Ground Breaking - December 2014 - Professional Carwashing & Detailing

Ground Breaking – December 2014

A look at new carwashes and c-stores opening around the world.

NORTH CHESTERFIELD, Va.  

Flagstop Car Wash celebrated the grand opening of its newest location on Nov. 8, according to a press release.

Customers received a free carwash of their choice, including the Fire and Ice Express, featuring the new Fire and Ice from Turtle Wax Professional.

The celebration included a fundraiser cookout to benefit a family in need identified by the Christmas Mother program. Proceeds from the cookout went toward the program.

Christmas Mother was on-site from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. during the event, and the organization accepted additional donations in the form of new toys, children’s clothing, books and cash.

DALLAS

Tommy’s Terrific Carwash is planning its third location to open in 2016, according to a press release.

The express tunnel and hand drying will clean and wash a car in three minutes. Customers can also use complimentary vacuums and mat cleaning machines.

The first Tommy’s location opened in 2008 and has washed more than 800,000 cars since then. The company’s second location opened on Ross Avenue in 2012, and it washed about 100,000 last year, surpassing growth projections.

Owner Tom Miller has more than 25 years of experience in the carwash industry. He also owns and operates TradeMark Car Wash, a full-service wash also in Texas. With the success of his Ross Avenue location, his company is now ready to expand south.

Construction on the new Tommy’s location will begin in Spring 2016 after completion of the Dallas Horseshoe Project connector ramp located directly to the north of the property on Interstate 30.

MILWAUKEE

The newly-opened American Car Wash offered free washes in October in support of a charity, according to fox6now.com.

Customers received free carwashes and could donate to the Hunger Task Force with cash donations or non-perishable food items.

Owner Davinder Toor wanted to make people familiar with the business and help others out at the same time.

“I was born and raised here, I grew up just a few blocks down the street,” states Toor in the article. “And I want to find as many ways to help local organizations, be it Hunger Task Force or high schools, churches. Whoever we can help in the process, as long as we can keep our business profitable at the same time, everybody’s happy.”

BATON ROUGE, La.

Benny’s Carwash has purchased a two-acre parcel of land for its new express location, according to the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report.

Owner Justin Alford said in the article that the location will be the company’s biggest yet at a cost of $5 million.

The carwash will be the seventh Benny’s location, and the fifth Express outlet.

The site will include a 180-foot conveyor, 20 vacuum stalls and space to detail 12 vehicles.

Benny’s filed an application for rezoning in November 2013. Alford explained many issues arose that delayed the process, and many permits had to be issued.

Alford hopes the location will open sometime in 2015.

DALLAS 

Dreamwash Auto Spa will open a new carwash in February 2015, according to owner Arshad Niaz.

The company completed purchase of the land for the new facility in October, and the wash will include a 145-foot express tunnel and 20 free self-serve vacuums.

The wash will also feature pay stations with point-of-sale kiosks, RFID monthly tags and numerous technological enhancements.

Dreamwash planned to introduce itself to local residents with a period of free unlimited premium level washes.

Niaz said in a release that the demographics of the Frisco neighborhood where the wash will open are promising.

“The city of Frisco has been consistently ranked amongst the top three fastest growing cities in the United States for the last 10 years, and the population is projected to grow 18 percent annually for the next five years,” explains Niaz.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.

Time to Shine Car Wash’s seventh location will wash a car in less than three minutes, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

The building was previously owned by Swifty Car Wash of North Georgia LLC, but was closed earlier this year. Time to Shine purchased the property in September 2014 and renovated it for $1.45 million.

The carwash recycles 88 percent of the water it uses through a reclaim system, and it has five employees.

Basic washes regularly cost $6, and a deluxe wash and wax costs $20. Through October, however, customers received $3 off all washes.

Memberships can be purchased from $29.99 to $59.99. The wash offers free vacuums and window cleaners to all customers.

The location also accepts credit and debit cards with its automated pay station.

TURLOCK, Calif.

Prime Shine Car Wash added solar panels to its new 15th location in an effort to commit to eco-friendly business practices, according to a press release.

Housed atop pavilions covering the carwash’s 28 free vacuums, the solar panels are expected to generate enough electricity to offset an estimated 20 percent of the carwash’s power needs.

The 60,000-square-foot tunnel location is the company’s largest wash and its first to incorporate solar power.

“This location has been built with one of our key vision elements in mind — grow our sustainable eco-business practices,” President Evan Porges says in the release. “We have taken all steps available to save water and power while at the same time providing the high-quality product that customers have become accustomed to receiving at all Prime Shines.”

The facility features LED lighting, VFDs and water reclaim and filtration systems. The reclaim system reuses about 95 percent of all water applied to each vehicle. Cars can be washed in about three minutes.

