Convenience and Carwash Canada July/Aug 2020 issue by edge advertising

JULY | AUGUST 2020

MENTAL HEALTH: BUILDING A PLAN PAGE 25

EMPLOYEE RETENTION: SOCIAL DISTANCING ERA PAGE 27

BLUEPRINT TO FOODSERVICE: PIZZA PAGE 11

CAPITAL INVESTMENTS: UNCERTAIN BUSINESS CLIMATE

WOMEN IN CARWASH: CELEBRATING WOMEN IN THE INDUSTRY

PAGE 22

PAGE 09

FORECOURT INSIGHT: MANHOLE COVERS PAGE 43

CAR CARE PRODUCTS: RETAIL ZONE MARKETING

50 th

CANADA’S VEHICLE WASHING CHEMICAL & EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER Protecting The Environment

INDUSTRY LEADING: • Touchless products • Packaging • Car Wash Equipment • Chemical Monitoring • Service

TAP & WASH

PAYMENT

WWW.MONDO-PRODUCTS.COM 695 Westney Road South, Unit #1 Ajax, ON L1S 6M9 905-426-9339 / 1-800-465-5676

Cover Story

Petroleum and Carwash

Industry News

Instore and Nutrition

34 14 07 11 Car Care Products

Foam Media

Navigating the New Normal

In the Summer

Retail Zone Marketing

Publisher’s Message

Editor’s Message Turbulent Times

Wider Range of Options

CICC

National Convenience Week August 31 to September 4

Blueprint to Foodservice Pizza

Doors

Celebrating Women in the Industry

During and After COVID-19

Manhole Covers

Forecourt Insight

Case Study Access Cash

Erie Brush

Remembering Carwash Legend Dan Pecora

Women in Carwash

Down on Your Corner Sharing Your Story

Marketing

Mental Health Building a Plan

Capital Investments

Uncertain Business Climate

Employee Retention Social Distancing Era

Security

NACS Survey

What Customers Want

Store Design

What’s New

Upcoming Events August 31 – September 4, 2020 Convenience Industry Council of Canada National Convenience Week www.convenienceindustry.ca October 20 – 22, 2020 Atlantic Convenience Expo hammoud@conveniencestores.ca

Women in carwash

January 18 – 20, 2021

3rd Women in Carwash™ Conference Fort Lauderdale, Florida www.womenincarwash.com Brenda Johnstone 204-489-4215 Andrew Klukas 778-772-3057

Now!

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Publisher’s Message

Navigating the New Normal Summer has arrived…well, so we’re told although depending on where you live in the country, summer may have an entirely different look this year than in others. For many, summer this year may be spent mostly indoors. To date, the year 2020 has been less than great, in fact darned right awful to many and devasting to others. Our industry, as a whole, was designated as essential across the country, and as a result, most convenience stores and fueling stations remained in business. Carwashes weren’t as lucky, although many adapted to new rules quickly, which allowed many to stay open, albeit with altered offerings and fewer employees. Recently, I heard on the radio during an interview with Dan Kelly, CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, that by the end of June, the expectation is that more than 100,000 small businesses in Canada will have filed for bankruptcy! That number is mind-boggling to me and left a sick feeling in my stomach. Throughout the 13 years of publishing Convenience & Carwash Canada magazine I never considered not having this business, not being able to do what I love to do and work with the people I do, and friends that I’ve made. The thought that because of nothing directly related to me or my business, I would have to close my doors and admit defeat. Unthinkable. Right? Why is your business still in business? What is it that you, as a small business owner, do that has enabled you to keep the lights on? What do you and your staff do or have done that has you connecting with your customers and instilling in them a trust that they could frequent your site throughout this pandemic? What’s your secret to success? Take a few minutes to think about what you already do, how you train your employees and why your customers come. They don’t come just because you have milk and eggs; there are other stores they could go to. Why do they come to yours? Do you have a relationship with them? Do you know their names and does your staff recognize the regular customers and build relationships? The reason that many businesses stay in business is relationships because relationships matter. When you’re asking someone to give you money, and in return for their money, not only do they get the goods, they should also be leaving knowing that they got the best they could get for their money and that where they shop matters. I know that I personally will frequent a business more often when those working within said business a) make eye contact and speak to me b) recognize and acknowledge me each and every time I shop there and c) I feel good about spending my money at that store because I know that they appreciate my business and I, in turn, am happy to support them. Can you and your employees say the same? Do they care enough about you and your business to make your customers their priority? Or, is it just a paycheque? Now is the time to evaluate the near-miss that your business dodged because this industry was deemed essential. What if it hadn’t been? Where would you be now?

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The federal government put the CERB into place, which is to help those employees laid-off, to pay bills. I’ve been hearing from quite a few people lately that the CERB is now problematic. The ease of qualifying availability for CERB by minimum wage earners is enabling this demographic to continue receiving the subsidy rather than returning to work. In many instances, the amount of the CERB payment is greater than if that same person worked at their summer job. Hey, if you could make more money staying home for the summer than having to get up and do a minimum wage job, you’d stay home too. Sadly, this issue could become the final straw for many retailers and that 100,000 bankruptcy number might spike higher come the Fall. Owners of small businesses endure so much stress in a regular year, add in a world pandemic and the high levels of yesteryear are nothing. Flexibility and adaptability are synonymous with small business and entrepreneurs however, I fear that the landscape of Canada, and other countries worldwide, will be drastically changed should this many businesses cease to be. In this edition, we offer our usual selection of great editorials but we offer you two different human resources editorials that may help you navigate through your staffing changes because not every employee is the right employee. How about your marketing efforts? Now is the time to start connecting in a different manner with customers and potential customers because life is not what it was last summer and in order to capture and grow your business you’ll need to branch out and take on new methods to market yourself. So much has changed. Operators now will have to consider how they’ll incorporate their store design and layout into the new security measures being implemented by government and health organizations. What stays and what goes? That will be a question that everyone will have to evaluate and although life as we know it is gone, the future starts today and we have the opportunity of starting fresh: New hires, new looks, new marketing and a brand new day to shine. I wish everyone a great summer and courage to continue going because above all, remember that our industry has been deemed essential and with that knowledge we can feel great pride and the determination and drive to be the best we can become by rolling with the punches and riding the wave. I’d like to also thank our advertisers who continue to support us and to those industry experts who work with me and my team every issue to bring to you the very best feature articles and encourage our readers to call our advertisers first for new products and services. As always, your business is our business and our open door policy remains not only intact, but stronger than ever. If you have a story idea that you’d like for us to cover in an upcoming edition, please email me at bjjohnstone@ convenienceandcarwash.com Warm regards.

Brenda Jane Johnstone Publisher

Editor’s Message

Turbulent Times We are suddenly finding ourselves thrust into turbulent times. Uncertainty and contention seem to be the definition of the new normal that we are hearing so much about. In some ways, things seem the same. Summer is here and that means hot weather and sunshine. Flowers are blooming and trees are showing off their summer leaves just like they always do. But, looks can be so deceiving because behind the calm that summer days can appear to bring, lies much discontent and a great deal of confusion in 2020. Within this issue, you will find articles that are written to try to provide some guidance during these times that are so often referred to as unprecedented. When something is unprecedented, the way through the challenges that we are facing can be difficult to find and circumvent. While we deal with so many stressors, let’s remember to also shine a light on the good things that happen around us. For instance, congratulations to Regina resident Helene Woitas who won $100,000 in the Co-op Fuel to Win promotion. Check out her story in the Down on Your Corner section of this issue. In this issue, Barbara J. Bowes provides advice on building a mental health plan. For so many reasons it is such a sad world right now and this article discusses how to deal with the stress and anxiety that surrounds us. It’s even difficult to share a smile with someone when having to wear face masks and coverings. But, as we move ahead, regardless of what the future holds, let’s remember to do our part to brighten someone’s day. Spread the love and sprinkle some optimism wherever you can and let’s all get through this together. May you be able to keep the doors to your businesses open, your employees on the payroll and your customers purchasing goods and services. Let’s follow the guidelines as provided, even as they get updated and evolve over time. Let’s win this fight against COVID-19 and come out of it stronger and more united than ever.

SALES Cody Johnstone Vice President, Sales 416-838-4674 codyj@convenienceandcarwash.com Brenda Jane Johnstone 204-489-4215 bjjohnstone@convenienceandcarwash.com Diana Signorile National Sales Media Solutions 403-607-8133 diana@convenienceandcarwash.com MANAGING EDITOR Angela Altass editor@convenienceandcarwash.com DIGITAL/SOCIAL MEDIA Cody Johnstone codyj@convenienceandcarwash.com DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Doug Coates, Edge Advertising Keith House, Production CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Angela Altass Chad Bartlett Meline Beach Barbara J. Bowes Bob Chrismas John Espey Josh Hart Ed Kammerer Jeff Lenard Allen Luce Marlene Milczarek Judi Saliba Kate Stroud Del Williams CIRCULATION James Gordon subscriptions@convenienceandcarwash.com WEBSITE www.convenienceandcarwash.com www.womenincarwash.com PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT No: 41670539 Return Undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation Department 543 Borebank Street Winnipeg, MB R3N 1E8

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CICC / CONVENIENCE INDUSTRY COUNCIL OF CANADA

Virtual Convenience Innovation Awards and Trade Exchange

National Convenience Week

More than ever, now is the time to celebrate the stores that have Following the difficult yet prudent decision to postpone the 2020 remained open from the start of National Convenience Industry Summit, CICC is pleased to take the pandemic and the frontline our Convenience Innovation Awards and the Trade Exchange store staff that showed up to serve their neighbourhoods. In the virtually. The Virtual Convenience Innovation Awards will continue as spirit of continuing to support our the platform for recognizing top product development in the communities, we will again raise convenience industry, providing a benchmark for leading inno- funds for Make-A-Wish Canada vation. Our Virtual Trade Exchange will carry on the opportunity (formerly Children’s Wish Canada). for vendors to showcase products to and connect with executive Join CICC in celebrating the industry during National and senior level decision makers. More details to come on how CICC will continue to support Convenience Week – networking and recognize innovation to come. Participation is August 31 to September 4, 2020 open to CICC members only. For information on the programs More details at: www.convenienceweek.ca. and membership, contact info@convenienceindustry.ca CO N V E N I E N C E & C A R WAS H C A N A DA / 7

CICC / CONVENIENCE INDUSTRY COUNCIL OF CANADA

Making Your Voice Heard greater actions to break up contraband networks that conCICC has continued to work for our members during the sistently evade taxes,” said Kothawala, also noting the $3.3 phased re-opening of economies across the country. We have million in lost tax revenue for federal and provincial governbeen actively engaged with all levels of governments and likements resulting from the bust. minded associations. Earlier this month, Kothawala made an apAs a result of our tireless efforts and pressure pearance at British Columbia’s pre-budget on Ottawa and Ontario, both governments have CICC ALSO APPLAUDS THE consultations. Her presentation focused on inannounced that the enforcement of regulations EFFORTS OF THE ONTARIO creased labour costs as well as personal protecregarding packaging of vape products has been PROVINCIAL POLICE, ROYAL tion equipment costs, the impact on revenues, pushed to the end of 2020. “To undertake the inand suggestions to provide a better business enCANADIAN MOUNTED ventory changes prior to July 1 would have posed vironment for our channel with more certainty. POLICE, ONTARIO MINISTRY health and safety risks to store staff,” says Anne In Atlantic Canada, where gas retailers are OF FINANCE, AND OTHER Kothawala, CICC President & CEO. “We commend continuing to feel the effects of the regulated ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES the Federal and Ontario governments for recogselling price of motor fuel that has rapidly deFOLLOWING A BUST ON nizing these risks by delaying the enforcement.” creased as a result of the pandemic and the CONTRABAND TOBACCO CICC also applauds the efforts of the Ontario global oil price war, CICC is continuing to THAT SPANNED A NUMBER work closely with the Canadian Independent Provincial Police, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, OF PROVINCES. Ontario Ministry of Finance, and other enforcePetroleum Marketers Association and the ment agencies following a bust on contraband Atlantic Convenience Store Association to adtobacco that spanned a number of provinces. During this time vocate for financial relief from provincial governments that when governments are looking to finance COVID-19 response would enable retailers to partially recover retail gasoline and recovery efforts, “decision-makers should support even losses.

SAVE THE DATE

NATIONAL

CONVENIENCE WEEK AUG 31 - SEPT 4, 2020

Convenience store workers are dedicated to their customers and communities. Thanks to them stores have remained open through the pandemic, supporting local communities, day in and day out. Please join us in celebrating and recognizing our essential workers and raising funds for children with life-threatening illnesses. For more information e-mail info@convenienceweek.ca

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Women in carwash

Women working within the carwashing industry are becoming the norm and no longer an anomaly. This is a good thing. Women can be more organized, more able to multi-task, deal with many age groups of employees, all without breaking a sweat. Again, this issue we bring to you profiles of women who have made a career within an industry that, 20 years ago, was a very male-dominated industry and who not only succeeded but excelled.

