It’s that time of the year when snowstorms create lines of salt covered cars waiting in line at your wash. You’ve probably spent time going through the tunnel, checking the conveyor, brushes, soap and wax applicators. You’re sure you have enough products on hand to handle that record weekend. These are the things that can make or break your month. You’re too good of an operator to miss the “Block and Tackle” issues.. right? But what about the most important component to your success, your people, are they ready? If you are like most operators you will or have already hired a few extra staff members to help during the busy winter months, are they ready, do they know what to expect? The recent job market has tightened up with record low unemployment rates and at the time I am writing this column there are more open jobs then there are applicants to fill them. The bottom line – employees have choices and lots of them. We are competing with all types of retailers, many of whom have flexible hours, and inside work where it’s dry and warm. Employees want to be part of a team, they want to contribute to a goal, and they want direction and training. We have all at one time or another handed a new hire a vacuum, towel or a prep gun and find that they last until lunch. Training has always been important but never has it been more important than right now. We have heard a lot about Millennial employees. These employees have choices. The days of being lucky to have a job are over, and employees want to be engaged not managed. This “employment cultural shift” once thought to only be part of the cultures of Google or Apple, with their "open work areas” and slides instead of stairs have taken a firm hold in small business. Think about the Bombas Socks or Toms (look them up if your not familiar with what they do and support). They have embraced the idea of engaging their employees and created a corporate culture that employees believe in and support. According to the Employee Engagement Group, highly engaged employees are 250 percent more likely to make recommendations for improvement and 370 percent more likely to recommend your company as a place to work. Employees who are not engaged are four times more likely to leave. At a time when there is record low unemployment can you really afford not to engage your employees? Employment engagement starts with a conversation, what do we do and more importantly why? What is the employee’s place in the process and why is it important? Do you have a plan or do you show up and hope for the best? Employees want to be part of the plan, engage them in the preparation and the review process and you’ll be surprised at how much they have to offer. Give employees the same attention as you do your equipment, maybe more. Here’s to a great season! Walter Hartl President, New York State Car Wash Association

Where do I begin? This morning, while having coffee and reading the news online, I came across an article that really rattled me. It was a story of a university, here in America, where a large group of students felt “scared and intimidated” by some words written in chalk at several areas of their campus. These students felt that their “safe space” had been violated and that the university wasn’t doing enough to foster an environment of tolerance. As I read further, I was intrigued to know what kind of words could instill such fear and intimidation into red blooded American “adults” aged 18-23. Were these death threats made by a major terrorist group, perhaps? Threats to harm the families of these students? Perhaps the words threatened the university itself if certain conditions weren’t being met. As it turned out, none of these were the case. What then, could be so heinous, so insidious, as to strike such fear into the hearts of our future leaders? Are you ready for this? Really ready? Ok, here it comes. It was the name of a presidential hopeful with the word, “vote” in front of the name. Let that sink in a minute. These students were “scared and intimidated” by the name of a presidential candidate, handwritten, in chalk, on sidewalks, stairwells and walls. So scared and intimidated, they said, that they insisted that counselors be brought in to help them cope with their anxiety. To make matters worse, the school agreed with them! Every time I read an article like this, I fear our country is going to hell in a hand cart. Do not mistake my concern as being political. I’m not supporting any particular candidate, but rather, the right to support a particular candidate. To combat the frustration of reading articles like this, I like to walk the factory floor here at Sonny’s. On my walks, I pass several young employees. I know these folks aren’t scared or intimidated easily. Some, the same ages as the students I referred to earlier. These are bright, young folks with drive, ambition, and street smarts as well as book smarts. Instead of textbooks, they’re holding welding torches. Instead of pens or pencils, they’re wielding wrenches. These are the kind of folks that will drive our industry forward and are also the same kind of folks you want running your washes. Folks that cannot only understand a P&L and find ways to improve it, but can also go in the tunnel after closing and swap out the chain and rollers and change out a hydraulic motor too. The media will always hype the malcontents. That’s how they draw viewers. Who wants to read a story about someone waking up early every day, and going to work? They won’t tell us about the young folks who don’t complain about the hand they’ve been dealt. They don’t talk about the youths that roll up their sleeves and earn an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work. Is it tough to find good help these days? Of course. It always has been and always will be but don’t give up on the youth of America. How can you tell the intimidated from the real deal? Maybe install a chalk board in your interview room. Bob Fox has over 30 years industry experience and is an instructor at CarWash College™. Bob can be reached at BFox@sonnysdirect.com. For more information about CarWash College™ certification programs, visit www.carwashcollege.com or call the registrar's office at 1-866-492-7422.

