While preparing this issue last month, the editorial team of Professional Carwashing & Detailing expanded its research and understanding of the professional carwash and detailing industry as well as the trends and issues that are most affecting today’s carwash owners and operators.

In addition to this month’s featured focus, which includes our annual combined and comprehensive benchmarking survey for self-serve, conveyor/tunnel and in-bay automatic carwashes, our Group Assistant Editor Maria Woodie and I attended The Car Wash Show™ 2016, which was held in Nashville, Tennessee.

Not only does attending this annual event — as well as the regional trade shows we attend throughout the year — help us to achieve important editorial goals, but it also helps us recognize the trends and issues affecting carwashes and develop story ideas for future issues and online exclusive content.

This year at The Car Wash Show 2016 more than 370 booths packed the Music City Center. Included in this issue are some of the people we connected with on the show floor.

In case you missed this year’s show, it is not too early to start planning for next year. It was great seeing our friends in the industry again, and we enjoyed meeting those of you who stopped by our booth.

Last month, members of our team also visited Hoffman Car Wash in Albany, New York. We thank the team at Hoffman Car Wash for their hospitality and time, and we hope to be back soon.

Finally, we would like to thank the respondents of this year’s benchmark survey. We appreciate the time and effort you put into completing this year’s survey.

The survey will remain open, and updated results will be provided later this year.

Also later this year, we will be conducting a detailing survey, and those results will be included in an upcoming issue.