Red Bridge Auto Wash, OH

• Type: Car Wash
• Location: Toledo, Ohio
• Quantity: 846 sq. ft.

Fifteen years ago, Lawrence had started washing cars as a teenager to make extra money so he could buy his own car, an old Mustang he saw for sale at his neighbor’s house in Toledo, Ohio. He worked hard to advertise with flyers and word-of-mouth and had enough to purchase the car by the end of the first summer with a bit of money left over. Taking the advice of his parents, he took the extras back into the business, and by the time he graduated high school, he had enough saved to go half with his father on the startup materials. Fifteen years and a few paid-off bank loans later, he owns two of the most profitable car washes in Toledo.

Lawrence came to us when the idea of a third location came to mind. In his words, he wanted a way to “do this one right from the beginning” which, among other building changes, meant extensive water-proofing of his interiors. We assured him that Duramax PVC panels were completely waterproof. Lawrence was reasonably skeptical since the wall panels he had acquired for the other two facilities were also supposed to be waterproof, yet he had spent a large part of his budget repairing water damage and reconstructing foundations over the years. The original wall panels, we found out, were made of fiberglass. He chose them over vinyl (PVC) because they were slightly cheaper at the time. We explained to Lawrence that the reason these panels were cheaper is that they weren’t as durable, nor capable of resisting water absorption. We were able to clarify that whatever savings he incurred upfront would cost much more down the road and that if he really wanted to ‘future proof’ his car washes, he’d consider using PVC panels instead.

Lawrence accepted the logic and installed Duramax PVC wall panels in his third carwash. He was so pleased with the look and quality of the panels that he opted to install them at his other two car wash locations. We were happy to oblige, and now all three of Lawrence’s car washes have a lifetime warranty on their wall panels.