News from the industry

Carwash video secures murder indictment
Joseph Smith was found guilty of kidnapping, raping and killing 11-year-old Carlie Brucia thanks to help from a camera outside a carwash that caught the abduction on tape.

Brucia’s disappearance from the carwash parking lot in February 2004 attracted worldwide attention because of the images, which were broadcast repeatedly on television.

Jurors were also presented with DNA samples, but the carwash security video stood as the prime piece of evidence against Smith, who may face the death penalty.

PCC Online™ sees record traffic
As of Oct. 31, www.carwash.com logged a total of 1,131,370 user visits compared to the 1,043,252 visits recorded during the entire 12 months of 2004 and 735,984 visitors during all of 2003.

Mike Hilts, publisher of the Professional Car Care B2B Trade Group™, predicted that total user visits will reach at least 1.3 million by the end of 2005, which would be a 75 percent increase in the Web site’s traffic over a two year period.

In fact, the average monthly unique users to the site has jumped from 25,468 last year to 32,383 a month during the first 10 months of this year, a 27 percent increase. (Unique users are individuals who visit the site at least once during a month, some of them returning several times.)

ICA forms alliance with OSHA
The International Carwash Association (ICA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have formed an alliance to further protect carwash employees.

“Overall, it will result in reduced injury in the work place,” said Mark Thorsby, executive director of the ICA.

Thorsby pointed out that the ICA approached OSHA about a year ago with the idea to form the alliance, as part of the association’s plan to develop a closer relationship with government bodies that affect the industry.

A joint team of representatives from the ICA and OSHA will meet regularly to develop an action plan, identify goals and objectives, and track and share information on activities and results of the alliance.

CA oil spill increases car-care business
Recently a California Shell Oil Refinery accidentally dispersed 150 gallons of oil in a mist over the downtown area, which could cost the company $525,000 to $1.05 million just on cleaning oil-stained vehicles.

As of press time, more than 3,500 claims have been made for vehicles, 500 claims for homes, and 1,600 cars have been cleaned.

Two companies that travel nationwide to specialize in over-spray removal, Overspray Removal Specialists Inc. and Professor Overspray, were hired to man the onsite carwash, and people are also being referred to Autopia Car Care, a local vehicle detailing business.

The wash process has been taking anywhere from two to four hours and Shell is spending between $150 to $300 on each vehicle for cleanup, with some vehicles requiring more than one detail treatment or even new paint.