Dean Taylor
Dean Taylor, CATEC.com
Note: This is in reference to New Car Wash Construction:
As a reclaim system manufacturer, I talk to distributors and manufacturers of many car wash product brands on a daily basis. Some of the manufacturers are MAJOR suppliers in this industry.
What I'm hearing across the board almost verbatim is "business is terrible" and "the banks aren't loaning money." One distributor told me he has 11 car washes ready to be built but again, the banks aren't loaning. There are many others saying the same thing but 11 is the biggest one I've heard to date.
As a manufacturer, I understand that the politically correct thing to say is "We're doing great!" I mean, if everyone else is hurting and we're doing great, it must be because we have the ultimate products, right? Wrong...
Fact is, if any manufacturer or distributor tells you how good they are doing (new sales), unless they have some secret market they are selling into, they are most likely lying.
My business is holding on but to be honest, we're not doing great. I had a record year in 2007 and right behind that, my worst year in 2008. 2009 wasn't much better. And it's not because of my products, we are at or near the top of about 12 competitors.
Some may see my honesty as a weakness, some may actually admire it. I choose to run my business on honesty. I challange others in the industry to be honest about your businesses.
Do you have the guts to be honest? Or is it politically incorrect?
As a reclaim system manufacturer, I talk to distributors and manufacturers of many car wash product brands on a daily basis. Some of the manufacturers are MAJOR suppliers in this industry.
What I'm hearing across the board almost verbatim is "business is terrible" and "the banks aren't loaning money." One distributor told me he has 11 car washes ready to be built but again, the banks aren't loaning. There are many others saying the same thing but 11 is the biggest one I've heard to date.
As a manufacturer, I understand that the politically correct thing to say is "We're doing great!" I mean, if everyone else is hurting and we're doing great, it must be because we have the ultimate products, right? Wrong...
Fact is, if any manufacturer or distributor tells you how good they are doing (new sales), unless they have some secret market they are selling into, they are most likely lying.
My business is holding on but to be honest, we're not doing great. I had a record year in 2007 and right behind that, my worst year in 2008. 2009 wasn't much better. And it's not because of my products, we are at or near the top of about 12 competitors.
Some may see my honesty as a weakness, some may actually admire it. I choose to run my business on honesty. I challange others in the industry to be honest about your businesses.
Do you have the guts to be honest? Or is it politically incorrect?