I MET MY BIOLOGICAL father when I was 15 years old, after growing up with my mother and stepfather in the Chicago suburbs. Until the summer of my sophomore year in college, I hadn’t had a chance to really know him. That summer, at his farm in Montreal, Mo., we found a mutual interest. I had been cleaning cars as a porter at a Pontiac dealership in the Chicago suburbs (during the Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am days) and my dad had invested in a car wash with a friend. We found something we both liked and decided we wanted to pursue it together.
TWO YEARS LATER, we found a site in Georgia in which to build our first wash. My dad picked me up from Southern Illinois University and we drove our two U-Haul trucks down to Georgia. We actually lived in a camper at a campground on Lake Lanier while we built the wash. We decided to name our wash Carnetts (Cars + Arnetts = Carnetts) and opened our first location in June of 1988. By 1991, we acquired three more locations under the Carnetts flag.
AFTER RUNNING MULTIPLE operations (and determining the hard way that you constantly need to think about procedures and training), standardization and documentation became critical to the growth of our company. It was at this time that we began to franchise the Carnetts business. The exercise of franchising was beneficial to our organization as it made us better operators, and over the next 12 years our franchise network grew to 16 locations at its peak.
WHILE EXPANDING OUR car wash business, the opportunity to provide service and chemicals was the next logical step. In 1999 we started our distribution company, American Carwash Equipment and Supply (ACES). As an operator, I would push and push our suppliers and service providers. Now as a distributor, I understood the realities and challenges distributors face on a daily basis.
THE DISTRIBUTION BUSINESS provided inspiration for Genesis Modular Carwash Building Systems. We were providing equipment to gas stations and retail customers and found ourselves responsible for things we had little or no control over. We worked closely with electricians and plumbers to make sure everything was coordinated and executed properly, but there always seemed to be challenges. We incorporated the idea of using modular technology with our own electricians, plumbers and installers thus delivering a completed project we can control to our customer.
MY LOVE FOR franchising opened another door for me with Proctor and Gamble’s Mr. Clean Carwash initiative. Carnetts became franchisees of the Mr. Clean brand and we are looking to continue growing our network.
MY WIFE, ELAINE, and I have been married for 20 years. We have two girls, Giorgi (15) and Carli (13). Giorgi is a wonderful piano player who reads everything she can get her hands on. Carli enjoys soccer and swimming. My wife, in addition to being our office manager, is an ACE-certified personal trainer who has been successful in whipping everyone but me into shape. We really enjoy traveling and seeing new places. My passions are snow skiing and aviation.
THE IDEA OF a national chain still intrigues me. I do believe the potential for a true national chain exists. The successful operators know the level of commitment required to win. Instead of “build the car wash and they will come,” it’s more like, “build the car wash, run it right, and then they will come.” A new wash needs significant attention to get it off the ground and compete. That level of commitment combined with the necessary funds is hard to find on a large scale. The franchisor who creates a model where the franchisee possesses the right management skills and investment at a lower than conventional lending rate, will have an endless pool of great operators. Combine this pool with the right brand, materials and leadership and I believe you could win.