MONTGOMERY, Ala.

The modern Mr. K Car Wash is under construction as one of several new projects at an expanding shopping center, according to the Montgomery Advertiser.

The 4,000-square-foot facility was made possible after many of the Stratford Square Shopping Center’s parking spaces were rezoned to allow more retail space.

The carwash will feature newly-released wash products and technology, and it will be one of the first washes in the area to use 100 percent recycled water.

Owners and Georgia natives Christina and Kevin Son chose Montgomery because of the area’s charm and the seemingly growing market.

The owners’ daughter, Hannah, will manage the wash.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia

Tint World Automotive Styling Centers has opened its second international location in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, according to a press release.

The company’s first international location opened in Kingston, Ontario, in June 2014.

Tint World awarded a 30-Store Tint World Master Franchise License for Saudi Arabia. After months of development, the Saudi Arabia team opened the first location.

The new store showcases a wide array of products and services available. Technicians can provide computer cut window tinting, paint protection film, auto security and remote starts, custom wheels, detailing and appearance reconditioning.

Tint World corporate staff visited the new location for three weeks for setup, training and support of the new store opening.

ADELAIDE, Australia

Peregrine Corporation will construct a Krispy Kreme outlet by July 2015, according to news.com.au.

When complete the outlet will also include an On the Run service station and carwash.

Construction on Adelaide’s third Krispy Kreme was scheduled to begin Oct. 10, but the company applied to extend the deadline.

According to On the Run food brand manager Juliette Graham, construction will begin by July since it is currently focused on launching its second store in the area.

“South Australia’s first Krispy Kreme outlet opened in West Croydon in July,” reports the article.

WEST SUSSEX, England 

Sussex County received its first dog wash, according to theargus.co.uk. The company received exclusive rights to distribute the stations.

After inserting cash or credit cards, pet owners can use a variety of shampoos, conditioners and de-fleaing products to wash and dry their pets.

“You can give them a quick wash and blow dry without having to wait at a groomer and it is done within minutes,” states the spokesman in the article. “The dogs love it, the water is warm and the instructions are easy to read.”

The spokesman also said the service has been successful in the U.S. and Australia. The first station in Sussex County will be installed at the Pet and Garden Warehouse in November.

Use of the stations cost £5 for the first seven minutes, and extra time can be purchased. The first ten customers received a free dog wash and dry.

SACRAMENTO, Calif.

In celebration of its grand opening of its new express wash, Quick Quack Car Wash gave away free carwashes, according to a press release.

Customers received the free washes from Nov. 4 through Nov. 13 at the new location from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

The facility marks the ninth location in the area and the 19th in the nation.

“This new location and the two more set to open in 2015 help us to better realize our goal to provide fast and clean car washes to every part of Sacramento,” says Jason Johnson, president of Quick Quack Car Wash, in the release. “We are especially excited to provide a water-saving and environmentally friendly alternative to driveway washing to even more members of our community.”

Quick Quack is a soft-cloth, exterior-only conveyor wash. Customers stay in their cars as they are taken through the wash. The carwash also conserves water and uses environmentally friendly shampoos.

The wash was ranked one of the second Fastest Growing Companies in Sacramento in 2010, and one of the top 50 carwashes in the country.

SPRING, Texas

A new Quick Lane under construction will have 28 lanes for oil changes as well as a carwash capable of washing 1,000 cars per day, according to Autonews.com.

The location will be Ford’s largest Quick Lane operation to date.

Dealer Randall Reed and General Manager Shawn Burns believe the carwash is their secret weapon in beating out competitors like nearby Pep Boys and Jiffy Lube.

“We'll be offering something no other fast oil service does: a free carwash with your package,” states Reed in the article. “It's seamless to the consumer.”

Burns said the carwash will help keep customers in his service department after their warranties expire. Oil changes may not bring hefty profits, but return customers may have brake work done or they may purchase new tires.

The new location is situated about two miles from a 385-acre lot ExxonMobil is building on, which is driving up traffic in the area.

CAPE CORAL, Fla.  

Wawa is planning nine new stores in Southwest Florida, according to news-press.com.

Three stores will open in Lee County by spring 2015, and six more will open across Southwest Florida by 2017.

The convenience store and gas station chain offers fresh coffee and made-to-order sandwiches. It is also known for its friendly staff and value.

About 41 percent of Wawa is owned by its employees through an employee shared ownership program.

“It's just great to have a good company like that come, that's got so much tradition and wants good culture in their workforce and we've got that here for them,” shares President of Edison National Bank Robbie Roepstorff, in the article. “I think they're going to bring us good prices and good service and it's just going to be great for Southwest Florida.”

The company is based in Wawa, Pennsylvania. It operates in five mid-Atlantic states and has 52 locations in Florida.

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