Fall/Winter Newsletter
Valuable News and Announcements for Pennsylvania's Car Wash Industry
Greetings Car Washers in the Commonwealth and Beyond:
Truly, we are all in awesome times to be in the car wash business, especially here in Pennsylvania. The CAP has had a bustling few months preparing and hosting our networking and social events. In this newsletter, we’ll share more about the highlights from each event. For a quick snapshot, here is what took place:
•CAP Baseball Outing (Harrisburg) August 24 @ The Harrisburg Senators
•CAP Dinner & Tabletop Show (Hershey) September 13 @ The AACA Museum
•CAP Golf Outing (Carlisle) September 14@ Cumberland Golf Club
The CAP is strong! As witnessed through the attendance and engagement to our recent events. Many of our CAP members took a road trip to Atlantic City, NJ in early October 2023 to take in the 2023 NRCC Show. This year’s NRCC Show is a testament to (all of) our collective strength in the car wash industry. I also wish to recognize our Carwasher of the Year for 2023, Scott Soisson of Sheetz, Inc. Be sure to read his feature story in this newsletter along with Mark Curtis of Splash Car Wash and Grace for Vets. And finally, this is a kind reminder to stay connected with CAP by renewing your membership for 2024. Letters will soon be arriving in the mail or visit us at www.pacarwash.org to learn more!
Happy Car Washing,
Dave Edwards
President of CAP
Owner/Operator of IBA/SS sites in NEPA
CAP Hosts a Season of Successful Events
The Carwash Association of Pennsylvania (CAP) hosted not one, not two, but three industry networking events in August and September. A diverse group of members and non-members, operators and vendors, veterans and newcomers enjoyed time spent together “talking shop” while also growing relationships. Here is a recap of what took place.
8/24: Baseball Outing
For this year’s annual baseball outing, CAP saw the Senators take on the Fightin Phills at FNB Field in Harrisburg. Thank you to Kleen-Rite, Sonny’s, Simoniz, and Hydro-Spray for your sponsorship. Guests were able to kick back in a casual atmosphere while enjoying America’s favorite pastime on a beautiful summer day. Every year we switch up our location, so stay tuned on where the CAP baseball outing is headed in 2024!
9/13: Annual Dinner
This year’s Annual Dinner & Tabletop Show provided premier networking opportunities with nearly 100 vendor and operator attendees, an esteemed guest speaker, and keynote speaker with a special “Salute to Service” theme. Guest speaker, Mark Ferraro delivered an inspirational message and congratulated Mark Curtis and Scott Soisson on their achievements. Keynote speaker, Mark Curtis, is the president of Grace for Vets whose mission is to honor every man and woman who has served or is currently serving their country. This is a program that unites all the car washes across the country on November 11th each year, Veterans Day. The goal is to provide free car washes to all veterans and service personnel on this special day. If you don’t already participate in this program at your site, we hope his message gave you some encouragement! More information can be found at graceforvets.com
9/14: Golf Outing
The CAP Golf Outing & Picnic Fundraiser delivered the perfect weather for golf and the ideal climate for industry networking. Over forty golfers came out to enjoy a round at Cumberland Golf Club in Carlisle. The event featured friendly competition with cash prizes, raffle drawings, and other giveaways. Golf “pros” and novices alike had fun getting out of the office and dusting off their game.
We extend our deepest thanks to the generous sponsors of each of these events! Your support directly impacted the success of these events while making participation accessible and affordable to our members. We look forward to again hosting (and growing) this line-up of events in 2024. We hope to see you at one or more next year!
Congratulations to Mike Burke, III, Tom Burke, Mike Burke, II, and Rick Bentley for being this year's champions!
Awards and Honors
Recognizing Industry Leaders
CAP recognized two very special people at our dinner on September 13. These individuals have made a lasting mark on the carwash industry in Pennsylvania and beyond and we are grateful for their service.