As we prepare for the 3rd Women in Carwash conference planned for January 18 – 20 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, we invite you to meet Tara, Nancy, and Julie. If you are a woman working in the carwashing industry and would like to be featured in an upcoming edition, please email bjj@womenincarwash.com

Sponsor

Eventually, the owners decided to sell one of their stores and moved my position to working for the wash full time as the marketing manager. I’ve been full time at Rainforest since the beginning of 2019 and I believe my background in automotive paired with my experience with marketing makes this industry a perfect fit.” Tara Crawford is 29 years old and the Crawford recalls a 2019 haunted car wash that made namarketing manager for Rainforest Car Wash. tional news as her greatest achievement to date in the industry. “My journey that ultimately lead me to the carwash industry “It was our first year doing a haunted wash and it turned out is a bit of an odd one,” remarks Crawford. “I started working to be beyond what we could have imagined,” says Crawford. for a Ford dealership in Findlay, Ohio while going to college full “We ended up on CNN, Good Morning America, ABC News, time to be, of all things, a horse trainer. I always had a passion Daily Mail, and even Buzzfeed. We went viral on Facebook and for vehicles (that pulled my trailers) and working at a dealer- Tiktok with more than 20 million views shared between them. ship was a perfect fit. Eventually, I switched my major junior We washed over 1,500 vehicles during our event. We had people year to marketing and I started getting more involved with the waiting in line for over three hours. It was an incredible and dealership as a sales manager. I ended up breaking away from unexpected success.” the dealership after college to pursue my initial career path Crawford describes learning the equipment, lingo, and in horses. I lived in California for a while and Texas training chemicals as her biggest hurdle to overcome. horses for a living. After a while I found myself back in Ohio. I “Being at the wash and actively trying to learn your own tunknew I wanted to get back into automotive and marketing, so nels is a huge help,” she says. “I believe that being on-site gives when I started working for the owners of Rainforest in 2017, I you real world experience and I am able to do my job so much was their digital marketing manager for their two dealerships. better by actually knowing how things work. I believe that the

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carwash industry has so much room for creativity, experimentation, and innovation. Even the short time I have been in the industry, the innovations and ideas that have come out has been incredible. Who knew this much went into washing cars? In five years, I see myself overseeing and managing the marketing efforts of our many stores. I really enjoy the position that I am in and I hope I am able to continue to grow with my company.” Although she says that not everyone will agree with her, she can see a big boom coming in dealership express tunnels. “Dealerships are slowly catching on to the benefits to a carwash and are starting to invest,” she says. “With the way that autonomous vehicles are rising in popularity, I think carwashes will become more of an essential business. I can see the RFID or LPR process evolving with vehicle specific recognition, possibly through OEM partnerships with POS companies. This is such an exciting time in the carwash industry and I am proud to be involved in a part of it!”

I have had changes in responsibilities and have needed to relinquish some tasks and take a more strategic view of products and services. My hurdle was/is letting go. This is an ongoing battle; however, it helps to have such a rock star team and an incredible company supporting me.” Campbell says the continued growth within the industry is what excites her most. “There are over two billion cars washed each year in North America, and one billion in Europe (ICA, 2020). There is so much potential, especially with services. There is a real need for immediate satisfaction among busy people these days and there are services to assist with keeping carwashes up and washing and creating revenue for the owners. I am very customer oriented and see myself helping to build many service offerings over the next five years that will do just that. I see the industry growing, growing and growing. I see it moving even further away from folks using a bucket and hose in their driveway to having the wash – inside and out – done for them.”

Nancy Campbell is the vice president of Julie Graff is the digital manager for DRB, production and managed services with DRB Systems. Happily Julie Graff handles the company’s web presence, including married with two children, two bonus children and nine websites, social media activity and blogs. Graff started her grandchildren, Campbell says her family means everything to career working as a newspaper reporter. her. “I got to do some cool things, but ultimately the hours and “They are all the reasons I get up in the morning and I am overall industry weren’t the right fit for me,” says Graff. “I took so very blessed,” she says. “I was lucky enough to be offered a a PR/marketing job for a software company where I worked for job with Unitec Electronics over 10 years ago working in the 10 years. I then spent four years with a marketing agency until merchant department and programing credit devices for ki- I was laid off in 2018. What seemed like a misfortune ended up osks. I tried to learn as much as possible about our units, parts, being a blessing because it brought me to DRB and the carwash software and customers and again, was lucky enough to grow industry. I had no idea what all went into car washing until I with the company. I did go back to school and while it took me started at DRB. It had never crossed my mind to pursue a camany (long) years, I did complete my MBA in business man- reer in car washing, but now that I’m here, I love it.” agement and project management, then went on to get my MS Graff remarks that she had the pleasure of helping DRB dein psychology.” velop a content strategy that focuses on helping carwash busiCampbell admits that her plan did not include this industry nesses grow. because she honestly did not even know how involved the car “I love that DRB strives to be a partner rather than just a venwashing industry is. dor,” says Graff. “Everyone here is really invested in helping op“I set out to teach elementary education but it didn’t take erators succeed and I’m proud and excited to be a part of that. long for me to realize that was not my path,” says Campbell. “I The biggest challenge for me coming in was learning not only then found myself as a real estate appraiser for the better part the technology we provide but also the industry in general. It of 20 years. Of course, that found me right in the midst of 2008, just takes time, and I’m still learning, but I’ve certainly learned and it was time for me to reinvent my plan. Best laid plans… a lot in two years!” right? What a blessing in disguise. It brought me to where I There is so much energy in this industry, states Graff: was meant to be.” “Everyone is driven to advance their businesses and the inCampbell sees her biggest achievement is being able to help dustry as a whole. The camaraderie is really special. I’ve never lead and develop teams within the company. seen an industry where people are so willing to help others “It is quite fulfilling to help build a service offering from the and share their knowledge. I plan to continue to work in the ground up and have it well received by customers and success- industry and grow with DRB.” ful,” she says. “It is even more fulfilling to watch those team Regarding the carwash industry, Graff says she doesn’t think members grow and build the confidence in themselves as they it has seen the peak of growth yet. realize the part they play and watch them wrap their arms “I think operators are going to get more and more sophistiaround a service and make it their own and that leads me to cated with the use of technology and data, and they will use it my biggest hurdle. I have always been hands on, but as I grow, to reach new levels of success,” she comments.

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Blueprint to Foodservice

are a number of details to consider when deciding if a foodservice pizza program is right for you. Space, Equipment & Costs

By Meline Beach

PIZZA PROFIT Pizza, pie or slice – call it what you will, but this popular food item remains a favourite across generations, cultures and communities. According to Technomic, a food research organization, pizza remains one of the most popular and craveable foods in the foodservice industry. Its 2018 Pizza Consumer Trend report states that 43 per cent of consumers order pizza at least once a week. As a quick and affordable meal, pizza pleases a variety of palates around the dinner table, at birthday parties, sporting events and on-the-go. With a profit margin of 40 to 60 per cent, it’s a worthy investment that makes good business sense. If you’re interested in starting a foodservice program or looking to bolster your existing offering, pizza is a sensible option that can attract loyal customers and increase revenue. Whether it’s made to order, fresh pre-packaged or frozen, there

Space and equipment are key factors in determining not only if you should offer a pizza program, but whether or not to go with an inhouse independent program or to partner with a supplier for a turnkey, branded solution. Cathy Bitar, co-owner of Dufferin Variety & Pizza likes having a big kitchen. Approximately 660 square feet of her 1,500 square foot store in Port Dufferin, Nova Scotia, is dedicated to her foodservice program. Bitar, and her husband Albert, have maintained the original layout since buying their store 20 years ago. They proudly make their pizzas from scratch. While industry experts indicate that 100 square feet may be sufficient space for pizza equipment in a c-store setting, it’s important to factor in the overall layout of your foodservice preparation area, counterspace and traffic flow. “We have a pizza oven, mixer, fryers, grill, warmer and fridges and freezers,” says Bitar. While it depends on your store and market, pizza can be a low entry cost program. For approximately $2,500, Canadian Trade House offers a complete set up with a pizza oven, pizza warmer, a pizza pan, cutting board and cutter, as well as a POS kit and four cases of product. Fresh or Frozen

If you don’t have access to a full kitchen suitable for making pizza from scratch, you can consider working with a supplier for a turnkey solution, such as Canadian Trade House, who partnered with CoreMark for their jointly-developed Hot Stuff Express “Pizza made easy” program. “Our Hot Stuff Express program has been developed to be user-friendly with minimal work, equipment and capital expenses,” says Rick Woods, managing partner of Canadian Trade House. “Key pieces of equipment include a countertop CO N V E N I E N C E & C A R WAS H C A N A DA / 1 1

warmer and a countertop oven. Each program offers a different price point from the number of slices to the size of slices.” Classic Touch Foods is in the midst of launching a premium pizza and flatbread offering to the C&G channel also through Core-Mark. Sold frozen with the option to heat at home or on location, their pizzas and shareable flatbreads feature premium ingredients. “We aim to set ourselves apart with a premium product at an affordable price selling handmade pizza is the “Deluxe” point,” says Joseph Belcastro, assistant (pepperoni, onion, mushrooms, and general manager at Classic Touch Foods. green peppers), followed by “Meat Lovers” “Our ingredients are fresh, without preser- (pepperoni, bacon, sausage & beef) and “Hawaiian” (bacon, ham pineapple). vatives and locally sourced.” “Our reputation was built based on Belcastro believes that ready-to-eat good products, very reasonable prices entrees sold in the C&G channel is a great growth opportunity. The Covid-19 and courteous service,” says Tony Pitocco, pandemic created greater awareness and general manager of Lui’s Place Pizza. Located near a school, Lui’s often caters demand for c-store foodservice as many to students, families and tourists. While grocery chains experienced long lines the Covid-19 pandemic caused them to and low inventory. “It’s all in the name; people are always close their doors for a couple of months, looking for convenience,” says Belcastro. they’ve since reopened and are back in “All the prep work is done ahead of time. business – although operating a little difWe offer c-stores a premium product at ferently than before. “At this time, we no longer sell pizza a value price point that takes minutes to by the slice and prepare whole pizzas for heat and sell versus 45 minutes for delivtake-out only by curbside pick up,” says ery from a QSR.” The Markham, Ontario-based com- Pitocco. “We also removed our in-store pany already supplies fresh sandwiches, seating area and are considering delivery wraps and a variety of homestyle entrees options.” That’s not a bad idea, according to through Core-Mark. Pizzas and flatbreads, with a shelf life of eight days fresh Frank Beard, a convenience retailing conor six months frozen, are part of their sultant from Des Moines, Iowa. “Retailers need to think beyond their physical store evolving product offering. when it comes to foodservice. As an industry that thrives on routine, the COVID-19 Toppings, Options & Delivery pandemic disrupted the habits of many Pizza is convenient, fun and one of the consumers, while accelerated key trends most versatile food options available. C-stores can apply as much creativity as to levels that weren’t expected for years.” He adds, “In urban and suburban markets, desired, from traditional to artisan. Classic Touch Foods has seven variet- c-stores should expect less visits as conies of their 700-gram (8 slices) pizza and sumers work from home rather than comfive flavour combinations for their share- mute to an office, embrace eCommerce able 225-gram flatbread. Options in- solutions, and rely on the convenience of clude cheeseburger, bocconcini and basil, grocery and meal delivery. Savvy retailers grilled vegetable, margherita, Sicilian (sa- will open new channels to their stores, lami), and Quattro Formaggio (provolone, like delivery and curbside pickup.” parmesan, mozzarella and asiago). Creativity doesn’t end there. Breakfast Marketing & Cross-Promotion and dessert create new possibilities, as Cross-promoting high-margin pizza does a variety of dietary preferences. with lower revenue generating c-store However, thorough market research products can help balance profitability. “We have had a few bad years and if it and proper product development would wasn’t for our foodservice program, we be highly recommended before adding probably would not have made it,” says unique food experiences. Owned and operated by generations of Bitar, who often runs a promotion for a the Pitocco family since 1974, Lui’s Place free pop or a free McCain cake with the Pizza in Innisfil, Ontario, launched its purchase of pizza. “I’m always running contests and foodservice program in 2006. Their top

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INNOVATE

Fuel the Future

giveaways through our Facebook page,” says Bitar. “Customers who like and share our posts are automatically entered into a draw to win prizes – anywhere from free chocolate bars, pizzas to a television set we gave away for our 20th anniversary.” Marketing and promotions help drive sales and build customer loyalty. As a supplier partner, Canadian Trade House supports their clients’ foodservice programs with free products, point of sale materials and seasonal or customer-specific promotions. The key is to know your market, understand your customers, and apply the basic elements of customer service, store cleanliness, and appropriate food handling and safety as the foundation to foodservice success. Woods adds: “If you’re going to offer a hot pizza program, you need to embrace it wholeheartedly. While there may be some shrink in the beginning until your customers are aware of your products, stay the course and offer a quality pizza product every day. It will pay off in the long run when you become a destination of choice for pizza.” Meline Beach is a Toronto-based communications practitioner and frequent contributor to Convenience & Carwash Canada. In addition to freelance writing, Meline provides communications and public relations support to businesses across Canada. She can be reached at www.mlbcomms.ca.

FUEL THE FUTURE

UNLOCK INNOVATION: DRIVE EXPLOSIVE GROWTH JOSH LINKNER

RIDING THE WAVE OF DISRUPTION BRIAN GRAY

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

OCTOBER

CONVENTION

TRADE SHOW

CEO, ITR Economics, Chief Economist, Vistage International

Managing Director, Accenture Consulting, Fuels & Convenience Retail Lead

Co-Founder & Chair, Platypus Labs, 5-Time Tech Entrepreneur

ECONOMIC FORESIGHT BRIAN BEAULIEU

PEI.org/show

WHAT TO EXPECT:

HEALTH SCREENINGS

SOCIAL DISTANCING

ROUTINE CLEANING & SANITATION

EQUIPMENT

CO N V E N I E N C E & C A R WAS H C A N A DA / 1 3

By Allen Luce

The shorter wash-media fingers on nextgeneration wash wheels are not prone to lassoing exterior vehicle components, which prevents damage to wiper blades, mirrors, door handles and antennas – and the wash fingers themselves.

How Foam Media Has Evolved To Improve Customer Satisfaction New wash-wheel solution provides carwash operators with a wider range of options Every technology, no matter how innovative or standard setting at initial release, is bound to be upgraded at some point. In other words, no one is using Version 1.0 of any notable technology that has entered the market in the past few years. For friction-wash carwash manufacturers and their clients, there has been a significant evolution in the wash media that the wash system is outfitted with. Early systems featured hard plastic or nylon brushes that were able to clean the vehicle effectively, but could, at times, scratch vehicles and damage other components, such as mirrors, wiper blades and antennas. The industry responded by inventing brushes that were constructed, first, of soft strips of cloth and, later, of closed-cell foam media, which helped protect the vehicle from damage while providing an elevated level of clean. High-RPM closed – cell foam media was a step forward even from soft cloth because it doesn’t hold water or dirt, so it stays lighter and is gentler and safer on the car than cloth. However, since traditional foam can only clean with its tips, it is often spun at higher RPMs than cloth so that otherwise limp wash media can fully extend, allowing the tips to clean the vehicle. This media cleans by redundancy, relying on lots of overlapping touches 1 4 / J U LY A U G U S T I S S U E

Advancements in the design, operation and cleaning capabilities of closed-cell foam wash media and wash wheels enable them to deliver a quieter, yet cleaner, friction-wash experience.

