Industry Newsline - September 2001

MOTIONS AND PROMOTIONS

    Bernie Ephraim, a 41-year veteran of the car wash chemical industry, has been named sales representative at Standhardt Chemical Corporation of Grand Rapids, MI. Ephraim will be responsible for sales to vehicle wash facilities worldwide. Most recently, he was international sales manager at Cul-Mac Industries in Wayne, MI. Before joining Cul-Mac, Ephraim spent 32 years at the Stone Soap Company headquartered in Detroit.
    PDQ Manufacturing Inc. of De Pere, WI has announced the appointment of Mark Van Pay as marketing director and Mike Savignac as executive vice president.Van Pay will be responsible for the activities of the marketing, technical writing, and technical training departments. He has a B.A. degree in Journalism with an emphasis in advertising, and a minor in psychology from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. He was most recently employed as advertising and promotion manager with Appleton Papers Inc. Savignac will oversee all marketing and operational activities for the company. He has a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee and an MBA from Cardinal Strich. He was most recently employed as executive vice president with ITW Hobart Brothers in Troy, OH.
    Cleaning Systems, Inc., headquartered in De Pere, WI, has announced several new
appointments. Ryan Cook, who has many years experience in the car wash industry, has been appointed territory manager for the west central region. Vladimir Chernin has been appointed the company's research and development chemist. Chernin has a Ph.D. in chemistry from Moscow State University and has 25 years experience as a research chemist and senior scientist working with detergents. Bill Lee has been appointed national accounts manager. Lee's experience includes convenience stores as well as car wash equipment and car wash solutions sales.
    Paul W. Comisky has been promoted to vice president of marketing for Chicago-based Gold Eagle Co. Comisky joined Gold Eagle as director of marketing in January 2000 and has over 20 years of consumer packaged-goods marketing experience. He has held marketing and general management positions at Campbell Soup, Fort Howard Paper and Fort James Corp.

MCA CO-SPONSORS MEGA SHOW

    The Mid-Atlantic Carwash Association (MCA) has joined forces with the Washington, Maryland, Delaware Service Station and Automotive Repair Association (WMDA) and two other associations to present the 2001 Mega Show, offering an opportunity for companies that supply products or services to the car care industry. This regional trade show and conference for the service station and car wash industry will be held September 28 and 29, 2001 at the Ocean City Convention Center in Ocean City, MD.
     In addition to co-sponsoring the 2001 Mega Show, MCA will also be participating in the education portion of the program, including a special workshop on car wash technology and operations.
    For information, call LaKisha Pindell (301) 577-2875.

AUTO WAX WINS LAWSUIT

    A federal court jury has found that Mark V Products Inc. infringed Auto Wax's U.S. Patent No. 5,727,993 by importing, offering to sell, and/or selling its BodyClay product. The eight-member jury awarded Auto Wax $758,525 as patent infringement damages. The jury rejected Mark V's assertions that the Auto Wax patent was invalid.
    The jury also found that Auto Wax's RED HOT(r) trademark had been infringed, for which it awarded Auto Wax $78,070 in damages.
    A Mark V company spokesman said, "We respectfully disagree with the jury's verdict and intend to pursue all of our available post verdict options."

BELANGER ISO REGISTERED

    Belanger Inc.'s Novi, MI assembly operation was recently presented with ISO 9001: 2000 registration from Intertek Testing Services' (ITS) quality management systems (QMS) registration business unit. Belanger joins a unique club of only 165 companies in North America that have registered their QMS to ISO 9001: 2000.
According to the company, the impetus behind its quest for ISO 9001 registration was a desire to improve overall performance at the company and to establish a well-documented quality management system.

