The construction was like a pot in need of washing and waxing. Beat-up and anguished by years of oblivion and painted a soft bright pink and aquamarine, it stood out for all the reasons.
When Brian Krusz identified that old car wash on Pearl Road in Strongsville as the ideal location to launch his own auto cleaner in 2013, the mayor gave him a thankful hug on behalf of his wife, who couldn’t stand the sight of the existing eyesore. True to its name and purpose, the business known as Sgt. Clean Car Wash cleaned up that sub-optimal spot and made it shine.
It’s the first of 16 locations in Northeast Ohio for a veteran-owned business that is identified by its visitor service and corporate culture.
“Our motto was to change the face of car washing,” says Krusz. “We wanted to replace a lot of those stigmas and stereotypes about car washing. And I think we’ve accomplished our mission.
Krusz is the first to admit that he didn’t know anything about car washing when he imagined the cleaning sergeant. After serving 8 years in the US Marine Corps, the Elyria local worked in corporate America as a bank executive recruiter before exploring his entrepreneurial spirit. He helped a friend turn a beverage store into a local chain, which led him to meet the owner of a car wash. who told him everything about the industry. Krusz ended up attending a car washing conference and became addicted to the idea of dipping his toe in that soapy water.
Like any savvy Marine, Krusz understood the price of readiness. He visited as many car washes as he could in the Midwest, taking the owners out for coffee, a beer, or lunch or dinner to recharge. He also attended a “car wash education college. “” in Florida to be more informed about maintenance and management.
Those reports prepared Krusz for what was to come when he took over and renamed that dilapidated car to Strongsville. As if the car’s condition and its 176 notable liens weren’t enough, Krusz soon also faced the challenge of a task to widen Pearl Road. Cars and structure sites, he learned, don’t mix.
“You leave your car blank and then drive straight down a dirty road,” Krusz says. “We faced adversity from day one, but it has given me so much confidence that whatever demanding situations we face, we can triumph over them.
All the preparation paid off. Krusz opened a second location in a year and a half. Two sites soon became six, all located in the existing car washes. Then the sergeant. Clean began to expand by installing car washes where there were none before. Krusz’s business partner, Ken Brott, became CEO in early 2019.
According to Krusz, the key to expansion is speed, smiles, and luminosity.
“Speed —we want to get you out as quickly as possible,” he says. “Smiles — we’re going to hire really good people who show you some love and care. And sparkle is why you came there, a great quality car wash.”
More than 50 percent of Sgt. Clean’s revenue derives from its unlimited wash program. Sgt. Clean was one of the first car washes in the region to offer such a program, in which customers pay a fixed monthly rate for unlimited washes at any location.
“It’s the cheapest form of maintenance you can do to your vehicle,” Krusz says. “As a homeowner, I get an extra 10 minutes of sleep each night, knowing that I’m generating a source of income in a normal way. And then, for our teams, they get advantages of the consistent schedule and social advantages.
The sergeant. Clean doesn’t pay minimum wage like many traditional car washes, but it will pay a premium to attract experienced employees, adding secure salaried positions and benefits like fitness insurance and 401(k)s. This leads to a slower hiring rate than the industry’s popular. however, a higher retention rate.
And Sgt. Clean further incentivizes quality service among those roughly 170 employees with monthly bonuses based on a team’s or location’s performance.
“We just need them to focus on consumers and do the most productive work they can and not worry about how they’re going to supply their family,” Krusz says. “One of the stigmas of car washing in the past was that you could work 60 hours one week when the weather was good and 10 hours the next. We simply made the decision to grit our teeth and be as consistent as possible to help them grow.
Krusz also had the network influence a Sergeant Clean up project. The company donates generously to local educational foundations and its staff volunteers for a variety of network advocacy projects, including canned food drives, park cleanups, and Meals on Wheels programs.
“We need to be community-centered,” Krusz says. We’ve even promoted one of our executive directors to Community Impact Coordinator, to coordinate volunteer projects at our 16 sites. I have lived a lifetime of service in the Marine Corps and I am a company that believes in building a business that thrives in the community.
Stay up-to-date on local business news and Smart Business networking events. Sign up for professional recommendations or sign up to learn about our networking events near you!
Sign up now
Check out this month’s Smart Business magazines on our easy-to-navigate virtual platform.
Click to view
835 SHARON DRIVE, SUITE 200, CLEVELAND, OH 44145 | Phone: 440. 250. 7000 | PRIVACY POLICY