Finishing Line

One of the downsides of consolidation is it tends to wreck consumer markets. The tomato category has shown this over the past 15 years where lack of competition made big…

Car washing is a “numbers game.” The more cars processed the more money to be made. The greater the production is on best days the healthier the bottom line.

The car wash industry is literally fed by vehicle sales from new- and used-car dealerships.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) are designed to provide a better understanding of ideas, basic information, and sometimes fairly complex topics — and will often link to more detailed information. The…

Historically, car wash owners have been hands-on people. However, the success of the new car wash formats has shown that automation can increase efficiency and free up valuable time.

The largest surface area of a vehicle is painted. Paint is used to cover metal body panels and make outer surfaces look good.

Soap is made by mixing fat with a water solution of sodium or potassium hydroxide. Detergent properties are due to dissociation hydrolysis — water added to a substance causes both…

Ensure Their Most Productive Use My wife has been complaining more frequently about my willingness to work — as in washing and waxing her car. Work is said to occur…

Last month we suggested the principal constraint that limits or prevents a “mom and pop” start-up from investing in the car wash industry is the availability of capital. Now we…

Although it has been difficult to write positivity about the car wash industry for some time, there are signs suggesting growth again. Some of the external drivers thought to influence…