EXCLUSIVE MAKER OF FOAM CONTROLLER

    IDX of El Dorado, AR has been licensed by Steve Chase Industries as the exclusive manufacturer of the multicolor foam controllers the Foam-I-Nator(r) (IDX part #MX48). When an OEM or distributor uses this IDX controller in its multicolor foam systems, it is covered under US Patent #5,695,293. US manufacturers who are licensed to sell the controller in their systems include Dultmeier, National Pride, Jim Coleman Co., Monorail, Midland Car Wash Systems, Oasis Manufacturing, R. Bell & Associates, Power Cleaning Systems of SC, Auto Brite Co of TX, Bozeman Distributors, Dutch Maid Equipment, Humble Manufacturing of TX, Kim Supply, and Superior Car Wash Systems.

HAARTZ, WOLFSTEINS ALLY

    The Haartz Corporation, a manufacturer of convertible top fabrics, announced that it had formed an alliance with Wolfsteins Pro Series, which will market a new, environmentally friendly line of convertible top cleaners and protectant products. Researched, developed and tested by the two companies, this is the first convertible top cleaning and protection system endorsed by Haartz.
    The four products being marketed through the alliance are the Raggtopp(tm) Cleaner and Raggtopp(tm) Protectant for cloth automotive convertible tops and Bimini Topp(tm) Cleaner and Bimini Topp(tm) Protectant for cloth marine tops. These products are available separately or in a kit with the cleaner, protectant, and a brush.

DETAIL PLUS APPROVED

    Detail Plus Car Appearance Systems has announced that its Chemspense Detailing System has been approved by a number of US, European, and Asian auto manufacturers for sale to their dealer organizations. Chemspense System will now be placed in the approved equipment catalog from which dealers can make purchases with manufacturer financing. According to the company's president, Bud Abraham, this is not only an excellent sales opportunity for Detail Plus, but it reflects the respect that the detail industry is gaining with the automobile industry. Manufacturers who have approved the system are General Motors, Chrysler, Saturn, Nissan, Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Hyundai and Volvo. Negotiations with Ford, BMW and Mercedes Benz are reportedly ongoing.

MACE REPORTS 2Q RESULTS

    Mount Laurel, NJ-based Mace Security International Inc. (Mace) has announced financial results for the second quarter ending June 30, 2001.
    Reported revenues were $13.0 million compared to $12.2 million for the second quarter of 2000. Operating income increased to $1.3 million from $0.8 million in the second quarter of 2000. Net income, on a fully diluted basis, for the second quarter of 2001 was $404,000 or $0.02 per share compared to $139,000 or $.01 per share in 2000. The company notes that operating results for the three months ended June 30, 2001 and 2000, as reported above, exclude costs of terminated acquisitions and discontinued operations, net of related income taxes. When one includes costs of terminated acquisitions and discontinued operations, the net income picture looks quite different. In that event, net income for the second quarter of 2001 actually decreased to $358,000 from $394,000 in the second quarter of 2000.
    Mace credits the aggressive marketing of various on-line and off-line car wash and detailing services and its direct-mail coupon advertising campaigns for revenue growth. In the second quarter of 2001, average wash and detail revenue per car increased 9 percent to $13.97 from $12.79 in the second quarter of 2000. This includes a significant increase in detailing revenues to $2.51 million from $1.95 million in the same quarter of 2000.

CAR WASH FINDER

    Shell and Texaco service stations have launched a new Station Finder online tool that will help consumers avoid unnecessary, frustrating drive-around searches. Station Finder at www.countonshell.com and www.texaco.com enables online users to search by the services offered at a station: ATM, diesel fuel, car wash, convenience store, restaurant, and auto repair services. This is in addition to being able to search for a service station by city, state, street address or ZIP Code. Users can also search for stations that have web sites and special online coupons redeemable at the local station.

ADESA INSPECTION PROGRAM

    ADESA Corporation has developed a Post Sale Vehicle Inspection program to promote profitability and integrity for its customers. Once dealers purchase a vehicle, they may proceed to a post sale inspection booth where an ADESA employee processes the dealer's request. The vehicle is placed on a lift for a frame and complete mechanical inspection. Dealers are presented with estimates and additional options such as Paintless Dent Repair (PDR), glass, body, and detail services at affordable rates.
    The company believes that offering dealers a choice of venues to take vehicles to for reconditioning services is one more way to help them save time and money.