The Western Carwash Association’s inaugural Car Wash Tour made quite a splash Jan. 19, attracting more than 60 attendees to Phoenix for a firsthand look at four of the area’s top carwashes and a day of sharing best practices. The event included coffee and doughnuts at Scottsdale Auto Salon to start the day; lunch and a tour of the Proto-Vest production facility in Glendale, Ariz.; and concluded with a visit to the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction.
The carwash celebration included support from partners Modern Car Care and Proto-Vest; gold sponsorship from ANC Vehicle Wash Systems Inc., Auto Vac Industrial Vacuum & Air Systems, Micrologic Associates and PECO Carwash Systems; and silver sponsorship from Extrutech Plastics Inc. and Hydro Engineering Inc.
“I’m extremely pleased with the enthusiastic participation from vendors and operators alike,” said Bill Carbonel, WCA president. “This was a very successful event, and we’re looking forward to offering future carwash tours for our members. We’d also like to extend a special thank you to the Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction. Finishing our day at this event was fantastic!”
Below is a brief recap of the Car Wash Tour stops. Look for information about future WCA Car Wash Tours on the association’s Web site at www.wcwa.org.
Cobblestone Auto Spa
Although weather reports predicted a 90 percent chance of thunderstorms the day of the event, the Valley of the Sun remained bright with just partial clouds until the last tour was concluded. At the first stop, operators were greeted by Tuck Bettin, general manager of Cobblestone Auto Spa (in photos wearing fleece vest). Aesthetics and convenience are key design elements at Cobblestone facilities. This full-service, conveyor location features a gas station, convenience store, and ample indoor and outdoor seating for customers.
Classic Car Spa
Classic Car Spa’s low-profile conveyor track is designed to handle high-performance sports cars and sparked a lot of interest from tour participants. Owner Tim Stocker had the flat belt installed about eight years ago and outlined the benefits and pitfalls for operators considering an investment in similar equipment.
Proto-Vest
For lunch, participants enjoyed a meal and tour at Proto-Vest’s production facility, and a special presentation by Micrologic Executive Vice President Fred Grauer (large group photo, standing).
Kim Balli and the Proto-Vest team answered questions and gave attendees a guided tour of their energy-efficient production floor. From solar lighting, metal fabrication and stitching to a “live” drive-through test of one of the company’s dryer systems, Proto-Vest demonstrated a successful, quality operation that is proud to say, “Made in the USA.”
Weiss Guys Self Serve Car Wash
The dog wash at Weiss Guys had attendees lining up to get a peek, with several owners hedging bets on the success of the new pet wash. Although the bay that houses the dog wash could easily be converted back to a traditional self-serve carwash bay, Manager Jay Weiss says the pet wash has been so successful, Weiss Guys has no plans to change it.
Scottsdale Auto Salon
The tour’s final stop was Scottsdale Auto Salon, which sits on nearly six acres. Managing Partner Joe Curry (large group photo, far left) led the group through this carwash, which sports an auto racing theme throughout and is a marvel of space and luxury. The highlight for many participants was the private, VIP detail customer lounge. Equipped with smoked glass, a wet bar, leather couches and flat-screen televisions, it was obvious customers were treated like kings.
Christina Shupe is membership coordinator for the Western Carwash Association. Carwashes interested in being a facility stop and suppliers interested in sponsorships for future WCA carwash tour events should send inquiries to Christina at 800.344.9274 or christinas@wcwa.org.