A follow up

[Ben's Car Wash]

Here I sit in Key West, in a hotel room straightening this mess out, instead of getting sunburned on the beach that I'm paying dearly for. I just got off the phone with people that are in the know at Ginsan and here are the facts. Ginsan is alive and well as can be in this media induced recession. I don't know their numbers but, I know that many manufactures in this business, quarter or last year's quarter are hurting. The fact that many people were at the show and it was spring break in GR, Ginsan gave everyone the time off. I'm assured that the possible drop in service will be looked into and addressed. MMC apparently, is an x employee with an agenda and shouldn't have been posting, if this had not gone on this many days I would just delete it but since it has, an explaination is a better plan. BTW, MMC has been banned, if you are an X employee don't post about your old company.

Bill.... Stop blaming the freaking MEDIA for the "recession"! You contradicted yourself in the next sentance. The overall economy (especially in car washing) is way off and has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MEDIA... as well as YOUR SITE IS THE MEDIA.

Thanks... I hope your enjoying the keys. Have you tried the HOGS BREATH SALOON?

 

[Kevin Reilly]

Bill,
This is a good reason to require posters to post their name instead of initials or alias's or whatever. mmc created a hell of a problem in my book knocking a company that's been around (I believe) longer than I have in this industry and have done some great innovations producing new products over the years.

 

[phred113]

For those of us that went to the show, Ginsan did not look like they were in business as an equipment manufacturer, IMO. It is good to know that they are continuing.

 

[Greg Pack]

Ginsan has a great reputation as a mfg. company. But as I stated earlier IMO SS-only companies as a whole are really going to have a tough time. The entire industry seems to be in a bit of a slowdown, but the SS segment seem to be in a real contraction of which I think it will never recover. I do think it will continue to be here, but the market share of SS will shrink. To survive, SS-only Mfgs. will have to scale back to some extent. I saw several long time SS operators (20-30 yrs) at the show and they were all saying the same thing, they felt customer habits were shifting away from SS when given a viable choice. A indicator may be seen in that the Jim Coleman company, which was SS- only mfg until about ten years ago did not even have a self serve pump bench on display at the expo.

I think the basic constructed SS/IBAs in areas with inexpensive property will still work. But, the rapidly escalating cost of property, equipment, construction make the Taj Mahals in metro areas much less practical than ten years ago. Expresses are the only wash format being developed here, they are the only ones that will pencil out.