Destination 2: PRODUCTS at ROADMAP on December 11-13, 2024, is dedicated to showcasing the newest innovations in the car wash industry. It will feature displays from leading suppliers, Solution Sessions highlighting success stories, and case studies on groundbreaking technologies. Experience a day focused entirely on discovering, questioning and understanding the latest advancements to position your business for the upcoming year. 

Participating partners will present products and services that are grouped into one of three categories: Operation Solutions, Customer Solutions and Wash Solutions. 
 
Operation Solutions
HR, training, payroll, and cloud-based procedure and work order tools.
 
Customer Solutions
CRM platforms, POS systems, omnichannel marketing tools, lighting, signage, promo products, and mobile applications.

Wash Solutions
Equipment, controllers, water treatment, chemistry, machinery, blowers/dryers, brushes, and air compression.

Operation Solutions: Making Music from the Noise

When it comes to options for making your operations more innovative and efficient, a lot of choices are out there. And understandably so. Every car wash has different demographics, preferences and needs when it comes to creating the perfect symphony from the stream of incoming sounds from which to choose. 

“We live in a noisy world striving for attention,” said Noel Pena at DRN Data. Whether it’s suppliers trying to find operators with similar visions or car wash operations trying to find the right mix of “tunes” to attract new members, there is constant searching for the harmonious music buried in the noise. 

The searching has gotten easier, though, with advancements in technology and their introduction into the car wash industry — especially when it comes to sorting through the noise and finding the chords that are the perfect fit. 

Technological advancements in the gathering and processing of data have been especially pivotal.  Innovation in this area has brought together so many different chords and, combined with artificial intelligence, created a full repertoire of tools to help car wash operators gather, identify and use data to make their operations more successful.

“The industry is recognizing the importance of data to drive decisions unlike ever before,” said Kendra Johnson, SVP of business development at International Carwash Association. “And not just data from their own operations or from a single source in their business. But rather the implications of how efficient things move when you understand how your customers are engaging with your sites, being able to monitor chemistry systems for multi-sites from a mobile device, or managing training and human resources individually from site to site or state to state.”
 
Innovation when it comes to understanding the implications data can have with your business is a collaborative and multi-faceted process at Rinsed. The research and development process for their new Salespath product started after hearing from car wash operators that there was a need for something along these lines. 

Rinsed’s new product not only gathers data, it organizes it and personalizes it. It is a combination of three different technologies — license plate recognition, customer relationship management and sales presentations — which makes it super innovative, said Kyle Doyle, VP of Rinsed. “Customers will no longer all receive the exact same membership pitch. They will hear options that are much more relevant to them, and therefore, much more likely to convert.”

The ability to enable a customized approach is a key part of DRN Data’s license plate recognition product, Driven Insights, as well. “This technology enables businesses to turn every passing vehicle into a potential customer, as it provides real-time, detailed customer profiles, enabling highly targeted and personalized marketing campaigns,” Pena said. “This technology will lead to more efficient operations, streamlined data collection, and the ability to create tailored promotions that drive repeat business.”

Real-time data is used in Salespath, as well, providing instant, targeted information on customers after their license plates are scanned. This enables frontline workers to deliver customized sales pitches to customers in real-time, based on their wash history and usage, Doyle said. “There is currently no solution on the market that allows car washes to use a handheld LPR device and receive back data on the customer in real-time.”

This lightning speed of data integration and analysis shows how much the car wash industry has progressed and how futuristic some of the equipment and marketing options have come. 

“We constantly hear car wash marketers frustrated by outdated strategies of marketing —not being able to attribute leads, revenue and conversions from generalized broadcast marketing,” Pena said. “An owner/operator should be able to find ROI from their investment in outreach from capturing the data, to execution of revenue.”
 
“Whatever car washes can do to move the needle on converting customers to members makes a huge difference for their bottom line,” Doyle said. “Memberships are the driver of growth for car washes.”

The future of car washing is changing, Doyle said. “Customers are going to expect a level of personalization that is not readily available in today’s car washing world.”

