ACWA Members Information

A new Facebook Group, Wash Exchange By SlipStream Pro has been started by ACWA Supplier member, Blair Woolcott.

Click Link here to their group page and Request to Join

The Wash Exchange group page philosophy is to allow commercial car wash operators to share ideas, ask questions and develop their business with ideas from like minded wash operators.

Recently they went live for their first interview chatting with long time ACWA Member, past Victorian Director and all round car wash industry good guy, Rhys Lyster.  Having been in the industry for many years Rhys chatted about his vast wash background including his initial wash experience and how he has worked a run down wash into a successful operation.

Watch out for the next interview featuring Paul Burt, television weather expert, who will be discussing the long term predicted weather patterns.

And next time you’re on Facebook don’t forget to join ACWA’s Facebook Forum Group…

Continuing our Meet the ACWA Board Series, and introducing one of our Queensland Directors Stephen Rzepka.

My name is Stephen Rzepka, and I was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland.  My father, Joseph Rzepka, was born in Poland and immigrated to Australia in 1950 after serving with the Allied Forces during WW2.  He married Rita Reibelt in 1956, raised four children and stayed married for the next sixty years.

I attended St Columban’s College, Albion, from Grades 4 to 12. After high school, I attended The Brisbane College of Advanced Education, qualifying as a Primary school teacher.  My teaching career lasted for the next twenty years.  I taught in various towns and school sizes and became the Principal of a one-teacher school, the Burra Burri State School, with a total of twelve children and one dog.  My staffy ‘Gus’ made a great goalie when we played soccer on the tennis court.

Whilst teaching in Chinchilla, I met my wife, Julianne.  We’ve been happily married for the past twenty-six years.  We have raised four children who are all doing well.  My eldest son, Cooper, is an Officer in the Army; my daughters are Sophie, a Sister (RN) in the burns ward at the Royal Brisbane Hospital; Jo is studying teaching, and Nicola is completing Year 12.

I had a fling a being a Real Estate Agent, but that didn’t work out, so whilst doing part-time teaching, my brother-in-law asked if I wanted to become involved in a car wash that was being built at one of his service stations.  Why not I thought I’ll give anything a go.  Well, what a life-changing decision that turned out to be.  Working in a business has many pros and cons, as I quickly found out.  My life was turned upside down, sideways and sometimes even backwards as the wet weather sets in every summer here in Queensland.  I soon became multi-skilled in electrical, mechanical, water, pumps, piping, repairs, budgeting and paperwork.

On many a cold night, you would find me at the car wash undertaking repairs on the auto so it would be up and running for the weekend rush.  Everything always breaks on a Friday afternoon!!  How quickly the past fifteen years in the car washing industry have passed.  I have run and managed the Regents Park site from day one, branched out to refurbish and create the Piranha Car Wash, which has been in operation for the past four years and recently started another car wash venture in partnership in Hervey Bay, Qld.

One of the best decisions I undertook was to travel to China to research the type of car washing equipment being produced.  After settling on one very professional and well-made automatic unit, I started the Piranha Wash Systems business.  We now import and sell the Piranha touch-free automatic equipment around Australia. The Piranha sales business is an extension of my years of experience as a car wash owner.

Over the years, I realised that I never really stopped teaching.  The students grew up to be employees or customers, and I continue to use my educational skills on a weekly basis.  I have learnt that a good car wash business is not necessarily the biggest or the best but one that has a staff that works with you and not for you.

So when I’m not running around the countryside installing or running my businesses, you’ll find me on the back of my tractor doing farm work on the family property.  A place where I can let the stresses of the world wash away.

ACWA Members

Are you up to date with the coming December/January classified Public Holiday days ?

Be Aware and don’t incur penalties as public holidays can be different depending on the State or territory you are in.

25 December; 26 December; 27 December; 1 January; 2 January

Click Here – and see the days in each State.

 

 

The world of car washing makes significant demands on our schedules, so seeing so many industry participants take the time to get together in Darling Harbour was genuinely heart warming.

But, if you couldn’t be there, let’s reflect on just a few highlights.

We’re sure that no one will forget the resounding success of the Bus Tour Program and the enormous attendance at the welcome function that night.  The enthusiasm of attendees was palpable.

An objective of Car Wash Show Australia was to gather the very best industry experts and the latest and most incredible car wash products and place them in a single venue.  Tick, achieved in spades, the exhibition floor was astounding.

Suppliers and sponsors went to extraordinary lengths to impress with their displays and exhibitions.  It was great to see wash operators flooding the tradeshow floor, enjoying themselves and doing business.

