Why are there so many car washes in Stark County? Industry experts cite growing demand

Splish! Splash! Give your car a bath — almost on every corner.

If it seems like there are a lot of car washes in the Akron-Canton region, it's because there are.

At least 60 car washes are operating in Stark County with plans for more in Alliance, North Canton, Plain Township and Jackson Township. There are tens of thousands of car wash businesses in the U.S., according industry statistics.

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"I've asked myself, 'Why didn't I get in the car wash business?' There looks like a lot of money and low maintenance," Chris Kreareas of North Canton said as he cleaned his prized 2022 Ford Bronco in a self-service bay at Applegrove Car Wash.

So, why are we seeing so many car washes popping up all over the area? The simple reason given is demand.

Eric Wulf, chief executive officer of the Glen Ellyn, Illinois-based International Carwash Association, said the $13.7 billion car wash industry has seen "historic growth" over the last three to five years. He credited new car wash models, subscriptions and better equipment for the boom.

"Although to folks outside the industry, who might not suspect it, there is a lack of supply (car washes) in most markets," he said.

He also said many of today's car wash businesses create full-time positions with benefits and the potential for careers.

"It's not like when you or I were kids and there was a lot of seasonal, part-time jobs," he said. "That's not what this industry creates anymore."

How many car washes are there?

The total number of car washes in the U.S. vary based on the study and research firm.

Research firm IBISWorld estimates there are 56,773 car wash and auto detailing businesses in the U.S. — a 0.4% increase from 2022. The International Carwash Association has that figure around 62,750. The discrepancies seemed based on public data available at the time of the research and the study's definition of a car wash.

For example, IBISWorld does not include companies whose primary business is changing motor oil or repairs, but also has a car wash service. A place like Roy's Car Wash & Lube in Alliance might not make its count. But it would for the association.

"For many Americans, their car, SUV or pick-up truck is the second-most expensive item (after a house) that they will purchase and maintaining that investment on wheels is paramount," Andy Hait and Earlene Dowell wrote for the U.S. Census Bureau in 2021.

They continued: "And because many see their cars as an extension of their personality, maintaining an image by keeping their cars clean also matters."

Florida resident Dylan Greco, a Canton native, was getting his slick 2018 Honda Civic cleaned before returning to Tampa Bay after two weeks back home.

"This is my car. This is my baby," he said, finishing up at Ivanho car wash in Canton. "It has to look nice. I live in Florida, so it has to look like a Florida car."

Kreareas also has a routine.

He said he cleans his vehicles regularly; usually by hand or self-service for the soft-topped Bronco. He uses the automated car washes on his other vehicles.

"It looks good after I'm done, especially when I do it myself," Kreareas said. "I bring a towel to dry it off."

Monthly subscriptions changed the game

Wulf said the car wash industry started to flourish with technological advances, larger and sleeker facilities, and monthly subscriptions.

"The subscription model really changed how attractive the industry is for outside investors," he said.

Roy Clunk, owner of Roy's Car Wash & Lube in Alliance, agreed. He said subscriptions were a "shot in the arm financially," because monthly passes guarantee income.

Wulf said the industry was historically a weekend activity when car washes made a majority of its revenue.

"Rain was always the enemy," he said because stormy weather on the weekends meant a financial blow to car wash owners.

"But the subscription," he said — paying a monthly free for unlimited washes — has freed drivers and car wash owners from past practices. Now, Wulf said, "consumers can get a wash whenever they want, essentially as often as they want, and rain over the weekend doesn't make a dent in your sales."

He also said the modern, attractive look of the newer car washes has required older facilities to "up their game" and put out a better product.

How much is too much?

Wulf said some markets — likely, smaller ones — could become oversaturated with car washes.

Clunk, who has been in business for 38 years, said he believes larger chains could hurt the market or squeeze out smaller car washes.

"The pie is only so big and it's going to get sliced up. Personally, I think we are going to turn out a cleaner and dryer car," he said.

That possibility has caught the attention of several Northeast Ohio cities, including Stow, Brook Park and Macedonia, who have enacted temporary moratoriums on new car wash construction. Their reasons ranged from keeping their economy diversified to preventing a flooded market.

"We are landlocked a little bit, where we don’t have too many areas to grow, so what we want to assure to our residents and our visitors coming to our city is that we are going to provide a variety of retail," Brook Park Mayor Edward Orcutt told News Channel 5.

That said, Wulf believes nationally that the car wash industry will continue to grow over the next few years. Not decline.

"I very confidently can say that I expect the growth to continue. I think consumers want more car washes," he said.

Reach Benjamin Duer at 330-580-8567 or ben.duer@cantonrep.com. On Twitter: @bduerREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stark County car washes: Businesses aim to meet growing demand