"My business partner Kyle and I started looking into different business opportunities about two years ago. A love for cars, technology, and serving others led us to the car wash business. We discovered Car Wash Pro Designers (CWPD) during our search for car wash developers and scheduled a meeting with them at their office. We explained what we were looking for and Nick and his team went over the process and their services. Looking back at it now, we didn't realize how comprehensive their services actually were.
After our initial meeting, we visited several of their clients in the area to get their input. We confirmed with other car wash owners what CWPD had presented to us and were set at ease after hearing about the owners’ experience with CWPD. All of the owners were extremely satisfied with them and mentioned that they continued to be at their side even after opening. One of the owners we visited by surprise spent the whole afternoon talking with us about his wash, and his excellent experience with CWPD.
We also discovered that CWPD clients (car wash owners) frequently communicated with each other to exchange ideas, get feedback on what works and what doesn't, and to pool resources to get better deals with suppliers. Knowing that there was a network of car wash owners that we would have access to through CWPD was reassuring.
Before making our final decision to go forward with CWPD, we researched other car wash developers and franchises. The franchise option seemed like a good fit at first, but after reading the fine print of the agreement and the ongoing royalty fee, we decided to explore other options. We found that CWPD provided a similar service with a lot more added value, but without all the continual franchise fees (which are significant), and the limitations on branding, marketing, equipment selection, etc.
After several more meetings with Nick to go over all of our questions, we knew it was a fit for us. Nick’s extensive experience in the car wash business and his professionalism set us at ease. He’s a solid and trustworthy person that makes you feel like family and doesn’t rest until you’re completely satisfied. We couldn't have asked for a better person to work with. He has taught us so much about the finer points of the business and continues to be a trusted partner for us.
We finalized our decision to move forward with CWPD, and their team got to work immediately on the initial phase of the project which included site selection, engineering and architecture, zoning, permit approvals, equipment selection, branding, and developing the business plan for financing. They presented our project at the City Council meetings, an absolutely critical phase in car wash projects. They answered all the Alderman’s and Mayor’s questions so well that we got unanimous approval.
They also introduced our project to multiple lenders on our behalf and were with us at every step of the way, from the letter of intent (LOI) to the final closing of the loan.
After closing the loan, we started the build phase. It took us around 6 months to complete from breaking ground to washing cars. CWPD and our builder were able to do this even despite having some of the most rain in recorded history and other challenges that surfaced during the pandemic (e.g., supply chain issues, etc.).
Nick and team worked very closely with our general contractor to reduce unforeseen change orders (added costs) to a minimum, and they delivered on our extremely tight time frame which let us open sooner and save thousands of dollars on construction interest. If we were to have gone with a different developer, or tried doing it ourselves (we have a general contracting background), the time frame would have been around 12-18 months, which is standard for the industry. This was a key differentiator for us.
During the build process, Amy, Jason, Jimmy, and Jarrett from CWPD were on site to make sure both the building and equipment installation were done according to plan. They worked directly with our equipment vendor and equipment installer and addressed several issues before they even ever happened.
During the final stages of the build, they assisted us with hiring staff and on the job training at their car wash training facilities. In addition to helping get us up and operational, they also helped fine tune the car wash equipment to make sure it ran perfectly and gave the highest quality wash (which was extremely important to us).
The whole CWPD on-site team is absolutely amazing and a true pleasure to work with. They are top notch hard-working professionals who always go the extra mile. They are the kind of people that you can trust and who you look forward to working with every day. Many thanks to Amy, Jason, Jimmy, and Jarrett. We can't thank you enough
CWPD possesses something invaluable, something you can only gain after having been in the business for many many years: knowing what works and what doesn't, where the gotchas and deal breakers are, and how to get things done right and make things happen in a quick and cost effective manner. In addition, they treat you like family and seem to find a way to always exceed expectations.
For example, Nick saved us 100’s of thousands of dollars by recommending an economic development tax benefit in our state. He also helped us stay on budget by helping us navigate all the industry pricing changes during the pandemic.
Over the past two years CWPD has definitely earned our trust many times over by being forthright and by following through on their commitments. Although we know we're not their only client, they make us feel that way. We now know why they have a stellar reputation as professionals and experts in the car wash industry.
We can say without a doubt that partnering with CWPD was the absolute best decision we made after deciding to go into the car wash business. They started out as our car wash consultant and developer, but have become a critical part of our team and a part of the family.
We’ve been asked by several people if we would do it again. Without hesitation, our answer is always a resounding YES! In fact, we've already started to work on 2 more washes with them!
We are so grateful to have found CWPD and their team, including Nick, Amy, Heather, Jason, Jimmy, Jarret, Mike, Alan, Anthony, and everyone else. They're the best in the industry and truly a pleasure to work with. Thank you CWPD for everything!"
- Mark M & Kyle E | Co-Owners