Michael Ostermeyer got his start in the car wash industry at an atypical time. As a freshman in college, Ostermeyer started working at Crew Carwash
in Indiana.
He’d heard about Crew’s flexible schedule and tuition reimbursement opportunities, and that enticed him to join the team. He started as a part-time associate in late 2011, but quickly became a supervisor after only one year. “I realized the potential of moving up with the company, and everything took off from there,” Ostermeyer said.
By June 2016, he had worked his way up to general manager.
Ostermeyer plans to continue his climb at Crew by eventually becoming a senior general manager and possibly an area director. His leader, Steve Coughlin, area director at Crew, sees it the same way.
“Michael has shown incredible leadership ability at a young age,” Coughlin said. “He was promoted to general manager at the age of only 22.”
One of Ostermeyer’s favorite things about his work in the industry is his team. “I love coming to work every day with the people I get to interact with,” he said.
According to Coughlin, Ostermeyer’s dedication to his team, both at work and in their personal lives, is what makes him such a strong leader. “He has a great ability to develop younger managers and team members by leading by example and always doing what’s right,” Coughlin said. “He shows sincere interest in his team members’ lives and goals, both within Crew and outside of Crew.”
That ability to care about an employee — when they’re on the clock and off — is part of Ostermeyer’s core beliefs. He can see what his team is capable of and helps them reach those levels. “A good leader should use encouragement and motivation to help people reach their full-potential,” he said.
While one of his main focuses as a leader is the success of his people, he’s mindful of overall business performance as well. No surprise, given his background in electrical and computer engineering technology.
“Michael improved the key performance indicators dramatically at the location he took over when he got started,” Coughlin said. “And he is very mechanically inclined as well. He shows great talent in troubleshooting our equipment to ensure a high-quality wash for our customers.”
The best career advice Ostermeyer has ever received — and advice he lives every day at work — is to not fear failure and never give up.
That determination to keep trying new things and persevering to succeed is what has brought Ostermeyer to where he is today, and where he’ll go in the future. Coughlin believes the only thing holding Michael back from the role of senior general manager is the time required by Crew to stay in the general manager role. “I see Michael engaged in the car washing industry for years to come,” he said.
When not building his team or driving success at the wash, Ostermeyer enjoys playing golf and watching sports, or hanging out with his friends and family.