Ed Dahm

Ed Dahm served as ICA president in 1981 and is one half of the founding team of Mike’s Car Wash. Ed’s brother Joe started the business in 1948 as the first automatic car wash in Indiana, and shortly after Ed joined forces en route to creating the largest exterior-only car wash company in the United States.

Q: What do you think has been most interesting in the evolution of car washing over the last 100 years?

A: Seventy years ago you took your car into a filling station to have it washed at 7 a.m. They’d say there are eight ahead of you, so we’ll have it ready at 5:30 p.m. Today we can wash cars in just a few minutes.

Q: What was your favorite accomplishment
during your term as ICA president?

A: I was able to visit many car washes in the U.S., and I was always interested in their associates. I discovered that the attitude of the car wash starts at the top. Attitude will be reflected in how associates treat the customer. We called our customer the boss.

Q: From a personal standpoint, what’s been keeping you busy since you were ICA president?

A: Our lake cottage where our families come with all their 16 children. They like all the activities and toys at the lake.

Q: What has changed the most in the industry in the time since your presidency?

A: We have become more professional. The equipment solution and all the other manufactures have made great progress in making car washing much easier and better for our customers. We can deliver a quick, clean and dry car in minutes. Thanks to car manufacturers for their design of the newer cars, which is much easier to wash compared to what the cars looked like in the ‘40s and ‘50s.

Marshall Paisner

Marshall Paisner served as ICA president in 1980 and is the founder of ScrubaDub Auto Wash Centers with 17 locations in Massachusetts. He has successfully kept the business in the family, and is an author on the topic of succession planning, specifically around family business.

Q: What do you think has been most interesting in the evolution of car washing over the last 100 years?

A: The most interesting evolution has been marketing using the Internet.

Q: What was your favorite accomplishment during your term as ICA president?

A: My largest contribution to the industry was proving through the ICA Research Foundation that brushes scratch cars, thus changing the industry to cloth brushes.

Q: What have you been doing from a career/professional standpoint since your term as ICA president ended?

A: I have had two additional careers. One, writing my book, Sustaining the Family Business, and lecturing on it all over the world at over 30 universities and trade associations. Secondly, dabbling in art from sculptures to encaustic painting.

Q: From a personal standpoint, what’s been keeping you busy since you were ICA president?

A: As chairman of the board at ScrubaDub, I have proudly helped my family expand the business and add value to ICA.

Q: What do you think the biggest challenge is for the industry right now?

A: The biggest challenge is keeping the business in our family by getting the current generation to understand how valuable our family business is to another generation. We have to build a culture of pride in being the best and value that more than the quick payout through a sale.

Dan Palenske

Dan Palenske served as ICA president in 1994 and is the retired operator of Chicago-based North West Auto Wash. Palenske was at the helm of the ICA when it faced the tough decision to retire its executive director of the previous 25 years and transition the management of the Association to SmithBucklin.

The move was controversial at the time but proved to be an important step in evolving the Association. Today, ICA retains SmithBucklin for portions of its business, but operates as a stand-alone association.

Q: What do you think has been most interesting in the evolution of car washing over the last 100 years?

A: In the ‘60s, we moved from hand-mitting to automated equipment and eliminated 30 percent of our labor. In the ‘80s, we changed from filament brushes to soft cloth and many wash’s volumes doubled. In the late ‘80s, touchless (tunnels) was introduced. The customers loved it, but it didn’t become prevalent due to the cost of operation. The introduction of the $3 wash has seen large volumes, most likely attracting customers who don’t normally frequent a tunnel car wash.

Q: From a personal standpoint, what’s been keeping you busy since you were ICA president?

A: That is easy! Retirement, raising grandchildren, missing my “car wash buddies” and cutting grass! I have been involved with my local homeowners association (past director). Barb and I spend time boating, attending car shows and not washing our own car.

Q: What do you think the biggest challenge/opportunity is for the industry right now?

A: I am alarmed at the decreasing car wash volumes and it is surprisingly not overbuilding. I was concerned when the full service wash price moved past $10. You ask “the man on the street” about a full service wash and you will hear: the cost is $18 (not $12 or $14 base price). I believe there are probably four or five more causes for these decreases. In my opinion, two challenges face our industry: water (cost and availability) and labor costs.

Q: What is the Association doing today that you are excited about?

A: I am very encouraged to see the movement to become truly “international.” In 1994, I attended and spoke at the Italian Car Wash Convention in Parma, Italy, (300 operators who did not speak much English) and was amazed at how interested they were in all facets of our car wash operations.

Bruce Milen

Bruce Milen served as ICA president in 1984 and is current owner of Jax Kar Wash in Michigan. Jack Milen, one of the founders of ICA, founded Jax in 1954. The business has remained a family business for the duration, with a brief exception from 1998 – 2001 before Bruce purchased the company back from a national chain.

Q: What do you think has been most interesting in the evolution of car washing over the last 100 years?

A: The ability for the car wash operators to have such a diverse way to clean our customer’s cars, and the advent of flex-serve washing. Also, the new POS systems and auto attendants.

Q: What was your favorite accomplishment during your term as ICA president?

A: 1. Being involved in the Hand Car Wash Study that was conducted by the University of Texas/Arlington that proved that washing your vehicle at a professional car wash was safer for your car’s finish than hand washing.

2. Spearheading the March of Dimes fundraising drive that thousands of ICA members participated in and raised $250,000 for the March of Dimes. We received a lot of great press on that promo and were featured on the national telethon.

Q: What have you been doing from a career/professional standpoint since your term as ICA president ended?

A: I continued to operate as a full-service operator until 1998 when I sold my business to a national operator. In 2001 I had the opportunity to purchase the company back and do what I do best…wash cars.

Q: From a personal standpoint, what’s been keeping you busy since you were ICA president?

A: Raising our wonderful kids with my wife, Miriam, and being involved in the day-to-day operations of our washes with my son Jason and our great management team.

Q: What has changed the most in the industry in the time since your presidency?

A: Better wash equipment and management techniques. The flex-serve concept and the unlimited club program that many operators have put into place.

Q: What is the Association doing today that you are excited about?

A: The new programs, such as WaterSavers and Wash Count programs.