self serve<br />
& support equipment<br />
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WINTER 2023 • 47
THE RIGHT TO WASH<br />
Texas State Fair. And, not to mention the Park sees<br />
5.3 million people each year. Having a car wash on<br />
MLK Blvd. was a smart choice, full of possibilities.<br />
Plus, they got it for a bargain. Everything seemed<br />
perfect. Or, one would hope.<br />
What happens next, is a saga so unbelievable, intertwined,<br />
abstruse and maddening, it might very<br />
well leave you questioning whether or not it is fiction.<br />
Similar to a plot contrived by a Hollywood<br />
fabulist, this story is 100% true. Dale Davenport,<br />
a nice guy who wanted to run a nice car wash and<br />
make some nice money, would soon be embroiled<br />
in years’ worth of political mayhem, phone calls,<br />
national news articles, paperwork, uproar and upheaval,<br />
and hundreds of hundreds of dollars, all to<br />
keep his car wash open.<br />
There is so much to this story, that it will take<br />
four parts to properly cover. In this issue, we will<br />
lay out the beginning of his saga. Hang on to your<br />
stetsons, because this one is a doozy.<br />
PART 1<br />
Jim’s Car Wash is, or was, a popular working self<br />
serve car wash. It was busy during the day. With six<br />
bays, six vacuums, one carpet cleaner and one fragrance<br />
machine, everyone was using something at<br />
his car wash. It was on a valuable piece of property,<br />
“an opportunity zone,” as Davenport describes it.<br />
It had almost 10 good years, but now, it is chained<br />
up and closed to the public. And, not because of<br />
Davenport.<br />
“Business was great,” he said. “I liked the customers,<br />
the community. The car wash was a place<br />
for people to hang out….” Davenport kept the car<br />
wash immaculate. He added bright lights, made<br />
sure all of the garbage was properly picked up. In<br />
face, he would pick up every piece of trash himself,<br />
as well as any that was on neighboring properties.<br />
Even Though he lived about 35 minutes away, he<br />
went to the car wash every day. It was important<br />
to him to be present and to greet customers. He<br />
and his father put a quarter of a million dollars<br />
into the property, hoping it would have a positive<br />
impact on the popular Boulevard. His car wash<br />
was always busy. Customers would visit and then<br />
go to other businesses along the boulevard and<br />
other businesses appreciated that. He was proud<br />
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of Jim’s Car Wash and felt lucky to be a part of the<br />
neighborhood.<br />
“In all my life, and in the 28 years I had owned<br />
car washes, I had never gotten a single ticket or<br />
fine or complaint,” he said.<br />
Then, in 2013, things started to unravel. Although<br />
the location of his car wash was ideal,<br />
some of the surrounding areas were plagued with<br />
drug deals and gang-like brawls. Davenport and<br />
his father put up a sturdy fence, posted signs and<br />
made sure there were no unlit corners on his lot.<br />
And, Davenport, as any good citizen would do,<br />
would call 9-1-1 if anything suspicious happened<br />
on his property.<br />
“There wasn’t a ton of crime at the car wash,”<br />
he emphasized. “But, if I saw something going on<br />
that looked suspicious I would call 9-1-1. But, I<br />
would never abuse the system, and I respected the<br />
people behind the 9-1-1 calls as well as the police.<br />
I would only call if what I observed was dangerous<br />
and could hurt someone.”<br />
Davenport, who thought he was doing the right<br />
thing, didn’t want his car wash to be a target for<br />
criminal activity, but, at the same time, he made<br />
sure no exaggerations or superlatives were used.<br />
People could easily say, “That car wash is a criminal<br />
hot-spot,” but that wasn’t the case, Davenport<br />
said. “It was mostly drug deals,” he said. “And, if<br />
they saw me on the property, or saw me making a<br />
phone call [to 9-1-1] they would take off.” Davenport<br />
would even chase them off the property on<br />
foot. And he and his father were willing to work<br />
with the police to combat the criminal activity,<br />
but their efforts were denied. Sometimes the police<br />
wouldn’t even show up, he said. And, if they<br />
did, I was always honest and respectful with them.<br />
I have always respected the law, and the police.<br />
Then in 2003, the city of Dallas demanded he<br />
make more efforts to combat criminal activity.<br />
They had already put up a 6-foot fence, put up<br />
signs, lights and added security cameras… so he<br />
was somewhat confused. But, he obliged anyway.<br />
They put up an 8-foot fence, added even more<br />
signs and more security cameras and more lights.<br />
The city said that wasn’t enough. Then he was told<br />
the lights he installed were too bright.<br />
“I was confused. I did everything they asked me<br />
to do, but it didn’t seem to be enough. And, this<br />
was the first time since I first owned a car wash<br />
