Local owners breaking ground on new Carthage car wash

John Hacker, The Joplin Globe, Mo.
Updated ·3 min read

Jan. 26—CARTHAGE, Mo. — A Carthage couple are working to expand and upgrade their business, and to do it they are using a piece of ground that holds a lot of memories for Carthage residents.

Jason and Kelly Choate, owners of Hurricane Car Wash in Carthage and Webb City, will gather with Carthage Chamber of Commerce members to break ground on a new, modern car wash at 2 p.m. Friday at 815 W. Central Ave., next door to the Casey's General Store.

It's the first new business built on the former Hawthorne School lot on Central since the convenience store was finished at the corner of Francis Street and Central Avenue about a decade ago.

The Hawthorne School served Carthage students from 1922 to 1997, when Steadley Elementary School was built. Hawthorne was torn down in 1999.

"It's kind of neat to know that there's that kind of history that goes with it," Jason Choate said. "We thought it was a great location, being right there on Central. Our business plan is to close down the midtown and north car washes and build this one and move some of the hand bay equipment into the new one and also bring in some new, state-of-the-art automatic bay equipment."

Choate said the new location will replace the older car washes at 1315 Oak St. and 2119 S. Garrison Ave.

"The reason to close the other two is just the cost of maintaining them," Choate said. "Both of those buildings are old buildings. Those properties have been around for a long time and the automatic equipment that's still in those is obsolete, and it's getting harder and harder to continue to find parts to make repairs."

One feature that isn't going away is the pet wash, currently at the Garrison Avenue location.

Choate said that will be moved inside on the back side of the new car wash. He said construction will take about six months.

He said the new location will be similar to their car wash at 1703 W. McArthur Drive in Webb City, with features soon to be added to the Fir Road car wash.

"The two automatics at the new location will be a soft touch and a touch-free, and they will be express bays so they'll be a little different from what we have at the south car wash by Walmart," Choate said. "They will be large bays and there will be a couple of phases where you'll pull in and the machine will wash your vehicle like everyone is accustomed to, then the second phase you'll drive through a couple of arches that will put on a clear coat and give it a spot-free rinse. Then the last stage will be as they're pulling out there will be a tire shine option."

Choate called the new car wash a "hybrid between the traditional in-bay automatic car wash and the new tunnels that are coming out."

He said he and Kelly are excited to modernize their business and emphasized that they're in Carthage for the long haul.

"Ever since we've bought these, we have aggressively invested back into the business, and we'll continue to do that with bringing in new equipment," he said. "We're not here to make a quick buck and get out, we've got ties to the community and we're here to stay."