Wednesday night saw the feature social event, Party in the Washbay, bursting at the seams as we witnessed three industry legends being inducted into the Australian Car Wash Hall of Fame.  Welcome to new Hall of Famers Greg Boston, Tony Stephens and David Moyns.

It was so great to be back after four long years, and we can’t wait to announce the venue for 2024.  Watch this space!

New Investor Session

For your information this session is available on You Tube click here 

PowerPoints of Presentations (please note that the first two slides are the same for all and then the slides move onto the individual presenters information)

Presenter:  Tracey Michaels, Director and Designer, TMC Building Design Group

Topic:  Let the Debate Rage – The Case for Purchasing an Existing Site v’s Building a New One

 

Presenter:  Robert Sacco, Managing Director, Waves Carwash Pty Ltd

Topic: Car Wash Business Models -Which is Best for Me?

 

Presenter:  Vaughn Pelias, Director and Designer, Oasis Building Design Pty Ltd

Topic:  Beyond Clean – Creating the Perfect Car Wash Site

 

Presenter:  Matt Hood, Proprietor, Smiley Car Wash

Topic:  Perspectives – I’ve been there before, and the things I’ve learned

 

Presenter:   Robert Andre, SVP Equipment Innovation & Customer Experience Sonny’s The CarWash Factory

Topic:  Change and Transformation – Let’s Talk Innovation, Trends and Limitations in the Car Wash Industry

 

Thank you to all who came along to the  South Australian End Year Dinner, and congratulations to Greg Boston, who was awarded his certificate and trophy as an inductee into the Australian Car Wash Hall of Fame.

Greg is recognised nationally as an exceptional South Australian-based car wash operator and leader in the Australian Car Wash Industry and has served on the Board of the Australian Car Wash Association as both President and South Australian Director.  During the 2005-2008 time he was President, he presided over the most tumultuous period in Australian car wash history… the Millennial Drought, and he navigated the industry through the drought crisis, leading negotiations with Government departments, politicians and bureaucrats across the country. Greg remains passionate about the impact of car washing on the environment. He is considered by many in the industry as the “go-to” person on the subject of water reclaim and recycling systems.

Regrettably, the Association had to circulate an ALERT to all Queensland car wash operators earlier this week. However, this warning reminds all car wash operators to remain vigilant and ensure security measures are in place at their sites.

Introducing our newest ACWA Director Daniel Haynes, Waves Carwash Cafe, ACT.  Daniel came onto the Board at the Annual General Meeting held in Sydney at the recent Car Wash Show Australia 2022.

Daniel Haynes

I was born in Canberra and moved away when I was young.  Throughout my youth I had the opportunity to live across the east coast of Australia, from Port Douglas to Bondi Beach. Eventually settling in Coffs Harbour to attend high school, and this is where most of my family still lives and the place I call “Home”.

I left school in year 10 and tried my hand at different jobs, including –  banana peeler, longline fisherman, landscaper, sandwich artist, concreter, door to door salesman and super yacht cleaner.  In 2007 I completed an Assistant in Nursing course and worked in Aged Care for 12 months, before being offered a construction job in Canberra that I could not refuse.

In 2009 I applied for an “Assistant Manager” position in the local newspaper.  I was contacted by the Area Manager who asked me to meet him at Waves Carwash, Braddon.  I remember telling my girlfriend “There is no way I am working at a Carwash!”, however after a bit of googling, I realised that this carwash was a little different to what I had imagined.  I went in, nailed the interview, and was offered the job.  Within 6 months I was the Site Manager of the Waves Carwash, Gungahlin store.

I loved the diversity this job gave me;  it was nothing like I had done before.  Daily I was doing Customer Service, Team Management, Financials, Ordering, Maintenance, Marketing, Sales, Training, and a whole bunch more.

It wasn’t until I attended the 2011 ACWA Show on the Gold Coast, that I decided I could actually make a career in the industry.

Then Robert Sacco, owner of the Waves Carwash Group, took me to the ICA Show in Las Vegas…and it blew my mind!  Cementing me to the industry.

From 2015 onwards things just got better for me. I became the Operations Manager of Waves Carwash.  I helped design and build the New Waves Carwash sites at Gungahlin and Phillip.  In 2018 I started working with Robert and his team at DIA to build and create “Pulse”, the advanced carwash management and POS system for the Carwash industry.  In 2019 I was the first Australian to win the “Emerging Leadership Scholarship” in Nashville.  In 2020 I became the General Manager of the Waves Carwash Group (now five car wash sites).

Waves Carwash and the industry had changed my life! It has seen me travel across Europe, to the US, Canada, China, as well as Australia and New Zealand. It has grown me personally and professionally beyond my imagination.