when I was 16 that I had any sort of issue with the<br />
city, but I was willing to do what I had to do to<br />
keep the car wash open.”<br />
They then demanded he hire a guard company.<br />
And, like any good citizen, he did that, too. But,<br />
then, he was told he didn’t hire the right guard<br />
company. This is where the story takes a turn. “I<br />
was told I had to hire the guard company that just<br />
happened to be owned by a city council member…<br />
and this is when I realized something was<br />
right. It was… [for lack of a better word] crazy.”<br />
I have to win this<br />
battle because<br />
what has happened<br />
is not right.<br />
“Everything I am about to tell you is entirely<br />
true. I couldn’t even make up what happened and<br />
is still happening,” he shared. “My father passed<br />
away last March, so it is just me right now, but I<br />
still hope things will work out.”<br />
“I love this country,” he said. “And, I think small<br />
businesses are the backbone of America. I have to<br />
win this battle because what has happened is not<br />
right. The way I was treated is like a business owner<br />
in a place like Russia. I wasn’t following their<br />
rules, but the rules were not clear and they would<br />
change. It was just unbelievable.”<br />
This the first in a four-part series that will appear in Self<br />
Serve Car Wash News. In the next issue, Davenport’s<br />
legal battles, as well as his rise to fame for taking on the<br />
city, will be revealed.<br />
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WINTER 2023 • 49
Darwin<br />
DARWIN at<br />
the<br />
CARWASH<br />
The investment in security cameras pays off for carwash operators (and the readers of <strong>SSCWN</strong>) with these mostly<br />
frustrating, sometimes funny -- and always cautionary -- stories of Darwins Caught on Camera. Images of these criminals and/or<br />
their vehicles were given to police and the press. Many have been caught thanks to the prowess of security cameras.<br />
I am having a hard time trying to<br />
figure out who the following<br />
criminal reminds me of.<br />
At first, I thought she looks like Twisted Sister’s<br />
Dee Snider:<br />
Then, it was fashion designer Donatella Versace.<br />
But, I think I finally figured it out: Janice from The<br />
Muppets.<br />
Here is the actual picture of the woman:<br />
What do you think? The woman pictured, along<br />
with the male driver, is accused of breaking and<br />
entering into Mike’s Carwash in West Chester,<br />
Ohio, according to a January 11 Journal News<br />
report. The suspects were apparently caught on<br />
camera during the break-in attempt which took<br />
place around 10:30 p.m. on January 1. The suspect<br />
pried open the coin machine and stole the money<br />
from inside, the story said.<br />
The male suspect also has a large tattoo on his<br />
left upper arm. The male suspect was driving an<br />
older model pickup truck with a dump bed, according<br />
to the story.<br />
A man in Spring Hill, Florida, just<br />
couldn’t stop himself from damaging<br />
a car wash again and again and again.<br />
Surveillance footage from January 5 showed a male<br />
pulling into the Mr. Car Wash parking lot, according<br />
to a January 9 Tampa Free Press story. Footage shows<br />
the man forcibly removing a surveillance camera<br />
from its post. He then proceeded to use a broom in<br />
an attempt to open a door that led into the car wash<br />
building. And, as if that wasn’t enough, he also damaged<br />
a nearby vending machine.<br />
And, finally, to end his wave of criminal mischief,<br />
he also damaged a front gate arm before driving<br />
off into the “caught-on-camera-but-didn’t-get-adime”<br />
sunset. Detectives were able to identify the<br />
suspect as Brian Aaron Dow Sr. When questioned,<br />
he used the good old amnesia excuse and said he<br />
didn’t remember causing any damage.<br />
To put it as kindly as possible, the<br />
woman in this next story is just a crazy<br />
mess. But, thankfully car wash footage helped in<br />
catching her and keeping her from affecting others<br />
with her dangerous shenanigans. In Thorton, Colorado,<br />
a woman faces over a dozen charges, including<br />
car theft, making threats with a stun gun, and trying<br />
to escape the police. According to the January 18<br />
Denver 7 story, on January 12, a little after 2 p.m.,<br />
an officer with the Lakewood Police Department<br />
responded to the Cobblestone Car Wash after receiving<br />
a report of a carjacking. Dispatch told the<br />
officer that a woman stole a car and pointed a Taser<br />
at the vehicle owner before she drove away in the<br />
vehicle, the story said. The woman then took off,<br />
driving through the car wash’s barrier after hitting<br />
another car wash customer’s car. Another car wash<br />
customer, who was vacuuming out his car at the<br />
time, provided a witness statement. Even better, the<br />
car wash was able to hand over camera footage of<br />
the carjacking.<br />
The female menace then drove to a Family Dollar<br />