With spin rates as low as 30 RPMs, new wash-wheel technology is 2.5 times quieter than traditional equipment, making for a more enjoyable trip through the wash.

to provide cleaning coverage. So, just like some people prefer to drink regular softdrink products, others might prefer a new version flavored with cherry or lime (and neither is wrong), carwash operators can choose the cloth or foam wash media – both of which deliver excellent cleaning performance – that best fits their needs and the preferences of their customers. While the inventions of soft-cloth media and closed-cell foam brushes were true steps forward for the frictionwash market, the manufacturers of the technology still continued to work to improve the wash experience. One area that was targeted was the reduction in the amount and level of ambient noise that is created during the friction-wash process. Specifically, the wash wheels that house the high-spinning wash media were ripe for additional improvement. This led to the creation of a washwheel design advancement that can be an option for wash operators if reducing wash-generated noise levels is one of their goals. Shhh! Wash At Work

Closed-cell foam wash media does not hold dirt, water or cleaning chemicals, which not only improves the effectiveness of the friction-wash process, but leaves the wash fingers cleaner.

Despite the quantifiable advances in wash effectiveness and efficiency, along with vehicle protection that next-generation friction-wash media represent, there has always been a perception among some portion of the driving public that actual wash-media contact with the vehicle will damage it. This mindset is linked to the loud noise that results from the wash media whipping the vehicle’s exterior. The quandary that had arisen from the many attempts to reduce noise levels

via lower wash-wheel RPMs during the washing process is that high RPMs are needed in order for soft-cloth or closedcell foam brushes to clean effectively. The operation of the wash wheels requires a certain number of RPMs to extend the loose-hanging wash media toward the vehicle’s surface. Then, additional RPMs are needed for the wash media to effectively remove the dirt, grime and road salts from the vehicle, which is the friction vehicle wash’s overriding objective. Driven by the need to deliver an expected level of clean and vehicle protection, but at reduced noise levels, the manufacturers of friction-wash media have recently come up with a revolutionary answer. It is a wash-wheel system in which the closed-cell foam wash media does not hang loose, but is self-supporting and always in an up position. In this pose, the wash media can be guided to the vehicle’s surface through the use of precise, deliberate cleaning angles at lower RPMs. In other words, these wash wheels do not whip vehicles clean. Instead, the fingers of the wash media, which are constructed of a grabbier material, gently caress the vehicle’s surface while still removing all of the dirt and grime. Though it may sound counterintuitive, while the wash wheel is spinning slower – at rates as low as 30 RPMs – it is actually delivering a better clean because the tips of the wash-media fingers, of which there can be as many as 18,000 per wash wheel, are in constant contact with the vehicle. In fact, the slower-spinning wash media can still deliver more than 250,000 cleaning touches per wash wheel. This can create up to 10 times more vehicle touches than traditional faster-spinning soft cloths. As far as actual sound levels go, the new low-RPM wash wheels produce a decibel level of around 40, which is much quieter than standard wash wheels. For comparison, a noise level of 40 decibels is quieter than a normal conversation at three to five feet, which can range from 60 to 70 decibels. In addition to the winning combination of improved cleaning and reduced noise, the new wash-wheel system offers other tangible benefits for wash operators and their customers: • The shorter wash-media fingers are CO N V E N I E N C E & C A R WAS H C A N A DA / 1 5

not prone to lassoing exterior vehicle components, which prevents damage to wiper blades, mirrors, door handles and antennas – and the wash fingers themselves • The closed-cell foam media does not hold water or dirt, which not only improves the effectiveness of the wash process, but leaves the wash fingers cleaner • The wash wheels have been designed to be easily removed, which results in easy maintenance and wash-media replacement with minimal downtime; the ability to quickly remove and replace torn or dirty wash media also improves the wash’s appearance and, by extension, its appeal and reputation From a marketing standpoint, there are

several ways that wash operators can trumpet the vehicle-washing advantages of the new wash-wheel technology. One of the flashiest is incorporating colorful LED lights into the wash wheels themselves, which draws the attention of drivers. Illuminated wash wheels enhance the wash experience of the current customer, but also serve as a beacon to drivers who may be passing by the wash site. Illuminated wash wheels can also be used to confirm the driver’s wash-package selection simply by saying that the lighted wash wheels will be part of a blue package and then having the wash wheels feature a blue light to confirm that the driver is getting what he or she paid for.

Conclusion

Manufacturers in the ever-evolving friction-wash industry have come up with some notable innovations over the years. The latest is the creation of wash-wheel technology that is able to perform the seemingly contradictory task of delivering a cleaner, quieter and, most importantly, more enjoyable and memorable wash experience that can lead to repeat visits despite relying on lower wash-wheel RPMs. So, while traditional brush and soft-cloth friction washes still perform admirably, the new low-RPM wash wheel provides operators with another option to consider when outfitting their facilities.

Allen Luce is the western regional & key account manager for OPW Vehicle Wash Solutions and can be reached at aluce@ belangerinc.com. OPW Vehicle Wash Solutions consists of PDQ Manufacturing, Inc. and Belanger, Inc. PDQ is a preeminent provider of touch-free and friction in-bay automatic wash systems and payment terminals, while Belanger is an innovative leader in tunnel and in-bay automatic wash systems. Together, they create a revolutionary single source for all vehicle-wash needs. For more information on OPW Vehicle Wash Solutions, visit opwvws.com.

Quickest touchfree in-bay automatics.

Women in carwash

We invite you to join us in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for the rd 3 Women in Carwash™ conference JANUARY 18 – 20, 2021 At the B Ocean Resort www.womenincarwash.com For more information and to register please contact:

Brenda Jane Johnstone phone: 1-204-489-4215 email: bjj@womenincarwash.com Andrew Klukas phone: 1-778-772-3057 email: andrew@womenincarwash.com

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By John Espley

MARKETING DURING AND AFTER

Customers, customers, customers. Our businesses survive only on the good graces of our customers visiting our stores or using our services. For many months now they have found our service is shut down or if open, with limited offerings. Our government is offering lots of information on grants, wage supports, and safety. Indeed, we need all of those but to thrive, to return, we need our customers back. The first thing, always, is to understand where your customers are going for information. For those driving by your business, signage is always key. Make sure it is clear that you are open and serving. Now, how do you compete with all the other services out there that have signs? Will your potential customer stop at their business first? The goal here is to build or maintain a relationship with your customer. Make sure they will choose your service over your competitor. Our world has been driven over to the online world faster and in greater numbers than ever before. A recent OECD report found traffic or bandwidth demands increasing all over the world with Canada showing the largest increase of all the countries studied. Is your business online? Are you connecting with your loyal and potential customers? Being online is one of the key ways to be marketing your business right now. There are free or inexpensive options and paid options. Why would people follow a service station or convenience

store online? Well, have you seen how many people follow cat videos, pumpkin carvings, even live streams of people cleaning their own houses? Give them content that matters. Give them content that’s funny and makes them laugh. Give them content that connects with their needs. Understand that your customers vary in age, economic situation, and lifestyles. Each online channel appeals to a different segment of the market and your posts should vary based on those segments. Facebook has a far more casual feel to it, whereas Instagram tells stories with images, LinkedIn is all about business and twitter… it’s newsier these days. And then there’s Youtube which is used by all and can be either very serious or funny. Lastly, there’s email. Yes, email is still one of the most widely used forms of electronic connection. If you have loyal customers create an email list and start connecting with them regularly (abide by the CASL regulations). I suggest your first priority, once you’ve established a few social media accounts is to publish that you are open and what services you are offering. It seems simple but a reminder is always a good thing. All these channels have paid advertising options if you wish to accentuate your reach. An option if you are just starting. Although, if you are just starting, make sure to ask every one of your friends and family, associates, and people you meet to share your page(s). This can work like the old story CO N V E N I E N C E & C A R WAS H C A N A DA / 1 7

of doubling a penny. Each person is connected to many and the more they share…well you get the picture. Use images to show your staff is there to serve, there to help. Have fun with it if you can. Sing, dance, show someone filling up a very cool or bizarre vehicle. Talk about your products in the store. Do you carry local products? Highlight that. Have fun and share why you or your team thinks Doritos should be a staple in every diet. Do you know and really cool or fun facts about a product you sell? Do you know a funny story about how or where a product was used? Share those stories. That’s what people want, what they need. Say your milk is $1 more than the grocery store, do your customers have to drive further using more fuel to get it. Let them know you appreciate that they have to buy more fuel but perhaps they could save more by buying with you. What about facts and statistics. Show that your store or station understands your products. Business people travel and buy lots of fuel. Are there interesting stats about when to fill up your vehicle to get the best mileage or to take care of your fuel system? Are there local effects that matter (elevation, weather)? Are there other reasons they should stay topped up? Can you use or reshare your franchise commercials on your channels? What about the community work or volunteering you do? How many groups use your facilities? Share those stories. They matter.

Whether you are using the online channels for free or buying advertising, using them consistently and properly will bring you awareness, help build your loyalty and differentiate yourself from others. As we get our country moving again, help people choose your service! Don’t just rely on the major companies to do your advertising. Connect with YOUR local customers. That’s where you can make a difference and be a standout. If you’d like more information on building relationships with your customers or customer service skills go ahead and connect with me at connectionskills.ca. John Espley has done many things in 40 years in business. He’s been a senior executive, board chairman, speaker, and volunteer. His very public persona is as a connector and skilled networker. He’s been advising, supporting, and mentoring people for most of his career. His passion is to share his experience and help you build real connections, a real network. Learn to network in a fun and professional manner, find creative solutions for marketing, sales, and ultimately build your networking skills so that you can use your network, your connections to achieve your goals. For more information, visit www.connectionskills.ca *OECD report https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org view/?ref=130_1307685vgoglwswy&title=Keeping-the-Internet-up-and-running-in_times-of-crisis

EXPO February 16-18, 2021 Save MONDAY, February 15 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. .............................................Trade Show Setup 12 p.m. ...............................................Silent Auction OPENS 12 - 5 p.m. .................................... Registration OPEN

TUESDAY, February 16 7 - 9 a.m. .......................“Get Up & Go” Breakfast Buffet Open 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. ............................... Registration OPEN 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. ...........................................Trade Show Setup 8 a.m. .................................. Scholarship Golf Tournament 8 a.m. -1 p.m. ...............................EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS 2 - 6 p.m. ........................................Trade Show OPEN

at the Mirage in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

EVENT SCHEDULE

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Date!

TUESDAY, February 16 continued

WEDNESDAY, February 17 continued

5-6 p.m. .............. Welcome Reception - on trade show floor Evening Open ..........................................Suppliers Hospitality

3:30 p.m. . ....................................................... Brand Meetings 5 p.m. ............................................................Cardlock Meeting Evening Open ..........................................Suppliers Hospitality

WEDNESDAY, February 17 7 a.m. ............................................................Cardlock Meeting 7 - 9 a.m. .......................“Get Up & Go” Breakfast Buffet Open 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. ............................... Registration OPEN 8:30 - 10 a.m. ..........................................KEYNOTE SESSION 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. ..........................Trade Show OPEN with Buffet Lunch 12 - 2 p.m. .................................................Ladies’ Luncheon

www.wpmaexpo.com CCC20 JulyAug hlf0612-SchedWX21.indd 1

the

THURSDAY, February 18 7 - 9 a.m. .......................“Get Up & Go” Breakfast Buffet Open 7 a.m. - 12 p.m. ............................. Registration OPEN 8 - 9 a.m. ........................................EDUCATIONAL SESSION 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. ...............................Trade Show OPEN with Buffet Breakfast 11 a.m. ............................................. Silent Auction CLOSES

Subject to change WPMA

6/16/20 10:55 A

Down On Your Corner Rabba Fine Foods

CO-OP

Regina Resident Wins $100,000 Thanks to Co-op, a Forgetful Husband and Sauerkraut REGINA — In something of a prairie fairytale, Helene Woitas went to the Co-op Food Store to get a jar of sauerkraut and ended up coming home with $100,000. Woitas’ husband, David, had initially gone for groceries but returned without the sauerkraut on the list. She went back to the store for the prairie staple and discovered she had picked up the seventh game piece needed to win the grand prize in Co-op’s Fuel Up to Win promotion. “I couldn’t believe it at first,” Woitas said. “I thought there would be others and there would just be a draw. That was the last surprise I expected. It couldn’t have happened at a better time.” Woitas, who has run a daycare out of her Regina home for 35 years, and her husband have been Sherwood Co-op members for decades. They discussed using some of the winnings to complete some renovations. The rest, she said, will be put into savings to help with retirement. “The odds of getting that one ticket are unbelievable,” said Woitas. “Dave’s reaction when I showed him the Fuel Up to Win card was to ask which one I was missing. He then looked again and realized I had them all. He asked me if I had put the right stickers on. He still couldn’t believe it until the marketing company verified it two-and-a-half long weeks later.” More than $8.5 million in prizes and discounts were available to Co-op

customers in this year’s Fuel Up to Win contest, which was held March 5 to April 29. The $100,000 grand prize is a guaranteed prize that is awarded whether or not all game tickets are found. However, Coop customers have found the single winning game piece to defy the odds – more than one in 28 million – in four of the last five years. “Fuel Up to Win served as a bit of a distraction this year as Co-op customers made efforts to stay home and self-isolate with the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Troy Verboom, CEO of Sherwood Co-op. “We’re excited to present the grand prize to a member of our local Co-op this year. Congratulations to Helene and her family on finding the winning game piece and thank you to everyone for playing.” Woitas said she always enters store contests because you can’t win if you don’t enter. “I would always enter when they are doing in-store draws for barbecues, backyard parties, etc.,” she said. “I have never won before. Don’t think you can’t ever be a winner. If you’re there at the right time, that can be your chance.” This was the eighth year the promotion has been offered by participating Co-op locations across Western Canada. While the winner found the ticket at a Co-op Food Store, Co-op Home Centres and Coop Gar Bar/Convenience Stores also participated in the promotion. “It was a great feeling holding a $100,000 cheque with my name on it,” said Woitas. “I never thought this would ever happen in my life.”

