Owners of The Smart Car Wash attended President Barack Obama's “Stimulus in Action” speech at the White House Feb. 17 on the one-year anniversary of the Economic Recovery Act, the company announced in a press release. The Smart Car Wash received federal assistance through the Small Business Administration’s 504 lending program.
The Smart Car Wash broke ground in Woodbridge, Va., Dec. 2 and is seeking certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. LEED is a rating system from the U.S. Green Building Council that awards points to buildings that meet certain green-building criteria in categories like developing a sustainable site, water conservation, energy efficiency, building materials and indoor environmental quality.
To achieve LEED certification, the carwash plans to recycle more than 90 percent of its wash water, reduce noise and light pollution, incorporate variable frequency drives on equipment to reduce power consumption by 50 percent, use “bio-friendly” chemicals, and eliminate the need for hydraulic devices which have some potential to contaminate the environment, the press release said.
"We were honored to be invited to the White House as just one of the many stories of the Recovery Act," said part-owner/investor Taryn Rosenkranz. "Our business is truly representative of what the Recovery Act is trying to accomplish. We are not only bringing new jobs to the area, but even better green new jobs.”
Once it opens, the carwash will employ 15 people. Despite poor winter weather, the Smart Car Wash is on schedule to open this summer. A rendering of the carwash is viewable on the company's preliminary Web site.
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