Successes In Car Washing

Vector®

WashLand Car Wash

Vector® Is Centerpiece Of Car Enthusiast’s Wash

Over 50% of customers buy the $12 top wash!

PLATTSBURGH, NY – When you’re a true ‘car guy’ like Michael Racine, it’s only natural you’d dream of owning a car wash. “I’ve wanted to build a wash since I was 16,” remarks the owner of WashLand Car Wash. “In 2005, I was able to do it.” Racine says he grew up working at his father Roland’s dealership, which operated for over 25 years. In fact, Michael now has his own nearby dealership, called AutoLand.

“As an auto enthusiast, I had a definite idea of what a car wash should be,” Racine recalls. “And I knew that if I built the wash I wanted, it would appeal to other car lovers, too.” Racine says that while he relied on his instinct when designing the wash, he also visited hundreds of other sites – at home and abroad – for inspiration. “It was a real education,” he notes. “You could say I became a car wash connoisseur.”

After much research and thought, Racine decided on his ideal configuration – four self-service spray bays and a touchless automatic. “I was certain the spray bays would appeal to folks who want to wash their own cars as they see fit,” he observes. “I also felt the touchless automatic would attract drivers who want touch-free cleaning, with the convenience of ‘stay in your car’ automated washing.”

According to Racine, he had sound business reasons for building an all-touchless site, as well. “I realized there would be virtually no damage claims with touch-free equipment,” he observes. “I also wanted the site to be open 24/7, unattended – leaving me free to run my other businesses.” Racine says this last requirement was a key reason why he selected Belanger’s Vector Rapid Wash® for his in-bay wash.

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“I actually had a tentative purchase agreement with a competitor,” Racine comments. “But I began to realize their machine would be hard to work on, and the manufacturer was hard to work with.” He says a chemical rep suggested he look at Belanger and the Vector®. “Here was a knowledgeable, non-vested guy recommending the Vector,” Racine notes. “I took his advice, and I’m very glad I did.”

Racine says he appreciates Belanger’s phone-based tech support, and he heartily recommends the Vector® training class. “The Vector class was worth every penny and every minute of study.” He notes the one-armed competitor is much less appealing by contrast. “You could say the other machine has half the arms and twice the mechanical complexity,” he jokes. “So I chose the Vector, pretty darned quick.”

Five years later, Racine says the decision has been a solid one for his business. “The Vector’s dual arms deliver fast wash cycles and fantastic results,” he comments. “It’s a true ‘workhorse’ that provides over 99% uptime at our site.” He remarks “Maintenance is infrequent and easy to do,” adding “It’s a winner for our wash.” More importantly, Racine says, the Vector is a winner for auto aficionados throughout the area.

“We’ve built a steady stream of regular users,” Racine remarks, “including many corporate and fleet accounts.” He comments that customers buy more $12 top washes than all other options combined. “Our customers love the Vector’s wash performance and perfect delivery of Rain-X, triple foam and spot-free rinse,” he says. Racine notes that savvy users invest in WashLand’s pre-paid wash cards with a bonus value up to 40 percent. “These folks aren't just customers,” he says wryly. “They’re card-carrying fans of our wash.”

© 2010 Belanger, Inc. — For more info, call Al Huntington at: (920)-496-6004 — www.Belangerinc.com