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Writer's pictureCWPD Marketing Team

The Car Wash Industry – A Booming Market


The car wash industry is in a great place right now. One thing that is driving this trend is the thriving automotive industry. It wasn’t long ago that the government was bailing the auto industry out of massive debt, but now things have turned around. Vehicle sales rose from just over $9 million in February 2009 to over $17 million in June of 2015.

The success of the auto industry is only helping to fuel the car wash industry. After all, no one wants to pay for an express wash for a 15-year-old junker, but you can bet they’ll be back every weekend to show off a sparkling clean new car, truck, SUV, crossover, or even family minivan.

What Does It Mean for Car Wash Owners?

If you currently own a car wash, you are likely reaping your share of the benefits of the upturn in the economy. However, old equipment or a new car wash that opened on the other side of town may be hurting your business. This is the perfect opportunity to refresh on old car wash with new equipment. Reduced waste produced by modern car wash systems can help offset some of the costs while being able to advertise your new automatic bay can attract more car owners to your business.

How Investors Are Taking Advantage

Investors are noticing the benefits of car wash ownership. In fact, many entrepreneurs don’t stop at opening one car wash. It’s common for car wash owners, after seeing rapid success, to open 3 to 5 locations to boost profits even further. What is attracting investors to the car wash sector?

  • Profit Margins – Car washes have minimal expenses, especially modern automatic bays that use reduced cleaning products and can often get by with just a few employees.

  • Cash Business – No one wants to chase down customers for money. The car wash business relieves this issue because everyone pays cash or charges the wash before the service is performed. There’s zero invoicing involved.

  • Available Capital – Because of the success in the industry, lenders are more likely to finance a turnkey operation.

  • Brandable – If you want to open a fast food restaurant, you have to choose one of the existing big franchises, or you will struggle to compete. The car wash industry is fragmented, so you can become the brand that your region associates with car washes, open several, and become your local name-brand.

Car Wash Pro Designers can help you break into one of the nation’s most thriving industries. Contact us today to start on a turnkey project of your own, and keep checking our blog to see more industry news and updates. Before long, you may be the proud owner of a successful local chain of car washes.

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