MODESTO, Calif. — Prime Shine, California’s largest independently owned carwash company, continues to grow, and with that success has come additional community recognition in the form of a prestigious business award, according to a company press release.

After opening its second facility in Manteca on Sept. 1st, Prime Shine now has 17 carwashes in San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced counties, and two more sites still in the development stage are expected to launch in 2017, noted the release.

Prime Shine, the released continued, also recently received the first-ever Excellence in Business Award from The Modesto Bee newspaper, which is part of the McClatchy Company.

The judges selected Prime Shine out of potentially thousands of other companies in the retail/wholesale/general business category, stated the release.

This expansion and community recognition, the release added, comes as the company celebrates its 25th anniversary.

Starting from a single location in Modesto in 1991, Prime Shine has grown into one of the 15 largest carwash companies in the country, the release continued.

“When we began, we said our goal was ‘to change how people think about washing their cars,’” said Evan Porges, Prime Shine’s president and the son of Company Founder Norm Porges. “Our success is a testament to how our employees have allowed us to achieve that.”

Prime Shine, the release stated, intentionally did things differently right from the start and continues to implement new ideas today:

•  It installed state-of-the-art water conservation, filtration and recycling systems decades ahead of the California drought and long before they became industry standards; as a result, nearly 95% of the fresh water at every Prime Shine facility is captured for potential reuse, and each wash uses only about 25 gallons of water.

•  It combined a high-quality wash with affordable, flexible choices for consumers, such as free vacuums and its Unlimited Wash Program starting at only $19.95 per month/per vehicle.

•  It has been at the forefront of environmental sensitivity, with investments in solar energy (solar panels provide up to 20% of the power at Prime Shine’s newest locations), recycling and energy-saving technology, and even landscaping intended to reduce the company’s carbon footprint.

•  The company instituted Prime Shine University, its internal training and development program specifically designed for Prime Shine employees to become better people and better leaders.

Prime Shine’s convenience, affordability and eco-friendly approach are just part of its appeal to consumers, noted the release; from the beginning, customer service also has been a priority.

“It’s not easy to become a Prime Shine employee,” Porges said. “We want to hire people who embrace our philosophy and make the right decisions because they want to, not because it says to in a manual. Our customer service philosophy starts with our employee service philosophy; treat the employees with respect and take care of them and they in turn will take care of the customer.”

Prime Shine now has 180 employees, a far cry from the small staff at the first Modesto facility 25 years ago, stated the release.

Building a company that enjoys widespread popularity and a strong brand reputation across Central California took vision, hard work and determination, according to the release, which is why Porges modestly takes pride in the Excellence in Business Award.

“There are many, many great businesses in our region that could have been honored,” he said. “We are grateful and humbled to have been chosen. We remain committed to our employees and our customers; we never take them for granted.”

For more information, visit www.primeshine.com or www.savemoneysavetimesavewater.com.