How we help the new or existing operator solve the challenges of running a successful full service car wash.

Our Goal as a team at HOWCO is to give the customer our wealth of knowledge to successfully operate a full service car wash in an efficient, profitable, respectable, and desirable business manner for new investors and existing owners. 

We get involved with every aspect of the dream someone has to open their own business in the car wash industry, including site selections, site analysis, demographic studies, site layout, typical prints, builders’ meetings, car wash systems, equipment installation, and overall operation of a full serve location.  We guide the new and existing operators through the positive aspects of operating a successful business by sharing best practices of other business owners throughout the industry, as well as providing any knowledge and information related to market trends and lessons learned.  Our proven assembly line type of operation makes the full service car wash process easy to handle, no matter how large or small the volume is per day.  

Our team of professionals supports the business owner throughout every stage of the car wash venture.  Site selection is one of the most important aspects of the car wash business.  We visit the site, calculate traffic count and review visibility, access and zoning. Our Site Analysis helps determine if the land, and the type of area are all appropriate for the full service car wash business.  Our site analysis also takes into account factors to determine how much debt service with the land, building, and equipment that the investor could have in order to have a positive return on the total investment.  Along with the site analysis, a demographic study is completed for the immediate area to review per capita income per family, amount of registered vehicles, and population.  These studies help us guide the investor in developing a typical business plan so they can secure financing from banks, leasing companies or other financial institutions.  After approval with financial lenders, we create a plot layout of the wash for building size, turning radius, stacking room, and access to investor’s lot.  In the next phase with zoning and permitting, we provide any information relevant to the car wash operation such as power usage, water usage, reclaim, chemicals, and building materials.  We’ll provide typical prints and communicate with the architects so that take offs can be done from those prints to make a set for approval to build on.   

Prior to start of construction, the HOWCO Project Manager will assist with information necessary to merge car wash equipment and building so that the planning and permitting go smoothly, HOWCO representatives conduct site meetings to go over blueprints and answer any questions about the project.  

The car wash equipment is shipped to the site within one month prior to completion of construction of the building.  At that point, HOWCO’s service manager coordinates with the builder to start installation of the custom car wash system.  HOWCO service techs install, start up, service, and warranty the car wash system.  HOWCO chemical techs set up Armor All chemicals to produce cleanest car possible at the lowest possible price per vehicle. 

New or pre-existing car wash owners attend a two-week training program at HOWCO equipped car washes.  We teach the operator established online and offline procedures for cleaning the vehicle proficiently and expediently, how to up sell the customer, how to vacuum the vehicle, how to dry and detail the vehicle by hand, how to stack vehicles, how to manage the labor, and most importantly, the safety rules in the car wash environment. This proven assembly line processing of vehicles stream lines production to make sure every aspect of operation of the car wash is used effectively, efficiently, and expediently.