Building a More
Profitable Car Wash
JIM LIND
DRIVES UP PROFITS WITH RYKO
GROWTH COMES FROM MAKING SERVICE PRIORITY NUMBER ONE
Jim Lind
Owner, Jim Lind Service
Location: Waterloo, IA
Segment: Gas/Service Station
Ryko Solutions, Inc. customer since: 1981
THE JIM LIND SERVICE STORY
Jim Lind’s favorite family car growing up in Waterloo, IA was a 36-horsepower VW bus whose top speed was 40 MPH.
The bus would haul Lind’s parents, six kids, a dog and a cat.
“With six kids, mom and dad didn’t have a lot of extra cash, so the whole family had the job of keeping the cars
running,” Lind remembers. “For the VW bus we had to adjust the clutch weekly and the valves at least once a month.”
When you consider this family history, it’s no wonder that Lind became a service station owner. Today Jim Lind Service
is located literally across the street from where he was born. In the last 42 years, Lind’s Standard Oil, then Amoco, then
BP and now Shell station has been a full automotive maintenance center, which offers everything from oil changes to
tires, brakes, ignition and transmission repair as well as alignment, and a car wash thrown in for good measure. For Lind,
being in this business is all about the people.
“The bottom line is helping people and fixing their cars, trucks, and motor homes,” he says. “It comes down to offering
convenience and quality, and that’s what we do with our car maintenance and repair, gasoline and Ryko car wash.”
THE CHALLENGE: WINNING CUSTOMERS
Lind has seen a lot of transition in his 40 plus years as a station operator and he believes that in today’s competitive
landscape, offering value-added services is the real differentiator. For his station, one of the most valuable services
offerings is his Ryko SoftGloss MAXX car wash, which is open 24/7.
“We have three car washes within a few miles of us that are open most of the night. Then we have a tunnel wash within
a couple blocks of us, which is only open 9 to 5. We feel we are the competition. We have a regularly operating wash
with people here to help you, whether it’s 11am or 3am.”
Jim Lind Service offers customers four different types of car washes – Deluxe ($8), Plus ($10), Premium ($12) and VIP ($14).
Each one includes a basic wash, with the higher-value washes offering more, such as Ryko’s TriFoam wax, RainShield
protectant and tire shiner.
Continued on back...
GROWTH COMES FROM MAKING SERVICE PRIORITY NUMBER ONE
“Offering four different washes means higher profits for us and a better car
wash for our customers,” Lind says. “With this car wash we have we have a full
drawer of kitchen tools to draw from.”
Every vehicle that is serviced at the station, whether it’s with an oil change or
new tires, gets a complimentary wash. Gas customers receive 10 cents a
gallon off when they purchase a car wash.
THE RYKO ADVANTAGE
Jim Lind has been more than happy with the variety of Ryko equipment he
has had at his service station over the last 30 years. His current system, a
SoftGloss MAXX, washes about 3,000 vehicles a month. Most of his customers
are locals and they keep coming back for repeat washes.
“With the SoftGloss MAXX, we are actually polishing the vehicles. In my mind,
we are not just washing cars anymore; we are polishing them. They are just
brilliant when they roll out, and people are loving it,” he says.
“
With the SoftGloss MAXX, we are
actually polishing the vehicles. In my
mind, we are not just washing cars
anymore; we are polishing them. They
are just brilliant when they roll out
and people love it.”
— Jim Lind
Owner, Jim Lind Service
ABOUT RYKO
Ryko Solutions, Inc. creates extraordinary
profitability in car wash operations for
gas/convenience stores, private investors,
Lind says he has stuck with Ryko because the Ryko equipment he uses
produces a quick, quality wash, and for time-conscious, yet quality-seeking
customers, that makes them happy. “Ryko has fantastic equipment and a
stellar customer service team that is on the top of the list,” he says.
“Our Ryko customer service and relationships are so critical to making sure
this location is always accessible for my customers who’ve come to count on
me when they need their cars washed,” Lind adds. “When all things fall into
place, and the customers are pleased, we can all look each other in the eye
and say thank you and good job.”
land developers and auto dealers by
providing an integrated, end-to-end clean
vehicle system of equipment, chemicals,
national service and consumer marketing.
Founded in 1973, the business has grown
steadily to where it is today the largest
manufacturer of rollover vehicle wash
systems in the nation. Its product lines
RYKO ROI
• Quick, quality washes
• Upgrade options
• Higher profit margins
• Customer satisfaction
• Sparkling vehicles
include touch and touchless rollovers,
drive-throughs, conveyors, vacuums,
dryers, self-service systems, and a wide
range of accessories.
To learn more about how Ryko can help
you build a more profitable car wash, call
(515) 986-3700, visit www.ryko.com or
e-mail [email protected].
RYKO SOLUTIONS, INC.
1500 SE 37th St.
Grimes, IA USA 50111
800.284.7956
Building a More
Profitable Car Wash