Rabba Fine Foods expands its plantbased meat substitute category thanks to growing partnership with Beyond Meat Rabba locations now offer Beyond Burger and Beyond Beef, with more to come. Rabba Fine Foods rolls out, June 2020, two new protein-rich products, Beyond Burger and Beyond Beef, as part of a new partnership with Beyond Meat, the leader in plant-based meats. Mississauga, Ont. – Rabba Fine Foods has expanded its selection of plantbased meat alternatives thanks to a partnership with Beyond Meat. Rabba locations will now carry Beyond Burger and Beyond Beef, with more of the protein-rich Beyond Meat product line to be added in the months to come.

“We are delighted to partner with Beyond Meat to bring this deliciously popular product line to our local market customers.” “We’re so happy to see the way in which this category has grown over the years,” says Rima Rabba, marketing director at Rabba Fine Foods. “We’ve known about their nutritional value and impact on the environment for a while. We are delighted to partner with Beyond Meat to bring this deliciously popular product line to our local market customers.” The collaboration has been in the works for months and is part of Rabba’s commitment to offer a variety of popular and high-quality food options to its neighbours. Beyond Meat sources all of its ingredients from plant-based sources. Through the use of heating and cooling techniques, the products incorporate the right combination of carbohydrates, fats, minerals and colours from fruits and vegetables to replicate the flavour profile and texture of traditional meats. By shifting from animal to plant-based meat, the organization works with industry and partners to address four growing global issues: human health, climate change, constraints on natural resources and animal welfare. For more information visit rabba.com CO N V E N I E N C E & C A R WAS H C A N A DA / 1 9

Down On Your Corner OPW

GALES GAS BARS

Gales Gas Bars Starts Golf Tee Campaign Gales Gas Bars reports that its’ golf tee campaign, in response to COVID-19, has been going very well. “We have golf tees available on the top of all of our self-serve pumps, or from the attendants and clerks, that are utilized by customers to touch pump buttons and/or payment terminal buttons – so that they are not touching the devices themselves,” says Jessica Friesen, CEO, Gales Gas Bars/BOBs Fast & Fresh Convenience. “They have been a huge hit and are a marketing piece moving forward for us as well.”

Offering the best in soft-touch, hybrid and choices wash systems.

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CALGARY 403.287.1633

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TORONTO 905.428.8403

MONTREAL 514.791.6398

OPW Thanks and Supports Local Foodbanks OPW thanks all the local foodbanks that have worked hard to support families in need around the world, especially during these uncertain times. With many foodbanks reporting shortages, OPW has donated between $500 and $1,000 (USD) to key foodbanks in communities where OPW employees live and work. “Many communities and industries have been impacted by COVID 19,” said OPW President Kevin Long. “We recognize the challenging times and are committed to supporting our employees and the communities in which we operate. OPW would like to thank the local foodbanks that are providing critical services for our neighbors in need.” OPW has provided charitable donations to the following foodbanks to help them continue to provide meals to their neighbors in need: Illinois (U.S.): Greater Chicago Food Depository https://www.chicagosfoodbank.org/ Mumbai (India): Khaana Chahiye https://effortsforgood.org/campaign/ community/khaana-chahiye-hungerin-the-times-of-corona/ New South Wales (Australia): Oz Harvest https://www.ozharvest.org/ North Carolina (U.S.): Inter-Faith Food Shuttle https://www.foodshuttle.org/ community-partnerships North Yorkshire (U.K.): The Trussell Trust https://www.trusselltrust.org/ Ohio (U.S.): Shared Harvest Foodbank https://www.sharedharvest.org/ Suzhou (China): Suzhou Industrial Park Volunteers Association http://www.sipac.gov.cn/english/ Topstory/201912/t20191203_1078463. htm Wisconsin (U.S.): De Pere Christian Outreach Food Pantry http://www.deperechristianoutreach.org/ dpco-food-pantry.html

CO N V E N I E N C E & C A R WAS H C A N A DA / 2 1

By Judi Saliba

Considering a Capital Investment this year? The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc across the world with businesses shuttered, millions of people out of work and costs for employers rising due to the requisite for increased sanitation protocols, the installation of protective barriers and PPE for employees. Across Canada, different cities and provinces have widely disparate re-opening directives throughout all business sectors. It was welcome news that convenience, gas and grocery stores were deemed to be essential services and, according to a survey conducted by the Convenience Industry Council of Canada at the outset of the pandemic, the majority of consumers believe that the convenience industry has stepped up to support communities and front line workers. The results of the survey, conducted by Abacus Data, revealed that the 2280 respondents, while shopping less frequently due to stay-at-home directives, particularly in the aged 60+ demographic, either strongly agreed (average 21 per cent) or agreed (average 35 per cent) that the sector was doing a good job. This sentiment held across all demographics including regional variations, age, gender, income, and educational levels, reported CICC president and CEO Anne Kothawala.*

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CO N V E N I E N C E & C A R WAS H C A N A DA / 2 3

The primary reasons that consumers continue to patronize the sector include*: • Convenient location and hours • Ease of access to retail locations • Avoiding longer lines as seen at grocery stores • Availability of items that can’t be purchased elsewhere, like tobacco, lottery, and vaping products

FEDERAL AND PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS, AS WELL AS THE BDC (BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BANK OF CANADA), ARE STEPPING IN TO OFFER ASSISTANCE TO SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES TO INVEST IN THEIR COMPANIES AS WE GROW INTO THE FUTURE. As well, during the pandemic, legal tobacco sales increased between 20-25 per cent due to restricted access to contraband. This, however, is unlikely to continue as sources of contraband begin to open up. Since C&G retailers are trusted community retailers and likely to continue to see reduced visit frequency, as well as facing increased costs, retailers should be considering what the keys are to recovery and, ultimately, robust business. Frictionless payment options have been primarily embraced by millennials but now are almost universally expected across most demographics. Contactless pick-up cabinets for pre-order and tap and pay pick up options will also increase in popularity for the benefit of speed of service (excepting age-restricted categories) and the halo effect of reduced contact. For shoppers who prefer the in-store experience, and as prohibitions are lifted on in-store foodservice, offering the categories that consumers embrace like coffee and slush (FCB) will increase both basket size and profit margins. These C&G category winners provide, on average, profits in the vicinity of 70 per cent, far higher than any other category. As well, both groups are traffic drivers, and, as we ease

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up in the post-pandemic world, consumers that feel confident that C&G retailers are compliant with sanitation protocols will be more willing to visit retailers to purchase these popular categories. Considering a capital investment is always a daunting prospect, and never more so than during an uncertain business climate. Banks are expected to tighten lending guidelines due to the tremendous profit losses they have endured during the pandemic, making it more difficult for smaller retailers to access credit. However, the federal and provincial governments, as well as the BDC (Business Development Bank of Canada), are stepping in to offer assistance to small and mediumsized businesses to invest in their companies as we grow into the future. These loans, some of them only requiring partial re-payment, are a boon to small and medium-size retailers. Leasing is another viable alternative to free up capital and offer tax-deductible payments, with the operator getting to enjoy full ownership of their capital investment at the end of the term. To learn more, please contact sales@tficanada.com.

Judi Saliba has been working and consulting with the leaders in the C&G channel for their foodservice equipment and program requirements since 1995. Passionate about the C&G sector and its growth potential, Judi understands the operational challenges that operators face trying to develop and maintain foodservice programs. She often called upon by industry groups and publications to discuss emerging trends. She can be reached by telephone at 1-800-387-2529, ext 5585 or by e-mail at: saliba@tficanada.com. For more information, visit: tficanada.com. * Source – CICC

By Barbara J. Bowes

Building A Mental Health Plan for Your Business

I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s been a challenging few months. First, we encountered school and large-format store

closures, workplaces suddenly shifting their employees to work at home, and the general population was directed to hunker down indoors. Then, as the restrictions started lifting, we saw retailers, including our members, struggling to follow public health mandates for social distancing and sanitizing. And although we are deemed essential services, we still experienced customers that were confused about protocols while others were downright indignant about having to follow health safety rules. All of this happening at the same time that our owners needed to take steps to protect their own workers both from potential health risks. In other words, stress has been a typical response for

everyone all around. Thousands of people have been thrown out of work with no opportunity for other jobs due to COVID19 shutdowns. They are more than stressed. And, while several provinces bubbled with glee as alcohol sales and profitability soared to new heights, the Canadian Centre for Addiction and Mental Health reports that people are binge drinking at least once per week to overcome their stress. And finally, domestic abuse calls have also increased. Let’s face it; everyone has been scared, angry, and confused as they hang onto every word and watch the new death and illness statistic streaming across the daily news channels. Everyone is thinking, “Where are we going with this pandemic, and how can I survive my economic crisis?” All of these responses, although typical, are inclusive of what we now know CO N V E N I E N C E & C A R WAS H C A N A DA / 2 5

The stress of upgrading protocols to meet standards and the stress of stressed-out customers only results in more stress…in other words, mental health issues.

are mental health issues. These are your customers! And, all the while, essential service businesses have been open for business! So, no matter which way you look at it, every customer coming through the door has and is more than likely experiencing stress, extreme or otherwise. What does this mean for your employees? It means that employees have to deal with their own as well as their customer’s stress. And being able to manage this challenge will impact how they deal with customers. Believe me; this stress is real. For instance, a young female convenience store clerk alerted to some of the stress and mental health issues she was personally experiencing. For example, with foot traffic in the first few months being so slow, she spent a lot of time reading Harlequin romance novels and worrying about being laid off. She felt isolated and vulnerable. Then, once customer traffic started moving, the next challenge was having to deal with the occasional angry customer that resented having to follow the basic public health protocols. And, to top all this off, public health announcements on the spread of the virus left them in fear of catching the virus from their incoming customers, especially if the customer was not wearing a mask. At the same time, a business owner overseeing a convenience store, gas bar, and a quick food outlet shared with me that he was extremely stressed. Not only with trying to meet all the public health requirements but all the while trying to locate the supplies that would allow him to meet the stated health and safety requirements. While earlier on in the pandemic, toilet paper was the first widespread shortage reported, the availability of cleaning supplies and plexiglass for business owners was the recent big problem. The stress of upgrading protocols to meet standards and the 2 6 / J U LY A U G U S T I S S U E

stress of stressed-out customers only results in more stress…in other words, mental health issues. Mental health is not something most managers are trained to recognize, not to mention ability to appropriately handle. Not only that, but mental health also is not something employees want to talk about because it’s still a taboo topic. So, what can managers do? The following suggestions will help you to recognize and put a plan in place to help deal with stress in your business. RESPECT YOUR STRESS TOO – as a leader you will go a long way to gaining more respect with employees if you can recognize and acknowledge your own stress and be prepared to talk about it. You don’t need to share a lot of details, but when employees know they are not alone, it will go a long way to calming the turbulent waters. Of course, it will matter a great deal for employees to see the business owner handling their stress effectively. Work on your own solutions and share your strategies. REAFFIRM PROTOCOLS – meet with employees to discuss service protocols and demonstrate how you want employees to respond to customers that are extremely emotional, either saddened, angry or frustrated. Create standard statements that can be repeated to calm customers down. Ensure employees know when to reach out for help and where to get that help. KNOW YOUR STRESSORS – every business has a list of typical issues that create stress in the work-place. Identify what these are and seek out ways to mitigate them. This could be things such as stock delivery times, cleaning requirements, staffing workload and opening/closing procedures. Establish standardized processes and protocols to help reduce potential stress.

Monitor behaviour – mental health signs are typically very subtle, at least at first. Watch for absenteeism, last minute cancelling of a shift without a good excuse, or arriving at work tired or hung over. Watch for signs of depression, tiredness, bad moods, aggressive language and/or customer conflict. Keep an eye out for a general lack of productivity and signs of anxiety such as difficulty concentrating and forgetting instructions. HELP AWARENESS – smaller organizations without a number of other colleagues to help each other can access many of the available help lines for advice on how to handle personal stress. These are sometimes offered by various provinces and/or the employee health benefit program. Meet with employees and inform them as to what resources are available and encourage individuals to access these confidential resources. Educate employees – there are plenty of online resources and webcasts that employers can use as brief luncheon or coffee break training sessions. Schedule employees to view a series of these brief self-help vignettes. Look for programs on worklife balance, stress, mental health, personal positivity, and dealing with difficult customers. Continue to discuss mental health during morning or shift change huddle meetings. Most small businesses are well aware of general workplace health and safety issues but rarely has this focused on mental health. Yet, mental health can have a bit hit on small businesses. Absenteeism, poor customer service, low productivity, interpersonal conflict, depression and a long list of other mostly invisible symptoms can literally cripple a small business owner for brief periods of time. Therefore, accept that mental health is a real issue that needs real solutions and begin to build a plan for yourself and your employees. Barbara J. Bowes, FCPHR, CCP, M.Ed., of the consulting firm Legacy Bowes, is the author of eight books, a radio personality, a speaker, an executive coach and workshop leader. She is also chairwoman of the Manitoba Status of Women. She can be reached at barb@ legacybowes.com

By Bob Chrismas

GOOD HELP IS HARD TO KEEP:

Employee Retention in the Post-COVID Era The old adage, â&#x20AC;&#x153;good help is hard to find,â&#x20AC;? has taken on new meaning for many businesses during the first few months of the new pandemic and postpandemic era of social distancing.

Many companies have had to rethink their business models and modes of delivery and cannot afford the added

cost of continually retraining, developing and testing new hires. Loyal employees with the skills required to innovate are increasingly valuable. This article will briefly explore the challenge of employee retention and some strategies to overcome it. Convenience store staff are in the front line, dealing directly with the public at all hours of the day and night. In my 31 years of policing, I have come to respect and appreciate the difficult job they do. Targeted for robbery, exposed to the drug culture and other creatures who stalk the night, they are also the ones who are there to provide essentials when people need milk for their baby or emergency first aid supplies during the night. These excellent convenience store staff stand out. I believe they are underappreciated in society and sometimes undervalued in the spectrum of vocations that people might choose to earn a living.