Store, where she stole a bunch of merchandise.<br />
Footage from that store showed it was the same<br />
woman from the car wash.<br />
Eventually, police were able to arrest her, after<br />
she stole from another business and led police on a<br />
crazy police chase.<br />
50 • WINTER 2023
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WINTER 2023 • 51
Welp, we have another criminal who<br />
made a ‘smart’ move, which always makes<br />
me wonder why he doesn’t just get a job, but along<br />
with who built Stonehenge and Donald Trump’s<br />
hairline, it will remain one of life’s little mysteries.<br />
In Clermont County, Ohio, police are looking for<br />
a man who caused some major damage to the Day<br />
Heights Car Wash on December 15, 2022. According<br />
to Fox 19 Now, around 10:30 p.m., the suspect<br />
was caught driving onto the property, but he used<br />
some sort of a cloth to cover his license plate. Footage<br />
shows the man cutting wires and damaging the<br />
automatic wash doors, as well as the coin machines<br />
for the vacuums. Nothing was actually stolen, according<br />
to the story, but the car wash owner will<br />
need to rewire the damaged parts and repair the coin<br />
collectors.<br />
You’re fined, mate! In Forrestdale, Australia,<br />
David Bell has been charged<br />
after he was caught dumping waste<br />
inside a WashWorks car wash bay. The<br />
dumping took place around 9:40 p.m. on June 24,<br />
2021. Car wash footage showed Bell driving a forklift<br />
carrying a tank into the bay. According to a press<br />
release from the Government of Western Australia,<br />
once he was in the bay, he opened two valves at the<br />
base of the tank, released liquid waste onto the floor<br />
where it flowed into a contained area. It did not enter<br />
the environment, the press release stated. But,<br />
the incident, which was recorded on CCTV, left the<br />
owner of the carwash with a clean-up cost of $2,211.<br />
Bell was eventually caught and fined $2,000, and<br />
his company was fined $6,000. An order was made<br />
for the offender to pay WashWorks $2,211 for the<br />
clean-up as well as well as another $7,598. He should<br />
count himself lucky as the maximum penalty for the<br />
offense is $62,500 for an individual and $125,000<br />
for a company.<br />
This next story is perfect for the sequel<br />
to Gone in 60 Seconds, but instead, it’s upping<br />
the ante and would be titled: Gone in 13<br />
Seconds! Back on November 16, 2022, police reported<br />
that a 2019 BMW 740 was taken from<br />
Butch’s Lube ‘n Wash in Colts Neck, New Jersey.<br />
The car wash’s operating manager, Chuck Siebert,<br />
said in a Facebook post that the theft occurred<br />
at 12:50 p.m. after an attendant had just<br />
finished cleaning the car and went inside the shop<br />
to get the car’s owner.<br />
According to a local newsletter called redbank-<br />
52 • WINTER 2023<br />
green.com, a person in a black Mercedes G Wagon,<br />
got out out that car and stole the BMW.<br />
“The whole thing happened in 13 seconds,” Siebert<br />
said, noting that the whole incident was caught<br />
on surveillance.<br />
Siebert said this was their first theft in 65 years of<br />
operation.<br />
No word on whether the thrives have been caught.<br />
Maybe I have been writing for this section<br />
too long and I have gone “soft,” but<br />
I am actually praising this next criminal because he<br />
got away with a nice amount of cash. Usually it’s $30<br />
here, $40 there, but this guy nabbed almost $1,000<br />
in cash. Of course, he still got caught so my praise<br />
stops there. He also is accused of driving drunk. So,<br />
that’s another demerit point.<br />
In Damariscotta, Maine, on December 11, police<br />
arrested Nathan Brewer in connection with a car<br />
wash crime. Almost two weeks earlier on November<br />
28, he was caught on camera rummaging through a<br />
desk and placing items in his left pocket. No word on<br />
how he got into the car wash office, but the footage<br />
also got a great image of the thief’s vehicle. According<br />
to The Lincoln County News, the owners of the
car wash reported that $720 in car wash tokens,<br />
$595 in cash from a money bag, and $175 in cash<br />
from a tip bag were stolen for a total estimated<br />
amount of $1,490.<br />
On November 29, that same car was impounded<br />
after the driver was accused of driving<br />
under the influence. Upon searching the vehicle,<br />
some car wash tokens were found in the car after<br />
the department obtained a search warrant<br />
on December 5, the story said.<br />
Chief Jason Warlick said in a statement. “This<br />
is another great example of how community<br />
policing and having video systems can help either<br />
thwart crime or lead to successful arrest and<br />
prosecution of the person responsible. I can’t<br />
urge other business owners enough on the importance<br />
of a security surveillance system in the<br />
event their business becomes a victim of a crime.”<br />
As part of Brewer’s bail conditions, the arrest<br />
affidavit requests that he not be able to return to<br />
