The past month in the carwash industry has been a busy one. Creating multiple carwash publications is different than running hundreds of cars through a tunnel or bay on a weather-friendly weekend, but covering this vibrant market definitely keeps our team active. In fact, recent publications and industry events have taken Professional & Carwashing Detailing all the way from the Southern Hemisphere to South New Jersey in less than a month.
Taking the reins of PC&D, one of my most important duties has been learning more about the burgeoning carwash market in Australia. Having emerged from the infamous Millennium Drought, Australia as a whole is looking for new water resources as well as water-smart businesses and technologies. As home washing became of a thing of the past for many Australians, automated and responsible carwashes opened and flourished. Professional Carwashing & Detailing: Australia is a quarterly electronic publication that explores this expanding market and the issues that affect it.
Once the latest Australian issue was finished, the PC&D team was on its way to Atlantic City for the bustling Northeast Regional Carwash Convention (NRCC). This regional trade show drew a crowd of carwash owners and operators ready to participate in educational sessions and explore the show floor. The sessions covered exit plans and financial planning, the Affordable Care Act, Carwash College sessions and a question and answer keynote presentation by Robert “Bob” Benmosché.
During the keynote, Benmosché shared stories from his time leading American International Group Inc. (AIG) back from the brink of financial ruin. Based on his experience with labor issues at AIG, he offered tips for leveraging high-turnover employees in a successful business. Benmosché spoke on empowering employees to make decisions and grow with a company while management maintains a consistent dialogue and remains accessible. These changes often help owners step away from what Benmosché called “minimum wage work” and proves that employees are “far more loyal” than an operator may think.
After the trade show, work continued on this issue of PC&D. Hitting on common carwash issues such as lighting, business insurance, winter preparation and more, this issue aims to help carwash owners stay a step ahead of the competition. As our coverage and convention presentations commonly report, proper preparation, increased efficiencies and maximum labor performance are often carwashing’s “secrets” to success and celebration.
Thank you for reading,
