Ground Breaking - August 2015 - Professional Carwashing & Detailing

Ground Breaking – August 2015

Find out about the latest carwash, c-store and detail shop openings.

PETERSBURG, Fla.

A startup mobile carwash company, CitySleekers, uses environmentally friendly products and no running water, according to wtsp.com.

Nick Price, CitySleekers founder and CEO, said his wash method utilizes no water except three to six ounces used in the cleaning solution.

“The solution takes a lot less water to actually break down the dirt and grime on the car, so we just spray it on the car, let it emulsify the dirt and grime, and we buff and polish,” stated Price.

The cleaning solution also contains no harmful phosphates or caustics, reported Price, and will not damage the paint on a vehicle.

CitySleekers workers travel to their customers’ locations on bikes, and will also ride around the city for on-the-spot service.

A wash starts at $25 and detailing services are available for an additional fee.

 

MESQUITE, Nev.

The recently opened Falcon Ridge Car Wash includes new equipment, features and tools, according to Mesquite Local News.

One such feature for the 24-hour site includes the “RV Bay,” which is the only wash in the area that can accommodate RVs.

The wash offers a touchfree bay, soft-touch bay and two self-serve bays, which include an “Air Shammy” for customers “to blow off any excess water on their vehicles.”

Six vacuums are also available, including two regular vacuums, two with shampoo and spot removal options and two with a fragrance feature.

“This facility is really built to be self-supporting,” said Richard Israelsen, interim manager. “The equipment inside needs to be maintained, but overall, it has been really reliable for the three weeks we’ve been open.”

 

AMMAN, Jordan

Kärcher and Jordan’s Tillawi Group installed a gantry carwash system at the royal palace of King Abdullah II of Jordan in Amman, according to ConstructionWeekOnline.com. The wash will cater to the “200-strong royal fleet.”

The multifunctional “CB Line” system recycles up to 85 percent of used water for refiltering, and this is a “strong selling point in Jordan,” which, according to the Jordan Times, was ranked second in 2014 on a list of water-poor countries.

The wash system was tested by the king’s engineering team prior to installation. The team assessed the system based on its water and energy efficiency as well as its overall cleaning utility.

“The successful implementation of our CB Line for the king of Jordan is a great vote of confidence for us and a testament to the quality of our car care products” said Richard Nouira of Kärcher ME.

 

HOLLISTER, Mo.

Nicholas Gage, a 17-year-old Hollister High School graduate, will open Slick Nick’s carwash, according to Branson Tri-Lakes News.

Gage plans to use his trust fund, which was set up by his late aunt Coni Gage, to open the wash, and once his brother and cousin get a little older, Cage said they will help him manage it.

The wash will be the latest establishment for the Gage family, who currently has various developments in the city, which was a key factor in the 17-year-old’s decision to open the carwash.

“I want to keep the business going in my family,” said Gage. “I don’t want it to stop, it has been going on for so long. It was actually my grandpa who came up with the name ‘Slick Nick.’ It was a nickname he called me all the time when I was a little kid.”

Gage plans to manage the wash, which is projected to open this August, while pursuing a business management degree from Ozarks Technical Community College’s Table Rock Campus in the fall.

 

GRAVOIS MILLS, Mo.

After six years, the former Hop and Go convenience store recently reopened under a new name, The Cup Tree OSS, according to lakeexpo.com.

Roger Forck, the new owner, explains that “OSS” stands for “Oh Shucks Stop!” “You know, when people drive in from Kansas City and they get all the way out to Cup Tree Road and they are 20 miles from the nearest town, [they] remember, ‘Oh shucks, I forgot to get milk,’” said Forck.“I want them to think of me.”

The 2,450-square-foot business has been closed since the economic downturn in 2009, and includes an office, a full kitchen, a breakfast and lunch counter, a beverage bar, a large checkout counter and a place for indoor dining.

 

STATE COLLEGE, Pa.

With a busy schedule in mind, Taylor Mitcham, a mining engineering major in Penn State’s College of Earth and Mineral Science, came up with the idea of Simple Car Wash, a waterless car cleaning service, according to a news.psu.edu.

More than a year after her initial plan, Mitcham graduated from Penn State and launched her concept as a business, hired five employees and researched waterless car cleaning solutions to incorporate within her business.

“I went to 20 different manufacturers and ordered 20 different samples of this type of cleaning solution,” said Mitcham. “I used all of them on my car, and all but two started to freeze in the colder State College weather. So out of those two, I picked the one I liked the best and ordered a full bottle.”

The biodegradable liquid lifts the dirt from the surface of the vehicle and then the Simple Car Wash’s “wash engineers” wipe away the residue with a cloth, with no need for rinsing or drying.

Mitcham is developing an app that combines barcode scanning and customer scheduling.

 

NORTH SALT LAKE, Utah

Just Wash It Car Wash located in North Salt Lake, Utah, has launched a new dual bay pet wash.

The pet wash is self-contained with several shampoo, conditioner and pet deodorizer options, and vacuum and dryers “provide the final touch” by removing any excess hair and water.

The individual units are climate controlled, offering a comfortable environment for both the pets and the owners and permitting the wash bays to stay open 24/7, regardless of the weather.

“I’m sure there are many great installations across the country,” said Rick Jensen, owner of Just Wash It Car Wash. “However we feel what makes this installation great is the time spent in preplanning so that the final outcome would produce an incredibly unique experience from start to finish, including small details like our faux fire hydrant, molded paw print stepping stones and custom doggie door mats.”

The location’s pet wash also features a micro-sized dog park, which is in the final stages of completion, including natural grass throughout with a three-foot ornamental iron fence surrounding the entire perimeter as well as wooden benches and a doggie pickup bag dispenser with an integrated garbage container.

 

WESTLAND, Mich.

Zax Auto Wash celebrated the grand opening of its Westland location with a full-day event featuring fun and freebies, according to a press release.

The event featured free express washes (or $5 off all other washes), free food and T-shirt giveaways.

As Zax Auto Wash’s newest location, the Westland site recently completed renovations and has been updated to include the latest technology.

The location offers wash plans starting at $19.99 a month, and customers who signed up for this plan during the grand opening event received the first three months of the monthly express pass for only $9.99 per month (valid only at the Westland site).

The wash’s other locations include Wixom, Canton, Livonia and Brighton, noted the release.

 

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