This week, we cover awards and honors, including the 2020 Detailer of the Year; a trade show; a grand opening; and an anniversary.
Santa Fe Springs detailer named 2020 Detailer of the Year by IDA
SANTA FE SPRINGS, Calif. — Claude Harris Jr. of Final Appearance Detailing & Protection won Detailer of the Year at the International Detailing Association’s (IDA) 2020 Annual Business Meeting and Awards Banquet during the Mobile Tech Expo in Orlando, according to a press release.
Harris was nominated by peers from within the IDA membership, and the field was narrowed down to three finalists by the IDA Nominating Committee, the release continued; Harris won the first place honor by an open vote.
“I was flattered to be nominated, but having recently attended SEMA in Las Vegas, I decided not to attend the Florida show. The most humbling part of winning is that it came from among my peers in the industry. I know so many of the professional detailers I was competing with for the award and I can assure you they are all high-quality detailers with successful detailing businesses. I am honored to have taken the top spot,” Harris said.
The Detailer of the Year award is presented to a detailer who has demonstrated superior knowledge, technical skill and professionalism in the detailing industry, the release noted, and the Mobile Tech Expo is the largest international trade show focused completely on the appearance and repair-reconditioning industry in the U.S.
Harris is a certified member of the IDA, but neither nominees nor winners are required to be members, the release added.
Harris began detailing from the trunk of his 1979 Chevy Caprice over 30 years ago and started his first detailing business in the 1990s, but since then he has been recognized by car designer Chip Foose and legendary hot rod builder Boyd Coddington and he has also appeared on the TV show Competition Ready, the release stated.
He also has a passion for hot rods, the release noted.
You can reach Harris at (562) 607-3026 or [email protected].
Renny Doyle inducted into IDA Hall of Fame
BIG BEAR, Calif. — Due to his “significant and lasting contributions to the professional detailing industry in the areas of innovation, advancement, education and leadership,” Master automotive and aircraft detailer and trainer Renny Doyle, known as “The Detailer of Air Force One,” was inducted into the International Detailing Association’s (IDA) Hall of Fame Class of 2020 at the IDA Annual Business Meeting at the Mobile Tech Expo in Orlando, according to a press release.
The IDA Hall of Fame is the highest honor bestowed on a member of the detailing industry by the IDA, the release continued.
Doyle was nominated from among his peers and voted on by the IDA Founder’s Club and all IDA past presidents with 85% of the ballots, the release noted.
Doyle’s contributions to the detailing industry go above and beyond industry expectations, and many will say Doyle’s approach to teaching both the skillsets and the business side of detailing has been instrumental in rebranding the automotive appearance industry from a blue-collar soapy sponge-and-water bucket brigade into an innovative, precision-skilled business and lucrative career offering expertise in paint correction and protective ceramic coatings, the release added.
His work of over 15 years restoring and maintaining the original Air Force One presidential jet on display at the Seattle Museum of Flight catapulted his reputation as an expert in the meticulous care of paint, both automotive and aircraft, the release stated.
He has also field-tested and advised numerous detailing equipment and software developers on how to improve buffers, buffing pads, tools, mobility and professional-grade products for use in a variety of circumstances and in varying environments, the release noted.
Also inducted into the IDA Hall of Fame 2020 Class were Detail Plus Founder Robert “Bud” Abraham; Meguiar’s Founder Barry Meguiar; William Phillips of P&S Sales; and Ed Terwilligar (CD-SV, RT), trainer at Southern California’s Cypress College, the release concluded.
Germany’s federal minister becomes patron of UNITI expo
BERLIN — With Peter Altmaier, the German federal minister of economics and energy as patron, UNITI expo 2020 will celebrate its fourth edition from May 26-28 at the Landesmesse Stuttgart in Germany, according to a press release.
The support from the political sphere underlines the importance that the German government attaches to UNITI expo as the leading European trade fair for the retail petroleum and carwash industries, the release continued.
As federal minister of economics and energy, Altmaier is equally committed to global climate protection and a secure energy supply, the release noted.
UNITI expo offers a comprehensive outlook on the future of the industry that includes the transformation of the gas station into an all-around mobility supplier; the digitalization of the sector; and the use of modern, sustainable fuels, the release noted.
A dedicated themed pavilion for alternative fuels will showcase the present and future sources of energy for the transport sector — from biofuels to electro-mobility and from hydrogen to synthetic fuels, a promising source known as e-fuels, the release added.
The conference program will also take a look into the future with presentations on global trends, digitization and sustainability, the release added.
“We are very pleased to have won over Economics Minister Peter Altmaier as patron for our trade fair. The support is of great importance, especially when looking at the challenge of the energy transition and path towards establishing a climate and environmentally friendly mobility system,” said Elmar Kühn, managing director of UNITI-Kraftstoff GmbH, organizer of the trade fair.
