In this edition of Market Focus, we cover carwash renovations and construction.

Metro Car Wash renovation will double capacity, reduce wait times

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Mazen Muna, the owner of Metro Car Wash, located in downtown Milwaukee at 1510. N. Van Buren St., says plans to renovate the carwash will double its capacity, according to an article from www.onmilwaukee.com.

Metro Car Wash’s location will undergo its renovation beginning in early April, the article continued.

In addition to replacing the concrete floor and making the business ADA compliant, Muna is knocking out the west wall of the garage to allow cars to drive through, the article stated.

Metro will also offer electric car charging in the new space, the article noted, and it will remain open throughout the renovation, except while concrete is being poured and cured.

According to the article, Metro currently details 150 vehicles per week, but Muna said the improvements will allow his staff to service increased volumes of vehicles.

“This is a huge, huge deal,” he said. “This construction will double the output and slash wait times in half.”

Additionally, Metro has a new satellite location in the 833 East Michigan Building and works with other downtown offices to get customers’ cars cleaned while they’re at work, the article stated.

Muna went on to say the new expanded Metro will provide services not commonly found downtown, like wheel repair and paint-less dent removal, according to the article.

Services range from $20 for an economy wash to $235 for a full detail that includes buffing, waxing and complete interior detailing, the article concluded.

Read the full article here.

Matick Chevrolet to open $7 million carwash and detailing center

DETROIT, Mich. — According to Automotive News’ Fixed Ops Journal, Karl Zimmermann, owner of Matick Chevrolet, sees 1.5 million cars and trucks cross the intersection near his dealership in the Detroit suburb of Redford each week.

Zimmermann said that reason alone justifies his $7 million investment in a carwash and detailing center at Matick Chevrolet, the article continued.

The twin-tunnel automatic wash is scheduled to open next month on the 13-acre dealership site and feature 140-foot conveyors and 15 indoor detailing bays, the article stated.

Zimmermann expects to book $2.5 million in revenue during the carwash’s first full year, the article continued, but that figure doesn’t include appointment-based full detailing, which can cost several hundred dollars per vehicle.

Although short of a trend, washing and detailing installations are gaining popularity among dealerships with large real estate footprints that can accommodate street traffic, the article stated.

Zimmermann estimates the new facility will provide 100,000 to 150,000 retail washes in its first full year, plus 72,000 washes of the dealership’s own vehicles, the article continued.

A wash will average $10, while express detailing will cost $20, the article stated; service customers will get a free basic wash with a retail value of about $7 and can pay to upgrade.

Prices for express service washes will range from $7 to $19, and express detailing from $15 to $40, according to the article.

“We used to wash less than five percent of our vehicles,” Zimmermann said. “Now, we’re hopefully going to wash 100 percent of them.”

Read the full article here.

Hinsdale man pays $1 million to buy, renovate carwash

HINSDALE, Ill. — In 2017, a Hinsdale man paid more than $1 million to purchase Premier Car Wash, located at 903 Harlem Ave., and now the business will undergo a complete makeover, according to the Forest Park Review.

Neil Rembos, who manages Celltech LLC, bought the Premier Car Wash property in May last year, according to the article.

Rembos bought the lot from Odock Two Inc., which is managed by Katherine Madock of River Forest, the article continued.

Steve Glinke, director of Forest Park’s Department of Public Health and Safety, said the purchase and renovation of Premier Car Wash is a family deal between father Steven and son Neil Rembos, the article stated.

The Rembos’ plan is to partially demolish the site, the article noted, build a more automated carwash and replace all the equipment.

“The gist I got was they wanted to update some of the mechanicals; it’s a little bit of an onion,” Glinke said. “They want to make it more automated, so they won’t have as many onsite employees. New equipment, different envelope.”

Construction will run through spring and should finish by late summer, the article concluded.

Read the full article here.