Edward Dahm, co-founder of Mike’s Carwash, died Dec. 22 at the age of 86, the company has announced. “With great sadness and on behalf of my father, Joe Dahm, brother, Bill Dahm, and cousin, Jerry Dahm, I want to recognize the tragic death of our uncle, brother, father, and co-founder of Mike’s Carwash, Ed Dahm. He was a great leader not only for our business but the entire automatic car wash industry and was an integral part of our success,” Mike Dahm, president of Mike’s Carwash, said in a statement quoted in the Cincinnati Business Courier. “Ed’s great personality brought out the best in our associates and customers. He was a very positive person and brought our business his fun energy that everyone enjoyed.”
Ed Dahm and his brother, Joe, opened Indiana’s first automated carwash in 1950 and called it Mike’s Minit Man. In 1993, the duo passed their business down to their sons, Jerry and Mike, who continued to follow Ed’s motto to treat everyone the way you would like to be treated.
Ed served as president of the International Carwash Association and was inducted into the Carwash Hall of Fame. According to the Courier,he was also Notre Dame Man of the Year, Xavier University Man of the Year, and Father Thomas A. Brandon Knights of Columbus Council #4048 Man of the Year. Ed earned the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award from Junior Achievement in 1999, was inducted into the Greater Fort Wayne Business Hall of Fame in 2001, and received the Donald Wolf Award in 2014.