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Convenience store staff are known for frequent job changes. This can be costly for businesses. Glassdoor, one of the world’s largest recruiting companies, reported survey results in 2018 indicating that employers expect 35 per cent of new hires to quit within the first 12 months of being hired. This turnover is likely exacerbated in the convenience store industry, where employees must contend with the challenges of nightshifts and other odd hours and deal with the unique clientele of their industry. In the same survey, which sought input from 750 employers, they found that 45 per cent of employees in the U.S. and U.K. reported salary as the main reason for changing jobs, followed by career advancement opportunities, benefits and location. Reviewing research for this article, I found that many disagree with the old conventional wisdom that people quit managers, not jobs. I believe it is common sense that other things like salary and benefits being equal, if people like their managers and feel appreciated, they are more likely to stay. A study on employee retention reported in the Harvard Law Review (2018), found that people tend to leave their jobs when they are not enjoyable, when they feel that their strengths are not being used, and when they think that they are not growing their careers. Much of the other literature supports the importance that people put on salary and health benefits. As the baby boom generation is coming to retirement age across North America, a lot of older people are looking for

Offering a variety of cleaning solutions featuring the

family of vehicle care products.

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things to do with their time. The Manitoba Federation of NonProfit Organizations conducted workplace studies in 2019. They found that many non-profit organizations are partly staffed by retired people who are not interested in any salary at all- but, rather, are on a pension and seeking to give back to the community in some meaningful way with their time. This workforce of retired people seems like an opportunity just waiting for some innovative business to take advantage of. At the other end of the age spectrum, are there opportunities for convenience stores to invest in our children’s futures, perhaps with in-kind tuition for commitment to the company? This kind of outside the box thinking could result in business models that take some companies into the Fortune 500. Glassdoor and other third-party studies have reported that company culture matters more than pay with respect to employee satisfaction and engagement. They found that improving workplace culture and career advancement opportunities can result in substantially better employee retention. Some research has found that in many industries the cost of every employee is double what they are paying for them when you add in the price of replacement and training for new hires when employees leave. It seems like a no brainer to invest more in employees and focus on improving the work environment to enhance retention. The opportunities for improved work environments must be limitless now, as companies are reinventing themselves or at least adjusting to the new post-COVID reality. Why not engage employees fully in this process? After all, don’t they know best who your customers are, how things flow in your store and what may work? Why not consider what may work and how competitive your salary and benefits package is and if an increase may offset the costs of continually hiring and training new employees? Some other tried and true strategies for building loyalty in employees include perks; even small things that are unique and cost very little can go a long way. Offering staff a free carwash for a family member once in a while can build pride and help employees identify with their company. Selecting the right people and onboarding new hires well is conventional wisdom for employee retention. The lion’s share of all of these factors can be rolled into one primary consideration that I’ve saved for last; leadership. Managers supervise and ensure the mechanics of the workplace are achieved. A certain degree of management is required to make things work; on the other hand, leadership involves inspiration and encouragement and stimulates loyalty. Many studies have duplicated the same results; when you ask people who their best and worst supervisors were over their career, they invariably prefer and become loyal to leaders rather than managers. Be a leader, inspire people to be the best they can be, and make your company the best it can be. See people as valuable human beings, any one who could be your next CEO, support, reward and encourage them, and see how they respond. I’m sure that you will feel better, your employees will be happy, and your company will benefit. Bob Chrismas, Ph.D., is an author, scholar, consultant, passionate speaker and social justice advocate police professional with internationally recognized expertise in community engagement and crime prevention. An advocate for social reform, he has written and speaks extensively on innovative trends in policing, community partnership and governance. Visit Bob at BChrismas.com.

By Kate Stroud

Store Design and Security

Today, the focus still centers around safety, but in a completely different way. Security today is installing sneeze guards at all locations, contactless service using hockey and lacrosse sticks.

Store design and security have taken on a different meaning within the UPI Energy FS c-store network. Security

used to mean cameras and security systems to protect employees, customers and property. Today, the focus still centers around safety, but in a completely different way. Security today is installing sneeze guards at all locations, contactless service using hockey and lacrosse sticks (very Canadian, eh!), all while providing exceptional FULL SERVICE at their province wide network of Gas Bars. At UPI Energy FS, staff bring items directly to your vehicle. Security means providing employees with the proper and effective PPE including face masks, gloves and hand sanitizer, while instituting deep clean measures before, after and during all shifts in order to keep everyone feeling healthy and safe. Store design and set up has also changed. Store layouts must be set up to accommodate new social distancing measures while still maintaining a welcoming atmosphere. UPI Energy FS have installed floor markers and signage to help employees and customers follow proper social distancing protocols. CO N V E N I E N C E & C A R WAS H C A N A DA / 2 9

As renovation of c-stores continues, social distancing is top of mind. This affects the ordering process for shelving, display and store fixture units. All new units are equipped with castors to allow for easy movement and positioning throughout the store to facilitate effective social distancing guidelines. Sneeze guards installed at counters greatly reduces the retail space for display of impulse-buy goods. Reduced counter space, coupled with an increase of customers remaining inside their vehicles throughout the sales transaction, has

led to the creation of new menu boards enticing customers to order goods from their car to be brought out by friendly staff. A lot has changed with regards to security and store design in the past few months. Planning to navigate the new

normal has challenged everyone and with the retail paradigms shifting across the globe, UPI Energy FS and itsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; network of progressive gas bar retailers are staying ahead of the curve. Their take on full serve automobile fueling is ready for the new way.

Kate Stroud is the administrative assistant for the director of retail and operations of UPI ENERGY FS. Kate works with closely with the retail & marketing team at UPI ENERGY FS (who also assisted in editing this article). Kate has been with UPI ENERGY FS for nine years and can be reached at: kstroud@growmark.com.

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Women in

carwash

We invite you to join us in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for the 3rd Women in Carwash™ conference January 18 – 20, 2021 at the beautiful B Ocean Resort. In the ever-changing carwash industry, women are rapidly emerging as some of the most forward-thinking leaders. What is also exciting is that a growing number of men are welcoming and actively supporting this change. The first two Women in Carwash™ conferences recognized and celebrated this exciting development to the delight of our guests who found it very valuable, informative, ground-breaking, and surprisingly intimate. One thing everyone could agree on is that a healthy, happy industry that is getting better for women is an industry that is getting better for everyone, and this will be a driving theme of the upcoming conference. Come and join us for this, our 3rd conference!

For more information and to register please contac Andrew Klukas phone: 1-778-772-3057 email: andrew@womenincarwash.com Brenda Jane Johnstone phone: 1-204-489-4215 email: bjj@womenincarwash.com

THREE DAY OVERVIEW OF EVENTS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS! The DiSC® profile will help you improve interpersonal communications and connect with your staff, coworkers, owners, management, etc. more effectively. You will better understand your own personality, how you like to communicate, how you come across to others, and why others behave as they do so you can meet in the middle and communicate clearly.

PLATINUM SPONSOR

Women In Carwash: The 21st Century Demand for Woman Leaders. This presentation specially for the January 2020 Arlington conference and will build on the theme for this coming June. This uplifting, funny presentation gets right at the heart of great opportunities while insightfully demonstrating that the path forward lifts everyone – both men and women.

Leaders as Role Models: Stepping Beyond the Limitations of Management. This session ties us back to our Keynote presentation and Tuesday morning’s session The 21st Century Demand for Woman Leaders with a focus on transformational leadership.

GOLD SPONSOR

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South of the Border

By Jeff Lenard

Making the Routine Feel Routine to Consumers

C-store customers want clean bathrooms and hand sanitizer stations, a NACS survey shows. ALEXANDRIA, VA – As communities enter new stages of reopening, more drivers will be on the roads, whether commuting to work or visiting reopened businesses – and that could present oppor-tunities for convenience stores. More than three in four consumers (79 per cent) said their communities would reopen by June 15, according to the results of a recent national consumer survey conducted for NACS by PSB Insights. Overall, 84 per cent of drivers surveyed say they will be visiting convenience stores on their journeys: 23 per cent say they will shop at convenience stores as part of their regular routine, 38 per cent say they will shop at stores when they need something, and an additional 23 per cent say they will only purchase gas at convenience stores, which sell an estimated 80 per cent of the fuel purchased in the United States. But what will entice them to come inside the store as travel picks up? In short: A focus on cleanliness. With gas prices still relatively low, consumers are looking to other offers within the store, with safety and comfort with store operations now paramount. Nearly half of customers surveyed (48 per cent) say they have a store brand preference, and 37 per cent of those with a preference say cleanliness is a factor driving that preference. The good news is that convenience stores were early adopters in addressing protective measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, 99 per cent of NACS retailer members responding to a NACS Retailer Member survey said they enhanced their cleaning protocols for high-touch surfaces, with regular cleaning conducted as often as every 30 minutes. Here are some other cleanliness-focused insights from the 3 2 / J U LY A U G U S T I S S U E

NACS consumer survey: • Cash sales are down. The percentage of customers paying for gas by cash dropped from 21 per cent in January to 14 per cent in May, as many consumers are shying away from handling cash and seeking options that minimize contact. • Hand sanitizer access is the top priority for consumers. Consumers rated access to hand sanitizer in-store (68 per cent) and at the fuel pump (67 per cent) as the top two choices when asked which of 11 enhanced safety procedures they thought were appropriate to implement at convenience stores. • Bathrooms are top safety concerns. Consumers said bathrooms were the biggest concern for exposure to COVID-19 (54 per cent), followed by concerns contracting the virus from other customers (47 per cent) and from doors and surfaces (47 per cent). Consumers also weighed in on community engagement. More than one in three consumers said they would be much more likely to shop at a store that was actively supporting charitable causes. • The more direct the donation, the better: Distributing food (30 per cent) and personal protective equipment (18 per cent) directly to those needing them rated the highest when consumers were asked to name the most important donation – ahead of grants and donations to food banks (16 per cent) or monetary contributions to hospital workers (11 per cent). • All news is local: If businesses are doing charitable work,

consumers most want to see it on the lo-cal news (69 per cent), far ahead of social media (42 per cent) and in-store signage (35 per cent). • Charity is contagious. When asked what actions they would take as a result of a store doing charitable work, 39 per cent said they would tell others about it. And it may also spur a movement: 34 per cent would donate directly to that charity, and 29 per cent would join a fundraiser. “The great news is that consumers are aware of how our industry serves communities. A record 78 per cent of consumers surveyed said that convenience stores share their values and do business the right way,” said NACS Vice President of Strategic Industry Initiatives Jeff Lenard. “The findings also show that there are opportunities for convenience retailers to capture sales from consumers increasingly looking to re-establish routines. Those who can address consumer concerns about cleanliness and their communities and build upon that with a compelling offer can

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

find ways to grow their sales over the coming months,” added Lenard. The national consumer survey was conducted online by PSB Insights; 1,100 U.S. adults who purchase fuel for a vehicle such as a car, truck or van at least once per month were surveyed from May 15-18, 2020. Reference is also made to a similar January 24-30 consumer survey of 1,253 American drivers. Jeff Lenard, Vice President of Strategic Industry Initiatives, National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Jeff Lenard oversees NACS’ industry-wide external communications campaigns to advance the role of convenience stores as positive economic, social and philanthropic contributors to the communities they serve. The U.S. convenience store industry, with more than 152,000 stores nationwide selling fuel, food and merchandise, serves 165 million customers daily—half of the U.S. population.

Contact your Zep Vehicle Care Specialist, authorized distributor, or visit www.zepvehiclecare.com/AAPCeramicSeal

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Car Care Products By Chad Bartlett

Increase Consumer Engagement and Profit

With Retail Zone Marketing

The key is that the six key zones are connected in a way that allows your story to be told. You want to take your customers on a journey through your property, and leave feeling satisfied with their purchase and having had a positive experience. 3 4 / J U LY A U G U S T I S S U E

The impacts of the last several months navigating the COVID-19 pandemic have without a doubt forced

our industry to look at what we do, and how we do it through a different lens. Consumer buying behaviors shifted, some washes were forced to close their doors, and the economic landscape around the world changed. As we begin to see markets open and start on our paths to a new normal, there are best practices we realize in hindsight, that provide an opportunity to come back stronger. While we have all witnessed increased education focused on staying healthy, and cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting all things we interact with, we have the same opportunity to increase engagement with carwash customers regarding the wash services they purchase. We have seen several trends in car washing, some that demonstrate clear and compelling benefits, while others lean on buzz words or catchy names to stimulate impulse upgrades. There is no right or wrong, but there is a best practice, which ties back to… you guessed it – consumer education.

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Car Care Products

Every carwash property can be dissected into six key zones or areas of the property that can facilitate a touchpoint with the consumer.

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With speed and through-put becoming an increasing expectation, carwash consumers have even less time to be influenced on a purchase decision. Carwash chemical applications with clear and compelling consumer benefits can help support and accelerate the purchase decision and provide positive validation through the wash experience. The concept of a retail zone marketing program can help align targeted messaging across multiple touch points that consumers interact with onsite. As consumers, we live and breathe retail zone marketing and often don’t even realize it. Subconsciously, our purchase decisions are influenced by the retail messages and experiences we encounter. Through interactions with 1000s of messages daily, too many messages or messages that do not convey a story, consequently, can become noise and will be ignored. Through my visits to washes, I’ve seen a wide variety of not only the number of pieces promoting services, but the number of different or conflicting messages telling the consumer what they “need.” Carwash marketing should be focused in multiple areas of engagement with the consumer, promote one or two services at the most, and should align directly to your goals as a wash owner. This could be promoting a monthly unlimited membership, driving top package sales, or adding incremental sales of a new application or service to name a few. Every carwash property can be dissected into six key zones or areas of the property that can facilitate a touchpoint with the consumer. This can be a variety of interactions, including signs, banners, engagement with a cashier, or something as simple as a purchase receipt. The key is that the zones are connected in a way that allows your story to be told. You want to take your customers on a journey through your property, and leave feeling satisfied with their purchase and having had a positive experience. The six key zones of retail zone marketing consist of the following: Zone 1 Welcome: Capture the attention of potential customers and inform them that your carwash is open and ready to serve. Zone 2 Education: Increase the consumer’s carwash knowledge and guide them toward a purchase decision that aligns to their needs as well as your goals and business objectives. Zone 3 Decision Point: Leverage your menu, service advisors or pay stations to enable the purchase selection. Zone 4 Confirmation: Validate the purchase and services they will receive. Zone 5 The Show: Wow the consumer as they experience their purchase first-hand through chemical and mechanical application, along with any theater elements that may be part of the wash process. Zone 6 Departure: Thank the customer and communicate reminders or offers for future visits to increase loyalty.