I recently attended a seminar where the speaker emphasized the importance of keeping your audience engaged. He suggested "switching gears," and rotating between related topics to keep people focused and their energy levels up. With that idea fresh in my mind and my first cup of coffee in hand, I will start this column with congratulations to the Northeast Regional Carwash Convention (NRCC) board and especially to the Host Association, The Mid-Atlantic Carwash Association. This year's chairperson, Dave DuGoff, and his fellow board members Mike and Heather Ashley did an amazing job with the 26th Annual NRCC. The move to the Atlantic City Convention Center (ACCC) has allowed the NRCC to grow in size, and with more than 300 booths it was the largest show floor we have ever had. The show continues to grow and initial feedback from exhibitors and attendees has been extremely positive. I would like to especially thank Paul Fazio, CEO of Sonny's the Carwash Factory, for his unwavering support of the NRCC and other regional events. His presentation, "The Future of Carwashing" took market analysis of our industry to an entirely new level. Whether you are a single or multi-site operator or looking at our industry for the first time, there was valuable information about the growth and potential, as well as his insight alerting you to where competition may lie. Thanks to Paul, members of our regional associations are better prepared to face the challenges of operating their businesses. Tour of West Point In New York State Car Wash Association (NYSCWA) business, we recently held our fall membership meeting at the Hotel Thayer at the West Point Military Academy. It was great to see so many members of other associations attend the event. More than 50 were treated to a tour of the historic Military Academy on a picture perfect fall day. I would encourage anyone who is in the area to take a tour of the nation's oldest military academy; it truly is an amazing place producing some of the best and brightest leaders our nation has to offer. After the tour of the Academy we spent the afternoon visiting a number of carwashes in the Hudson Valley. This is always my favorite part of the meeting — carwashers spending time — in one-on-one conversation or group discussions that help us all improve our operations. No matter how long you have been in this industry, there is always something to learn. I would like to thank the operators who opened their doors to us and shared their successes and failures with the group. We all learned a ton! The day concluded with our membership meeting during which time we voted in our slate of officers and added Gary Baright of Foam & Wash Car Washes to the board. Gary has been a long-time carwash operator and has a passion for the business. He wants to share his passion and grow the membership ranks of the NYSCWA to new levels. His fresh perspective and willingness and desire to want to give back will no doubt make him a valuable member of the NYSCWA board. Gary, welcome aboard! I’d also like to welcome officially, Todd Mills of Car Wash Products in Scotchtown. He took over a vendor vacancy last year and is already adding a great deal to the board. Thanks for stepping in and stepping up, Todd! My first coffee is almost empty which means it's time to get to work. I would like to again thank the members of NYSCWA association, the NRCC board and all those who make this industry a great way to do more than make a living. It is truly an honor to serve as the President of this association. Walter Hartl NYSCWA President

Dear Venus and Mars, We are headed into our busy season… what have you done differently this year to make sure you are ready to maximize your volume? Venus Says There are several things we are hoping to get done before winter really arrives in the valley. Some are outside touchups but others are those inside that will help us be more productive. Outside we still hope to paint the bays and replace a vacuum island. However, it is already in the 30s here at night so those activities might be put on hold. Inside we have plans to order new supplies and create a more organized parts system for quick winter repairs. Mike had a conversation at the NRCC that yielded a great idea; we hope to have a single area that identifies parts by number and has not more than about three per item. When you get down to one, you reorder and the part numbers are right there. We have a very rural unattended self-serve wash that we have had freeze-up trouble with in the winter. There is a weep system but when the customers fail to put the brush back in position that water freezes, things pop, and we look like an ice tunnel. We actually have a propane torch that we gently use to thaw out such intense situations. In the past two years we have done something very radical. When we get into sub-freezing weather, we rope off and close the wash. That typically has lasted not more than about 7 weeks. This year is different. For that rural wash we have decided that we will remove the brushes and stay with wands only for the winter season. That way we remain open and as long as they continue to put the wand back in the right position. So bring on the winter! We have a plan to weather the season better than ever before! Mars Says Well, winter is upon us and hopefully from a maintenance standpoint you are prepared. From a business standpoint the winter can go either way. In my 25 years of washing cars, I’ve had winters that were my best season of the year and winters that were my worst. Obviously, the weather is the major factor which goes into determining a good season as opposed to a bad one. A cold winter with no snow and salt, a warm and wet season or too much snow all make for poor carwashing conditions. Conversely, small and frequent snowfalls with cold temperatures result in lots of salt on the roads and very dirty cars. The latter is what we saw the second half of last winter that resulted in record carwashing numbers. Preparing for the busy season is difficult because in this business it is very hard to predict. In a full-service wash, staffing is the biggest issue and it is hard to get extra staff in on those peak days that are few and far between. We often bulk up on staff at certain times when it should be busy, but clouds cover the sun or the future forecast keeps the volume down. When these unfortunate circumstances happen your cost per car rises dramatically because volume is not what you anticipated. After all of these years, I still do not have the solution to the labor issue other than automating as much as possible. This year, however, we plan on educating our employees better on how the business operates and the inconsistent high- and low-volume patterns. If we can get them to better understand the patterns and during the busy times when tips are better, we can hopefully get more employees to look for extra hours during their off time. This would speed up production and put more money in our employees’ pockets. After the record cold temperatures we had last winter we were forced to close down at times due to inadequate heating. This year we have installed all new heat that can handle the coldest of temperatures. This will keep my tunnel open during the most extreme conditions. I look forward to Mother Nature cooperating with us and a busy carwash season. Good washing to everyone and stay warm.