Pennsylvania Carwasher of the Year: Scott Soisson
CAP was proud to present Scott Soisson, Carwash Category Manager of Sheetz, Inc, with the Pennsylvania Carwasher of the Year award. Scott served 21 years in the United States National Guard and has utilized Grace for Vets for Sheetz, Inc to give away 200,000+ free car washes to veterans since 2014. For this year's Grace for Vets event, Sheetz, Inc gave away 38,000 washes! |
Congratulations, Scott, and thank you for your service! |
Honoring Grace for Vets: Mark Curtis
CAP was proud to present a proclamation from Governor Josh Shapiro to our Keynote Speaker, Mark Curtis of Splash Car Wash/Grace for Vets. He is currently the president of Grace for Vets, an organization that unites the carwash industry each year to honor veterans. Over 260,000 cars are now washed each year worldwide on Veterans Day and over three million cars have been washed since this program was founded.
Retired Colonel Mark Ferraro was the Guest Speaker as he is the Executive Deputy Secretary for the Department of Military and Veteran Affairs. He serves as the primary advisor to the Adjutant General. He spent his career in the United States Army and Pennsylvania Army National Guard. He has served in a variety of operational and leadership positions in both the Active Army and Pennsylvania National Guard. Thank you for your service!
Supporting Women in Carwash
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A few years ago, Brenda Jane Johnstone had an idea to create a conference that would enable and encourage women from across North America to come together to share, learn, and laugh together in this historically male-dominated industry. And now that conference is successfully driving into its 9th year in 2024! Through each event, The Women in Carwash Conference has learned what’s important to women in the carwash industry. As such, we have tailored the agenda to have the greatest impact through more workshops and less speaking, more information that delves into the guts of carwashing, and increased networking time to develop and nurture relationships, both old and new. And this year will deliver all that and more! The 9th Annual Women in Carwash Conference will take place January 15-17, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We couldn’t do all that we do and offer as much as we do without the support of our many sponsors. We thank them all and invite others to join our group by attending the upcoming 9th Women in Carwash™ conference. Registration includes all meals, cocktail receptions, evening events, and all of the valuable information presented in the workshops. Learn more and register at: www.womenincarwash.com. Attendees can expect to meet women from many different aspects of the carwashing industry, newcomers as well as seasoned experts with various backgrounds and areas of expertise. But the biggest benefit is the newfound sense of belonging that comes from time spent with others who care passionately about your industry. It really is an event you don’t want to miss! We hope to see you and your team in Florida! |
Brenda Jane Johnstone is the founder and president of Women in Carwash™ and the owner/publisher of Convenience & Carwash Canada magazine. Reach her at: bjj@womenincarwash.com. |
Member Spotlight
Kuhnsville Car Wash
5627 W. Tilghman St.
Allentown PA, 18104
When did you get started in the car wash industry?
I opened the car wash in October 1988.
What type of wash or washes do you have?
I have a 90-foot Full Serve Tunnel & 6 Self-Serve Bays.
What changes have you seen in the industry since you started?
The trend now is for quick washes with very few employees & they don’t offer express interior cleanings as we do & they make you vacuum your car yourself.
Who are your customers/What sets you apart?
We cater to an older clientele by offering them express interior cleanings with their wash. We hire a lot of high school & college employees to work at my business to support the local community & my customers. A lot of my employees are my customers' kids, grandkids, relatives, etc. We get a lot of referrals from our customers which is nice.
What is your favorite air freshener fragrance?
Vanilla
What is the wildest/funniest thing you've seen at your wash?
One of our employees found a diamond ring in a car while they were vacuuming; the couple had been looking for the ring for 3 years!
CAP Members Get Value!
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Qualification for CAP cash scholarship and Carwasher of the Year Award
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Free admission to Annual Dinner and Table Top Show (Fall 2024)
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Access to Annual Baseball Outing and Golf Outing/Picnic (Summer/Fall 2024)
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Member-only CAP advertising opportunities and special discounts
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Legislative representation to advocate for the industry’s best interests
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Plus much more!
