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 ICA news
As of this week, more than 60% of the combined areas of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia are in some stage of drought – affecting more than 20 million people. Read more for info on what ICA is doing, and what you can do.
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 During a week when many of us will be spending time thinking about what we're thankful for, we wanted to let you know that we're thankful for you! Without the support of the professional car wash community, we wouldn't be able to provide the opportunities to bring our industry together that we do.
So thank you for your support, we look forward to the next chance we have to come together, and look forward to continuing to support the car wash industry and strengthen our community of retailers and suppliers.
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Industry News
On Veterans Day, all 17 Mike's Carwash locations gave away free Basic Washes to veterans and active military members. A total of 6,867 veterans vehicles were washed and $16,551.32 was collected in donations throughout the day.
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Autobell® Car Wash Inc., based here, awarded 130 employees in the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia its 2016 academic scholarships toward the college or university of their choice, with this year's gifts totaling $173,250. Since its inception, the Autobell Scholarship Program has awarded over $1.1 million in academic funds to employees.
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The last time we had measurable rain in Bay County was all the way back on September 27. The dry spell may not be ideal for farmers, but some other businesses seem to be benefiting. At Waterworx on 23rd street, cars were lined up to get all the dust and grime off Monday. Officials at Waterworx say with all the dry weather business has been good.
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Brown Bear Car Wash honored veterans and current service military last Friday (November 11) with 3,381 free washes at 23 tunnel wash locations across the Puget Sound area. During the past decade, family-owned Brown Bear has provided 283,381 free washes saluting former and current service members on Veterans Day, and to celebrate the company’s "birthday" each August.
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Surf Thru Express Car Wash is hosting a Wash Away Hunger food drive on Tuesday and Wednesday, to support the Community Food Bank.
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A team of researchers, led by the University of Minnesota, has invented a new soap molecule made from renewable sources that could dramatically reduce the number of chemicals in cleaning products and their impact on the environment.
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Volvo Cars is launching a new connected car app and concierge services program that will let customers push off all of the annoying chores that come with car ownership onto someone else. Volvo made the announcement Thursday at the LA Auto Show. Volvo owners can use the app to order services such as remote fuel delivery, valet car cleaning and Volvo maintenance.
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America is not a nation that likes to drive old cars — at least we weren't until the financial crisis. Ever since the end of the crisis, and the beginning of a booming recovery in the U.S. auto market, we've been doing just that.
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During the month of November, Mike's Carwash team members raised a grand total of $3,660 for No Shave November.
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Ronnie Corbin has worked in car wash development for more than a decade, and he said that over the years, operations at his locations have increased the level of recycled water. These days they’re at 100 percent — including the new Legends Express Car Wash in south Tulsa, which is holding its grand opening Saturday.
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Finish Line Car Wash, a Paducah, Kentucky-based company, has announced the grand opening of its fifth location in Marion, Illinois. This new high-end express exterior car wash, open daily from 7:30 a.m. – 8 p.m., is located at 2706 Walton Way right next to Sonic Drive-In.
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Crew Carwash, a popular chain in Indianapolis that was formerly known as Mike's Carwash, plans to open its first Northwest Indiana location next week in Merrillville, but is looking to make an even bigger splash across the region.
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Mike’s Carwash’s Veterans Parkway location is now open. It will celebrate its opening with a Free Ultimate Wash Weekend from Dec. 9 to 11. All donations collected during the event will go to Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Kentuckiana.
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The new car wash on Lexington-Springmill Road next to McDonald's is opening Saturday, and customers to the high-tech car wash should know that the business uses all biodegradable products and the latest in modern technology when it comes to the spinning brushes that clean your car.
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Leadership
The key to success, according to Richard Branson, is not only productivity and motivation — but intention. "A day without intention is a day wasted," the Virgin Group CEO writes in a recent blog post. "Without intention, there can be no productivity, and in turn no success."
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As a business owner, employees are your greatest asset. I set out to build a company that everyone wants to work for, and have personally taken ownership of our hiring process to make it happen. A focus on keeping employees happy is not very common in the blue-collar construction industry, as many employers rely on the idea that simply having a job is good enough.
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Marketing
If you own a small business, it’s not too late to generate some extra PR for Small Business Saturday, on Nov. 26. This week I tapped the social media universe for creative ways entrepreneurs are using the occasion to capture additional holiday sales. Here’s what they’re doing this year.
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Customer experience may be high on the agenda but many brands are neglecting to look more broadly at the overall brand experience, which is impacting consumer loyalty, new research finds.
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