Car Care Products

Through an effective retail zone marketing approach, you will lead your customers to their desired need, while delivering on your business goals. Utilizing touchpoints across these six key zones will help you: • Accelerate purchase decisions that will help increase throughput • Educate your carwash customers on specific wash package or application features and benefits • Increase loyalty through a consistent story that builds consumer confidence • Reinforce your customers experience as competitive differentiation • Strengthen your wash’s popularity and reputation as customers leave satisfied and delighted • Drive infrequent customers into loyal club members

There are more options than ever on how you can leverage each zone to enhance your marketing and interactions with your customers, including video, printed signage, onsite staff interactions with your customers.

As you build your retail zone marketing strategies, you will first want to prioritize your goals and capture a baseline of what your marketing program will deliver, remembering that trying to activate too many messages across too many goals could end up being counterproductive. Remember to avoid using too many buzz words or catchy phrasing that may not be easily understood. In a recent consumer focus group study, commissioned by Zep, we learned that some terms that are intuitive to carwash industry professionals, do not resonate in the same way for the end consumer. Newer innovations such as ceramic-based chemical applications, as well as earlier innovations such as triple foam were not consistently understood in terms of what was being applied to the car and what benefits the consumer will receive. Though unintended, the consequence of using flashy names to promote services without proper education, could mean that the consumer will opt-out of a higher package or additional service option. Once you’ve got a grasp of your messaging, you’ll want to assess your site and identify areas of opportunity across the six key zones. Today, there are more options than ever on how you can leverage each zone to enhance your marketing and interactions with your customers, including video, printed signage, onsite staff interactions with your customers, and the list goes on. Be aware of any municipality restrictions that may be in place for large signs and banners. As opportunities are assessed and components are chosen, it’s time to implement and install. Your retail zone marketing program implementation doesn’t stop after the installation. By aligning your messaging and touchpoints to your business goals, you’ll want to proactively measure the success of your new retail zone marketing program to quantify the return on your investment or make modifications as your goals shift, or the seasons change.

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Car Care Products

Recall the thousands of messages that consumers interact with daily. You will want to refresh or rotate your messaging, even if it means a fresh spin on the same message. Consumers will eventually become blind to seeing the same pieces or designs. Keeping your messaging fresh and current will help to ensure you maintain engagement with your customers. In summary, what could be considered the most basic means of communicating to wash consumers, could be the most underutilized. Consistent messaging that is strategically placed on the wash property will take the consumer on a buying journey that can move a consumer from â&#x20AC;&#x153;just needing a basic washâ&#x20AC;? to jumping up a package or two, or maybe purchasing a membership. When done correctly, your wash revenue will thank you. Chad Bartlett is a senior marketing manager at Zep Vehicle Care. He has over 10 years of marketing experience in the carwash industry and can be reached at chad.bartlett@zep.com.

Reach Diverse New Markets!

Reach thousands of readers with our print & digital versions that they can access quickly on mobile devices and desktop.

Keeping your messaging fresh and current will help to ensure you maintain engagement with your customers.

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Advertise Today! FREE SUBSCRIPTIONS! Go online to subscribe. visit: www.convenienceandcarwash.com (U.S. subscriptions postage rates apply.)

For advertising information contact: Diana Signorile at 403-607-8133 or email: diana@convenienceandcarwash.com Cody Johnstone at 416-838-4674 or email: codyj@convenienceandcarwash.com

CO N V E N I E N C E & C A R WAS H C A N A DA / 3 9

DOORS IN THE SUMMER By Josh Hart

Summer is usually the time when

most people arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t thinking about their carwash doors. Many of us use our doors primarily to retain heat in the cold winter months so when spring and summer arrive the doors are often opened up and not used for extended periods of time. Most carwash doors and openers are designed for high cycle use. They are designed to open and close between every car. The constant cyclage is actually a good thing for your openers and your door hardware as it keeps them lubricated and operating smoothly. When your door and opener sit idle for weeks and sometimes months at a time, some of the moving parts can dry up and potentially cause damage if proper maintenance is not performed before starting to use them again before winter.

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Pneumatic Openers:

Here are a few key maintenance tips for summer if you are leaving doors open for extended periods of time. It is very important to remember that when you are performing any maintenance on your door or opener you have the power off and the air completely drained from your operator and air lines before proceeding.

Polycarbonate Doors:

One of the simplest, but most important things to do is to clean your doors. Use high pressure spray and a mild soap or cleaner to rinse off all of the chemical that has accumulated on your door panels. Spray off all of your hinges and rollers as well. Cleaning your doors regularly will eliminate layers of build up and keep your doors looking and operating better in the long run. However, it is important to remember that when you spray your hardware it also rinses off any lubricants that may have been applied to hardware previously. That is why the next step should be to apply a spray type lubricant to your hinges and rollers after cleaning. You should also use a grease gun to apply grease to the zerk bearings on your shaftline. If you have torsion springs as a counterbalance system for your door use a rag and apply grease to the entire length of your torsion springs to eliminate bonding and prevent corrosion.

There are a few different kinds of pneumatic openers so it is important to identify what style you are using to perform the proper maintenance. Cleaning is again going to be the first step for any style opener. You want to eliminate any type of buildup of dirt and chemical before you proceed. If you have a jack shaft opener you most likely have a two cylinder design that is mounted on the side of your door and has a chain that hangs off the shaft and attaches to the opener. It is very important to make sure that all of your chain links are flexing properly and are not seized or broken. Once you have eliminated any excess buildup on the chain and operator hardware you should apply a new coat of grease to the entire chain. The next step is to check if you have an automatic oiler attached to your control box. If you do, check the level and fill cylinder lubricant to the oiler bowl if needed. If you do not have an automatic oiler, you can remove the airlines at the operator and remove the airlines from the push lock fittings and put oil directly into the airlines. Reattach the airlines and turn the power and air back on and cycle the operator to push the lubricant into the cylinders. If you have a magnetic drawbar style opener, you should wipe the cylinder clean and eliminate any buildup. Excess buildup can cause the carriage to scratch the cylinder tube or result in stuttering or a lag in operation. Once a year the carriage should be removed from the cylinder to clean the magnets and seals inside the carriage. To do this, the cylinder has to be uninstalled. For more instructions on this refer to the manufacturerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s maintenance guides and ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s manuals. If you are not comfortable performing this service yourself, call your service provider to perform this service. If you do not run your opener at all throughout the summer it is a good idea to pack your carriage in grease and put it in a plastic bag until after summer when you reinstall your opener to use for the winter months. Once your cylinder is reinstalled, apply a light coat of cylinder lubricant on the full length of the operator tube. Fill your automatic oiler or remove the airlines from the fittings on the operator and inject lubricant directly into the airlines. Reattach and turn on the power and cycle the opener to get the oil into the internal cylinder chamber.

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Summer is a great time to perform maintenance on your doors and openers. Not only will it prepare you for when the cold weather comes sooner than expected, but it is more pleasant to perform this maintenance in warm weather vs. freezing temperatures.

If you have a cable driven drawbar style opener, the maintenance is similar, but you do not need to remove the carriage. Clean and apply a light coat of lubricant to the bottom side of the entire cylinder to lubricate the portion of the cylinder that the carriage travels. Xrs Vinyl Roll Up Doors:

Maintenance is minimal on roll up style doors. However, cleaning is important to keep the panels from transferring dirt and chemical to the other panels when the door is rolled up in the open position. Closing your doors overnight if possible is a good practice as it will allow the doors to dry out and keep the panels from accumulating moisture which can collect more dirt and chemical. Use a grease gun to apply grease to the zerk bearings on the shaftline. These are good maintenance strategies 4 2 / J U LY A U G U S T I S S U E

to perform in the spring, mid-summer, and late fall to ensure that your doors and openers will operate properly prior to the busy winter months. We strongly recommend cycling your doors daily, if possible, just to keep all the moving parts lubricated. Another key element to all doors is to check your weatherstrip around the doors and make sure you have a continuous proper seal. This does not seem important in the summer, but will play a large part in reducing ice buildup on hardware in the winter months and can play a very important part in reducing cold air seeping into the bay driving up heat costs. Summer is a great time to perform maintenance on your doors and openers. Not only will it prepare you for when the cold weather comes sooner than expected, but it is more pleasant to perform this maintenance in warm

weather vs. freezing temperatures. For more information on maintenance tips refer to the manufacturerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website and look up maintenance guides or ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s manuals for a more complete guide to performing this work. You can also call the manufacturer from the site to get help on proper maintenance techniques. Fall and early winter can be busy times for door manufacturers. Lead times on replacement parts are typically faster in the summer than early winter. Get the work done early and avoid costly downtime trying to perform the work when your doors are critical to your operation. Josh Hart is the president of Airlift Doors, Inc. and can be contacted at jhart@airliftdoors.com 612-529-1000 #106.

By Ed Kammerer

Forecourt Insight By Ed Kammerer

Get the “Hole” Truth Regarding Forecourt Manhole Covers

With all the abuse that they are liable to experience on a daily basis, it’s not a stretch to say that the manhole covers that dot the forecourts of service stations throughout the country are a lot like comedian Rodney Dangerfield. You know, they “get no respect.” The list of indignities that manhole covers are susceptible to include:

• Potential damage due to load imbalances, missing or broken bolts and excessive deflection • A balsa-wood core construction that swells, which prevents easy access to turbine enclosures • Water migration due to cracks or holes in the cover or skirt • Dog-earing caused by the blades of snowplows, which will compromise the manhole’s seals and their ability to prevent harmful water intrusion • The passage of vehicles of all shapes and sizes throughout the day, from sports cars to school buses and dump trucks • Constant assault from the elements – heat and rain in the summer; cold, snow, salt and ice in the winter It’s no wonder that after many years of proud service, the manhole covers – which are designed to mount flush to the forecourt surface – can take on the look of a dented can. The problem when this happens is that the manhole covers still have a critical job to perform – they must provide quick, easy access to the piping and equipment that allows underground storage tanks to be filled and serviced, while simultaneously preventing the intrusion of any foreign matter, from rainwater and ice to dirt and debris.

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OPW Matador Composite cover

Steel manhole covers have been trathat eliminates delaminating; and ditionally tasked with this job, but after ergonomic, single-person removal camany years of use, they have a tendency pability via the Fibrelite lifting handle. to become bowl-shaped, which allows A heavy-duty version is available for water to gather on their surface; in the use at fueling sites that feature high winter, when this water freezes, a slipamounts of truck, bus and industrial and-fall hazard may arise. The wide traffic. range of weather extremes in Canada • Conquistador: These fiberglasswill also cause the covers to expand and composite manhole covers are contract based on their coefficient of lightweight and extremely durable, thermal expansion, which will also lead making sump accessibility easier to bowing of the cover. than ever. Conquistador covers are To combat the many variables that constructed of Duratuff fiberglass, place traditional steel manhole covers which makes them ideal for use in under constant duress, manufacturall service station, commercial and ers have found success with new fiberindustrial driveway applications. The glass-composite construction materials. lightweight Duratuff puts an end to Fiberglass has a much more forgiving the risk of back, hand, foot and finger coefficient of thermal expansion, with injuries during opening and closing every change in temperature of 1ºC reoperations, while the textured tread sulting in a negligible expansion of conpattern helps make slip-and-fall traction of the cover of just 0.0000054 incidents a thing of the past. There centimeters. This makes fiberglassare two lifting options to choose from: composite manhole covers suitable for use in temperatures as low as -50ºC (-58ºF). Meet The Family

OPW Conquistador cover

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Taking the plight of the humble manhole cover into account, OPW Retail Fueling, Smithfield, NC, has developed three distinct product lines of manhole covers, Each have varying degrees of sophistication, but all will unquestionably outperform traditional steel manhole designs. They are: • Fibrelite: In 2013, OPW acquired the United Kingdom-based Fibrelite brand, which was the retail-fueling industry’s first fiberglass-composite access covers and are now the crown jewel in OPW’s manhole-cover offering. Fibrelite manhole covers are watertight, easy to remove and non-bolted, which makes them ideal for use in all forecourt applications ranging from general tank-sump access to single/multiport fill sumps, and interstitial sumps to monitoring wells. Fibrelite covers are available in a wide range of colors and sizes, including round, square and rectangular. Other features include an anti-slip surface; anti-corrosion construction; a monolithic structure

OPW Fibrelite FL90 cover

a stainless-steel recessed handle or a key-lift provision. The three mounting options include “roto-lock,” which maintains a secure, watertight seal without the need to locate threaded bolts on the mounting ring; boltdown options; powder-coated ring and brass bolts that prevent rust and corrosion; and a peel-and-stick ribbed-gasket design for easy replacement. Other features include a structural fiberglass-reinforcement matrix. Old 46- and 48-inch manholes can be easily converted to the Conquistador via a special retrofitted mounting ring that fits seamlessly into existing mounting configurations.

• Matador: The economical Matador model features OPW’s next-generation fiberglass-composite technology, making it the industry’s lightest manhole cover and the preferred low-cost option. The lightweight design makes sump access easier and safer, while reducing the risk of back, foot, hand and finger injuries occurring as it is being removed or replaced. A slip-resistant textured tread pattern lowers the risk of slip-and-fall injuries. Other notable features include a corrosion-resistant steel frame; polyurethane skirt with flair; and recessed stainless-steel lift handle. There are two mounting options, including “roto-lock,” which ensures a watertight connection without the need to locate the threaded

bolt holes on the mounting ring; this creates quick-and-easy access while maintain water-resistant security. Finally, the Matador manhole covers are interchangeable with other manufacturers’ designs. Conclusion

Next-generation fiberglass composite manhole covers have been a true game-changer for the retail fueling industry, with OPW producing a series of covers that feature none of the shortcomings of traditional steel models, while delivering longer service life, improved reliability and best-in-class ability to prevent the water intrusion and ice invasion that can compromise the effectiveness of a service station’s fueling operation. Ed Kammerer is the director of global product management for OPW, based in Cincinnati, OH, USA. He can be reached at ed.kammerer@opwglobal.com. For more information on OPW, go to OPWGlobal.com.

