Self Serve Carwash News - May issue by JV

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• SPRING 2019

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Operator’s Roundtable! SPRING 2019 •

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CONTENTS Looking Back: Fall 2000 ........................8 Around the Wash..................................... 12 Spring into Action Fun & Games .......................................... 14 Quick Tips................................................ 16 Cwguy.com’s ’......................................... 20 Is this the key to self serve success?

Note to Self BY DEBRA GORGOS, EDITOR

“I speak to animals a lot. Crows will come to me. I’m like that.” Dog the Bounty Hunter

Fill in the Blank...................................... 22 Car Wash News ...................................... 24 Let’s Talk About Tools OSHA Report ..............................................8 Self-Serve Snapshot............................... 14 Cover Story .............................................. 24 Life’sGreat in Nashville! Tricks of the Trade................................ 28 Innovations............................................... 36 Association Calendar & News......... 38 Extra! Extra!............................................. 44 Industry Dirt............................................ 52 Around the Wash..................................... 58 Locked Up Cover Story............................................... 64 Mo’ Money, Mo’ Money Darwin at the Carwash........................ 76

VOL. 46, NO. 2, SPRING 2019 Publisher Jackson Vahaly Editor Debra Gorgos Design Katy Barret-Alley Editor Emeritus Jarret J. Jakubowski Editor Posthumous Joseph J. Campbell Editor Posthumous Julia E. Campbell Self Serve Carwash News is published 4 times per year and is independently owned by Jackson Vahaly. Web address is www.sscwn.com.

I would like to think that I can usually smell a smarmy upsell from a mile away. No one can fool me, I often proclaim (to myself) when it comes to a proposed incentive. It all comes out in the wash (pun intended) and some things are not worth the extra hassle. I remember having paper punch cards for a local mart here in update New York. You would get a punch for every gallon of milk purchased eventually earning a free gallon. I started using it, but then the card would get lost, or ruined, or would blow away. Oh well, I would huff, no need to get upset. It is only a free gallon of milk. However, lately, with the prominence of apps on my iPhone, I have become obsessed with any kind of reward linked to an in-app purchase. I am not sure why, maybe it is because I am saving up for two college educations, or there is an ease associated with the apps (you can pay, place an order and even get special deals) that makes my new obsession so…. obsessive. It all started with the Cumberland Farms app. With each gasoline purchase you get points towards a “reward.” A free soda, a free coffee, free cookie, you get the idea. Now, even if a gas station is closer, I will go out of my way to get to a Cumberland Farms for that freebie. I am not sure why my mind is drawn to such low-cost incentives, but it is. And, maybe sometimes I will even spend an extra 50 cents of gas to get to a Cumberland Farms, earning me a 50-cent cookie. I don’t get it either, as I tend to think of such things with intelligent reasoning skills. Also, the app wished me a happy birthday, so there is that. And, with this confession, I encourage you all to read Eric Wilson’s column CWGuy’s Random Thoughts. It talks about why a self serve should consider offering a loyalty program. I

In other news, I love this issue’s cover story. I think pet washes are brilliant. I have a 60-pound golden doodle. He is a mud sponge and I cannot lift him into our bathtub. Also, I cannot hose him outdoors as he then just rolls around in the grass. Pet washes are a life saver. I think “thinking outside the box,” or “thinking outside the bay” is a brilliant way to attract more customers and I am so grateful car wash owners were willing to share their success stories. There used to be an infamous car wash near my house in Guilderland, New York. It had a car wash sign, but underneath it, it read, “Salad Bar.” It was often talked and joked about, but, at the time I was too young to do some serious digging into what it was all about. Was there a salad bar somewhere on the premises? Did salad bar = some sort of soap scent? I guess we will never know as it is now closed. People still bring it up to me and ask if I know anything about it when they realize I am the editor of this magazine. “What was up with that carwash salad bar?” they ask. Also, two more things before I sign off, who is going to the Car Wash Show in Nashville? I have never been and I am looking forward to seeing the beautiful city, and, of course, meeting and seeing new and old faces. Look for me and Publisher Jackson Vahaly – we will be walking the tradeshow floor. And, have you seen the new AutoCareForum.com? It now goes by carwashforum.com and it is fantastic. Vahaly really upped the game and I encourage you all to check it out.

Until next time,

Debra

All inquiries should be directed to:

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JJ Checks In! One person who we have to thank for this publication’s popularity and longetivity is the wonderful Jarret “JJ” Jakubowski. Like the voice of Obi Wan Kenobi, every once in a while, JJ will pop into my email inbox to let me know he is still out there reading the publication. Not one to formally advise or correct, JJ has a mystical way of saying he still cares. Sort of like the way Andy Dufresne would write to Red, with no return address, or wordy diatribes. Recently, JJ sent over some wonderful snippets from his archives. Two cartoons, that, while 20 years old, are still poignant today. And, a picture of Howard Higginson and his wife and son. Higginson is a car wash owner who appeared in the magazine during JJ’s tenure, and who recently submitted a letter to the editor that was printed in the Winter 2019 issue of SSCWN. JJ, if you’re reading this, please send more from the archives and know that we are doing our best to honor this legacy!

• SPRING 2019

“I found of this great Mom ’n Pop team … with their son Jon. BTW, Howard is both a Nam vet and a retired veteran from the LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department) — experience that has probably served him well in the rough ’n tumble of SS carwash owning/operating for over 40 years.” Editor Emeritus JJ Jakubowski

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Around the Wash

Spring into Action! By Joe Anish As a seasoned car wash operator for the past 20 years and being part of a family-owned and operated car wash and maintenance company, Vilco Supply, for over 50 years, we have a set regimented schedule for each season. Spring is our time to perform pump maintenance and preventive maintenance. Changing the oil in the pressure pumps is critical and we change ours every spring. While changing the oil is an important part of preventive maintenance, each spring we also inspect the pulley, crankshaft and bearings for irregular wear or movement. This is also a good time to remove the pump head and inspect seals, O-rings piston/plungers. Once the oil is changed and the other parts of the pump are inspected or replaced, the oil wicks are lubricated to keep dust off the ceramic plungers. During the inspection time we also look at the possibility of cracked or worn pump hoses, fittings, worn regulators and solenoid valves. While inspecting the pumps for proper pressure, soap, wax and high-pressure rinse functions, we also inspect the wand tip and trigger gun for wear. Cleaning the coin mechanism, bay bill acceptor and credit card reader in each bay is vital for proper operation. Spring is also the time we check the foam brush hoses and foam brush heads for repair or replacement. During the winter months fittings tend to expand and contract with the change of temperatures and it is important to check the boom swivels, manifold and repair or replace any leaking parts. Now, back to the equipment room, where we need to check the low pressure equipment and inspect for proper operation, leaks and correct tip sizes on the chemical injections, since you will be changing from a winter to summer formula during this time. Also, one of our spring maintenance requirements is to check the vacuums by replacing motor and door gaskets, cleaning or replacing vacuum bags, coin acceptor cleaning as well as hose and nozzle wear. Once everything is calibrated and working correctly, we often spend time sprucing up the exterior of the car wash, parking lot, landscaping and necessary painting projects. Although these are just a few of the spring maintenance regiments we follow, it’s a good guideline to establish a seasonal checklist for your self-serve car wash operation, especially after a harsh winter. If you have any questions or concerns about your seasonal maintenance or pump maintenance feel free to contact me at 931-607-3231. 12

• SPRING 2019

SPRINGTIME CHECKLIST

Changing the oil in the pressure Inspect the pulley, crankshaft and bearings for irregular wear or movement Remove the pump head and inspect seals, O-rings piston/plungers Lubricate the oil wicks Look for cracked or worn pump hoses, fittings, worn regulators and solenoid valves Check for soap, wax and high pressure rinse functions Inspect the wand tip and trigger gun for wear Clean the coin mechanism, bay bill acceptor and credit card Check the foam brush hoses and foam brush heads for repair or replacement

Check the boom swivels, manifold and repair or replace any leaking parts. Check the low pressure equipment and inspect for proper operation, leaks and correct tip sizes on the chemical injections Inspect vacuums and replace motor and door gaskets Clean or replace vacuum bags Clean vacuum’s coin acceptor, hose and nozzle and check for wear Spend some time sprucing up the exterior of the car wash, parking lot, landscaping and paint where necessary

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FUN&GAMES Think these two pictures taken at a self serve car wash are the same? Think again! There are six differences. Can you spot them all?

WHAT’S DIFFERENT?

Answers: 1. Bollards are shorter 2. Please is erased in sign

3. Planter is different color 4. Clearance changed to 14’

5. Light is larger 6. Hose is missing

SELF SERVE TRIVIA 1. Salvatore “Sonny” Fazio, founder of Sonny’s Enterprises, owned a car wash in 1949 in the state of: A. FLORIDA B. ILLINOIS C. MASSACHUSETTS D. NEW YORK 2. In Japan, a “car wash” is called a: A. SENSHA B. KAIDOU C. MISEYA D. BASU 3. According to the International Carwash Association, the first coin-operated car wash opened in Ardmore, Oklahoma, in:

4. Little Trees air fresheners came about after a driver of _______ complained to Julius Sämann in 1952 about the smell in his truck. A. DIAPERS B. DOGS C. FISH D. MILK 5. In 1973, a Whale of a Car Wash, became a carwash destination as well as family-fun and roadside attraction, thanks to the whale-shaped car wash, located in: A. ANCHORAGE, ALASKA B. BUFFALO, NEW YORK C. CAPE COD, MASSACHUSETTS D. PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

A. 1952 C. 1962 D. 1964 14

• SPRING 2019

Answers: 1. c, 2. a, 3. c, 4. d, 5. b

B. 1958

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QUICK TIPS EQUIPMENT TIP

New Light From car wash owner Scott Gray: If you had a vac island that previously never had any light because you lacked a circuit for one, this is a simple method to add much needed light. At one location, I added multiple lights to provide night security lighting and discontinued using a pole light that used two 400 watt metal halide lights. This resulted in a savings of 700 watts of power while still providing good security lighting, and a very rapid return on my investment. You can also use a motion sensor to activate the lights. This is a simple, low cost addition to any car wash.

MARKETING TIP

Apps & ads This one comes from me personally, Debra Gorgos. Now, we have written before about how sponosoring a local baseball team (or softball, or soccer, or hockey, soapbox derby, you name it) is a great way to advertise your business as well as support your community. Well, now, in the year 2019, I came across another sports/community way to market your business. My 6-year-old son is playing for the town baseball league and everything is managed, announced and communed via an app. The one our town uses specifically is called SportsSignUpPlay. Today, when I logged in to see if the rain was going to cancel the game, an ad greeted me first: for a local restaurant. Apparently, local businesses are allowed to sponsor a team or league and then their business will appear on every app

user’s screen. What’s nice is that you could personalize your ad specifically for each game. And, while we are at it, let’s not forget that you can also buy an ad on a field billboard or sign and print an ad in a sports bulletin or over the loudspeaker in between innings.

ENVIRONMENTAL TIP Do you qualify? Sure, those kids running a car wash in their driveway sure are adorable. And, no one wants to thwart a fundraising effort at a local church or school parking lot, but such car washes are dangerous to the environment. Let’s forget about the fact that they can take away customers from your business, and also do damage to a car, that run-off water is the real threat. Thankfully, the International Carwash Association is doing a lot of work to promote professional car washes

versus at-home and parking lot ones. The ICA’s WaterSavers® will even list your local car wash on their website as environmentally friendly if you qualify. Such criteria includes: 33 Routing all water discharge to a treatment facility or leech/septic field. 33 Having a backflow prevention device installed and operable on the potable water supply. 33 Meeting all local effluent criteria. 33 (For conveyorized or in-bay/roll-over washes) using an average of no more than 40 gallons

(151.5 liters) of potable/fresh water per car. 33 Using spray nozzles with maximum water efficiency and inspect the nozzles annually. 33 (for self-serves) maintaining high-pressure wash nozzles and pump systems that use less than 3 gallons (11.4 liters) per minute. 33 Keeping water-saving devices at original or improved specifications. 33 Re-using spot-free reverse osmosis concentrate (“reject”) in the wash process (if such a system is installed).

MONEY TIP Not-so-funny Money If you have paper money which has been mutilated in some way, all hope is not lost. Now, keep in mind that if the money is just damaged it can probably be handled by a local bank. But, this tip is for money that has been mutilated, burned, shredded, driven over, made into a snowflake, you get the idea. Under regulations issued by the Department of the Treasury, mutilated United States currency may be exchanged at face value if more than 50 percent of a note is identifiable, or if more than 50 percent has been destroyed, but there is evidence in satisfaction to the Treasury 16

• SPRING 2019

that the missing portion is totally destroyed. You can send the damaged currency by registered mail with a “return receipt requested” to: DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Bureau of Engraving and Printing Office of Currency Standards PO Box 37048 Washington, DC 20013 Along with the damaged currency, you need to include a letter stating the estimated value of the currency and an explanation of how it became damaged. Currency that is brittle or

falls apart easily should be packed carefully in plastic and cotton. Try not to disturb the fragments. And, be sure to place the package in a sturdy, waterproof box.

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QUALITY PRODUCTS SINCE 1937 DISTRIBUTOR INQUIRIES INVITED 18

• SPRING 2019

Carwash Boom Assemblies

MODEL 204 and 206 FEATURES • Twin compression springs are tension-adjustable for a variety of hose and gun weights • Swivel rotates 360˚ - 12 ft. diameter • Temperatures to 280˚ max., pressure to 2000 psi • Longer hose life as spring prevents kinks • Ruggedly built, satisfaction guaranteed • Optional stainless steel components

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Cwguy.com’s

‘Random Thoughts’

Is this the key to self serve success? The cwguy thinks so!

Why are some businesses successful and others are not? Why are some people? Why do some companies have great ideas and implement them better than others? How can some companies hire employees and get good employees and a different company in the same industry get poor employees? Chick-fil-A comes to mind when it comes to successful companies in the fast food industry. Personally, I do not believe the product is the reason for their success. Instead, I believe it is the implementation of selling the product. Sure, the chicken tastes good, but I know there is better chicken out there and there is always a wait at Chick-fil-A and I hate waiting. So, why do I still go? What is their secret? Chick-fil-A has lots of positive aspects working for them, but we will just discuss one aspect today: They have a great rewards system. Their reward system is somewhat complex and is based on purchase price, not just number of visits. It is really a neat concept even though although it is not new or unique. It is just a present day punch card system and you receive free food. There are multiple tiers and you get discounts for purchasing more and more of their product. (Right now I am a “Silver Member”, a title you get for earning 1,000 points in a year, but I could soon get “Red” status if my

kids would eat a lot more Chick-fil-A.) According to the Chick-fil-A website, “Members can receive points by placing an order through the Chick-fil-A App, an online catering order, or by scanning their Chick-fil-A One QR code at the register or in the drive-thru. Earn points for every purchase and use them to redeem available rewards of your choice. Each purchase gets you closer to the next membership tier with increasing benefits. There is no cost to join and anyone who is eligible to create a Chickfil-A One™ account may participate.”