I now am looking at what I can do to help the industry grow people like myself.  My colleagues, Igor Makhonin and Robert Sacco, are also launching “Carwashing Down Under” this year to help provide information, ideas and advice to the Australian and New Zealand car wash market.

I am really excited to join the ACWA Board at the ACT Director and have the opportunity to help improve the industry.

The federal Labor government has tabled their proposed amendments to the Fair Work Act 2009 (‘the Act’).  The changes, which are likely to be passed into law, will impact every business to some degree.

The changes as they are proposed, are likely to increase the administrative burden faced by employers when employing staff.

ACWA Members can login to the Members Area and go to Industrial Relations page to read full information

 

ACWA recently held its AGM at Car Wash Show Australia. Thank you to the many members who took the time to be there.

In delivering my President’s Report, I made mention of a raft of significant issues ACWA had successfully tackled on behalf of members in recent years.

These included:
1.   Negotiations with water authorities and Government Ministers in NSW that enabled wash operators in Sydney to continue to operate during the drought of 2019
2.   Securing a $2 Million Car Wash Operators COVID Grant Scheme in Victoria in 2021
3.   Negotiating an outcome for many Southeast Queensland members that saved an average of $12,000 per annum on their water accounts

Of course, there are so many other things ACWA does. But for me, in times of crisis, like those listed above, ACWA steps up and proves its membership worth. However, our Association and your Board want to deliver even more membership value.

So, with this in mind, immediately after Christmas, the ACWA Board will meet to discuss the priority projects for the years ahead. Through the process, we will collect feedback, and the board will prioritise the strategic objectives for the Association.

Car Wash Show Australia 2022 provided the backdrop for the announcement of three new inductees into the Australian Car Wash Industry Hall of Fame.

The inductees announced at the event exemplify greatness in the Australian car wash industry and join the foundation inductees including Shiners’ Richard Davison, Good Sight’s Ardeis H. “Buck” Myers and Richard Holloway of Carwash Headquarters.

ACWA President Neil Fox announced the winners at the Car Wash Show Australia’s Party in the Washbay event.  Those inducted were:

Greg Boston          The Car Bath (SA)

Tony Stephens     Washbusters (VIC)

David Moyns        Velocity Vehicle Care

“The criteria for induction into the Australian Car Wash Industry Hall of Fame include attributes such as leadership, collaboration, industry support, longevity, and innovation,” said Neil Fox, “This year’s inductees truly embody greatness in the Australian car wash industry and are worthy additions to the Hall of Fame honour roll”.

ACWA is currently preparing a webpage to honour our inductees, in the meantime we provide the following background information.

Greg Boston, The Car Bath (SA)

• Greg is recognised nationally as an exceptional South Australian-based car wash operator and leader in the Australian Car Wash Industry.
• Greg has served on the Board of the Australian Car Wash Association on more than one occasion and was President from 2005-2008.
• As President, he presided over the most tumultuous period in Australian car wash history… the Millennial Drought.
• Greg navigated the industry through the drought crisis, leading negotiations with Government departments, politicians and bureaucrats across the country.
• Greg remains passionate about the impact of car washing on the environment. He is considered by many in the industry as the “go-to” person on the subject of water reclaim and recycling systems.
• Greg remains active with the Australian Car Wash Association, serving as Company Secretary.

Tony Stephens, Washbusters (VIC)

• On 17th October 1996, he and Rob Anson founded ACWA, the Australian Car Wash Association.
• Tony first encountered car washing in North America in the early 90s and “fell in love”.
• Returning to his hometown of Melbourne, he set about building a wash.
• He initially worked with Hall of Famer Richard Davison, opening a wash in Frankston.
• Soon after, he built Washbusters in Moorabbin.
• As the industry was in its infancy, Tony regularly visited North America, developing relationships with equipment and product suppliers.
• As well as running his own business, he has fostered and mentored many other car wash operators over several decades.
• In 2021 Tony sold Washbusters but still remains very involved in the industry.

David Moyns, Velocity Vehicle Care

• David Moyns is a car wash supplier of premium products with more than 20 years of experience in the car wash industry.
• David has clearly been a wanderer and has worked extensively across North and South Queensland, Papua New Guinea, Western Australia and Victoria.
• In 2014 David formed Velocity Vehicle Care to exclusively take on the master distributorship for Zep Vehicle Care products in the Pacific Region.
• David served a term on the Australian Car Wash Association Board from 2010.
• David is recognised nationally as a leader and mentor in the car wash industry. His passion, integrity and work ethic are renowned.
• David introduced Australia to globally recognised brands
  • Blue Coral in 2001
  • Rain-X in 2006
  • Armour All Professional in 2015
• David is continually looking for and introducing new and innovative products to the car wash market, such as
  • Assure Program in 2015
  • Coinless mobile in 2020