August 22, 2023

AutoSpa Yakima’s Mini-Tunnel of Success

Yakima, Washington is mostly known for its farming community and for its resiliency. Luckily for Geoff Knautz, owner and operator of Auto Spa Central Washington, there has always been a demand for car wash services ever since he purchased the store. Even with two machines in operation, he still had a line. While talking to a distributor, he was introduced to a Mark VII SoftLine¹® Tunnel! Despite being built next to a convenience store with a gas station, he learned that the Mark VII SoftLine¹® Tunnel can be configured for a short-bay.

John Kivi is the CEO of Northwest Wash Systems. A small distributor with a handful of employees including salespeople and technicians, they can install new equipment and service existing equipment. After they noticed the lines were 5-6 cars long at Auto Spa, they worked together with Knautz and decided to replace one machine for a Mark VII SoftLine1® Mini-Tunnel. For Knautz, he would benefit from a quick turnover and higher profits thanks to the tunnel, while also having a ChoiceWash XT® that can still be used 24/7.

“Customers just want to get in and get out, they don’t want to sit in a line for 30 minutes and wait 6 and a half minutes for their wash,” Knautz says. Thanks to the tunnel, they can get a car washed every 2 and a half minutes.

Knautz also highlights being next to a convenience store with other services. Thanks to being next to one another, they can get new customers who are just going for an oil change, gas, or even the store itself.

When Knautz purchased the car wash, a Mark VII was already installed! He was extremely satisfied with the wash quality of the machine; customers were happy and he decided to remain loyal to Mark VII. “If people were looking to get into the car wash business and trying to choose equipment, Mark VII is a fantastic option,” Knautz says. He highlights the fact they are manufactured right here in Arvada, Colorado and loves the equipment as they are easy to maintain and fix on their own.

Are you ready to turn your convenience store carwash into the ultimate profit center? Contact us here!