Self-Serve-fil-A? So how does this relate to a self-service car wash? Can this only be implemented with a fancy entry system, meter boxes and large amounts of expensive equipment? Not always. First a side story. I met this guy at his car wash. He wanted his customers to just enter codes to give out free car washes. But his system needed to be connected to the Internet. So, using his existing equipment (meter boxes and timers) he just added a PLC (programmable logic controllers) and pulsed the desired “free wash” for the customers. The free wash could even be entered live or could be assigned to a certain bay live while on the phone (if desired). Also, this system could just be installed in your equipment room instead of dropping new wires. And, now, back to the rewards program… A reward system does not have to be overly complex

and expensive. It does not have to make you replace all your equipment either. You could in theory design a system that adds on to your existing system. It would also help give incentives to customers that come in all the time and spend the most amount of money. You can also give out free vacuum time rewards based on a customer’s time and money spent in a bay. The possibilities are endless. Keeping customers is obviously very important and a rewards program is a great solution. Even if the incentives are small it would help with creating and retaining repeat customers. I personally think giving a customer a coded keychain or a physical rewards card is a hassle for the customer and they can get lost, creating more work for you. So, finding something that a customer has with them at all times is really an essential aspect of the reward system. A phone application that interacts with your wash could help log all your customers’ purchases and reward them at the same time. I admit I have thought and discussed these concepts with a timer designer and board manufacture. But, I have always had problems with feature creep… But, at the core, the system is actually a pretty simple system which I have always wanted to implement. Before owning a car wash, I was a programmer, which may be part of the problem. Do you use a rewards program at your wash? If you do, feel free to write in and tell the readers of Self Serve Car Wash News all about it. Letters can go to the editor at debrag@sscwn.com.

Eric Wilson is a self-serve car wash owner who also blogs online on the popular and very funny website, cwguy.com. 20

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FILL BLANK IN THE

SPRINGTIME AT MY SELF SERVE MEANS ... ... A busy month due to oak pollen

... MUD and MUD

MEP001

SOAPY

... Lots more vac usage but more trash comes with that

... Mud and Mulch SPARKEY

OURTOWN

... $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ 6T7GTO

... Probably record rainfall

... Beginning of steak and lobster season. I’ve got two seasons: 1. steak and lobster 2. peanut butter and jelly GHETTO WASH

SOONERMAJIC

RFREEMAN

... Turning the floor heat and weep systems OFF. KEITH BAKER

SLASH007

... Big $$$ from pollen

... Clean up time because it’s the busy time...acid washing the walls (do it monthly already), power washing the lot, parking areas, vac islands, etc. and yes it does mean $$$$$ due to all the pollen many of the members already mentioned.

... Longer days, Spring rain showers, more customers, more pollen, MORE money! KIMBERLY BERG

... Lots of customers taking time to vac and clean interiors.

... Bank account surging, sweeper going every nite, pumper every 10 days. SWAMPDONKEY

... Mud, extra trash everywhere, high sales, junk tires, stuff from people ‘Spring Cleaning’ the car. Projects!!! Things like : Pot Hole filling, putting up new vending machines, in bay blowers and signs. Selling more used cars, as people get taxes back. WAXMAN

WASHNSHINE

IF I WERE GIVEN $10,000 AND TOLD I HAD TO SPEND IT ON MY SELF SERVE, I WOULD ... ...buy in bay dryers. Maybe some signage and LED accent lighting.

...install crypto pay and pocket the rest

GREG PACK

TXHEAT

...First choice, tile the walls. Second choice, move the front vacuums away from the bays and add more in the rear along with a canopy. Third choice, replace meter boxes and safes and add credit card acceptance. Fourth choice, fix the low spot at the entrance where water stands most of the time.

...Canopies for the vac islands to help with the summer sun

RFREEMAN

SCRUBS3

...To me, the question should be “where can I spend $10,000 and get the best ROI?”. I struggle with this. My car wash is clean , well maintained, takes credit cards, but does not have all the bells and whistles. I would like to upgrade my booms, add dryers, tire shine, etc. but I can’t convince myself I would see a return on the investment.

...Tough call between more in-bay dryers and CC in more bays. Probably the dryers. I.B. WASHINCARS

MEP001

...Buy a few more. ...New meter boxes with bill acceptors, used 3x foam system and air shammees for the bays MONROESTREETPOWERWASH

For trash cans, I like these: If I had the money, I would install more bay blowers have 2 and they do well. Right [now no] budget is being applied to roofing repair and paving repair. EARL WEISS

JGINTHER

...Crypto at one location and demo the storage units at the other location because they’re more headaches than they are worth!

MEL(NC)

...1. Patch holes in concrete. 2. Find a vacuum motor that shuts off immediately once it detects water being sucked up. 3. Put a voice speaker around bays and vacuums to tell customer pick up the trash they throw on the ground when a trash can is within arm’s reach or be fined for littering or dumping on private property. 4. Put more led colored lights around trim of wash. DAMONI88

...I’m in the process of installing credit card acceptance. I would probably get cameras that record 100% of license plates. I have 14 cameras right now, but I need 3 or 4 that are just a bit more high definition to record license plates at the angles and distances required. Also, I have been holding off on covered trash cans. I’ve been eyeing these for a while: Specifically, the image in the center of the bottom row. There are a few customers who think it’s

fine to leave the convenience store next door, with 5 of their own trash cans, to come to mine and clean out their vehicle and leave without spending a penny. (Makes me sick). I bet if they had to get out of their cars to place the trash into the hole on top of the cover, they would be incentivized to find another trash can. And, if they throw it on the ground, I would have no problem giving video/license plate to law enforcement. Litter is a big problem in our city and law enforcement has a separate unit that only chases litterers and dumpers. I could have a general contractor come look at what it would cost to fix the dilapidated structure that housed the old automatic. Hopefully that would be less than 10k.. lol ...Lastly, I would buy another Laurel 3 column vendor. Customers can’t seem to figure out how to use the single-column vendor. Pulling instead of pushing the lever is hard I guess. I feel like I’m a kid again making a wish list. - ALPINE DREAMS

If you would like to contribute your own answer, visit AutoCareForum.com and do a keyword search of “fill in the blank.” 22

• SPRING 2019

SPRING 2019 â&#x20AC;¢

Car Wash News

Life’sGreat in Nashville! All about the Car Wash Show

If you need a briefing of this year’s Car Wash Show, look no further as here is everything you need to know about this year’s event.

WHERE:

MUSIC CITY CENTER 201 Fifth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203

WHEN:

SUNDAY, MAY 12 – WEDNESDAY, MAY 15 SCHEDULE: Attendees will choose from a Basic or Premium Pass. Members of the ICA, AOCA, WCA, ACWA and BOVAG will receive an upgraded show experience. ORANGE = BASIC PA SS

G REEN = PRE MIUM PA S S

P URPL E = MEMB ER EX PER IEN C E

SUNDAY, MAY 12

MONDAY, MAY 13

TUESDAY, MAY 14

WEDNESDAY, MAY 15

• 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

• 7:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.

• 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

• 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

• New Investor Seminar

• Premium Education Sessions

• 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

• 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

• Annual Membership Meeting and Keynote Address

• Emerging Leaders Program

• Partner Solution Sessions

• 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

• 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

• 9:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

• Trade Show Floor

• AOCA President’s Welcome Reception and Annual Membership Meeting (AOCA Members only)

• Peer Power Hour Sessions

• 9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

• 9:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

• Trade Show Floor: Member Experience

• First Time Attendee Tour

• 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

• 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

• 10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

• Trade Show Floor (Booth Crawl 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.)

• Peer Power Hour Sessions

• 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

• Quick Hits

• 10:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

• Registration

• 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

• Registration

• Trade Show Floor • 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. • Quick Hits • 1:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. • Opening Night Party • 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. 24

• SPRING 2019

• Registration

• 1:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

• Registration

• Premium Education Sessions

• 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

STRAIGHT FROM THE ICA The Car Wash Show 2019, presented by the International Carwash Association (ICA), is pleased to announce an enhanced program structure and expanded education lineup, offering all attendees an inclusive and immersive show experience. The Car Wash Show 2019, set to stage in Nashville, Tennessee from May 13 – 15, will present the largest trade show floor in the history of The Car Wash Show, giving attendees access to a larger collection of the industry’s top exhibitors, largest brands and emerging companies. A redesigned program provides attendees with expanded education offerings ensuring attendees will experience a high-level and larger breadth of educational content, in addition to valuable business workshops. Car wash and car care industry professionals who purchase the Premium Pass will enjoy three days of exclusive content with the Premium Education Program, which will take a deep dive into areas critical for business success. Each premium path will begin with an impact session, featuring a world-class speaker, which follows with the attendee’s choice of focused courses. The mix and match program structure

-5 horsepower industrial strength motor -3 phase, 12 amp motor -super quiet -Heated air without heater filament -30% more powerful -maintenance free -Mounts inside bay, in the attic, or on the roof -Nozzle with mechanical on/off safety trigger

SPRING 2019 •

STRAIGHT FROM THE ICA allows attendees to create an experience that is customized for their business needs. The final day of the show completes the path with a Wrap-Up Workshop in the attendee’s chosen path. These facilitated, interactive discussions bring it all together, giving attendees take-home actionable steps to apply what they have learned to their business. In addition to Basic and Premium Passes, The Car Wash Show will introduce an all new Member Experience, designed to provide attendees of any pass type with more opportunities to engage with peers to learn and draw from each other’s experiences through the new Peer Power Hours. Peer Power Hours provide a source for solutions from peers on a range of topics selected by fellow members. Other Member Experience features include exclusive trade show time, programming and VIP perks.

“Peer Power Hours, part of the Member Experience, give attendees an opportunity to focus on attendee-driven discussions, roundtables and panels that cover a range of topics generated by their peers,” shared Claire Moore, Chief Content Officer. “We felt there was a true benefit to providing a platform for attendees to share stories and ideas with like-minded business owners facing the same challenges and concerns. This exclusive experience will allow car wash leaders to form powerful networking relationships with peers that will go far beyond the trade show experience, and provide a mentoring resource year round.” Members will also experience a members-only State of the Industry Breakfast & Keynote Address, featuring best-selling author of The Happiness Advantage and Big Potential, and one of the world’s leading experts on happiness and success, Shawn Achor. The Annual Membership Meeting and

Keynote Address will be held on Wednesday, May 15th at 8:00 AM. For the first time in show history, the Partner Solution Sessions, which offer education relevant to new investors and industry veterans, is now open to all attendees. Quick Hits will also return this year to give attendees expanded access to education in quick, twenty-minute presentations on boosting profits, conserving water, maximizing efficiency and increasing capacity. To learn more about The Car Wash Show 2019 education offerings, click here. The over 160,000 square foot trade show floor, featuring more than 350 exhibiting companies, will welcome experts, industry thought leaders, vendors, and attendees to experience The Car Wash Show like never before. With expanded access, exclusive content, and premium education, the 2019 show cannot be missed.

EXHIBITORS LIST 10 MISSIONS MEDIA/NOLN

AUTOMATS & ACCESSORIES

1-800 BOLLARDS / POST GUARD BY ENCORE

AUTONETTV MEDIA, INC.

2WAYRADIOPLUS.COM A & H WHOLESALES A PLUS DESIGN GROUP ACOUSTIBLOK INC. ACQUIRE VIDEO SECURITY ADVANTECH AQUA AERODRY SYSTEMS LLC AFFILIATED RESOURCES, INC. AFFINITY HR GROUP, LLC AIR LOGIC LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS AIRLIFT DOORS, INC. ALLIED CAR WASH SERVICES ALLIED MOULDED PRODUCTS, INC. ALTECH CORP AMD INC. AMERICAN CAR WASH SUPPLY AMERICAN CHANGER CORP. AMERICAN GARAGE DOOR SUPPLY, INC. AMETEK DYNAMIC FLUID SOLUTIONS ANDUJAR CONSTRUCTION, INC. ANGEL-GUARD PRODUCTS, INC. APPLE GROWTH PARTNERS AQUA BIO TECHNOLOGIES, LLC

AUTOTEX AVW EQUIPMENT COMPANY, INC. BAD DOG TOOLS BAYWATCH ENTERPRISES LLC BEACON MOBILE

CHARGER WATER TREATMENT PRODUCTS, LLC CHEETAH CLEAN AUTO WASH CHEMQUEST/HOBO INC. CHEVRON LUBRICANTS CHIA MA CAR WASH SYSTEM (CHIA-MA)

DUALITE SALES & SERVICE INC.

CLIMAX METAL PRODUCTS COMPANY

E2 LENS RE-NEW, LLC

BISSELL COMMERCIAL

COAST COMMERCIAL CREDIT, LLC

EASTERN FUNDING

BLACK MAMBA GLOVES

COBRA SYSTEM (HEATED CHEMICAL APPLICATORS)

ECP, INC. / PLATINUM PROFESSIONAL CARWASH

COINLESS, LLC

EGENUITY LLC

COLEMAN HANNA CAR WASH SYSTEMS LLC

ELEKTRIM MOTORS

BLAIR CERAMICS BLENDCO SYSTEMS BRASS REMINDERS COMPANY, INC. BRINK RESULTS BROADLY

COMGRAPHX

BROADWAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE

BRO-TEX, INC.

COMMERCIAL PLUS LLC

BRUSH INDUSTRIES INC.

COMPLETE SIGNS

BUFF AND SHINE MANUFACTURING

COMPRESSED AIR SYSTEMS

BULLSEYE MARKETING

CON-SERV MFG

C & S CANOPY, INC.

CRANE PAYMENT INNOVATIONS (FORMERLY MEI)

CALUMET PACKAGING CAPITAL ONE CAR PRODUCTS CAR WASH AI, LLC CAR WASH BUILDINGS

ETOWAH VALLEY EQUIPMENT INC EUROVAC INC. EUROW & O’REILLY CORP. EVEREST ICE AND WATER SYSTEMS EVERWASH EVOLUTION DOG WASH

CSI/LUSTRA

EXCEL TIRE GAUGE

CUL-MAC INDUSTRIES

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP SOLUTIONS

CURRENT COMPONENTS INC.

ARIMITSU PUMPS

CARDCONNECT

DELCAN PRODUCTS LTD.

CARGROOMERS/SLIP STREAM CAR WASH PRODUCTS

ERIE BRUSH & MANUFACTURING CORP.

EXACT ONE LTD.

D & S CARWASH EQUIPMENT CO.

CARECO LLC

ERC WIPING PRODUCTS

CRYPTOPAY

CAR WASH SUPERSTORE

AUTEC CAR WASH SYSTEMS, INC.

DROPTOP INC.

BELANGER, INC.