Changing the Trajectory

“Real time access, integration, ease of use, personalization and turn-key training are all favored elements to any successful innovation or product enhancement,” Johnson said, which is why Rinsed and DRN Data are both perfect fits as two of the more than a dozen Solutions Sessions presenters at ROADMAP during the “Destination: PRODUCTS” on Dec. 12. “The participating companies were exclusively chosen for their new and cutting-edge offerings,” she said. “PRODUCTS focuses on something that car wash professionals tell us every year that they want to see more of: new and innovative solutions that can fundamentally change the trajectory of their business.”

Customer Solutions: Shaking the Tree

When it comes to staying in tune with your customers and continuing to adapt to meet their changing needs, it’s a nonstop journey that is a whole lot easier if you’re not trying to do it alone — and you have the latest technology at your disposal. It also helps if your partners aren’t afraid to test the limits a little, experiment with new ideas and blaze a few new trails as you are speeding along.  Which is exactly what some car wash industry suppliers are doing — and car wash operations are benefiting.  

“Industry suppliers are seeing the importance to shaking their trees a bit to see what new ideas or enhancements are possible to continue to meet the needs of the customer,” said Kendra Johnson, SVP of business development at International Carwash Association. “And most of them know the importance of being true collaborators and listeners when it comes to their clients — some even admitting changing courses completely to ensure their choices and their ideas best address the needs of the operators’ customers.”  

Having partners that understand your needs — and anticipating them before you even realize there might be some bumps in the road — is a crucial piece in car wash operators’ quests to become invaluable, trusted members of the community.

“In today’s competitive car wash landscape, success isn’t just about clean cars — it’s about building a loyal customer base deeply connected to your community,” said Brian Mattingly, founder and CEO of Welcomemat. “The future of car washing will be local and customer/community-centric and operators that leverage location-based marketing, community engagement and brand reputation to attract new customers and keep them coming back will have a distinct competitive advantage in their local markets.”

Welcomemat has a platform that helps car washes drive connections with their communities — innovation that stemmed directly from listening to their car wash customers, Mattingly said. “We recognized their growing concern about competing effectively in increasingly competitive markets and we saw a gap in the industry — a lack of scalable solutions tailored to local community strategies.”

So, after engaging in a thorough research-and-development stage that also included using artificial intelligence, they came up with a solution to bridge the gap. “We developed a platform that uses technology, including AI, to allow single- and multi-unit operators access to scalable solutions focused on driving growth through each community where they operate car washes,” he said. “As car wash brands expand, maintaining a strong local presence in each community becomes increasingly difficult and can become one of the hardest challenges to address if you don’t have the right tools.”

Understanding the customer and what drives them and is important to them are priorities at OptSpot, as well, as it’s imperative to know this if you want to connect to them. “Many car wash operators find it challenging to convert their retail customers into members, leading to stagnated monthly sales,” said Levi McClendon, founder and CEO of OptSpot. Establishing that connection and making them feel valued and appreciated were some of the pain points OptSpot wanted to address in a new membership conversion product they recently released called 1 Click Upsell. But, the primary goal was to make the membership purchasing process effortless — not only for the customer but the operator, as well. 

“The frictionless experience not only boosts conversions but also delights customers with its simplicity,” said Josh Taylor, chief marketing officer. “Gone are the days of missed opportunities and clunky sales pitches.”

The technology used in 1 Click Upsell seamlessly integrates into an existing online checkout, allowing customers to effortlessly add a membership or extra service to their purchase, Taylor said.

It is this kind of trailblazing technology that can help car wash operators navigate the multitude of options available to help them bolster their customer experience solutions and make the hard decisions when there is a split in the road.

“Access to the right technology — and right partners — is what will make the difference on whether a car wash can realize its growth potential,” Johnson said. And that access is what ROADMAP will be providing during “Destination 2: PRODUCTS” on Dec. 12, where OptSpot, Welcomemat and a select group of other companies with innovative new products will be sharing their solutions. 

“ROADMAP will offer a close, intimate setting for conversations geared around new innovations,” Johnson said. “It will be a unique experience to see the latest from our trusted suppliers and newest solutions providers.”

