MARC-1 Express Car Wash Business Case Study Overview

Sonny's The Car Wash Factory goes behind the scenes with multiple car wash owner Marcus Kittrell in Birmingham, AL. Marcus converted a limited, pre-existing express car wash into a car wash tunnel system known as the MARC-1 Carwash Palisades. Originally this was a 3-bay self-serve automatic wash, but Marcus had the vision to expand this site, think outside the box and build a new 82 ft. tunnel here. He had a considerable amount of work done here in order for this conversion to take place. This major overhaul included gutting the walls, laying the conveyor in the newly constructed tunnel with precision and the addition of 16 self-serve vacuum lanes complete with a canopy top and vacuum booms. "We started out of the gate with $6 washes. Then, we started offering $6, $10, $12 and $15 more detailed washes. Now, we offer $6, $10, $15, $18 and a Manager's Special at $20," says Marcus. "What started out as a projection to clean about 50,000 cars is now about 60,000 cars in just the first year." "At this particular site, we're 82 ft., our tunnels are normally 90 ft. to 115 ft. so this was a challenge. This was our first front-wheel pull. We've added the new rain bar rinse arch to help us rinse the cars especially with the Lava," says Marcus. "The new Pivoting Rain Bar Rinse Arch was designed especially for you for this little tunnel in order to have a quality wash in that same space without using as much water," says Sonny's President of Equipment Division Anthony Analetto. "As you can see here at MARC-1 Palisades, a little bit of ingenuity and some hard work can go a long way towards your bottom line." A good equipment package and a clear vision are essential. If you want more information on how to convert a car wash or to get started in the car wash business, visit www.sonnysdirect.com and check out the hundreds of articles and videos online. Sonny's The CarWash Factory is the largest car wash equipment manufacturer of conveyorized car wash systems in the world. We don't merely assemble systems, we design and manufacture them ourselves, here in the USA. That means our car wash business customers get the benefit of better service, quality and constant product improvement.