ARCADIAN SERVICES

ATS CHEMICAL, LLC

DRIPDROP MARKETING

DURACELL

AQUACHEM, INC.

ATP (ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS)

DRB SYSTEMS

CLEAN WORLD DISTRIBUTION INC

BEAN CRUNCHER SOFTWARE INC

CUSTOM FRESHENERS

ASCENTIUM CAPITAL LLC

DRALCO SYSTEMS LLC

DULTMEIER SALES

CAR WASH INSURANCE PROGRAM, OFFERED BY MCNEIL & CO.

AROMATIC RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS, LTD

INC.

CUSTOMKRAFT INDUSTRIES, INC.

DEMA ENGINEERING / GC VALVES LLC

EXTREME POLYMERS EXTRUTECH PLASTICS, INC. FEDERATED INSURANCE FILPAC FIVE DIAMOND SCREENING, LLC FLITZ INTERNATIONAL, LTD

DEVON LUBE CENTER EQUIPMENT

FLO-DYNAMICS LLC

CAROLINA PRIDE CARWASH, INC.

DIAMOND H2O

FLOYD BELL INC.

CARWASH BOILERS, INC

DIAMOND SHINE

FLUIDLYTIX

CARWASHKING.COM

DIGITAL RECOGNITION NETWORK (DRN)

FRAGRAMATICS MANUFACTURING CO., INC.

GENESIS MODULAR CARWASH BUILDING SYSTEMS GIANT INDUSTRIES GINSAN/ INDUSTRIAL VACUUM SYSTEMS / TRUSCO GLIPTONE MANUFACTURING GLOBAL AQUA TECHNOLOGY

PRODUCTS IWASH TECHNOLOGY LLC J. E. ADAMS INDUSTRIES JBS INDUSTRIES JIFFY LUBE J-KO COMPANY

GODADDY SOCIAL

JOHN GUEST USA, INC.

GOFF’S ENTERPRISES INC.

JOLT

GRACE FOR VETS

K9000 DOG WASH

GREEN LEATHERS, CORP

KAFKO INTERNATIONAL

H&S GARAGE GEAR LLC

KELLER WATER FILTRATION

HALO BOOM SYSTEMS

KIRIKIAN INDUSTRIES – NEOGLIDE

HALTEC CORPORATION

KLEENCO LLC (WASH TRENCH)

HAMILTON MANUFACTURING CORP.

KLEEN-RITE CORP

HERKULES EQUIPMENT CORPORATION

KLOPP MONEY HANDLING EQUIPMENT

HITECH EXPRESS SYSTEMS, LLC

KO MANUFACTURING, INC.

HOFFMAN MINT

KOOLER ICE, INC.

HOSPITALITY FUNDING

KWIK INDUSTRIES, INC.

HOT WATER PRODUCTS

LILLY BRUSH CO., LLC

H-PAC PLASTICS LLC

LISLE CORPORATION

HUEBSCH (ALLIANCE LAUNDRY SYSTEMS)

LOCK AMERICA INC.

HUMAN TOUCH, LLC HURON VALLEY SALES, INC./ PROPAK

LUBEGARD (INTERNATIONAL LUBRICANTS INC & STELLAR AUTO GROUP) LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS

HYDRA-FLEX INC

MACHINE TECHNOLOGY GROUP

HYDRO-SPRAY WASH SYSTEMS INC

MADISON INDUSTRIES

ICE INFINITY MASSAGE CHAIRS

MAGNETIC AUTOCONTROL

ICLEAN DOG WASH

MAKO PRODUCTS

IDEAL AUTO IMAGES INC.

MANN & HUMMEL PUROLATOR FILTERS, LLC

IDEAL SHIELD IDX INC. INDUSTRIAL SHADEPORTS

MARK VII EQUIPMENT INC. MASTERCOOL

INNOPLAST INC.

MATTHEWS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT SERVICES

INNOVATIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS

MAUQUOY TOKEN COMPANY

INSURANCENTER

MAZZONI SRL

AUTO DATA, INC.

CARWASHWORLD.COM/PANARAM/ CONTINENTAL GIRBRAU

DISCOUNT HYDRAULIC HOSE

FREELIN-WADE CO.

AUTO LAUNDRY NEWS

CAT PUMPS

DISKIN SYSTEMS INC.

FRESHLIME, INC

AUTO SCENTS, INC

DIXMOR ENTERPRISES

G&G LED LIGHTING

DOSATRON/DILUTION SOLUTIONS

G.A. MURDOCK, INC.

INTERNATIONAL DRYING CORPORATION

AUTOCENTER SALES

CCSI INTERNATIONAL INC. (DBA NEW HORIZONS CAR WASH BUILDERS / ALL PAWS PET WASH) CELTIC BANK

DOYLE VACUUM SYSTEMS, LLC

GALLOP BRUSH COMPANY

ISTOBAL

MILLNER-HAUFEN TOOL CO.

AUTOMAT WASHER AND SUPPLY

CHAMPION PNEUMATIC

DRAINVAC INTERNATIONAL 2006

GENERAL PUMP, INC.

ITW PROFESSIONAL AUTOMOTIVE

MOBIL 1 LUBE EXPRESS

AUTO VAC SYSTEMS INC.

• SPRING 2019

INTEGRATED SERVICES, INC. INTERNATIONAL CURRENCY TECHNOLOGIES CORP.

MCCOURT LABEL COMPANY MCE INC. MICROLOGIC ASSOCIATES MILE HIGH LED SYSTEMS

EXHIBITORS LIST MODERNWASH MONDO PRODUCTS COMPANY LIMITED MOSAIC ( FORMERLY CARWASH CONNECT) MOSMATIC CORPORATION MOSO NATURAL MOTOR CITY WASH WORKS, INC. MOTOWASH

RA-LOCK SECURITY SOLUTIONS

SLAM MARKETING BY BCLIP

TEXAS MICROFIBER

VAPORLUX, INC.

RBI STRUCTURES

SNYDER INDUSTRIES, INC.

THANX

VAUGHAN INDUSTRIES, INC.

PARTEX TOWELS

RDM INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS, INC.

SOBRITE TECHNOLOGIES

THE BANCORP (SBA LENDING)

VELOCITY WATER WORKS

PDQ MANUFACTURING, INC.

RECLAIM EQUIPMENT COMPANY

SOLID START

THE WAX SHOP

VENDING.COM

PECO CAR WASH SYSTEMS

RED LINE SYNTHETIC OIL

SONNY’S ENTERPRISES, LLC

THROTTLE MUSCLE

VERISOLUTIONS

PETIT AUTO WASH, INC.

SOUTHEASTERN CANOPIES, INC.

THROTTLE SERVICE REMINDERS

VER-TECH LABS

SOUTHEASTERN CAR WASH ASSOCIATION

TITAN FITTINGS

VILCO SUPPLY

TOMMY CAR WASH SYSTEMS

VIPER SHINE

TOP LINE CHEMICAL SOLUTIONS

VP RACING FUELS

TORNADOR TOOLS

WANNER ENGINEERING (DBA HYDRA CELL)

PARKER ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING PARR INDUSTRIES II, INC

PETRA

RELADYNE

PETROCAL ASSOCIATES

MR. FOAMER, INC.

RHINO TUFF TANKS, LLC

PHILLIPS 66 LUBRICANTS

MYCARFAX

RINSED-WASH SUBSCRIPTION MANAGEMENT

MYTEE PRODUCTS

PHILLIPS 66/SPECTRUM CORPORATION

N 1 BUYING GROUP

PLOVER INC.

N/S WASH SYSTEMS

PM ATTENDANT, INC.

NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE CHEMICAL

PODIUM

NATIONAL CARWASH SOLUTIONS

POWR-FLITE

NATIONAL PRIDE EQUIPMENT

PRACTICAL PROMOTIONS

NAVIEN, INC.

PREMIER DRYERS AND VACS

NERTA GROUP

PRISTINE SOLUTIONS INC. DBA PRISTINE PROS

NEW SECURITY TECHNOLOGIES NGEN THE NEXT GENERATION NITEO PRODUCTS, LLC

ROCKET SCENT

NORTH AMERICAN LUBRICANTS CO./OIL CHANGERS NUFORM BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES, INC

SPRAYING SYSTEMS CO.

S.M. ARNOLD, INC. SAGE MICROSYSTEMS, INC. SAR GLOBAL SIGNS

PROFESSIONAL CARWASHING & DETAILING MAGAZINE PROTO-VEST, INC.

STEAMERICAS, INC.

SCRUBBLADE INC.

STI CONVEYOR SYSTEMS STINGER CHEMICAL LLC

SELLERS PUBLISHING INC.

STONE SOAP COMPANY, INC.

SERVICE CHAMP/KIM SUPPLY

STONER CAR CARE PRODUCTS

SERVICE COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION, LLC

STUKE IOWA

SERVICE PRO SOFTWARE BY MSI

PULPSTREAM

SHARPLINE CONVERTING INC.

NUVINAIR

PURCLEAN/PURWATER

OASIS CAR WASH SYSTEMS

Q.B. ENTERPRISES, INC.

OCTAFORM, INC.

Q-SAQ, INC

ONA INSPIRE LLC

QUAL CHEM, LLC

OPTSPOT, LLC

QUEST CAR CARE PRODUCTS

PANTRON AUTOMATION, INC.

R.R. LALENA

ST. JUDE’S CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL/MOTOR CITY WASH WORKS STANDARD CHANGE-MAKERS INC.

SCOTCH PLAID, INC. SEARCH AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC

PRO TUNNEL PARTS

SPECIALTY SALES, INC. SPIRIT REALTY CAPITAL

RUN - RITE

PRO EQUIPMENT CO. INC.

SPARTAN CHEMICAL COMPANY SPENCER TURBINE CO.

ROTH NORTH AMERICA

PROCTER & GAMBLE

NNN PROPERTIES, LLC

SOUTHWEST CAR WASH ASSOCIATION

SHOES FOR CREWS SHORE CORPORATION SIGNATURE SERIES BY C K ENTERPRISES, INC SIMONIZ USA, INC.

SUDS CREATIVE SUPERIOR AUTO EXTRAS

TORTAL TRAINING

WARSAW CHEMICAL CO., INC.

TOSSITS

WASH SOLUTIONS (TX)

TRIAD DESIGN

WASH SYSTEMS LLC

TSS, INC.

WASHCARD SYSTEMS

TUFCO FLOORING

WASHIFY

TURTLE WAX PRO

WASHLINK SYSTEMS

U.S. JACLEAN INC.

WASHMORE MEDIA

U.S. PARA PLATE LLC ULTIMATE RAINCOAT LLC ULTIMATE SUPPLIES LLC UNCOMMON USA INC. UNILUBE SYSTEMS INC. UNIMAC (ALLIANCE LAUNDRY) UNITEC

WASHWORLD, INC. WATER PURIFICATION SUPPLIES WEATHERTECH WELCOMEMAT SERVICES WESTERN CARWASH INSURANCE PROGRAM WHEEL-EEZ WHEEL CLEANER (CORK INDUSTRIES)

UNITED SIGN CO.

SUPERIOR CONTROL SYSTEMS

UNIVERSAL BRUSH MANUFACTURING COMPANY

SUPERIOR PRODUCTS CO.

UPWARDOR INC

SYNERGY SOLUTIONS

VACUTECH INC.

TAYLOR COMMUNICATIONS

VACUUM PROSPECTOR, LLC

TECHTOP INDUSTRIES INC

VALVOLINE

TELCO SENSORS

VAN BROOK/TOKENSDIRECT

WINDTRAX, INC. XPRESSYSTEMS, INC ZEP VEHICLE CARE, INC. ZIP CABLE TRAY SYSTEMS

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SPRING 2019 •

TRICKS

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Presenting some of the best discussions from the Self Serve, IBA and General Discussions sections of Auto Care Forum. To view more posts discussing some interesting and common problems, as well as some of the best and brightest solutions, visit AutoCareForum.com

(Note: Some posts feature minor edits for readability.)

What color is your car wash? Looking to repaint my 4-bay self serve this spring. The walls are painted cinder block, and right now the color is white. However, I’m looking to repaint the walls a color that doesn’t show as much dirt/grime but still looks decently bright and inviting especially at night. Also, for the vacuum Islands, possibly something even darker considering people love to beat out their floor mats all over them. Thoughts or suggestions? Thank you!

SSCWN EDITOR CHIMES IN: If you want to get all scientific and new-agey at the same time (if there is such a thing) there is research out there stating that certain colors are ideal for businesses due to their emotional impact. According to Forbes Magazine, here are the ways in which colors can give your business an edge: • Green Sparks Creativity.

I.B. WASHINCARS: Since paint on SS bay walls usually ends up as a disaster in the long run, I would stick with the same color. When it starts coming off (and it will), the original color will show through. Bay walls don’t handle freeze/thaw cycles well and tend to turn loose of paint. JMMUSTANG: I would nix the idea on re-painting and just put up white FRP. MJWALSH: Before you change color ... you might want to go somewhere that has a color other than white & compare the daytime-nighttime lumen light level measurements with a light meter. The usable light reflection factor may be more than we think ... not sure. White does have more reflection than mirrored stainless steel ... we found that out when we put a solar light inside of a 4’x8’ curb size that we rebuilt. In hindsight we would have used white instead of shiny aluminum tape on the interior surfaces. RFREEMAN: I wouldn’t repaint either if I were you. One of my washes has tile walls and I really like it and they clean up nicely with muriatic acid each time we clean them which is about the first of each month. I would look at installing tile as a long term solution unless you don’t plan to hold onto the wash for the long term. The washes that I have seen with painted walls, cinder block, brick, etc. haven’t come out well or they don’t hold up well to the wear and tear of the business. Repainting may turn out to be more work for you down road in the near future. ...With grouting the biggest issue is to make sure if any does chip away that you refill and seal it properly. I’m in Tx so it isn’t that big of a deal down here but I had 1 or 2 come off when the grout chipped away, water got behind and it and

• SPRING 2019

froze during winter. There again it will be the pricier option but if you are planning to hold onto the wash for a while I think it’s the best alternative. If you are planning on getting out in the near future 5 to 7 years I wouldn’t make the investment. BIGJWS: I’ve been thinking about using tile also, so it’s good to hear from someone who has had a good experience. I know MEP has a post showing a wash with tile that I think he said is 10+? years old. How tough is it to drill into for wand holders, signs, etc? You mentioned sealing the grout .. is that something you do as a regular maintenance item, or just when replacing chipped out sections? RFREEMAN : Drilling into the grout hasn’t been an issue at all. We use a standard masonry bit from HD. Our regular maintenance is acid washing the walls once a month....probably an overkill but I prefer to do it that often to keep them clean and not allow build up. Like I said though, I’m in Tx winter isn’t really an issue here aside from 7-10 days of freezing temps. a year tops....if I was up North I would definitely make sure no water could get in behind the tile because

• Red Reduces Analytical Thinking. • Blue is Most Accepted. • Yellow isn’t Usually a Hit. • Orange is Associated with Good Value. • Pink Calms People Down. • White May Lead to Boredom.

freezing temps would easily pop or crack the tile off. MEP001: I’ve drilled through tile to mount wand holders and mat clamps. There are two tricks to keep from cracking/splitting it. Start the drill very slow until you’re through the tile (It also helps keep the bit from walking around on the tile since it’s so hard). Don’t try to drill through the wall from one side. You will do a lot of damage. Measure both sides and drill halfway from each side with an oversized bit. Don’t drill and anchor signs, just use outdoor rated double sided tape. Scotch® Outdoor Mounting Tape ...I used to put up signs on glazed block with silicone adhesive with a few pieces of the cheap white tape to hold the sign while the adhesive dried, and when I went to change the signs later the tape had disintegrated and the adhesive left residue that doesn’t come off. The next time I used a few small pieces of the outdoor tape and the same silicone adhesive, and the next time I pulled the signs down the tape was holding better than the adhesive. KEITH BAKER: I agree on the white FRP. I covered my painted walls over 20 years ago and they still look good. Clean them with an acid bath twice a year and never paint them again.. The whiter the better.