News Archive – New York State Car Wash Association

AAA urges drivers to “Wash Off Winter”
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AAA urges drivers to “Wash Off Winter”

News, News Archive

AAA urges drivers to “Wash Off Winter”

AAA urges drivers to “Wash Off Winter”joycemedia2019-03-09T23:20:47+00:00

29th NRCC Innovates, Educates, Inspires
Gallery
29th NRCC Innovates, Educates, Inspires

News, News Archive

29th NRCC Innovates, Educates, Inspires

29^th NRCC Innovates, Educates, Inspires

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — The Northeast Regional Carwash Convention (NRCC), October 1-3, at the Atlantic City Convention Center boasted nearly 300 walk-ins on the first day of show hours demonstrating the need for the annual event and it’s mission, according to 2018 Chairman Doug Rieck. […]

29th NRCC Innovates, Educates, Inspiresjoycemedia2019-04-11T00:56:38+00:00

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

It’s that time of the year when snowstorms create lines of salt covered cars waiting in line at your wash. You’ve probably spent time going through the tunnel, checking the conveyor, brushes, soap and wax applicators. You’re sure you have enough products on hand to handle that record weekend. These are the things […]

PRESIDENT’S COLUMNjoycemedia2019-12-30T20:48:57+00:00

Sexual Harassement Policy & Training Now Required for Full and Part-Timers

By William Y. Crowell, III

Legislation enacted with the 2018-19 New York State budget requires all employers to adopt a sexual harassment policy in addition to a sexual harassment training program. This mandate applies without regard to the number […]

Sexual Harassement Policy & Training Now Required for Full and Part-Timersjoycemedia2019-04-10T15:57:28+00:00

Mad World

Where do I begin? This morning, while having coffee and reading the news online, I came across an article that really rattled me.

It was a story of a university, here in America, where a large group of students felt “scared and intimidated” by some words written in chalk at several areas of their campus. These […]

Mad Worldjoycemedia2016-10-31T23:00:50+00:00

Don’t Worry About the Horse Being Blind, Just Load the Wagon…

“Don’t worry about the horse being blind, just load the wagon” John Madden, football coach and NFL announcer.

This is one of my favorite all time quotes. I use it often and people look at me quizzically when I do. In coach speak, it means, just keep plugging and don’t worry about what’s going on around […]

Don’t Worry About the Horse Being Blind, Just Load the Wagon…joycemedia2019-04-10T15:57:29+00:00

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

I recently attended a seminar where the speaker emphasized the importance of keeping your audience engaged. He suggested “switching gears,” and rotating between related topics to keep people focused and their energy levels up.

With that idea fresh in my mind and my first cup of coffee in hand, I will start this column with congratulations […]

PRESIDENT’S COLUMNjoycemedia2019-04-10T15:57:29+00:00

VENUS & MARS

Dear Venus and Mars,

We are headed into our busy season… what have you done differently this year to make sure you are ready to maximize your volume?

Venus Says

There are several things we are hoping to get done before winter really arrives in the valley. Some are outside touchups but others are those inside that will help […]

VENUS & MARSjoycemedia2018-12-04T13:29:35+00:00

Chemicals, trash cans, oranges, and other random thoughts…

These are the things that I have floating around in my head that I’ve never been able to understand. Maybe you can help me out.

Why is it that while chemicals are at least half of the equation in getting a clean car, they are the 1^st place operators want to cut when business slows?

Why is […]

Chemicals, trash cans, oranges, and other random thoughts…joycemedia2016-10-31T22:58:34+00:00

26th NRCC Celebrates Move to ACCC with Record-Breaking Numbers!

Walt Hartl is awarded the NRCC 2015 Hall of Fame Award by Show Chairperson Dave Dugoff and 2014 recipient Mike Benmosche.

Atlantic City, NJ — The 26th Northeast Regional Carwash Convention (NRCC), October 5-7, moved its venue to the Atlantic City Convention Center (ACCC) and in doing so […]

26th NRCC Celebrates Move to ACCC with Record-Breaking Numbers!joycemedia2019-04-10T15:57:30+00:00