Tag: meeting

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NEW Rowe $5 upgrades

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If the Rowe five dollar upgrade board was released and for sale, this is how you would change it out (like a how-to for a product that does not exist).  You first take out the CCC board from the Rowe changer.  (I lost this guys business card so unfortunately I can not give out his information.  I need to try and get this information from my dad.)  The first picture shows (red arrow) the board that will be replaced.  The second picture shows the board that you will get in the mail.  The distributor said that the kit will also come with 2 chips like the one next to his thumb.  He also said that the chip on your old board will be labeled and that type needs to be on your new board.  He is also pointing at the notch (third picture) that you have to line up with the notch on the ccc board.  Looks pretty easy and he said he will be selling them for around $66. 

Update:  I believe that I found his business card.  Jess Vasquez from Baca’s Changer Service & Sales Inc. bcschangers.com

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Etowah Valley Equipment ICA booth

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I checked out the “Genesis” Rowe conversion kit $995 (last picture). It replaces the bill acceptor, ccc, and power supply. The Rowe people were saying that the BC-200 conversion kit will cost around $800 and replace all the same parts.

I really liked this switch (middle picture) that they were selling; it seemed very heavy duty (10 position around $110). It reminds me of the iwash switch.

I also post the fliers that Jim Gosnell was handing out. http://cwguy.com/?page_id=2514

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ICA Education Session Handbook

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I enjoyed the ICA meeting this year and appreciate Jeff Byma from the International Carwash Association, for helping me attend the show and to attend the educational sessions.

I also enjoyed meeting Eric Hanson from Boston? who invited me to a party I was not invited to.  I believe he said that he was going to send in some pictures of his wash for me to post.  I also enjoyed meeting Kate Carr and Pat Harrington from Professional Carwashing & Detailing.  I also talked to Greg a couple times while he was running away from me and others.

I could not attend very many sessions this year because I was extremely tired but I did attend “Going Green” by Bill Sartor, Washem Car Wash.

The ICA meeting only had 16 sessions this year, but in 2005 (the last time I attended) they had 29 over 5 days instead of 3.  Also the session handbook was a lot larger then this years.

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Self serve necessaries

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I picked up my 2008 catalogs at the ICA meeting, I think that everyone should have one of each for self serve car washes or just a pressure washing business.  Why? because each company seems to have different products.  The new catalog I added this year was “CarWash Superstore” which I have never had but Greg really loves them.

Kim Supply kimsupply.com 1-800-444-2783

CarWash Superstore carwashsuperstore.com 1-877-663-9274

Windtrax.com “The Car Wash Store” windtrax.com 1-800-443-0676

Dultmeier Sales dultmeir.com 1-800-553-6975

Kleen-Rite Corp kleen-ritecorp.com 1-800-233-3873

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Giant Towels

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I went over to Giant Industries booth who sells the high pressure guns that I use. The lady at the booth explained to me the difference between the stainless steel guns and the all brass gun. She said that the only difference was the discharge fitting was stainless and should provide better life to the gun.

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She also gave me some towels and a “Moistwipe”.

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Cool air fresheners

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I talked to the people in the Sonny’s booth and they said they are selling more self serve supplies.  I am not really sure but while looking in their “2008 Auto Accessories” catalog I found my “I Love Jesus” and “Mossy Oak” air fresheners.  So I will have to purchase them and see how they sell.

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I always liked the “Cherry Bomb” air fresheners and the customizing idea, but never have done it.  To customize one side (with their stock image on the other side) $.36, for 2 sides $.39 (also a one time setup for $75).

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I went past Average Joe Auto care products and checked out “The Amazing Aroma-Disk”.  This air freshener seems like a good idea if they sold a special vending machine that you never had to stock (which I asked them about), but you have to just use your current vendor.  Average Joe’s web site says they cost $9.99 for 10 but they might sell through a distributor cheaper?

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Well, I did not make it to Birmingham….

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I did not make it to Birmingham today and needed to spend the night at a Days Inn in Tallahassee Florida.  I started going through the information that I collected and realized that I got too much crap.  I will be going through all my pictures of the ICA meeting and posting them soon (along with posting pictures and descriptions of products that I talked to vendors about).  I also stopped at some car washes in Orlando and on the way to Tallahassee and plan to post those pictures soon.

I guess the hotel was in a bad part of town (last picture), maybe that is why it was the cheapest in town?

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The long drive home…..

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I picked up a flier from a Florida rest area and realized that I needed to “Slow Down!” to protect black bears.  Did you know that 160 bears were killed in 2007? 

I was very tired after the party and still did not get over the drive to Orlando.  So I took a break at Petro and noticed a common site, an out of order Rowe changer. 

While visiting the Rowe booth at the ICA meeting, I noticed that all but one of the Rowe changers had Mars bill acceptor.  Which is weird because the Rowe acceptor seems to have problems all the time.  Did Rowe even figure this out?