SPRING 2019 â&#x20AC;¢

TRICKS

OF THE

SSCWN EDITOR CHIMES IN: In case anyone is wondering, it turns out LLCs have only been around for 40 years! According to IncNow. com, back in 1977, Wyoming was the state to invent and first use the term Limited Liability Company. “It was very slow to take off. In fact, Delaware, which is known for being first, waited until 1991 to have their own LLC law. Today, LLCs are being formed three or four to one compared to corporations. It’s not uncommon to have corporate law shift to a new form of entity. Looking to the future, you should ask why you are using a safe but old-fashioned corporation or LLC when you could be using a series LLC to protect multiple assets.”

Before the ink dries… Closing on a [business] soon and have the option to put title in LLC or personal name. What does everyone else do? I am leaning to put into LLC to reduce personal liability, but are there downfalls to doing this? APW: I have my three washes in three different LLCs. JGINTHER: Due to a hundred years worth of work by thousands of attorneys and case-law, you can sign one document with a pen that magically makes the liability go from everything you personally own to just whatever is owned by the other name you wrote on the document. Due to this logical system and by extension - you would want to remove liability exposure by creating as many of those magical documents as possible… MJWALSH: My thoughts are based on what my long term CPA told me ... since courts can override and still hold an individual’s personal assets in cases ... sometimes just asking for higher liability limits from your insurance company... can make the most sense. PAULLOVESJAMIE: ...Think of incorporating as though you were buying an insurance policy - insurance

against losing something you have in a lawsuit. What assets do you have, what risks do you have. E.g. if you live in litigious cold Massachusetts and don’t have floor heat, incorporate, and do it fast! If you are in Arkansas, don’t have a McMansion and a fishing boat, run a very tight operation, and your courts are business friendly, buy insurance. JGinther is correct - incorporating reduces your liability. (reduces, does not eliminate). Mike is also correct - in many cases, simply increasing your liability limits on your insurance is usually cheaper and can make more business sense. Both have costs, initial and ongoing. I’ll also go out on a limb here and say that since LLC’s have significantly reduced the costs of being a corporation, the majority of car washes are becoming an LLC. If you did a survey I think that

would be the majority. WAXMAN: I’m an S Corp. This is my car wash, detail and used car business. My apartments are in an LLC. CAR_WASH_GUY: LLC then Trust. ROZ:: I was always advised to put the property into a real estate LLC and the business into a separate LLC, car wash or any other business where you own the property too. Supposedly it may make any litigation harder and offers more protection. A little more paperwork but provides more peace of mind.

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Who is (tooth)picking locks? Is there a reason I find Floss Picks occasionally in the coin mech compartment of various machines? Are some numb nuts trying to do something to the mechs? 2BIZ: I find them on the ground a lot at the wash but never in a coin mech or coin path. I’ve often wondered the same thing, if they are trying to use them somehow to get something for nothing! RANDY: I also find a lot of floss picks on the ground around the vac islands, I’ve never found one inside the coin mech. I also find a lot of bent paper clips on the ground that they try to use to start the vacuum, to bad it doesn’t work with a electronic coin acceptor. I.B. WASHINCARS: I’m betting they’re trying to trip the wire on those old acceptors with the wire that a quarter actually pushes down. I can’t imagine there’s over a handful of those things left. SLASH007: I find them only when I find the coin acceptor jammed and assume they are trying to get the coins out. GREG PACK: I just assumed that the people that use them are nasty slobs and throw them down on the ground MEP001: They seem to be, they use the floss picks, throw them on the floor of their car, then just dump the floor mat on the ground. I would assume it’s kids picking up the floss picks and sticking them in the coin slot. I see them all the time picking up sticks and crap and jamming the acceptors.

EARL WEISS: I have a few but it won’t work because the switch is blocked at the return and the top slot is way to far. Maybe they don’t know that because I found them in electronic acceptor compartments as well.

SSCWN EDITOR CHIMES IN: If you are finding floss picks on the ground, you are not alone. It seems to be a nationwide epidemic and along with the recent impassioned push to ban or limit plastic items, people seem to be up to their teeth in floss pick litter. According to the California newspaper, the Benicia Herald, Sindy Harris’s letter, “The anatomy of a litterer,” floss picks are second in line to cigarette butts. “Aside from cigarette butts, which are the most littered item by far (scary because of the risk of fires), the next most littered item is dental floss picks. I wasn’t aware that that many people even flossed their teeth regularly, let alone did so while driving. But these little floss pickers are seemingly everywhere.”

ROZ: We used to see floss picks and bobby pins all over the place with the old equipment. I learned from a young customer how easy the old mechanical coin machines can be fooled - you can watch a YouTube video on the simple technique. With all the new equipment we installed in the bays and the new vacs that utilize electronic coin mechanisms the picks and pins have disappeared. I’ve seen a lot of this and I’ve even tried to duplicate the process myself after reading about it in the archives on this site. It’s possible on 4 of my vacuums, but it takes a long time. I don’t see it as something that makes me want to change coin acceptors. If someone wants to spend 10 minutes to get $1.25 in vacuum time, then whatever... ALPINE DREAMS: I wasn’t able to duplicate the process with the dental pics. The large bobby pins, howev-

er, were possible. I assume a decent-sized paperclip would work also. EARL WEISS: Tried to do it on one in the photo thru the return slot with the floss pick. . There is a piece of plastic directly in front of the switch that prevents a straight shot. i imagine a paperclip with some fancy bending might work. MEP001: The paperclip is just bent down at ~60°. It slips right over the plastic and I can pull straight out on it and trip the coin switch. I don’t think the floss pick will work, it’s not even long enough. EARL WEISS: Tried like heck last night on the bench holding the mech in my hand. Could not do it. Barely touched the coin switch let alone move it far enough. Good thing I have other stuff to fall back on.

Inch by inch, hose by hose How do you guys judge how long your hoses should be for your bays? HP FB TF Etc? MEP001 : Depends, sometimes you want them long if you have people washing a lot of big vehicles. For a normal car or truck I like the low point above my knees. I hate using a wash with the hose at my ankles. EARL WEISS : I like it so the hose at rest - gun in holder does not have any part on the ground. 18” seems to work for me but that would vary but ceiling height and boom type. JMMUSTANG : Long enough that a customer can reach the coin box with the gun in their hand when the timer beeps but short enough so they cannot shoot water into the box. 32

• SPRING 2019

I’ve had to many coin boxes and vaults froze solid with ice in the winter. Years ago I got tired of hearing people slam the gun to the ground when the 1 minute timer started beeping. I buy the hose wrap to wrap around all the hoses so it’s not a big problem of wear & tear. GREG PACK : I know you may be asking a specific length but that depends on a couple of factors including your roof height. I keep mine on the shorter side. I have 12’ ceilings. I use a 10’ HP hose and a 1’ swivel saver combined . I mainly do that to keep people from washing debris off too far outside the bay. If I park my full size truck in the bay I can wash around it no problem. It also keeps my hoses from dragging. When someone puts the wand back in the holder it pulls the boom over to the side and helps keep the hose out of the way.

SCRUBS3 : I have 14’ bays and use 15’ hoses. They work well and I do not have any issues. JEFF_L : I don’t think I have ever really put a lot of thought into it. Basically I check for two things, can I stand at the entrance/exit and comfortably wash a vehicle? And when I have the wand put in the holder and hose on the hook, does it drag on the ground. I like to keep the curve of the hose a few inches off the ground, looks better and will allow the hose to last a little longer.

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Making the band(with) What up speed is everyone using for their Internet? I am trying to determine what speed to go with at my new location for the security cameras and cc processing. I know cc’s are pretty much a non factor but I have 16 4mp cameras and would like to view on my phone. What are you using as far as speed, camera resolution, and how is it working for you? OURTOWN: We have DSL that is about 12MB download and about 1MB upload and use it for Cryptopay and cameras. So far we have 9 of our 16 4MP 2K cameras installed and it works okay on standard resolution but is very choppy on my phone or computer if I use the higher resolution. We are waiting on installation of cable from another company that is supposed to be up to 100MB down and 10 up. Upload speed is what is more important.

ROZ: We have 100MB up and down as the variable cost from 50 to 100 is low. Would not go below 50 as we set our cameras to the highest resolution so you can see things. The cameras are useless if you cannot see anything when viewing remotely. [ISP is] Comcast but Verizon has that as well as higher too. Waiting for google to bring the tsunami to the area. BOYWONDER: 1 Gig Download/30MB Upload speed MAIN STREET CARWASH: How much are you guys paying

for said plans? Comcast quoted me $101.85 25/5, $151.75 75/15, and $196.80 150/20. These include an analog line for phone and 5 static IP addresses. OURTOWN: Currently we have AT&T phone and DSL internet 12/1 with 2 static IPs and it is about $100/ month. When we get our cable from Spectrum phone and internet 100/10 no static IPs is $80/ month. We are going to try it without static IP first but I think they charge $15 each.

Costs from coast to coast How much do you charge at your self serve and where are you located? DAMONI88: I have 3 self serve car washes and right now i’m at $1.50 for 3mins cc is $3.00 for 6mins. Im from Louisiana in the deep south portion. I do notice that low time alert beeps really quick at this rate. There are only 3 other car washes other than my 3 and 1 is about to be demolished in the next year or so leaving 5 self serve car washes in town. 1 owner I know very well and he is set up the same prices as me. Then you have the odd ball that is .25 for 1 min in a horrible location (can’t imagine him lasting much longer with that price). From what i have always heard the South is a lot cheaper than the North due to water restrictions among other things. BERT79: We are in West Michigan. Are prices are $2.00 for 3:30 or cc $3 for 5:24. 27 sec/quarter either way. Our closest competition is the same price but does not offer cc. DAMONI88: First of the year im raising my 3 washes to $2.50 for 5mins and cc $5.00 for 10 mins. I’m tired of bucket washers paying $1.50 and if that is gonna happen then they gonna pay. One thing i noticed is customers don’t care or pay attention to signage cause i have a 10ft sign that says NO BUCKET WASHING. VACS will be $2.00 for 5 mins. CHAZ: WHY WAIT? I’d raise my prices tomorrow. I’m $3 for 4 minutes. Cash or credit ....credit is count up. Obviously you know you need to and can charge more. May as well start earning the money now.... 34

• SPRING 2019

even if you lose a few cheapskates....you’ll be making more $. By the way my vacs are $2 for 6 minutes DAMONI88: Only reason I said first of the year cause we raised from $1.25 to $1.50 jan 1 2019. My dad was running the carwash for 16 years and never raised prices. So now i feel like i am so behind. SPARKEY: North Central Ohio, $1.75 for 3:50 seems low but I am not the lowest price in the area CHAZ: I’m not the lowest in my area..especially on vacs. My thoughts on price adjustments is that as long as my equipment works properly ...good soap etc....my customers understand that I need to pay my bills and make a living. With each price increase....I expect some resistance...and perhaps some customers go elsewhere....those are typically the slobs. I also weigh the increased revenue vs loss of business and less wear and tear on my equipment. For example when I doubled my vac start price to $2 (also went from 4-to-6 min) I figured even if I lost 1/2 my vac business....I’d still be ahead of the game with less mess and less repairs. My vac income actually went way up! ....and yes less mess because most of the slobs don’t want to spend $2 BANDIT: Las Vegas Self Serve $3 for 5 minutes wash . Vacs $1 for 4 minutes. Vending products $1.25 each (little trees, armour all pouches, etc). Here is a wash in Palm Desert, Ca......near Palm Springs: They get 1.75 for 10 minutes on Vacs and $5 for 10 minutes at the wash. Food for thought ! ALPINE DREAMS: We are 1.25 for 4 minutes here on vacuums and a customer left the vacuum before

the time ran out. Another customer in a bay, that had just finished washing a brand new Jaguar, peels out around 2 corners and drifts in sideways next to the vacuum to use the remaining time. This is serious neither made up, nor hyperbole. WAXMAN: Massachusetts. $3 for 3:12 in bays. $2/4 min vacs EARL WEISS: Bays are regular 27 sec / quarter or 4/30 for regular and Super is 22 seconds / quarter or 4/24 to start. Credit Card count up and Bonus time at $5. Vacs are $1 for 4/16 (64 sec / quarter) with $2.00 . CC start. This is comparable to my close top notch SS competition. and keeping in mind EEs with free vacs. BTW Chose 64 sec / quarter thing people will think timer reading 416 is harder to figure time than 400. RANDY: We are in a small town of 5000 in the Pacific Northwest/Washington State. We are the only Self-Serve car wash within 15 miles. Vac’s $1.50 for 3.5 minutes, Bays $2.50 for 3.5 minutes. There is a tunnel on the other end of town. They have 4 vac’s, 2 of them are .50 for 5 minutes and the other 2 are .75 for 5 minutes. OFFICER: We’re $4 for 5 minutes. Count up on CC.

SPRING 2019 â&#x20AC;¢

INNOVATIONS INTRODUCING NEW AND IMPROVED PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR SELF SERVE CAR WASHES

AutoCareForum.com gets new look, features The popular website, AutoCareForum, managed by Self Serve Car Wash News Publisher Jackson Vahaly, has been updated and features a new website address, features and look. The online forum, which has been around since 1996, has about 14,000 threads and over 121,000 posts. The forum’s new address is carwashforum.com. It is now a lot more modern, and user-friendly, especially when used through a mobile device.