“The successful trade fair concept with its varied program, outstanding presentations and the amount of exhibitors plays a key role in the development of the industry,” said Bruno Boroewitsch, responsible for the organization of the fair.
“The minister’s participation is not only a great pleasure and confirmation for us as organizers, [but] it also constitutes an incentive to consistently develop the trade fair further and to continue to promote the close dialogue with business and politics,” confirmed Kühn.
Flying Ace Express Car Wash grand opening raises $6,087 for Kettering Medical Center Foundation’s Project Gratitude Fund
DAYTON, Ohio — Flying Ace Express Car Wash has announced the donation of $6,087 to Kettering Medical Center Foundation’s Project Gratitude Fund, according to a press release.
The donations were collected from Flying Ace Express customers at the company’s Grand Opening/Free Wash Week held Jan. 3-12, 2020 at the 1901 W. Dorothy Lane, Moraine location, the release continued.
During the grand opening, Flying Ace Express offered a free signature “Flying Ace” carwash ($15 value) to every customer in exchange for a monetary donation to Kettering Medical Center Foundation’s Project Gratitude Fund, the release added.
Flying Ace Express also offered discounted retail gift cards with all proceeds donated back to the Kettering Medical Center Foundation, the release noted.
Throughout the grand opening period, Flying Ace Express gave away more than 2,040 free carwashes, the release stated.
“The Kettering Medical Center Foundation’s Project Gratitude Fund is unique in the way that it supports patients and their families, whether it be providing meals for families whose loved ones are in the hospital to providing counseling services for patients who otherwise couldn’t afford them,” said John Roush, Flying Ace Express partner and Express Wash Concepts CEO. “We are pleased that our customers recognized and generously joined us in supporting such an important community resource.”
The Kettering Medical Center Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Kettering Medical Center System, with a mission of improving the quality of life of the people in communities served through health care and education, the release concluded.
Perfection Plus Auto Detailing celebrates 10-year anniversary
REDMOND, Ore. — Perfection Plus Auto Detailing and owner Shane Mayfield are celebrating their 10-year anniversary with a significant expansion of their detailing products and services, according to a press release.
To share their success, they are now open on weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., where they are offering soapy hand carwashes followed by a hand dry using microfiber towels and compressed air, the release continued.
“There are a lot of luxury car owners who do not like to run their cars through automated carwashes, and though they may be regular detailing customers, they need a good wash in between full details to remove road dust, squashed bugs, bird droppings and other environmental contaminants,” said Mayfield. “Especially this time of year, road salt and deicing agents are great for keeping the roads clear, but it is treacherous on your car paint and metals like the chrome on your wheels, trim and grilles. Our hand washes are top-notch, and we hand dry too to prevent water spots and streaks.”
They do not offer full details on weekends, but the washes have some add-on options like an interior quick vacuum and thorough wipe downs, the release stated.
In addition to being opened on weekends, Mayfield is launching eight innovative new warranty products never offered through the detailing industry before, the release noted.
Launched at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas last fall, Transparent Warranties are the first long-term protection product ever provided to the car appearance industry, the release added.
Mayfield has watched his detailing shop reach new levels of success in the past three years as he won the International Detailing Association’s (IDA) 2019 Detailing Shop of the Year and was also nominated for IDA Detailer of Year in 2019, the release noted.
He has been on the Air Force One Detailing Team at Seattle’s Museum of Flight the past two years and has also been on the McCall’s Motorworks Revival & The Quail Detailing Teams at Monterey Car Week, the release concluded.
Tommy’s Express opens new location in Waukee
WAUKEE, Iowa — According to www.adelnews.com, the Waukee Chamber of Commerce and Tommy’s Express Car Wash hosted a ribbon-cutting event at the business’ new location at 180 SE Alice’s Rd. on Feb. 25th.
The wash had officially opened to the public on Jan. 20th, the article continued.
Since opening day, the location has already reached over 2,000 members, the article noted.
“We’ve ran a lot of promotions, and Melinda and team at the chamber really got out there, promoted us and let the community know we were open,” Heart of America Group Director of Real Estate Chris Whalen said. “We kind of hit the street and just spread the word, and a lot of people showed up and really showed their support for us. So, we were very thankful for that.”
Tommy’s Express is the first of its kind for the Heart of America Group, the article added.
The carwash features a dual belt conveyor system, allowing travel times through the tunnel to be less than three minutes, as well as self-serve vacuum stations, the article noted.
In addition, the site offers four service packages, the article stated.
The Waukee location is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, the article concluded.
Mint Car Wash opens in Savannah
SAVANNAH, Ga. — According to www.wsav.com, Mint Car Wash held a grand opening at its second Savannah, Georgia, location on Feb. 22nd.
The new location is situated at 4747 E. U.S. Hwy. 80, the article noted.
Coastal Pet Rescue was accepting donations at the grand opening and had several adoptable dogs on-site, the article added.
Mint Car Wash also hosted a drawing for a free annual membership to its unlimited wash club, the article concluded.
