Another Boomerang. Drive Clean, LLC has announced the opening of its newest Boomerang Carwash in Oklahoma City at 12425 North Pennsylvania Avenue (122nd and Pennsylvania). This is the company’s sixth location in the OKC metro area. Boomerang Carwash has already opened express tunnel car washes throughout Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Louisiana and is the nation’s largest operator of car washes of this kind. Its first facility was opened in OKC in January 2005 on NW Expressway. The facilities use state-of-the-art, computer-monitored automated systems throughout the ‘ride-thru’ express tunnel during the three-minute cleaning process, while also providing free self-serve vacuums. Boomerang has aggressive development plans for more facilities throughout the Midwestern United States over the next few years. To support this growth, Drive Clean, LLC will develop corporate-owned facilities while cotinuing to offer franchise ownership opportunities.

Right to Repair. Congressional support for the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act of 2007 (H.R. 2694) has reached 30 sponsors, according to Kathleen Schmatz, president and CEO of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA). “The momentum in support of this bill is incredible as evidenced by the rapidly growing cosponsor list,” she said. The Right to Repair Act would require automobile manufacturers to make the same service information and tool capabilities available to independent repair shops that they provide to their franchised dealer networks. The AAIA points out that the United States lags behind Europe in this regard. Several auto companies, including General Motors and Toyota, have made a legally binding commitment with the European Commission to provide technical information to independent repair shops in the European Union. Yet these same companies resist similar arrangements in the U.S., a contradiction Schmatz terms “disappointing.”

Mace Washes Sold. Drive Mace Security International has announced the sale of a full-services car wash in Bradenton, FL for $1.7 million. The proceeds will be used for working capital. The company, which is in the process of exiting the car wash business, now has five remaining car washes in Florida. Mace has also agreed to sell two of its four car washes in San Antonio for a total of $2.96 million in cash. The company declined to identify the two separate buyers. The Super Bright wash at 6780 Bandera Road is being sold for $1.46 million. The transactions are expected to close within the next 45-90 days. The other two washes in San Antonio are also up for sale along with the company’s remaining
20 car washes in Florida and Texas.

Detail Education. The National Association for Professional Detailing and Reconditioning (NAPDR) will be offering a comprehensive detail-education pr
ogram at the 7th annual Mobile Tech Expo (MTE). The Expo takes place at the Harborview Center in Clearwater, FL, and runs from January 17 to 19, 2008.
Building on the success of its 2007 MTE and Car Care World Expo presentations, the NAPDR has expanded its participation at the 2008 MTE. For the second year the NAPDR will exclusively provide the three days of programming designed for the industry professional. The NAPDR will also sponsor the detail pavilion, educational sessions, and live demonstrations. For the most up-to-date information, visit www.detailerassociation. com or www.mobiletechexpo.com, or call Diana Bean (NAPDR) at (209) 369-2833 or Kevin Halewood (Mobile Tech Expo) at (727) 531-7885.