Introducing new and improved products and services for self serve car washes New website from PDQ PDQ Manufacturing, Inc., of De Pere, Wisconsin, is pleased to announce the launch of the new pdqinc.com. Easy to navigate, mobile responsive and elegantly designed, the new website embodies PDQ’s commitment to optimizing car wash operations so that all customers can drive clean. “PDQ has designed our new website to create a seamless, optimal user experience for our customers,” said Gary Campbell, General Manager for OPW Vehicle Wash Solutions, which includes PDQ and Belanger. “This easy-to-use website will serve as a content hub for our customers, and will be able to be accessed through a variety of internet enabled devices, making this information readily available, no matter the location.” The enhanced design of the new website introduces a series of helpful features and offers a superior experience for new and returning visitors. It also includes an expansive resource library complete with technical guides and training videos. Additional features of the updated website include: • • • •

Improved navigation featuring a more intuitive menu system Improved search to allow you to more easily search by the type of content you need, and the ability to filter search pages to narrow down and refine results Cleaner layout to emphasize key content and make it easier for users to get to their destination New branding and design

Detailers Dictionary by Chris Evans CarWash College expands New Investor Seminar series Sonny’s Enterprises LLC announced the decision to expand its immensely popular, “Car Wash Investor Seminar,” to more U.S. cities, in addition to its regularly scheduled East and West Coast venues, due to increased demand. The Boston, Massachusettes seminar was held on April 4, 2019. The other three cities and dates now included are: • • •

Seattle, Wash. June 19, 2019 Newark, N.J. September 06, 2019 Milwaukee, Wis. November 19, 2019

The “Car Wash Investor Seminar” is a one-day introductory course designed to help familiarize both existing owners who want to expand their business with new locations while learning the industry’s latest best practices, and new car wash business owners with the process of operating a car wash, including selecting a location, financing, selecting and maintaining equipment, and more. 36

• SPRING 2019

Certified and Skills Validated detailer, Christopher Evans, has put together the ultimate compilation with the Detailers Little Black Book - the Detailers Dictionary. With over three decades of experience in the detailing industry, Evans wanted to share his wealth of knowledge and expertise with the world. The Detailers Dictionary has been described as the Detailers Little Black Book, containing easy to understand definitions and terminology used in the detailing industry, consequently making it easy for beginners and professionals in the industry to have a good understanding of the detailing vernacular. The book also contains facts and tips that will help readers to become more efficient as well as a series of quizzes to test the detailing knowledge of the readers. Containing 104 pages of quality information about the detailing industry, the book is currently available on Amazon.

SPRING 2019 â&#x20AC;¢

Association News 2019 CALENDAR OF EVENTS ICA announced Emerging Leaders, forms TN chapter

MAY

13-15

CAR WASH SHOW™

Music City Center Nashville, Tennessee www.carwash.org

JUN

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JUN

CAR WASH EXCELLENCE SUMMIT

10-12

AUG 28

Boston Winery Dorchester, MA www.newenglandcarwash.org

Park City, Utah, www.carwash.org

CONNECTICUT CARWASH ASSOCIATION GOLF CLASSIC

Fairview Farm Golf Course Harwinton, CT Wewashcars.com

SEP

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NORTHEAST REGIONAL CARWASH CONVENTION

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OCT 10

Brookmeadow Country Club Canton, Massachusetts www.newenglandcarwash.org

Atlantic City Convention Center Atlantic City, New Jersey www.nrccshow.com

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• SPRING 2019

The International Carwash Association announced the following 2019 Emerging Leaders Scholarship winners: • Tim Ehmann, Site Manager - Bethel Park Rapid Wash, Bethel Park, Penn. • Daniel Haynes, Operations Manager Waves Carwash Cafe, Australia • Daniel Petrelle, Jr., General Manager Splash Car Wash, Bethany, Conn. • Kyle Pezoldt, Facility Manager - Kuhnsville Car Wash, Allentown, Penn. • Travis Rogers, Location Manager Marc 1 Car Wash, Pelham, Ala. For the 5th year, the ICA has awarded its Emerging Leaders Scholarship to up-and-coming car wash industry leaders, under the age of 45. Recipients are selected based on their leadership, dedication and commitment to their company and the car wash industry. Each of our five winners will receive a Premium Pass to The Car Wash Show and accommodations for three nights. In other ICA news, the Association has formed a chapter in Tennessee in light of the recent sales tax legislation. According to the ICA, last October, a car wash operator with 10+ express washes was assessed by the Tennessee Department of Revenue (TDOR) for retroactive tax liability with an impact of more than $3.5 million dollars, which could have potentially put him out of business. “The issue focused around the sudden interpretation of Tennessee Code 67-6-205(c). The statute, written almost 50 years ago, did not address the modern express car wash. In today’s express wash environment, operators ensure safety and quality by providing assistance to vehicles entering a building, such as guiding on to conveyors, protecting wiper arms, hydrating bugs, or removing dangerous objects from open bed pickups. These safety and courtesy measures had been interpreted by TDOR as the trigger by which sales tax was applicable. Consequently, current or previous operators

who were providing one or more of the above complimentary services would be subject to prior sales tax liabilities, penalty and interest and would be responsible for collecting sales tax in the future.” The operator then turned to the ICA for help. Soon, a group of car wash operators banned together on back in November to discuss the issue at hand. The ICA sent in a lobbyist who had first-hand experience in dealing with similar issues. “Coming out of that initial meeting there was strong agreement that the operators needed to work together to engage a lobbyist to help clarify the language in the legislation and ensure that they would not face a future tax liability. The Tennessee Chapter of ICA was formed at the meeting, comprised of nine operators. The chapter began a fundraising campaign in December for the lobbying effort,” stated the ICA. The ICA gave $10,000 to the campaign and provided all administrative support for the fundraising effort, coordination of the chapter and the executive committee. In the end, the chapter raised nearly $200,000 and brought in the firm Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis. “We couldn’t have done this without the support of ICA,” said Executive Committee Member David Wild of Ultimate Shine Car Wash. “They were there when we needed them, and they eagerly engaged to make a real difference in the outcome. On behalf of all operators in Tennessee, we want to thank them for their support.” According to the ICA, the initiative led to the passing of a brand new bill that clarifies the language used for express car wash models. Under the bill, and provided that the customer remains in custody, control and care of the vehicle, the car wash does not need to charge sales tax. This would NOT, however, apply to full-service or flex-service car wash models where the customer exits the vehicle. These models, though, have been charging sales tax.

SCWA’s Expo is record-breaking success The Southwest Carwash Association’s 2019 Convention & Expo, which was held at the Arlington Convention Center in Arlington, Texas, in February drew in over 2100 attendees, making it the largest regional carwash-based gathering. According to the SCWA website, there were 325 exhibitors covering over 75,000 square feet of exhibit space. Two highlights from the Expo included

MGM Vice President Michael Dominguez, who spoke at the CEO Forum, and FOX News anchor Dana Perino, who gave the keynote address. Details for next year’s event have also been announced by the SCWA, which stated the venue had to change due to the need for more exhibit space. The 2020 Convention & Carwash Expo will take place in Fort Worth, Texas, on January 29-30, at the Fort Worth Convention Center.

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The Kondor touchless automatic delivers an exciting and unique wash experience, for new and existing bays alike. The Kondor is designed to clean, and built to keep cleaning. You build it the way you want to wash. And the available LED Navigation System illuminates the wash arms with RGB color changing lights to help drivers quickly position their vehicles. Optional ‘Active Site Marketing’ Marketing lights cycle through 6 colors to attract customers off the street and onto your site.

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Association News NRCC organizers warn of email scam In an email sent to attendees and exhibitors of the Northeast Regional Carwash Convention, recipients were warned of a scam regarding hotel venues for the 2019 show. The email states: We were notified that a company has sent an email to some of our past exhibitors claiming that the NRCC Room Block is open and it also provides links to other hotels. DO NOT USE THESE LINKS! It is a SCAM! The email looks like the email below and comes from the email address: Reservation@hotrixEXPOTRAVEL.com We are NOT working with this group. If you would like to book your room at the Borgata, you can do so using this link: https://book.passkey.com/go/GBCAR19 We apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to seeing you at the 2019 NRCC!

NECA announces award winners, Table Top The New England Carwash Association was proud to announce that five of its members were named in the Top Carwash list by New Hampshire’s WMUR’s news station. The top five car washes named in the 2019 Viewers› Choice - Best Car Washes in New Hampshire – were: • Uno’s Car Wash (Concord) • Golden Nozzle Car Wash (multiple locations) • Royal T Car Wash (Derry) • Infinity Car Wash (Manchester) • Pro-Wash Car Wash (North Hampton) In other NECA news, the Association announced it is changing things up this year to give everyone maximum time with their car washing industry colleagues at its Annual Table Top Show. The Show, which will take place June 4 at the Boston Winery in Dorchester, Massachusetts, will now offer vendors an array of creative packages to expand their participation and visibility at both the Show and on the Tour. Some of the changes include: • Exhibitor may set up in The Winery at 10:30 a.m. (before the tours) or at 4 p.m. (if not on the tours) • Two tour busses - all aboard for a noon departure • Exhibits at the tours sites • Evening reception and exhibits of varying sizes in The Winery catered by Venezia

MCA’s Wash to Save the Bay to be held this June The Mid-Atlantic Carwash Association will once again host its Wash to Save the Bay event. This year, the event will take place for the entire month of June. According to Association President Dave Dugoff’s President’s Message, “Since 2013, MCA has raised more than $60,000 to support the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The monthlong program will allow more options for washes and vendors to participate, avoid weather issues and allow the re-use of printed materials and banners. There is no participation fee for members. Participants in the Wash to Save the Bay 2019 will receive promotional buttons for employees, as well as a framed participation logo sign for display.” 42

• SPRING 2019

WCA launches new resource, names law partner The Western Carwash Association recently introduced an exclusive new resource for its members. The WCA Risk Management Center is a one stop shop to help owners and operators in safeguarding their carwashes. WCA members have access to the below resources: • Western Carwash Insurance Program Offering exclusive insurance programs, including property and liability, workers’ compensation, and more. • Labor Law Support Free legal consultation through our new employment law partner, Palmer Kazanjian Wohl Hodson (PKWH). • Employee Handbooks - Updated for 2019 Specific to each of its member states, the complimentary handbooks are updated each year and can be customized to represent your business. • Injury and Illness Prevention Program - Updated for 2019 Complimentary safety manuals are updated annually and will help you ensure you are in compliance with OSHA regulations. • Legislative Monitoring This includes an interactive legislative tracking map. In other WCA news, the Association recently announced its new partnership with employment law firm Palmer Kazanjian Wohl Hodson LLP (PKWH) to provide WCA members with free access to legal consultation on employment matters. WCA members will now receive free access to one thirty-minute legal consultation per calendar quarter, and a discounted rate for two additional hours of consultation. PKWH is now the exclusive employment law partner of WCA, and joins the lineup of exclusive member benefits available through WCA’s new Risk Management Center.

NYSCWA gives update on DoL’s Call in/Call out proposal Walt Hartl, president of The New York State Carwash Association, posted a letter on the Association website addressing the recent proposal by Department of Labor which would heavily impact car wash operations. A portion of the letter states: As you should know, the New York State Car Wash Association, (NYSCWA) along with many other businesses as well as The Business Council of New York State, have been fighting the Department of Labor’s Call In/Call Out proposed regulations for more than a year. I was made aware that according to a Department of Labor (DOL) spokesperson the DOL has decided to allow the proposed regulations to expire and not pursue their implementation. According to an article in The Albany Business Review written by reporter Liz Young, “Department officials said they realized their intention to support workers was being viewed as a one-size-fits-all approach that didn’t work for every industry after holding hearings and taking public comments.” When they revised the rules in December, the results were “praised by opponents and criticized by supporters,” said Jill Aurora, a spokeswoman for the state labor department. That’s why officials are dropping the proposal for now, she said. “At this time, due to the constraints of the regulatory process, the best course of action is to let this process expire and re-evaluate in the future, likely in concert with the Legislature, which would have a broader authority and better legal standing than Department of Labor regulations alone to balance the various needs of workers, businesses and industries,” Aurora said in a statement. Hartl went on to specifically thank Tom Hoffman, Jr. (Hoffman Car Wash), Ron and Brett Benderson (Delta Sonic), Jeff Gold (Buckman’s Car Wash), NYSCWA Executive Director Suzanne Stansbury, NYSCWA Lobbyist William Crowell and NYS Senator Rich Funkie (R), 55th District, for their tireless efforts. The regulations would be bad for employees and would ultimately hurt the employees the DOL was trying to protect, Hartl also wrote. “The NYSCWA would also like to thank all the operators and employees who wrote letters, called their representatives, and attended hearings in opposition to the regulations.” Hartl finished his letter by stating, “While this is certainly good news, there is a strong likelihood that the proposal will resurface as a legislative issue, and while the prospect of a legislative approach is certainly better than a regulatory one, we must stay focused on the message that these types of policies, whether DOL regulations or laws, pose a threat to jobs in New York State.”

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EXTRA! EXTRA! A new car wash will soon be open for business in Sturgis, South Dakota, according to the Black Hills Pioneer. Construction began on the new Scooptown Car Wash which will include two automatic wash bays, three self serve bays, two outside wash bays, a pet wash and vacuums. One will be a seasonal bay for cars, pickups, and motorcycles, the story reported and the other will be oversized to allow for the washing of RVs, campers, and boats, developer Chris Bergman said. Bergman said he saw a need for the car wash model in Sturgis and he, along with his wife, Tylea currently own and operate an oilfield maintenance company and physical therapy clinic in Killdeer, North Dakota. A central corridor will house the equipment room, a self-service pet wash station, and restroom facilities. There also will be an RV dump station on site, the story said. Bergman said in the story that customers can download an app on their smart phone and purchase monthly car wash packages.

Bowling Green Daily News. “Zips Express Car Wash, which was started in Arkansas in 2004 and is headquartered in Little Rock, is building the new car wash on a 1.14-acre tract behind the Western Kentucky University Center for Research and Development at Nashville Road and Campbell Lane,” the story said. According to a building permit on file with the city Zips is making improvements to 3,876 square feet on the property at a cost of $1,372,000. “We are coming to Bowling Green,” Sarah Elizabeth Falanga, a Zips public relations representative,” told the Bowling Green Daily News. “We should be open around July 1, and we have other projects in the works for Bowling Green.” Currently, Zips has 156 locations across 16 states, and, according to Falanga, but it is only beginning to expand into Kentucky. There is already one location in Louisville and another one will soon be open for business in Owensboro. “We’re excited to grow in Kentucky,” Falanga

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There is a new self serve business open for business in South Bend, Indiana, but it for a vehicle’s interior only. According to the South Bend Tribune, Drive & Shine offers a self-service interior cleaning operation adjacent to its newest car wash. The new facility also provides a mat-cleaning machine at each of the 22 bays as well as an air hose that can be used to dislodge interior dust or blow away water that might be hiding around mirrors and other crevices following a wash, the story reported. “It’s going to allow customers the ability to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer while cleaning their cars,” said Matt Tehrani, vice president of technology and new product development

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EXTRA! EXTRA! for the locally based business. CEO and President Haji Tehrani got the idea for the indoor facility during his travels as board chairman of the International Carwash Association, the Tribune reported. In Germany, he noted, people can be pretty particular about their vehicles, and appreciate an especially clean car. According to the story, for an additional $5, a customer can use the equipment for 15 minutes, and it is free for customers enrolled in the unlimited Ruby program.

