A Note from ICA President Ken Littrell

To the Car Wash Community and our Members:

This past January, as I was beginning my term as President, a friend asked what challenges International Carwash Association might face in the year ahead. I responded that I didn’t see any major challenges and I was looking forward to another year of growth for our industry. Now, January seems like years ago…

All of us—operators, suppliers and association volunteers and staff—find ourselves anxious about our business: where it is today, and what it will look like when the coronavirus crisis is over. We find our businesses impacted by the decisions of 50 different governors, and an even larger number of counties and cities, as business rules are non-uniform and constantly changing.

Our Board of Directors and staff had no choice but to quickly pivot from the trade show cancellation decision to determining what we could do to serve the car wash community in this new environment. With thoughtful consideration and advice, we determined that the Association’s role is to provide information and support—to give our members a valuable knowledge base to use in the current situation. Therefore, in just the last few weeks, we’ve introduced the following:

• www.carwash.org/Sharing. This website is being constantly updated with the latest resources about government relief programs, state and local business restrictions (e.g. “essential” and “non-essential” classifications) and workplace resources.
• Car Wash Magazine Live™. This new weekly broadcast occurs every Thursday at 11:30 AM Central through the Association’s Facebook page. Each episode is featuring experts from within and outside of the car wash industry, helping us navigate today’s challenges.
• Car Wash, the Podcast™. We’ve partnered with and rebranded The How of Car Washing, working with David Begin to add a new platform for sharing industry stories and business information. New episodes are released every Wednesday.
• Pulse Surveys. In order to help operators and suppliers gain market knowledge in these fast moving times, we've begun regular surveys. Learn more at carwash.org/industry-pulse.

Connecting with one another is perhaps the most important role of any association; there is power and assurance in collective wisdom. We are fortunate to be in this incredible industry together, especially in these times. Together, the car wash community has weathered international crises, recessions and wars. While the challenge we face today is entirely different from what we’ve ever seen before, I’m confident that our tenacity, grit, determination and resiliency will allow us to survive, and once again thrive.

I’m thankful to lead a talented and dedicated Board of Directors, and we are all wishing you, your families and your teams good health and strong will. Together, we’re moving toward the inevitable brighter days ahead - and ICA is with you on every step of this journey.

Sincerely,

Ken Littrell

President, International Carwash Association
Owner, Clean Sweep Car Washes