Conquistador-style lift handle “Roto-Cam” option

Steel frame Polyethylene skirt w / flair

LIGHTWEIGHT | LOW COST

MATADOR COMPOSITE COVER VALUE TOUGH ENOUGH TO STOP A RAGING BULL • Best value cover on the market • Features legendary OPW quality and reliability • Lightest cover on the market – gain your independence from steel covers

• Lightweight, anti-slip surface makes sump accessibility safer and easier • Water and UV resistant – will not corrode

Contact your OPW District Manager to order or request more information. Learn more at www.opwglobal.com/matador

DEFINING

CO N V E N I E N C E & C A R WAS H C A N A DA / 4 5

ATM

Four reasons your Access Cash ATM is consistently “Employee of the Month” + Never late for work + Full of energy - 99.9% uptime + Access Cash ATMs can generate revenues of $12,000 - $24,000/year + Canada’s #1 ATM provider with over 11,000 ATMs

Call today! 1-888-289-3939 Mention promo code: CARWASH for a special offer. access-cash.com 4 6 / J U LY A U G U S T I S S U E

By Marlene Milczarek

BOOSTING INCOME WITH AN ATM

Case Study

Situated north of the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, this ESSO gas and convenience store provides quick and easy to access to amenities, such as gas, grocery and cash. The area is boosted with an influx of over 200,000 visitors in the winter and over 20,000 in the summer, becoming a handy one-stop for all, as the area’s key source of cash with the nearest bank a 20-30-minute drive away. Business Challenge

When the owners took over the combined convenience store and Esso gas station, an Access Cash ATM was already installed, with the sellers loading their own cash, so the new owners assumed the contract and loading process. In the beginning, the couple say managing and loading the ATM was a process of trial and error, so they kept a close track of the cash balance by logging onto the machine to see the settlements and cash position. “We’d have to see how much cash came out of the ATM on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to know what we could use as a deposit, “say the owners. “We’d need the Access Cash portal to do that because of the lag in the deposits on weekends.” The couple run their ATM separately from the convenience store business, which enables them to purchase money from the store to refill the ATM, instead of incurring high cash deposit charges at the bank. “When we do deposits at the bank for our business, we get our ATM business to purchase all of the twenties so that we’re not depositing twenties and then have to go to the bank to purchase twenties to refill the ATM,” they say. “It helps reduce our banking fees on the business side and on the ATM side, it gives us most of the twenties that we need to operate.” When the couple first started loading the ATM, they started out with a smaller sum of cash for

loading, which meant they’d have to replenish the ATM in the summer time two to three times per week, as they kept using that cash. However, three years later, their ATM revenues have grown along with their bank account so they don’t have to load as often. The Solution

The owner and her husband, who have a placed ATM and load their own cash, say the portal is a fantastic tool to help them manage their ATM. They’re able to leverage the portal for cash visibility, balancing and troubleshooting, as needed. Today, they use the portal weekly – sometimes two to three times a week. Self-loading ATM cash reduces bank fees, saves time and provides added security. For a small business, depositing cash is expensive, so, to reduce bank fees, the couple uses the twenties from their store that would have been deposited into the bank and replenish the ATM with them. “We pay a banking fee of $2.50 per thousand dollars that we deposit in cash at the branch,” they say. “Whereas when we deposit cheques, it’s about 35 cents per cheque.” Assuming a deposit of $16,000 worth of twenties, the couple would pay $40 in bank fees for that deposit versus writing the business a cheque for $16,000, only costing them 35 cents. “The savings add up,” they say. “Another benefit is that typically when you want to withdraw a large sum of cash,

CO N V E N I E N C E & C A R WAS H C A N A DA / 47

the bank needs 24-hours’ notice, so it saves us that time and hassle from not having to call the bank and order cash. It saves us travel time to and from the bank and provides security from not having to carry a lot of cash both ways.” The couple leverages the Access Cash portal to inform them of their cash position and for troubleshooting. A customer recently withdrew $40 from the ATM and his receipt said $40 but the cash dispensed/received from the ATM was $60. “Within minutes,” they say, “we were able to validate what happened because his transaction was in the portal.” In real time, the owners were able to reconcile how much money was in the cartridge versus the bank versus in limbo.

lottery/lotto as an in-store other income generator. In convenience stores, an average of 20-30 per cent of cash withdrawn from the ATM is spent on location. The owners reaffirm this saying that when a customer walks in to get cash from their ATM, there’s additional revenue from customers who often purchase lottery, coffee, milk or cigarettes while they’re in store. “On a few occasions, we’ve had our POS down, or a customer credit card declined,” say the owners. “Because we have an ATM onsite, the customer is able to pay for gas.” Also, the store doesn’t provide cash back at the till. If someone needs cash, they are directed to the ATM.

Key Outcomes

Marlene Milczarek is director of marketing for Access Cash – Canada’s leading ATM operator with over 11,000 ATMs across North America. Learn more at www.access-cash.com mobile 416-476-3983 Web: www.access-cash.ca Email: mmilczarek@ezee-atm.com

The owners generate $12,000 in ATM revenue annually, which is on par with the National Association of Convenience Stores’ State of the Industry report noting that ATMs generate $984 per month, second only to

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CO N V E N I E N C E & C A R WAS H C A N A DA / 4 9

By Del Williams

Erie Brush Continues Tradition of Innovation and Quality, Despite Passing of Carwash Legend Dan Pecora With the recent passing of carwash legend Dan Pecora, his son Robert is continuing the family tradition of innovating some of the industry’s highest quality brushes as president of Erie Brush, a supplier to the carwash industry since 1948. The Chicago, IL based manufacturer provides carwash owners with a wide variety of supplies for self-service washes, tunnel washes, auto detailing etc. This includes hog’s hair brushes, cloth, foam, tire/wheel brushes and detailing brushes for cars, trucks, boats, buses, and RVs. “The passing of my father is very difficult and he is a legend in this business,” says Robert Pecora, who has 36 years of carwash industry experience. “Fortunately, the company is in a very strong position financially and the manufacturing processes he created over the years are all in place. We have ample inventory and are as ready as ever to service carwash operators.” Although standard brushes, cloth and foam are offered, Erie Brush is also known in the industry for providing custom brushes in a broad assortment of materials, designs, and colors. Among the offerings are a vast number of specialty brushes for conveyor, rollover and drive-through washes for all major equipment OEMs. “My father only ever really worried about one thing: making the best, most effective brushes in the world,” says Pecora. “He never compromised on quality, and price was never a factor in brush materials. Every material is of the absolute, highest quality which makes the brush clean better and last longer.”

the longer bristles reach deep into wheel crevices while the shorter bristles clean the tire and wheel surface. For a better polish of vehicle surfaces without the risk of scratching, snagging or damaging any portion of the car, Erie Brush developed an exceptionally gentle foam for conveyor washes that was capable of reaching difficult-to-clean areas. The innovative designs also impacted self-service washes. When Erie produced a foaming brush head with six feed holes, instead of the traditional two-three, the design ensured that enough foam was produced to lubricate the entire brush head. The result was a cleaner wash without damage to the vehicle surface. In addition to more obvious innovations, attention was also directed at smaller details of brush design, including the number of filaments and for cloth and foam – the softness of the material. “Every brush was designed to do a great job cleaning each vehicle while lasting a long time so the cost-per-wash is less at the end of the day, week and year,” says Robert Pecora.

The Third Generation As it was for his father – and his father before him – Robert Pecora has been preparing his entire life to carry the mantle as the third generation in the carwash brush supply business. At the age of 15, he began working at his father’s carwash, gaining valuable experience washing cars and performing maintenance. While washing 140,000+ cars per year with line speeds up to 160 cars/hour, he was able to learn many aspects of running a successful carwash. A Legend Passes When he was 20, he was asked by his father to work with him Dan Pecora grew up with America’s carwash industry and influenced it with passion and creativity. He passed away April 26, 2020, a few at Erie Brush to start learning more about the family business. He days before he was inducted into the 2020 International Carwash made the transition to Erie Brush and visited at least 50 carwashes per week for many years. Association (ICA) Hall of Fame, the industry’s highest honor. In 1994, he formed Simply Solutions Corporation, a chemical soluAs part of the industry since its inception, Pecora provided carwash owners with brushes in a variety of materials over the de- tions manufacturing company, before selling it to a major chemical cades: from synthetic and natural materials in the 1940s, to plastic company in 2017 so that he could work alongside his father in his extruded filaments such as polyethylene and nylon in the 1950s, to later years and prepare to eventually take over the business. Robert Pecora says he will continue to focus on the critical elecloth materials in the 1960s, hogs hair starting in the 1970s, to foam ments of the brush manufacturing business. He believes that having materials in the late 1990s. Along the way, Pecora served as president of the Chicagoland an intimate knowledge of what carwash customers need is essential Carwash Association, and won the ICA President’s Award in 1987 so they get the right tools for the job. As for this period of transition, Pecora says he feels a responsibility as well as the Distinguished Service Award in 1988, in addition to to maintain Erie Brush’s standing in the industry as a leader in brush numerous other awards from regional carwash organizations. Under his guidance, Erie Brush was responsible for a number of innovation and quality. “My father has a plaque above the door to his office that reads, notable innovations in brush, cloth and foam technology. To reliably attain clean wheels with less labour even on intri- ‘This company shall live forever.’ Now it is in my office and as I walk cate or oversize rims, the company developed brush filaments that through the door every day and look up at it, I remember my fagradually vary in length to create a wave-like pattern, or resemble ther’s passion and commitment – and continue the family legacy,” a well-manicured poodle – hence their names Wheel Wonder and concludes Pecora. Poodle Brush. As a vehicle travels through the automated carwash, Del Williams is a technical writer based in Torrance, California.

5 0 / J U LY A U G U S T I S S U E

What’s New

Laurence Serchuk has joined the East Division Zep Vehicle Care team, effective March 30, 2020. Serchuk will take on the role of distributor sales manager in the Eastern Canada market. Serchuk has successfully worked in the petro and in c-store industries for the last 13 years in various positions including marketing project specialist to his current position as operations team lead for Husky Energy. He is married to his wife Malory and they have four children. He is an avid outdoor enthusiast, and enjoys snowboarding and fishing. He also really into anything with motors, from F1 Cars, to planes, and to snowblowers. He is also an active volunteer for the Chill foundation (www.chill.org)

Edward Fuels joins the McDougall Energy family The two family-owned fuel and lubricant distribution businesses move forward together SAULT STE. MARIE, ON: Two of Ontario’s family-owned fuel and lubricant distribution businesses have finalized an agreement that welcomes Edward Fuels Limited (“Edward Fuels”) and associated companies, including Manitoulin Fuels and Petroline Petroleums (“Petroline”) to McDougall Energy Inc. group of companies (“McDougall Energy”). Edward Fuels, Manitoulin Fuels and Petroline will continue to operate under the existing name and management; however, as of June 26, 2020, each will function as A Division of McDougall Energy. With more than 140 years of combined business experience, McDougall Energy and Edward Fuels have worked hard to develop strong relationships in the communities where they operate. Both companies have a proud family history and were established and remain

OCSA and PAYGOS Form Strategic Alliance The Ontario Convenience Store Association (OCSA) and PAYGOS have formed a strategic alliance that will provide Ontario convenience stores with the opportunity to order products from a centralized platform developed and managed by PAYGOS. The platform will provide convenience store operators with the ability to order all products that are available to the convenience channel from the top CPG, automotive, tobacco and beer companies when legislation is passed for convenience store sales. Brands will be able to market promotions and provide everyday low prices directly to the convenience channel while still using their trusted distribution partners for fulfillment. The convenience store will also have access to return unsaleable goods to brands that allow returns. “For many years the convenience channel has searched for a business partner that can coordinate programs and services for the thousands of family run convenience stores in Ontario.” said Dave Bryans, CEO, OCSA. “In a changing retail environment, working together with manufacturers and Paygos will allow independent store owners the same opportunities as major retailers in the province.” Brands are very excited at the prospect of developing a direct marketing connection to the convenience channel and to provide promotions and products at competitive prices. “Paygos is the only platform that is designed to connect brands and convenience stores directly,’ said Hesham Shafie, CEO, Paygos. “Our solution relies on existing distribution partners to fulfill all orders. We are excited about offering a competitive advantage to OCSA member while providing them access to new product offerings, competitive pricing as well as speed to market.” The OCSA represents over 6,000 independent convenience store retailers and regional chains in the province of Ontario. The not-for-profit association is active in advocacy, education, and training for its members, and engages in many issues affecting convenience store retailers. PAYGOS is a cloud platform that leading global brands use to transact with their retail customers. PAYGOS provides the brand, their sales teams and retailers with the ability to place orders, track promotions, manage and distribute incentive program payments and manage the return and payment of unsaleable goods. PAYGOS is a proven platform that global CPG brands have been in using for more than 10 years.