Wash Solutions: Customization, Flexibility Lead the Way

With innovation comes sophistication. And the larger the degree of sophistication, the greater the need for even more innovation. It’s a circle that represents most forward facing, successful businesses, and car washing is no exception. 

“Innovation created the car wash world we live in today,” said Lawrence Stovall, president of AutoBrite Co. And it will continue to be a part of every successful car wash business in the foreseeable future. Take the wash solutions, for example.  

“Inside the tunnel, wash solutions are benefiting from advancements in equipment, components, chemistry and water treatment,” said Kendra Johnson, SVP of business development at ICA. “We’re seeing more advanced roll-over bars, allowing for a closer and safer wash for vehicles with rooftop accessories. Chemistry pushed dry time to its limit and showed us a new level of shine with the addition of graphene. Water treatment and reclaim continue to offer options for treatment and sustainability efforts.”

From equipment to controllers, brushes to blowers/dryers, water treatment to chemistry, suppliers and manufacturers are being challenged to continually innovate and come up with increasingly customized and flexible options for their car wash customers. 

“Collectively, these solutions are positioning our industry to scale and service in ways like never before,” Johnson said.

The future of car washing is going to look a lot different because of innovations in this area, Stovall said. “As time and technology go on, we see the future of car washing going to more automation including self-driving cars becoming self-cleaning. We can see a world where the car owner programs the vehicle to leave and go to a local convenience store or small car wash and enter the wash on its own and return home clean and ready for the next day.”

Stovall said they kept this in mind during the research and development stage of one of their new designs, the ModBrite Modular Dual Belt Express Tunnel Car Wash. “The ModBrite is designed to be flexible so we can add this technology onto our system as it is designed and makes it out to the market.” 

For example, the ModBrite remote access option — which allows the tunnel to be controlled via long distance through a cell phone — could support unmanned vehicles washing themselves after working hours, if that automotive innovation came to be. 

The ModBrite is also flexible when it comes to space needs, as it was designed to fit a 33-foot long conveyor footprint with a wash area of 28 feet. “This innovation allows for the installation of an express car wash in areas with limited real estate,” Stovall said. In-bay automatics or self-serve sites can be converted with a ModBrite option, as well.

Even the depth of the system is flexible. “The option of surface mounting the belt system or putting it flush in the ground, gives flexibility at each location depending on cost and what local ordinances may require when breaking the concrete on already existing car washes,” Stovall said.

At AVW, the R&D process for their newest belt also included preparations for the future of the industry — especially if an operation is looking at future maintenance needs and durability. The R&D for their 6th Generation Belt Conveyor included listening to a lot of feedback from customers, intense structural load testing and extensive field testing. “We asked customers about the parts that were wearing down quickest, what was hardest to work on and which were headaches to install,” said Bob Schaefer, director of project development at AVW. “Then we made sure all the components can handle far more than the average use case and followed that up with field testing. We installed early versions in various washes, tracking car counts, processing times and frequency of maintenance — and continuously optimized the components until we had something that would outlast the competition.”

“As with anything in life, experience is a great teacher,” Schaefer said. It’s one of the drivers behind AVW’s comprehensive real-life testing protocols and it’s also what contributes to the level of innovation in their products. “AVW has been in this business for 25 years and our knowledge comes from trial and error — and we have a lot of trials under our belt,” Schaefer said.

The levels of innovation and customization incorporated into new products — such as those at AutoBrite and AVW — are indicative of creativity that will be showcased at ROADMAP on Dec. 12 during the “Destination 2: PRODUCTS” event. 

All of the products being showcased at ROADMAP will be new and relevant — and either just launched within the last year or will launch within the next year. Presentations will offer practical insights backed by hard data and real-world examples, plus exclusive discounts for attendees.

“ROADMAP is a new place for leaders of our industry to grow, learn and connect,” said ICA’s Chief Learning Officer Claire Moore. “With access to emerging trends, innovative solutions and inspiring strategies, ROADMAP attendees will leave with tangible ideas that can solve their operation’s biggest challenges.”