Smells like a victory! A car wash has now made it in to the Guinness Book of World Records for producing the world’s largest air freshener. The eco-friendly Soapy Joe’s Car Wash of San Diego crafted a 3 foot 10 inches tall, 3 foot 8 inches wide, and 1.6 inches thick freshener. According to the Soapy Joe’s website, the whole quest for the title began in March 2018, right before “Soapy Joe’s Day,” which takes place right before Earth Day each year. In honor of the car wash’s commitment to the environment, the business was looking for a way to promote eco-friendly air fresheners. According to the website, “While scaling up, we made a point of staying true to our classic air fresh-

ener. The world’s largest car air freshener is made of the same biodegradable materials found in the ones that San Diegans hang on their car mirrors, layered again and again to achieve the same effect. The only difference is that those hang from a string, and this one needs a dock line.” The massive air freshener, which is citrus-scented, has its own metal stand, and the car wash plans to heighten its fame by taking it on the road. It was no easy task, and took weeks of hard work, according to the website. “After we decided to chase the record, our longtime air freshener manufacturer was right there to help sort out the logistics. They dedicated weeks of work and their entire team just to bring the idea to life. They even coordinated shipping on an industrial wooden pallet! …In order to be an air freshener, it has to give off a nice scent. At this size, that meant tracking down the concentrate we use for our regular air fresheners, putting large volumes of it in spray bottles, and spraying the giant piece all around for hours on end.”

Mike Mountz, the former owner of Cloister Car Wash and the founder of Grace for Vets, is now a published author. His book, “ Me? — One Man’s Journey Experiencing God’s Undeserved Gifts and Love,” is available through Amazon. According to Amazon, “Why Me? is filled with

experiences from successful businessman Mike Mountz’s life when he felt the presence of God. These Godly experiences, as Mike calls them, helped him to strengthen his faith, make changes in his life, and act when otherwise he might have been paralyzed by uncertainty. Mike describes how God guided him so that he gained the courage, strength, wisdom, and ability to make difficult decisions. The book also shares a critical lesson Mike Learned - the importance of following your spiritual compass.” Mountz owned Cloister for 28 years. He served in the Army, which prompted his desire to start Grace for Vets, a program which encourages car washes to give away free services to veterans on Veteran’s Day. He also is the founder of Dyslexics Achieve Distinction.

Unemployment rates are down, says SBA Administrator. According to a report via sba.gov, U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Linda E. McMahon released the following statement in response to the U.S. Labor Department’s January 2019 Jobs report that the economy added 304,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate at 4.0 percent: “Today’s extraordinary jobs report is further evidence that the President’s pro-growth policies are working. While employers added a record 304,000 jobs in

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EXTRA! EXTRA! January, wages and salaries rose by more than 3% over the past year and U.S. industrial production saw the biggest increase in manufacturing in ten months. Surveys show that businesses plan to benefit from the President’s tax cut plan as well as deregulation efforts, and a significant number of them are optimistic about the long-term economic outlook and are putting in place plans to hire more workers. Among the nation’s small businesses, per NFIB, hiring continued at record pace in January while employee compensation trended higher. All of this is good news for the nation’s small businesses that continue to contribute significantly to the continued forward momentum of the economy”.

“How’d this happen?” Chicoine asked. “They were calling us weekly asking us to advertise with them.” In a statement, Yelp denies any wrongdoing. They say automated recommendation software highlights the most useful reviews and is engineered to weed out possible fake or biased reviews. A 2014 federal court ruling did not find that Yelp extorts businesses, WCAX reported. Chicoine said in the story that he does read his online reviews-- wherever they are-- but doesn’t rely much on advertising to bring in business. “If we could get an advertiser just to bring the sun out, that’s all we need,” he said in the story.

A car wash owner is questioning Yelp! over its ad policy and whether

It isn’t the soaps fault, but Honda Ridgelines have been recalled due to certain car wash detergents, thecarconnection.com reported.

the online review portal buries a company’s positive review. Mark Chicoine, owner of Seaway Carwash in South Burlington, Vermont, told WCAX, claims Yelp buried a positive review after he refused to buy an ad. After denying a sales pitch to buy advertising on the review website Yelp, Chicoine said his Yelp review dropped, WCAX reported. He also says many of Seaway’s five-star reviews were moved to a relatively hidden spot on the website.

“The Honda pickup is subject to a new recall to rectify a faulty fuel pump that could crack when exposed to certain car-wash detergents,” the story reported. The recall, which was approved by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was issued in February and covers 106,683 affected Ridgelines from the 2017-2019 model years. “Honda discovered that acids found in common car-care products such as car wash soaps and other

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detergents have an adverse reaction with the fuel pump. Exposure to these acids could cause the fuel pump to break down and crack. If the pump cracks, the chance of a fuel leak increases, which can lead to a high risk of fire.” Honda dealers were instructed to install a cover kit to protect the fuel cover from future damage. If a technician discovers damage to the fuel pump, the part will be replaced and then fitted with a cover kit for protection. A driver in West Yorks, England, not only got stuck in a Wash n’ Drive car wash, but also drove off with the dryer still attached to his van, according to the Sun. The red Ford Transit van got wedged inside the bay. It then drives off, taking the dryer and roller with it.

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ICS expands to new facility Innovative Control Systems, a provider of car wash technology solutions, has relocated its existing production facilities to a new state-of-the art facility in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania a GlobeSt. com story reported ICS now occupies a 52,000 square-foot building at the Lehigh Valley Industrial Park IV, owned and operated by J.G. Petrucci Co. It’s the second project that the two companies have partnered on over the last 15-years, the story said. “We are excited to be working with the J.G. Petrucci team again,” said Kevin Detrick, founder and president of Innovative Control Systems, in the GlobeSt. com story. “J.G. Petrucci really understands our requirements and was able to provide us with multiple, attractive, building options to accommodate our expansion need.” According to an ICS press release, the new facility will provide a 260% increase in floor space and will incorporate the 5S workplace organization methodology to enhance the efficiency of ICS’s Production processes in order to meet the demand for the company’s products and position ICS for long-term growth. The move will also take advantage of the larger pool of talent in the greater Bethlehem area enabling ICS to hire the tech-savvy employees required to support the company’s technology-related job requirements. “Ultimately, we were attracted to the site because of its access to high-quality employees, open layout, climate controlled environment, loading capabilities, and excellent highway access, all of which support our goal of automating the manufacturing process to efficiently produce the car wash industry’s finest technology for our customers.” said Detrick.

EXTRA! EXTRA! It looks like the economy is doing “okay,” according to Inc., especially compared to how things were in the United States 10 years ago. On April 26, the U.S. economy reported a 3.2% growth rate in the first quarter of the year -- a significantly faster pace than the 2.1% economists were expecting, Inc.com reported. This comes alongside other encouraging factors like consumer spending and low unemployment. Lindsey Bell, an investment strategist from CFRA, says that in the wake of good earnings “economic data has been pretty decent.” This growth, states Inc.com, mostly comes in the form of investment in equipment and capital mostly among wholesale trades (36 percent), manufacturing (34 percent), retail (33 percent), and transportation (32 percent). “Although there is growth, entrepreneurs and SMBs still face the lack of access to capital. Many companies are turning to non-bank lending, a growing trend where corporations are creating and offering financing solutions to business owners.” Also of note, Inc.com reported that small business loans have been declining for 10 consecutive quarters, “while banks with $100M of assets or less decreased by 79% between the years 1998 to 2018. According to the most recent National Center for Middle Market Indicator, 71% of businesses surveyed are already planning to invest extra cash into their business.” 52

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Kleen-Rite Corp. announced the addition of Jay Cogley to the sales team. Cogley joins Kleen-Rite Corp. after spending 15 years as National Sales Manager for TransJAY COGLEY Mate Inc. He brings years of experience in distribution and automotive care to the team. “I am pleased to join the Kleen-Rite Corp. team,” Cogley said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to sharing my personal relationships, background in business development, marketing, and small business.”

American Changer acquires Rowe American Changer Corporation announced on February 13, 2019, the finalization of an asset purchase agreement with Rowe Bill Changers, LLC, which is a U.S. manufacturer of self-serve money changers servicing the commercial car wash, coin operated laundry, amusement, and vending markets. The acquisition unites two reputable brands and further enhances American Changer Corporation’s mission to remain at the forefront of ingenuity, a press release stated. Products and parts for Rowe changers will continue to be sold under the ROWE tradename and trademark. According to the press release, the ROWE name has been associated with quality and dependability for over fifty years. Moving forward, the dedicated professionals at American Changer aim to effectively serve Rowe’s loyal customer base. These customers include some of the premier companies in their industry. Products and services will be provided from American Changer’s manufacturing and corporate center based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA, “We are extremely pleased to welcome customers familiar with ROWE Bill Changers, parts and services into the American Changer family,” the press release states. “Rowe’s proud heritage and sector expertise positions American Changer for sustained growth, particularly as we leverage the best of all technologies and our superb team, while continually expanding our product offering. We aim to provide superior customer service, creating and maintaining satisfied customers around the globe.”

DRB Systems is helping Tennessee car wash operators with sales tax assessment Recent actions by the Tennessee Department of Revenue (TDOR) are presenting a significant financial threat to Tennessee car wash operators. A DRB Systems press release states that the company has contributed $39,500 to efforts aimed at rectifying the situation. “We believe it is important to get out in front of this issue quickly to protect not only Tennessee operators but the industry at-large,” Dan Pittman, CEO of DRB Systems, stated in a press release. The TDOR auditors have held that providing assistance to vehicles entering a building (guiding vehicles onto conveyors, folding over side mirrors, etc.) is subject to sales tax. This is not how most Tennessee car wash operators have interpreted the law, which was written almost 50 years ago and does not address the modern express car wash. A recent audit of one Tennessee car wash resulted in a tax assessment that could exceed $3.5 million by the year-end 2018. The operator has filed an administrative appeal. If the TDOR decision stands, it could open all Tennessee car wash operators up to similar assessments and potentially have a domino effect in other states. “We’re proud to stand by our customers and fight for the best interests of the industry,” Pittman said in the press release.

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INDUSTRY DIRT LSI Industries hires new VP LSI Industries, Inc. of Cincinnati, Ohio, announced the appointment of Nelson Wesley as Vice President Strategic Initiatives. Nelson will oversee initiatives focused on improving sales, driving operational efficiency and ultimately improving NELSON WESLEY financial performance of the company, according to a press release. As a senior level leader, he will report to the CMO, Scott Coleman. “What I found compelling about LSI is its rich history in the industry and the team’s dedication to growth through new product development and focusing on the customer,” said Wesley. “It’s an exciting opportunity to add value!” Wesley joins LSI Industries with over 20 years of marketing, sales and product management experience. He started his career at Ingersoll Rand and most recently he served as Vice President of Sales, Marketing, & Aftermarket, involving direct management of sales, marketing, aftermarket and bid teams at Ellis & Watts in Batavia, OH. Wesley holds two bachelor’s degrees, a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Science, from University of Kentucky and Asbury University, respectively. “We are excited to find a person of this caliber and background for this new position. Nelson will be a strong asset to the team here at LSI Industries.” remarked Coleman.

On the road to UNITI expo 2020 UNITI expo 2020, the leading European trade fair for the retail petroleum and car wash industries, will celebrate its fourth event on May 26 – 28, 2020. The tradeshow will return to Stuttgart (Germany) to showcase the latest products and services for petrol stations, professional car washes and convenience stores. A press release states: Following the successful model from the previous editions, UNITI expo 2020 will spread across 40,000 square meters of exhibition space, taking over Halls 1, 3 and 5 of the state-of-the-art Landesmesse Stuttgart. The exhibition is divided into four themed areas: Technology, Payment & Logistics; Carwash & Carcare; Oil Companies & Fuel Retailers; and Shop & Convenience – allowing visitors and exhibitors to plan their visit efficiently. “Thirteen months before the event, around 80% of the stand space has already been booked. We are way ahead of schedule,” says Ben Boroewitsch, Sales Executive at com-atec and responsible for exhibitor sales at UNITI expo. “If you want to exhibit at UNITI expo 2020, you should hurry up.” With 467 exhibitors from 37 countries and 17,000 attendees from 120 countries, in 2018 UNITI expo solidified its place as the biggest European trade fair for the sector. In addition to inviting all major European brands to the show, there will be a themed pavilion titled ‘Franchise & Co-Branding’ – a space tailor-made for franchises to interact with oil companies and retailers from across the globe. The diverse approaches of retailers in Europe make the platform incredibly useful and interesting to learn about different business models.

Sonny’s Car Wash College announces 2018 Instructor of the Year

Victor Alonso is the 2018 CarWash College Instructor of the Year. Victor was presented the Shawn R. Brown Award for Instructional Excellence by Paul Fazio, CEO of Sonny’s Enterprises LLC at a luncheon. “Victor has been with us less than two years, but he made an impact on CarWash College immediately”, Bob Fox, CarWash College Manager, stated in a press release. “From day one, Vic has gone above and beyond. He is always looking for ways to better his teaching methods and make the College as a whole, a better learning instrument. We are truly fortunate to have him in our ranks!” Previous winners include: Bryan Hage, Jorge Jaramillo, and Richard Ovalles. The Shawn R. Brown Award for Instructional Excellence is given each year in memory of Shawn Brown, a former Car Wash College instructor whose life was cut tragically short. The Car Wash College “Rookie of the Year” award was also presented to Mark Barthelmass. “I don’t know what we would have done without Mark out west last year”, added Fox. “Mark brings a lifetime of real world washing experience to the students. That’s invaluable! He’s also one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet and a pleasure to work with!”

G&G Industrial Lighting expands in upstate New York, hires new VP Less than a year after relocating from Albany, New York, to Clifton Park, G&G Industrial Lighting has already outgrown the newly purchased 12,000-square-foot space and has just finalized an expansion to the production facility, a press release states. This renovation provides additional square footage for manufacturing and warehousing operations. “As our business continues to evolve and broaden into new markets, we have had to invest in order to accommodate the continuous growth,” says Erin Noonan, Director of Marketing. “This new space allows us to maintain our dedication to providing high-quality, innovative lighting solutions backed by unmatched customer service, all under one roof.” G&G prides themselves on their coined ‘Fully Integrated Guarantee’. This term refers to their ability to engineer, test, manufacture, assemble and ship every product all from one facility. All of G&G’s LED lighting products are Made in the USA at their New York location.

