Lifestyle car wash

Clean Car (Global) Phils. came by way of South America. The migration of the mobile car wash business to the Philippines was a dream come true for its founder, Dino Lagdameo, a Filipino who studied and lived in the United States for quite some time.

The first outlet in the country was opened in mid- 2002 in Makati.

"We started with 10 units in a Makati mall. During our first year, each unit serviced an average of four cars daily," said country manager Marvin De Silva.

Today, the number of units has increased to 90, most of them located in the parking lots of Metro Manila-based malls. Revenue has also increased as the number of cars serviced has risen to an average of eight cars a day, (rising to as high as 19 cars in some locations). As of Jan. 5, 2004, Clean Car employs 130 washers, up from its initial crew of 20.

"Salary of car wash staff is based on commission. This gives them the drive to work harder," said De Silva. "Uniforms are washed here because we understand that it is not easy washing cars all day."

Innovation

Because it takes very little space, a mobile car wash unit can be moved easily within the parking area of the mall or an office building.

"The unit design was invented in South America but we manufacture it here, using 90% local material. One unit has a 60-liter water capacity and can wash eight to nine cars in between refills. At an average of four liters of water per car, our unit uses 91% less water than cash wash stations," said De Silva.

The average washing time for a car is about 40 minutes, less if it is a small car like a sedan and more if it is a big vehicle like a van.

"In some way, we contribute to the volume of shoppers in the mall with the additional service that we give. Because the units are very small and can be operated by two people, we do not get in the way," said Lagdameo. "We have a strong following among female motorists. They prefer to have their car washed by us while they do other things at the mall rather than go to the nearest car wash station and wait along with the men that hang out there. It is simply more convenient and safer for them."

Growing

In an effort to expand quickly, Clean Car is opening the business to franchising, either as a single location or territory franchise. The investment for a single franchise is less than P1 million, inclusive of 10 mobile car wash units and personnel training. The return on investment is expected within 10 to 12 months.

Depending on the size of the area covered, the investment required for a territory franchise is between P2 million and P5 million. "We are initially looking at Cebu, Bacolod, and Davao. A territory franchise makes sense because our partner will have more flexibility in terms of managing the number of units that he can deploy and it cuts down on cannibalizing on the nearest outlet," said De Silva.

Aside from franchising, Clean Car is also exploring corporate clients.

"We already have an outlet at the Ayala Triangle. We are still pursuing other office buildings in Makati," said De Silva.

Clean Car has also introduced new products such as simple engine wash and tattooing. "When you go the local car wash station, the water pressure that they use is strong enough to penetrate the chips and electronics under your hood. This could lead to rusting and, later on, to damage. Although the 12-volt pressure of our water pumps is not enough to do that, we still train our people in washing the insides of the car to prevent damage," said De Silva.

Tattooing is limited to etching the car’s plate number on the side mirrors.