Coastal Car Wash or have any contact with the<br />
owners or employees there.<br />
I’m not sure what makes me want to cry more:<br />
The fact that Peter Gabriel songs are now played on<br />
“Oldies” stations, or the fact that the song Sledgehammer<br />
is stuck in my head and will not leave. If you do not want<br />
a 5-star earworm to infiltrate your head, and you know Peter<br />
Gabriel tunes, I suggest you move on to the next story.<br />
In Brockway, Pennsylvania, a suspect is in custody after he<br />
allegedly used a sledgehammer to break a concrete wall to<br />
gain access to a change machine at Mr. Quick Car Wash,<br />
the Courier Express reported.<br />
Look at the damage he did!<br />
According to state police, car wash camera footage from<br />
December 3 showed a man in his mid-30s driving a red<br />
1994 Ford Ranger with a visible registration number.<br />
State police reported that the Ford Ranger was entered<br />
in the system as “stolen” through the Brookville Police Department.<br />
The suspect was apprehended on December 12. “The<br />
initial police report listed the damaged concrete wall and<br />
bill acceptors at a value of $1,200 with an additional $500<br />
of cash stolen from the car wash,” according to the story.<br />
The suspect has not been charged as the investigation is<br />
ongoing, but he is in custody.<br />
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WINTER 2023 • 53
Pee Wee’s Big Adventure has nothing<br />
on this caper, which took place in<br />
Worcester, England.<br />
Back on November 19, 2022, thieves were captured<br />
on CCTV cameras wheeling away with two<br />
mountain bikes belonging to the Selita Hand Car<br />
Wash, according to a Worcester News story. Car wash<br />
owner Markiljan Selita said it was such a shame that<br />
the bikes were stolen, because they would use them<br />
to ride around the property and to ride into town.<br />
“I became aware of what happened on Saturday<br />
and am lucky that we have CCTV to see when<br />
the bikes were stolen. It is such a shame,” he said<br />
in the story.<br />
The first clip shows a person wearing a black<br />
hoodie and can be seen quickly riding the bike<br />
through the car wash bay. He is followed by another<br />
guy, just plodding alone on foot. Why wasn’t<br />
he riding the other bike?<br />
He is followed by a man wearing black shorts,<br />
a gray hoodie and a black hat, and no bike. He’s<br />
just walking. Not sure why he didn’t ride the other<br />
bike either!<br />
Oh, wait! We have a fourth man, this time walking<br />
last in line along with the bike. What is this, some<br />
sort of Parade of Thieves?<br />
And, finally, in Jackson County,<br />
Kentucky, a car wash has released<br />
photos of a pair of vandals caught<br />
on tape. Shine Time Car Wash posted surveillance<br />
photos of the suspects and what they were<br />
driving on its Facebook page back on November<br />
7, 2022. According to the car wash chain’s post,<br />
they caused damage and stole items.. Now, I’m not<br />
one to judge, considering the minivan I drive, but<br />
this is certainly no getaway car. Perhaps the duo<br />
was trying to be more like Bo and Luke Duke?<br />
Yet, I believe no person could slide through this<br />
window unscathed. What a piece of junk.<br />
Also, what gives? How many people are needed to<br />
steal two bicycles? Also, if these are their two “getaway<br />
vehicles” then what do the other two do, ride<br />
on the handle bars?<br />
Now, it’s time<br />
for an update!<br />
Does anyone remember that horrible<br />
story of a woman dumping a<br />
bunch of kittens on top of a grate<br />
at a car wash in Muskegon, Michigan?<br />
To refresh your memory, or maybe<br />
you blocked it out on purpose, back in September<br />
2022, a woman was caught on camera<br />
abandoning a group of kittens, who all died as<br />
a result of neglect. Well, guess what? She has<br />
been caught! Donna Jean Puisis, 75, pled guilty<br />
after being charged with one felony count of<br />
abandoning/cruelty. Back in September, Will<br />
Kuczmera, owner of Grand Bays Car Wash, had<br />
filed a police report after he caught the incident<br />
on his surveillance video. He said the mother<br />
of the kittens was also dumped at the car wash.<br />
During an interview with 13 ON YOUR SIDE<br />
back in September, Kuczema said he watched<br />
the woman remove a cooler from the back of<br />
the car and remove each kitten one by one and<br />
put them onto the grate. Puisis is due in court<br />
for a sentencing hearing in April.<br />
Lawbreaking Term<br />
of the Day: Fly Tipping<br />
Along with sharing news from around the world, this section is also educational. In this issue we will<br />
learn about the phrase: Fly tipping. At first, I thought this was a scaled-down version of cow-tipping,<br />
but I was way off. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, Fly tipping is illegally leaving things that you<br />
do not want next to a road, in fields, in rivers, etc.<br />
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