For Mark Tentis, being involved in the car wash industry has almost become part of his personality it’s so engrained in how he thinks and what he thinks about. This is one of the reasons he values his position on the International Carwash Association Board of Directors. “I enjoy it because I really like to give back to the industry and it’s given a lot to me,” said the Minnesota-based senior vice president of global sales and service at OPW Vehicle Wash Solutions. 

We sat down with Tentis and found out what else is important to him, what he likes most about his job and what he categorizes as an “eye-opening” experience.

Mark Tentis, Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Service, OPW Vehicle Wash Solutions

How did you get into the car wash industry?

I started about 24 years ago as the tunnel sales manager for PDQ manufacturing. What’s strange about that is PDQ is known for its in-bay automatic products, the LaserWash and the Surfline. But really PDQ got its start as a tunnel manufacturing company under Red Lewis. Today, everyone’s selling the express model, but that really didn’t exist 24 years ago. Back then, I was selling full-service stainless steel touch-free tunnel equipment with no brushes at all. So it was very much a very niche product to be selling.

What does a typical day look like for you?

There really isn’t a typical day. I manage four different operating companies within OPW. I have a lot of meetings with engineering and tollgate reviews for new product development on all sides of our equipment. I also spend a lot of time on sales funnel reviews with the sales teams for a lot of our future opportunities that are coming down the pipeline.

What keeps you coming back every day?

If you talk to most people who have been in the car wash business for a long time, it’s almost as if car washing just gets in your blood. It becomes part of your personality almost. It gives me great pride and pleasure to see successful operators out there — people who have put together a great car washing program that generates revenue on a daily basis. Plus, I really enjoy visiting car wash sites and learning why an operator did something in a certain way and how it’s working out for him. And what would he do different on the next car wash? What are his pain points that we potentially in the future could make go away by designing equipment and chemicals differently?

What has been your biggest learning in the industry?

I look at the industry from two different sides: there’s the tunnel express models and then there’s the c-store/petroleum models for more of the in-bay automatics. But on both sides of that, the whole industry has changed so much over the past 10 years with the different acquisitions that have taken place and consolidations on both of them.

I would have never dreamed the runway for express washes would have lasted as long as it has and it continues to expand even more beyond that. That’s been a very eye-opening experience to me.

What should people in the car wash industry be paying attention to right now?

For me, from an operator’s perspective, it’s quality. Everybody wants to focus on speed of throughput in their subscription and churn — and that’s the kind of the model that’s been built out now. But I think if you continue to put out a great, clean, shiny, dry car, customers will return and they’ll return often to your sites to wash their vehicles.

Any trends you’ve been watching in the industry?

For me, it’s been more on the payment side of the industry and how consumers are paying for their car washes. I’m closely watching the progression of RFID and license plate recognition as the main methods of activating a wash and what’s coming next down the pipeline there. It all comes down to making washes more convenient to use, because I think we all know convenience is still the No. 1 reason people wash their car.

What’s something you do for fun, that refills your own fuel tank?

One of my biggest hobbies is playing golf. I grew up playing golf and I try to play as much as I can. I particularly enjoy events where I can play with other people in the car wash industry. It’s important to me to get out and enjoy the outdoors and enjoy the sunshine.

What would people be surprised to find out about you?

There’s something that I don’t do as much of anymore, but I still enjoy it quite a bit: extreme snowmobiling. I used to do a lot of mountain sidehilling and deep snow snowmobiling. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is one of my favorite destinations. Last year, we went out to Grand Mesa in western Colorado, which can get about 500 inches of snow. Getting out in the elements and being active is a lot of fun to me.