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The move from Albany to Clifton Park has served G&G well since January 2018 and the recent completion of the expansion positions them well for future growth capacity. In other G&G news, the company has named Terry Crawley as Vice President of Sales and Erin Noonan as the new Director of Marketing (see below). Crawley and Noonan come to G&G with extensive experience within the electrical industry, both having worked for LED lighting manufacturers prior. According to a press release, Crawley’s most recent tenure was with RAB Lighting, where he

worked for 11 years starting as a Regional Sales Manager and was eventually promoted to Regional Vice President of Sales. Preceding his time with RAB, Crawley was with Zumtobel Lighting and BEGA-US and is also an active member of IESNA. Noonan previously had an 8-year stint with Shat-R-Shield, also a manufacturer of specialized industrial LED lighting products for harsh environments. Her experience there consisted of a series of promotions from Sales & Marketing Assistant, to Marketing Communications Manager and finally Director of Marketing. Noonan was recognized as one of tED Magazine’s 30 Under 35 rising stars of the electrical industry in 2016. “Terry and Erin both not only have the pertinent industry knowledge to make them successful but also exemplify the culture of G&G,” stated Jason Baright, President of G&G Industrial Lighting, in a press release. “We look forward to continuing our company’s rapid growth under their leadership as we expand throughout the industrial market.”

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Locked Up By Jennifer Spears

What Self Serve Operators Need to Know to Secure their Wash Successfully Make sure you’re not committing these seven mistakes when it comes to properly securing your self serve car wash.

1. DON’T WAIT Security is a top priority and you cannot wait until it’s too late and you’ve already been burglarized. This is, unfortunately, what a lot of self serve owners do when it comes to securing their wash. This is a nightmare for you, and your wash’s reputation. On average, it takes three times of getting broken into before most self serve owners/operators are convinced it’s worth the money and time to get a camera/alarm system. “It won’t happen to me.” “We have a business in a low crime area.” “It’s already happened to me so I’m sure it won’t happen again.” We’ve heard it all. A burglary occurs every 15 seconds. With an average loss of $1,675. That bears repeating. Every. 15. Seconds. Don’t wait until you’re chasing a problem. Be proactive and put a system in now to watch and protect your investment and your customers 24/7. 58

• WINTER 2019

2. REGULARLY CHECK YOUR SYSTEMS You cannot go into buying a surveillance system thinking any video recorder is a, “set it and forget it,” type box. This is not the way to think about the equipment you’re trusting to secure your car wash. Car wash owners need to check their camera systems regularly the same way they check their vac motors and pump stands. And, you also want to make sure the system is set up the way you want it. For instance, you can set it up to record all the time or just on motion or you can set a time schedule. There are a hundred different things they can do. And, when seasons change it is another great time to review all of your settings and to make sure they are still correct. With seasonal issues, such as rain or snow or ice, it’s important to make sure your camera system is working properly.

It’s also good to check to see if all of your cameras are still focused on what is most important to you. Every wash is different. Every operator/owner has different expectations of what they want for a camera system and you need to put some time into what’s important to YOU before you start looking for a system.

3. GETTING WHAT YOU PAY FOR You cannot expect the best system in the entire world with no budget to pay for it is. You get what you pay for when it comes to CCTV equipment. That doesn’t mean you have to go with the Taj Mahal system with 64 cameras and PTZs that move around and lights and sirens that alarm when a gnat sneezes. It just means you need to start with a system that is big enough for you to grow into. You can start with a lower number of cameras if your network video recorder is

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Locked Up large enough to hold all the cameras you want to have eventually. Future prooﬁng your equipment is a very good initiative! This is also why you want to go with an IP-based camera system. It has the easiest wiring, is still plug n’ play connected for your cameras and NVR, and offers remote viewing capabilities built in with a high speed internet connection at the site of the wash. You don’t have to break the bank to get what you’re looking for to cover your facility, but you also can’t pay with pennies to get a great system either.

4. KNOW YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL NEEDS There is no “one size fits all” system. Each location is unique and different environments could require highly specialized cameras for durability and/or functionality. Going down to your nearest supercenter and purchasing a 4-camera system for a car wash is NOT going to get you what you need. Is that kind of option great because it’s inexpensive? Yes. But will it last in a car wash environment? Give you the views you’re looking for? Offer remote accessibility? Unlimited tech support? The answer is: No. You need to find a company that can give you a custom quote based off of your location and get the right system, on the first try. The last thing you want to do is put a cheap camera system in just to realize a few months down the road the cameras don’t see what you need, they offer lower resolution on recordings than what the membership club flyer promised, you can’t get things working or things stop working and then you find out there’s no tech support available. There’s nothing more frustrating than having to pull out your wallet again when you’re already frustrated that things aren’t working right.

5. UNDERSTAND THE ANGLES Expecting a camera to see everything is unreasonable. This is only possible with the cameras you see on CSI and the ones used to make cinematic movies. They call it CGI for a reason, not to mention those cameras cost tens of thousands of dollars each (please refer to #3 above)! Cameras are built for very speciﬁc reasons, so you need to know what to expect from your cameras before you get a quote put together. And most cameras these days have varifocal lenses which means you can adjust how wide the picture is or how zoomed in you want it during installation. And some can see a wide image or they can be zoomed in and see a very small image quite a distance away. But that doesn’t mean you can see both at the same time. It’s a give and take to get everything you’re looking for and stay within your budget.

6. LIGHTS, SIGNAGE, ACTION Now don’t forget about the easy stuff. First, make sure your lighting is good around the wash, especially at night time. This will help attract and bring in the right clientele to the wash and will help them feel safe. An added bonus is that good lighting equates to good video from your cameras. Second, keep the landscaping around your wash well maintained. It makes the wash more inviting, and also cuts down on places where the wrong kind of people can hang out and do all kinds of illicit activity. Drug deals, using drugs, homeless hideouts, people using the bathroom literally ON your property, vandals waiting to rob the good customers. I’ve seen footage of all of these things. It’s shocking to me how bold people can be when they don’t think they’re being watched. Third, signage. Notify people of your camera/alarm system. Make sure you use overt cameras and sensors so people see them. It will deﬁnitely help keep people on the straight and narrow.

7. DO YOUR CUSTOMERS KNOW WHO YOU ARE? Last, but certainly not least, be present at your car wash. Go to the wash at different times throughout the day and evening. Talk to your customers about how the wash worked for them, make small talk and make your presence known. Consider hosting a fundraiser every once in a while for the cheerleaders in town. If your wash has a “face” the local baddies are more likely to leave your place alone. This is even more true if the “baddies” see cameras around as well. And a lot of customers really like their local wash. It can become a bit of a hang out for them which isn’t always bad. Those are the customers that will keep other people on the straight and narrow because they don’t want to lose their hang out. Your wash can and will be a success! Just secure it from as many angles as you can which will give you and your customers the peace of mind to go again and again!

Jennifer Spears is a carwash owner and sales manager with CarWashCameras.com. With more than 19 years of experience working with car washes and more than 10,000 camera systems under her belt she’s seen it all. Her favorite phrases when it comes to cameras at any type of vehicle facility? “There are never enough cameras!” and, “You need another hard drive with that?” She welcomes comments and questions and can be reached at 866-301-2288 and jennifer@carwashcameras.com.

WINTER 2019 •

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COFFEE SHOP The coffee industry is worth billions of dollars in the United States alone and two out of every three people drink a cup of joe and that number seems to be growing each year. Scott Gray, who runs a car wash in the Rocky Mountains, once made some extra dough by selling cups of Joe with a drive-thru coffee shop in his property. Well, he didn’t exactly sell it or don a barista apron, but he leased his bay out to someone who did. Gray came up with the idea after the International Carwash Association and the Western Carwash Association offered educational sessions at their shows on how car washes should consider adding on coffee shops. “I leased the space out for $1,000 per month,” Gray said, adding that coffee shops are a good fit for self serve car washes since they tend to be busy during the morning hours when most car washes are slow. Another perk? Extra security. “It worked out well while they were there since I had an extra set of eyes. They would call me if anything was wrong.” The extra income eventually went stale when the people who ran the coffee shop eventually left after their accountant ran off with most of their money. If you’re looking for a coffee/carwash

chronicle with a happier ending, we can turn to John and Diane Simchuk who opened a drive through espresso shop next to their self serve in Tacoma, Washington, in 1990. When they built their 6-bay self serve they thought that they needed an additional profit center in order to make more money (without having to expand to another car wash location). Knowing how people in and around Seattle love their coffee, they

decided one more coffee spot wouldn’t hurt. Back in 2002, John told Self Serve Car Wash News, “We proceeded with the construction of a drive-thru espresso building on our carwash lot. We opened for business in May of 2001 and we’ve been extremely pleased as to how it’s turned out – there are months when the espresso shop generates more revenue than the carwash!” The Simchuk’s ended up selling their business, which was called Sprague Avenue Car Wash and Hazelwood Road Espresso, in 2017. The new owner, Chris Campbell has kept the format the same, but it is now called Classic Chassis and Classic Coffee.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, WE RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES: www.coffeedrivethruplans.com https://mudslingerscoffee.com/ bmarkostructures.com/modular-restaurants/

CHA-CHING!

U.S. COFFEE INDUSTRY = $46 BILLION* *Over the past five years, the retail market for the coffee industry has grown by 5.9% to reach revenue of $46bn in 2018, according to IBISWorld.

BILLBOARD If your land is located near a high traffic area, you can also place a billboard on your property and rent it out, according to landcentury.com. “Businesses will pay good money every month to rent the space. Costs for four weeks of advertising are $1,800 in Spokane, Washington, based off of 1.7 million weekly potential impressions. The same sized billboard in New York, New York would cost $14,000 every four weeks, with 8 million potential weekly impressions.” According to car wash owner Kimberly Berg, “The original owner contracted with a billboard company to install a GIANT 2-sided billboard over the self-service car wash, 37 years ago. The 36” metal pipe base runs through the pump room and generates an extra $1500/month! It makes for great visibility! The contract is up next year and I plan to negotiate for higher lease income.” Lamar Advertising Company, which is one of the largest outdoor advertising companies in the world, has billboards on properties owned by more than 60,000 individuals and businesses

across the U.S. and Canada. So, do you qualify? According to landmarkdividend.com, billboard advertising rates are determined by daily impressions – the number of people who see the billboard every day. As for the monthly or yearly rent, it is “subsequently determined by how much the billboard company is able to charge advertisers for use of their billboard. The most expensive billboard advertising rates in the world are in Times Square, New York City, where monthly billboard lease rates can surpass $1 million. By contrast, a rural billboard on a lonely stretch of highway may cost advertisers only $1,000 a month.”

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• WINTER 2019

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FOOD TRUCK Food trucks keep growing and growing in popularity. Once known as chuck- or food-wagons, they now are known for their gourmet options, rallies, and there’s even the popular tv shows, The Great Food Truck Race on the Food Network and Eat St. on the Cooking Channel. According to car wash owner Scott Gray, he thinks food trucks are the “up and coming profit center” for car wash owners. “I have one that rents a location next to me and they bring in a lot of traffic and I get a few customers from them being on the lot next to me,” said Gray. “These are good passive income streams that do not require additional people or time to profit from.” And, food truck organizations are promoting the business-parking lot-food truck trifecta. In giving advice to food truck owners, foodtruckr.com, said to consider the lunch-hour crowd. “Keep in mind that if you can persuade a business to let you park outside their offices during the lunch rush every day, you’ll have landed a steady, reliable gig with a constant pool of hungry customers. For many food truck owners, that type of reliability is worth a slightly smaller profit margin.” Ideally, if this sounds like a fit for you, a food truck will magically come to you. But, since this isn’t always the case, you might have to woo the truck yourself. One way to do this would be to go directly to the food truck and talk to them (when they are not busy, of course). Let them know they can park on your property and that you have read the county’s rules and limitations. Another avenue would be to visit the National Food Truck Associa-

tion which has a database for businesses looking to host a food truck. That can be found at http://www. nationalfoodtrucks.org/location-management/. Although not in a drivable truck, but more like a kiosk or stand, other car wash owners have found success with smaller food-for-sale-platforms. Carwashforum.com user RFreeman said he is finding success with a snow cone stand on his property. “I have a 12 x 12 snow cone stand on my property that was originally run by the previous owner, but I lease that out now...figured it’s not worth the headaches of managing some high school kids to run the place.” Rfreeman said that in the Texas heat, especially in the summers, the snow cones will drive in some traffic. “And,” he added, “many customers that wash go get a snow cone and most customer that go straight to the snow cone stand come in the IBA. I also run cross promotional ads with them.” You do need to check with your county’s health department. Also, you might also have to deal with hungry customers who leave their cars in the bays. According to carwashforum.com user Pgrzes, who once had an ice cream stand adjoining his parking lot, it was not all sugary sweet. Pgrzes, warned that there is trash to deal with and

clueless customers who will “leave their car in a bay and walk over to the ice cream stand to purchase food. They will walk right by people waiting to get into the bay and disappear for 10-15 minutes.” If you are looking to add on a food truck, and you have checked with your county’s health department, next check with your local planning commission and make sure of your property’s zoning designation.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, WE RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES: www.foodtrucknation.us/ foodtruckr.com www.nationalfoodtrucks.org/ http://www.bostonfoodtruckblog.com/

CHA-CHING!

U.S. FOOD TRUCK INDUSTRY = $1 BILLION* *Over the past five years, the Food Trucks industry has grown by 6.8% to reach revenue of $1bn in 2019. In the same timeframe, the number of businesses has grown by 13.0%, according to IBISWorld.

CELL PHONE TOWER They’re not necessarily pretty, but they can bring in some effortless money. According to What’s A G?, a cell tower (also known as a cell site) is a cellular telephone site where electric communications equipment and antennae are mounted. Some of this equipment are transmitters, receivers, control electronics, and additional power sources used for backup. And, if you qualify you can bring in lots of money for simply allowing one on your property. According to celltowerleaseexperts.com, there are a total of 307,626 cell towers throughout the United States and just last year 9,571 were installed. If you want to see if you qualify, start by having a site acquisition agent from one of the many wireless carriers, such as: • Crown Castle • American Tower • SBA Communications 70

• WINTER 2019

• • • • • •

United States Cellular Co. Vertical Bridge Insite Towers BNSF Railroad Time Warner Diamond Communications • Phoenix Tower International If you do qualify, it is important to negotiate a price. There are cell tower lease agents available to do the negotiating for you. According to celltowerleaseexperts. com, a cell tower lease is an agreement between a tower company and a landowner or property manager allowing the cell tower company to install and maintain a tower for a specified number of years

and the value of these contracts is negotiated before tower installation, when the lease renews, and during lease buyout discussions. Is there a health risk? According to the American Cancer Society, “Some people have expressed concern that living, working, or going to school near a cell phone tower might increase the risk of cancer or other health problems. At this time, there is very little evidence to support this idea.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION, WE RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES: www.celltowerinfo.com www.celltowerleaseexperts.com www.steelintheair.com

WINTER 2019 â&#x20AC;¢

continued ... 72

â&#x20AC;¢ WINTER 2019

SEASONAL PROFITS

Here are a few other ways to use your commercial property to make some extra money:

CHRISTMAS TREE LOT

According to bizfluent.com, “Locate a grower who can provide you with the type and amount of trees you wish to sell. Include a variety of tree types, such as fir, pine, spruce and evergreen, in various shapes and sizes. Determine what kind of payment arrangement you will have with the grower, such as upfront, halfway or end of season. Arrange to have the trees delivered to your location or pick them up yourself.” RESOURCES: www.realchristmastrees.org/dnn/ http://thechristmastreeman.com/

PUMPKIN PATCH

Similar to the Christmas Tree Lot information, however because you can technically eat a pumpkin, and not a Christmas tree, you might need a special permit. According to the article, “How to Open a Pumpkin Farm” Small Business - Chron.com, you will have to “contact your state’s department of agriculture to apply for a license or permit to sell fresh produce. In Texas, for example, you must apply for a license to sell fresh fruits and vegetables to customers, retailers and wholesale vendors. You must renew this license yearly with the Texas Department of Agriculture.”