headquartered in smaller Ontario of this acquisition, McDougall communities while growing into Energy has acquired the assets large fuel and lubricant marketers of Edward Fuels, Manitoulin and distributors. Fuels and the Petroline retail brand, furthering the company’s McDougall Energy is a privatelyofferings and reach in Southern owned third-generation family Ontario and complementing its business that has been serving existing operations. households, businesses, motorists and wholesale energy “This is an exciting opportunity customers since 1949. With its for us to grow the McDougall headquarters in Sault Ste. Marie, Energy family business thanks to Ontario. Over the past several the support of a great team and months, McDougall Energy has a continued focus on providing worked closely with the Edward quality products and services,” family in reaching this agreement, said Darren McDougall, presiensuring that the transition is dent of McDougall Energy. “We seamless for Edward Fuels and constantly strive to improve our Manitoulin Fuels employees and business by listening to our cuscustomers located in Southwest/ tomers and understanding their Southcentral Ontario and needs. The teams at Edward Manitoulin region. Fuels and Manitoulin Fuels are very dedicated to their commuEdward Fuels is based out of nities, and we will honour their Goderich, Ontario. With over 70 reputation and continue to foster years of experience in the fuel the business as it grows.” distribution industry, Edward Fuels has demonstrated a level of “As a family-owned business, our expertise, reliability and commuvalues and pledge to our cusnity engagement that McDougall tomers are engrained in all that Energy looks forward to conwe do – this will not change,” tinuing. Similar to McDougall said Don Edward, president of Energy, Edward Fuels has grown Edward Fuels, Manitoulin Fuels to become among the largest and Petroline. “I am excited independently owned petroleum about the future and what it distributors in Ontario. As a result means for our customers, team

members, and our communities, with McDougall Energy leading the way. The McDougall family is one that we are proud to partner with, and they’ll honour the family values that our customers have come to know and trust.” The current COVID-19 health pandemic has presented challenging times and changes for everyone; however, it is expected that during this transition period, both company’s employees and customers can anticipate a minimal impact on existing business operations. There will be no scheduled service interruptions in regions where Edward Fuels, Manitoulin Fuels and Petroline do business. The same trusted staff that customers have worked with over the years at Edward Fuels and Manitoulin Fuels will continue to be of service. Here are some contact numbers, should customers have any questions about accounts or the companies: Edward Fuels Customer Service Website: www.mcdougallenergy.com

CO N V E N I E N C E & C A R WAS H C A N A DA / 5 1

What’s New

Autodesk Invests in Energy Innovation with 360Fuel 360Fuel’s vision of a sustainable future for the fuel industry has just received a long term commitment from Autodesk to support initiatives in energy innovation. This investment from Autodesk will support 360Fuel’s mission to design and manufacture the world’s most advanced and lowest cost alternative fuel dispensers and drive social and environmental impact. Autodesk Inc. is a leader in software services, enabling architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing, media, education, and entertainment. Autodesk seeks impact-oriented organizations and makes investments in the design and creation of innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges. 360Fuel, a Louisiana based company, and the leader in retail fuel innovation designs for manufacture, the world’s most advanced and cost-effective alternative energy fuel dispensers. 360Fuel is focused on accelerating the adoption of organic energy sources and providing a critically connected infrastructure with the most engaging customer experience. Werlien Prosperie III, founder and CEO of 360Fuel, stated: “We believe strongly in driving social impact environmentally. We believe through delivering the most costeffective and customer engaging renewable energy infrastructure, we can deliver substantial progress towards greater utilization of organic energy sources.” 360Fuel’s VP of Development Michael R. Coleman, stated: “This is a great match and will enable 360Fuel to create significant social and environmental impact with our product. 360Fuel believes by significantly lowering the costs of critical alternative energy infrastructure; substantial progress will be made towards reducing global emissions. “ For more information on 360Fuel technology visit www.360fuel.net.

5 2 / J U LY A U G U S T I S S U E

ISTOBAL HW’INTRAWASH applies food safe chemicals followed by a high-pressure rinse for deep cleaning with a controlled and professional sanitization in five minutes or less.

ISTOBAL achieves a safer and more efficient sanitization of the interior of trailers compared to manual washing and reduces the average cleaning time by 65 per cent or better.

ISTOBAL’s automated system reduces down-time and improves employee safety in the washing of refrigerated trailers and achieves greater control in the consumption of water and chemical products.

ISTOBAL offers cutting-edge solutions for the sanitization of food transporters and compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Charger Logistics and Grupo Mazo also stand out among numerous success stories. Charger Logistics is an industry leader in North America and recognized as an innovative leader in refrigerated food transportation. Grupo Mazo, on the other hand, is a leading refrigeration transport company in Spain. Charger Logistics, an early adopter of the ISTOBAL HW’INTRAWASH, has this equipment at its facilities in Laredo, Texas and will soon install another unit in Brampton, Canada. The company reports that they have managed to reduce the time it takes to clean the trailers while also managing to sanitize them more consistently. With a fleet of over 800 trucks and 2,000 trailers, Charger Logistics washes up to 300 trailers a week utilizing the ISTOBAL HW’INTRAWASH. Grupo Mazo, on the other hand, highlights ISTOBAL HW’INTRAWASH as a point in favor in complying with the IFS (International Featured Standard) certification that applies to the food supply chain. With ISTOBAL’s HW’INTRAWASH, Grupo Mazo has managed to triple the interior cleaning of its fleet of more than 1,000 trucks and reduce the consumption of chemical products due to the equipment’s highly accurate chemical dosing system. The HW’INTRAWASH can be easily mounted to a dock or

Bristol–ISTOBAL, a leader in fleet wash and food safety, offers new cutting-edge solutions designed specifically for food haulers, intermodal transporters, refrigerated fleets and grocery chains. The internationally patented ISTOBAL HW’INTRAWASH is an innovative system designed specifically to simplify food safety compliance and increase the frequency and quality of trailer washouts. The HW’INTRAWASH can be programmed to meet the most demanding food safety compliance requirements including US FDA/FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) guidelines. With the HW’INTRAWASH, food protection professionals can now standardize and calibrate trailer washouts and better manage threats to food safety. Introduced a year ago, the HW’INTRAWASH offers food haulers an effective tool to meet the everyday challenge of providing sanitary transportation for food products. Phil Schuyler of Envirochem, a distributor of ISTOBAL equipment, recently installed a HW’INTRAWASH at a distribution center for one of the largest grocery chains in the United States. Phil commented on the system saying, “I believe that the HW’INTRAWASH is the best tool available today for washing and sanitizing trailers for grocery operations; the system cleans more thoroughly and efficiently than standard manual washouts.”

can be used with a mobile platform. It has a telescoping head that moves inside the trailer performing a high-pressure wash and sanitization while dragging dirt and debris to the exterior to be collected by an optional debris hopper. The highly accurate chemical dosing system also provides greater control in the consumption of water and chemical products translating into cost-savings. When compared with manual trailer washouts, the HW’INTRAWASH offers companies a 65 per cent or better reduction in wash time. The average time allocated for an employee based, manual cleaning of a trailer is 15- 20 minutes with the quality of sanitization largely dependent on the rigor with which the chemical is applied. The HW’INTRAWASH can wash and sanitize trailer interiors up to 53 feet long with a standard 5-minute program while also providing a safer and healthier working environment for employees and simplifying compliance with OSHA safety guidelines. For more information visit https://istobal.com/

What’s New

DeanHouston/Exhibit Logistics Helping Slow Spread of COVID-19 and Keep Local People Employed By Producing Reusable Face Masks With Large-Format Digital Printer CINCINNATI, OH – DeanHouston, Inc., a leading full-service, business-to-business, integrated marketing communications firm, announced the decision to convert the company’s Exhibit Logistics large-format printing capabilities to include the manufacturing of washa-ble, double-layered, cloth face masks. The reusable face masks were made to help slow the spread of COVID-19 for essential businesses where employees have exposure to the public or coworkers, and to help keep local people employed. “A large number of our clients have been deemed essential manufacturers, and we have come to learn that securing these masks has not been an easy task,” said Dale Dean, CEO and founder of DeanHouston. “We realized very quickly that with our industrial-sized dig-ital textile printer we had the capability to quickly mobilize and fulfill an emerging need to help keep people safe and help slow the spread of this pandemic.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended the use of face cover-ings in public areas where social distancing measures can be challenging. Recent studies have shown a significant number of individuals with coronavirus can be asymptomatic, making the use of facial coverings an important recommended practice for maintaining and controlling viral transmission. Exhibit Logistics, a division of DeanHouston, is a full-service trade show production com-pany with grand-format textile printing capabilities, and is leading the effort to produce these personal protective equipment (PPE) materials. The company quickly converted its grand format dye-sublimation printer and entire facility to begin full-scale production of various types of reusable face masks. Company logos or any number of designs can be printed on the face masks. Masks are available in multiple styles and designs, including double-sheet cotton cover; single sheet polyester cover with single sheet cotton barrier and filter pocket; or single sheet polyester cover with double sheet barrier and filter pock-et. Multiple filter types (not included) can be inserted into the filter pocket. Exhibit Logistics is also producing face shields that have been assembled using the CDC-compliant process. The company’s face shields include a forehead guard with thin-gauge and a flexible PVC outer shell and soft foam insert. On the company’s face shield, there is a head strap with a one-size-fits-all adjustable Velcro design for long wear and maximum comfort. The face shields have been constructed using these lightweight materials, ap-proved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to provide full facial coverage with-out sacrificing wearer visibility or impeding communication. For every 10 masks DeanHouston produces, one mask will be donated. With every order, companies or individuals purchasing masks have the option of designating them to health care workers and those caring for others in need at hospitals, nursing homes, retirement communities, other health care facilities or first responders. Minimum orders of 500 masks are being accepted at this time. For more information on the masks or shields, please contact Tyler Houston at 740-646-2914 or ty-ler.houston@exhibitlogistics.com. For more information about DeanHouston, please visit deanhouston.com.

Connected Truck and Connected Depot Apps from Implico Achieves SAP Certification through the Co-Innovated with SAP Program The international software and consulting company for the oil and gas industry, Implico, celebrates another milestone in its on-going digitalization journey. Its Connected Truck and Connected Depot 1.0 apps are now SAP certified – Built on SAP Cloud Platform through the Co-Innovated with SAP program. The cloud-based micro services offer tank terminal operators and their business partners significant benefits, such as more efficient, secure and transparent truck handling from entrance to exit. The SAP certification underlines the added value that Connected Truck and Connected Depot grant their users. The Co-Innovated with SAP program is designed to help partners through the development lifecycle that culminates in a SAP-certified and tested solution against SAP product standards. It is an end-to-end program of guided services offered by the SAP Partner Innovation Lifecycle Services organization that helps partners take their products to market in alignment with other SAP teams (product management, solution management, development and field), thereby providing the guidance and support to help ensure a competitive solution in the marketplace. Linking truck drivers with dispatching and transport planning systems The app Connected Truck directly links the truck driver with the dispatching and transport planning system. This enhances the trip planning and reconciliation for bulk deliveries significantly and raises a wealth of new possibilities. The result: The fetch and deliver process can become more efficient, transparent and safe for all parties involved. Speeding up truck handling via the Online Check-in The app Connected Depot addresses two crucial issues at tank farms with truck connections, namely queuing at the gate and traffic on site. Via the cloud-based functionality Online Check-in, it streamlines product loading in oil, gas and chemical terminals. The key to success: Connected Depot links all partakers in the operation in real time. The app keeps them in the loop regarding the latest developments and lets them carry out key work steps before the truck has even arrived at the gate. This supports a seamless process from planning to execution – even in cases that involve several terminals and customers. Taking an important step towards a fully digitalized downstream supply chain Jean-Marc Delbos, director, oil & gas industry business unit at SAP, points out: “To boost the supply chain efficiency across complex business networks by increased collaboration based on standardized processes becomes an objective that companies are pursuing in the fuels secondary distribution domain. The Connected Truck and Connected Depot applications, by Implico, are prefiguring the evolution towards such business networks that will further develop in these times of fundamental transformation.” Tim Hoffmeister, CEO of Implico Group, is excited about the latest developments and the things to come: “With the Connected Truck and Connected Depot apps newly achieving SAP Certification through the Co-Innovated with SAP program, we are taking an important step towards our vision of a fully digitalized, intelligent downstream supply chain. The increase in process optimization for tank farms and carriers is immense. We are looking forward to offer our new Supply Chain United technologies to the industry soon. Here, the label CoInnovated with SAP will help us a lot.” Connected Truck and Connected Depot are already implemented at pilot locations in Europe. For further information on the co-innovation apps in particular and the Supply Chain United in general, Implico invites interested parties to visit www.supply-chain-united.com and sign up for the SCU-specific mailing list.

CO N V E N I E N C E & C A R WAS H C A N A DA / 5 3

Ad Index

Aerodry Systems......................................................................................OBC Airlift Doors, Inc........................................................................................... 39 LSI Industries Announces New Member of Executive Team Cincinnati, OH, – LSI Industries (NASDAQ: LYTS) announced today that Jonathan Towner has joined the company as vice president, chief information officer. Towner is responsible for leading the company’s information technology department. He will be an essential part of the executive team and will provide the strategic leadership to deliver technology solutions that support the company’s objectives. “We are excited to welcome Jonathan to our leadership team,” said Jim Clark, president and CEO of LSI Industries. “I am confident that his contributions will produce value across the entire company as we strive to serve customers better than anyone else in our industry.” Prior to joining LSI, Towner was the information technology leader for Mazak Corporation, North America. He has held executive IT and marketing leadership positions for MVD Connect and Fives Machining Systems. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Xavier University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Premedical Studies from the University of Dayton.

Bulloch Technologies.................................................................................. 48 CICC.............................................................................................................. 8 Distribution Regitan .................................................................................... 49 EZEE ATM................................................................................................... 46 Innovative Control Systems..........................................................................35 International Drying Corp.............................................................................41 MI Petro......................................................................................................... 6 Modern Wash.............................................................................................. 23 Mondo Products......................................................................................... IFC National Convenience Week......................................................................... 8 OPW (Dover Fueling Systems).....................................................................45 P.D. McLaren Ltd. / Istobal).........................................................................21 P.D. McLaren Ltd. / ZEP Vehicle Care........................................................ 28 P.D. McLaren Ltd. /Oasis............................................................................ 16 P.D. McLaren / RDR...................................................................................IBC Petroleum Equipment Institute.................................................................... 13 Women In Carwash................................................................................16, 31 WPMA Expo................................................................................................ 18 XpresWash...................................................................................................21 ZEP Vehicle Care........................................................................................ 33

REACH DIVERSE NEW MARKETS ADVERTISING TODAY! MADECOFFEE TO-ORDER PROGRAM FOODSERVICE PROFITS PAGE 8 PAGE 19

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MONTREAL

514.791.6398

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Booth 11141

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