RESOURCES: www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org/

POP-UP FIREWORKS STAND

This one is a bit trickier as each state has its own fireworks permits and regulations. However, if your state is okay with it, you can have a pop-up shop on your property. To find out your state’s fireworks regulations, check out the American Pyrotechnics Association at www.americanpyro.com/state-law-directory. If you find out you are allowed to sell fireworks, you can get started on your business plan. The two main selling times for fireworks is July 4 and New Year’s Eve. Start doing your research months before these holidays to determine what kind of fireworks you want to sell, how you will set up your stand, what kind of competition there is in your area and whether or not you will need to hire a temporary employee. According to superiorfireworks.com, “If you do everything right and the weather holds, there’s a good chance you’re going to be selling thousands of dollars of product.” One thing to also keep in mind is that unless you sell out of everything in one day, you’ll have to have some sort of storage unit or security system in place. “The goal is to keep out bad. There are two ways to accomplish this: tents and storage containers. Tents are a good option for a retail space, but you’ll want to make sure (whether you rent or buy) to have chicken wire/chain link and cloth to use for walls. Just a tent alone (poles and a canopy) creates the opportunity for disaster,” superiorfireworks.com suggested. Also, the company recommends storing your products in a shipping container or mobile storage unit at night.

RESOURCES: www.superiorfireworks.com www.americanpyro.com

BOAT & RV STORAGE If you’re in an area where people store their boats for the winter, you can offer up your property for storage. According to landcentury.com, “A simple way to make money off of your land is to allow others to use it for storage. Boats are a very popular storage option because owners will leave the boat on your property all winter long, and come warmer weather, they’ll take their boats to the water. Storing a house boat can cost $125+ per month at some storage places.” Also, according to strategiesonline.com, “The storage of boats and recreational vehicles can be a lucrative business. With cities nationwide passing ordinances banning RV and boat parking on residential streets and, in some areas, even a driveway.”

These laws make it clear that city officials want such large vehicles stored elsewhere. Carwash owner Matthew Wells said that at his newest wash, he has a little over an acre of land behind that he is planning on developing into a boat/RV storage lot. “If that works out, it should pay for the whole operation and carwash income would be 100% net profit.” In most municipalities, Wells added, one would have to get a specific use permit. “I decided on this because of the relatively low development costs (it will just be an open lot that is gated) and high demand in the area. Also, it requires very little management effort comparative to any other use I can find for the property.”

To find potential c u s t o m e r s, you can advertise your lot in local boating and RV magazines, supply stores, marinas, boat and RV mechanics and detailers. Of course, you’ll need to allow access to the land, according to landcentury.com, but this shouldn’t be hard with a bit of clearing. “Storage fees can be $50 a month or $400 a month. Typically, indoor storage is the most desirable, but if you can fit 10 RVs on the property at $50 each a month, you’ll have $500 in easy income.” WINTER 2019 •

THINKING WAY, WAY, WAY OUTSIDE OF THE BOX

GET A WASH AND A SHOT IN THE ARM!

THE POWER OF FLOWERS!

Up until a few years ago Magic Carwash in Manahawkin, New Jersey, used to turn its self serve bays into a drive-thru flu shot clinic. This took place prior to flu season. And, while it was set up as a community service and didn’t bring in any additional profits to the carwash, it was a good deed which garnered positive media attention. The car wash discontinued the flu-shot bays when chain pharmacies such as CVS, Rite-Aid and even grocery stores started offering up flu shots to the masses.

Back in 2001, Jack Anthony, current CEO of 7 Flags Car Wash, a chain of washes in California, spoke at the International Carwash Association’s annual tradeshow (then referred to as Car Care World Expo). Anthony shared that one of the best things they had done (so far) at one of their self serves, was to use a bay as a flower shop. After a lengthy search, SSCWN was unable to determine if the flower shop is still open…

FROM THE SPRING 2008 ISSUE OF SSCWN:

FROM THE FALL 2001 ISSUE OF SELF SERVE CAR WASH NEWS:

We want your stories!

DO YOU HAVE A FUNNY STORY FROM THE BAY?

MAYBE AN INSPIRING TALE FROM THE WASH? TRY SOMETHING NEW THAT WORKED WELL? Reach out to Editor Debra Gorgos debgorgos@gmail.com to share your story with our readers.

• WINTER 2019

is elieve what th “You won’t b ” t my wash… Darwin did a I ever made “The best decision as…” for my business w e to…” “On rainy days, I lik

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DARWIN CARWASH at the

CarwashForum.com user Seattleguy was kind enough to share with us a video he described as, “Doesn’t Get Much Dumber.”

The investment in security cameras pays off for carwash operators (and the readers of SSCWN) with these mostly frustrating, sometimes funny -- and always cautionary -- stories of Darwins Caught on Camera. Images of these criminals and/or their vehicles were given to police and the press. Many have been caught thanks to the prowess of security cameras.

Smoking is bad for you, kids. Not only is it unhealthy, but it makes it harder to get away with criminal mischief! In Burien, Washington, KOMO News reported that surveillance cameras and cigarette butt lead to the arrest of 32-year-old Katherine Smith, who poured charcoal lighter fluid in the middle bay of the U-Do-It Car Wash nearly three years ago. Footage shows Smith lighting a match and then setting the bay on fire and driving off. The fire caused more than $5,000 in damage, according to the car wash owner. And, while this took place in September 2016, and police had video footage of the incident, they still needed more evidence. Now, this story, is good and a perfect example of why we call these people “dumb criminals.” According to KTRE 9, a car wash in Lufkin, Texas, was damaged by three people who were apparently trying to steal money from a vacuum machine. “Thankfully, the brightest among us seldom turn to crime,” the post on the Deep East Texas Crime Stoppers website stated. ‘More often, those committing crimes seem to lack a proper understanding of the planning process, cause and effect, and consequences.” According to the post, the three suspects arrived at the Huntington car wash at about 1:45 a.m. and spent about an hour trying to open a vacuum cleaner and other machines. However, they ended up leaving without even a penny. Then, at about 4 a.m., the trio returned and wasted another hour trying to open the vacuum cleaner. “In the end, the criminals succeeded in removing the vacuum from its mount but never managed to open the coin box,” the post stated. A man has been arrested in Randleman, North Carolina, for stealing from a car wash, a church and a homeowner. The suspect apparently started out by stealing a 2001 Ford van from the High Rock Church of Lexington. Along with stealing it, he also punched out the side door lock, damaged the ignition and the dashboard. What’s especially sad is that the Pastor of the church didn’t even know the van was stolen. Instead, he was notified by police when it was re76

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ported that a suspicious vehicle was found by a nearby wooded area. The next morning, police were called to the Easy Clean Car Wash after it was reported that someone had broken into one of the coin-operated vacuums. Thankfully, video footage got a good look at the man and police were able to identify him. That same day, the man was caught after he was caught breaking and sleeping inside of a homeowner’s vehicle. When confronted by the homeowner, the man ran into the woods. Officers soon arrived and found the man about 30 feet into the woods, crouching down. He only ran 30 feet? Either he gave up or was tired. He did, afterall, have a long 24 hours, robbing from a church, and a car wash. Don’t mess with Goo Goo! Car wash security cameras got a good look at a man who robbed the car wash in Birmingham, Alabama. Jamie Layfield, 39, was caught after brandishing a knife and demanding money from a Goo Goo employee. He also said he was carrying a gun (yeah, right) and would kill the employee. AL.com reported that, “after grabbing the money, the suspect left the car wash on foot…” The suspect is now in jail. The heist was described as high-tech, but the heister was not described as highly-intelligent as he was caught by security cameras. 10 News reported that a man in Danville, Virginia, used a fancy device back in February to break into a vending machine at the Laser Wash Car Wash. Surveillance cameras show a man using an electronic device to force the vending machine to spit out quarters, 10 News reported. Owner Shane Brackin said in the story, “We’ve heard about something similar to this in the past. It’s what they call ‘jackpotting.’ So we knew what to look for but we didn’t know what kind of device to look for. ...We had real good footage of his vehicle, his license plate. We had good footage of his face. The Danville Police Department, they jumped (on the case) pretty quick.” Police were able to track down and arrest the suspect. Police also said he stole roughly 4,000 quarters, totaling nearly $1,000. Such a haul weighs about 50 pounds.

The YouTube video, which seattleguy described as, “a clown tagging a fence while on camera” can be viewed at https:// youtu.be/jiJeB3a_yuk. It shows a man spray painting the word, RESUDET (I think?) on a car wash’s fence: Maybe it says, “RESURT”? Then, he went and used the self serve bay. Surveillance cameras were also able to catch his license plate, credit card etc. Talk about a party pooper. A man robbed the “party fund” from the Dr. Gleem Car Wash in Harris County, Texas, according to Click2 Houston. Surveillance video shows a man opening cabinets and desk drawers and then discovering the party fund. A total of $700 in cash was stolen. Maybe the suspect wasn’t invited to the party and was upset? No word on how the employees paid for their party. Perhaps they instead held a potluck?

And, unfortunately, folks, there isn’t much of an update on the Butt Crack Bandit story. In the Winter 2019 issue, we reported on how two people were caught on camera robbing the Westdale Car Wash in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. They gained the name, “The Butt Crack Bandits” after car wash owner Jason Mettler shared security footage showing on his Facebook page showing one “of the two men repeatedly re-adjusting his pants as they slipped down, exposing a bare posterior.” KWWL reported that the Butt Crack Bandits caused over $18,000 in damages to coin machines and property and stole over $500 in coins and took other items, including tools. Police were able to identify Loit looks like police have in fact determined that it was Toomer who exposed his derriere. Also, it looks about 400 people shared Mettler’s post and while the second suspect has not yet been caught, maybe this case will finally be “cracked” for good. In a bizarre case, where the criminal clearly had no plan, or if he did have a plan it had a lot of loose-ends and ill-conceived endpoints, a man was caught on camera doing, continued ...

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Unless this guy was part of some illegal scavenger hunt, it is odd that he stole this from a local car wash! A man was caught in the act stealing a car wash brush and wand from the Best Little Car Wash in Semmes, Alabama, according to the car wash’s Facebook post. The criminal also cut a hose. The car wash, which had been hit up by a vandal before this incident, posted surveillance footage to its Facebook page with the hashtag: #we’renotgonnatakeitanymore. Along with the footage, the owner wrote: Hey 17, you took more than you paid for!

well… let’s let Fox 13 explain: Kaysville Police are looking for a man “who went on a crime spree in our town. Around 6:30 a.m. Saturday, the man attempted to break in to Biker’s Edge in Kaysville using a pipe wrench. He was unable to get in, but a surveillance camera captured the suspect wearing a charcoal colored jacket with a lighter colored horizontal stripe across the body. He was also wearing what appears to bet a paintball mask, skinny pants and Nike sneakers. At 7 a.m., the same man broke into a Big O Tire shop. He broke a window in a garage door, climbed through the jagged glass and got in a Toyota Sequoia. He stole the vehicle by driving through the bay door. Then the man then drove to Johnny’s Car Wash where he ditched the damaged Toyota and drove off in a black Audi Q5. It is unclear why he stole a Toyota Sequoia when he have a lovely Audi Q5 waiting for him. Maybe it was all part of some elaborate paintball game? In any case, the incidents were caught on various surveillance cameras and have been released to the public. Police in Moraine, Ohio, are on the lookout for the two kids caught on spraypainting the words “JERM”, “woog”, “wood” and “SOUP” on local business properties, including the Four Seasons Car Wash. WDTN reported that on March 21, two people were caught on camera spray painting graffiti on one of the dumpsters at Four Seasons Car Wash on Cobblegate Drive. On March 29 a number of other local businesses were “tagged”. The tags were all in either blue or yellow spray paint. “Video surveillance confirmed the same two suspects were responsible for both incidents.” I, personally, think JERM = Jeremy. Wood = woody. SOUP = soup. The only one that has me

You cut our hose to steal a wand and brush. You did however leave us a calling card (your license plate). Fb won’t let us put pics and video together so in the next post I will show YOU better and your license plate.

stumped is “woog.” However, a Google search indicated that, “Woog (from wâc, a Middle High German hydronym) is the local name for a body of still water in parts of southwest Germany. A woog may be of natural origin or manmade.” I am not sure if this helps, but I will definitely share my detective work with the Moraine police!

were fixing to take off with his stuff, so he walked over to them and said, ‘Just give me my stuff.’ About that time (Baggatta) pulled out a handgun from his waistband area, pointed it at (the victim) and demanded the victim’s keys, wallet and phone, the story said. The victim then walked away and that’s when (Baggatta) got out of the truck and followed him pointing the gun and demanding the victim hand over his stuff or he’d blow his head off. According to the story, the police obtained video surveillance photos of the couple and the pickup they were driving. Later that night Baggatta was caught and Greene had already been detained by Walmart Loss Prevention for failing to pay for coloring books, crayons and a pocketbook. Both were charged with aggravated robbery, and Baggatta was additionally charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a firearm during commission of a felony, the story reported.

In a line worthy of a Clint Eastwood movie, a man getting robbed at gunpoint at a car wash in Surgionsville, Tennessee, told the assailants, “‘If you’re going to shoot me, just go ahead and shoot me,’” and explained to the police, “I’m 61 years old and I’ve had cerebral palsy my whole life. ‘I ain’t scared of no gun.” According to TimesNews.com, the victim was trying to sell a necklace and jacket at a car wash. Michael Baggatta, 30, and Whitney Sierra Greene, 21, seemed nice at first, according to what the victim told police However, “When (Baggatta) tried the jacket on, he just walked over and got in the truck,” the victim told police. “By this time (Greene) had gotten in the driver’s seat. The victim realized they

FROM THE ARCHIVES Do any faithful readers remember these stories from past issues of Self Serve Car Wash News? 78

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From the Spring 2004 issue

From the Spring 2009 issue

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