A Clear vision for the future
By Tania Moffat
The wash itself, located off the 401 between Chatham and Windsor, was designed and built four and a half years ago by Tony Barraco’s company, Barraco Group. Pencor Developments Inc., owned by Barraco and Bill Bailey, retains the property rights. After two failed lease agreements, Barraco and Bailey joined forces with Lindsay Belanger, whose Tilbury Auto Sales & RV Yamaha business borders the wash property. His 30 plus years of experience in the automotive, RV, powersports, and marine industries, along with his partners’ combined business prowess and enthusiasm, has breathed new life into the business.
Understanding the customer
Two of Tilbury’s three wash bays are designed for oversized vehicles such as RVs, motorhomes, boats, and large commercial trucks and trailers. Since their opening on July 1st, 2021, Belanger shares how they have spent hours getting to know their customers. Using this knowledge, the partners continue to develop their services to go above and beyond for their clients.
“Truck drivers take pride in their vehicles. They keep them clean because they are an extension of themselves, but time is money, and they want to get in and out quick,” Belanger explains. Tilbury’s employees have mastered completing a basic wash in 20 minutes to meet this need. “Our customers have different wash needs as well. We have several specialized services to do this, including aluminum polishing, washouts, including trailer and reefer sanitization, acid baths and interior detailing to name a few.”
While they wait, customers are invited to relax on outdoor seating or are welcome inside. The bright waiting room is equipped with a seating area, TVs, WiFi and beverages. The owners are even planning to open a chrome shop in the near future for customers to browse through.
Providing specialized service
All three wash bays are fully-adorned with new equipment providing staff with a selection of washes, rinses and coatings at their fingertips. Working with Dan Gough, the business development manager for eastern Canada at Transchem Group’s equipment and service division, the partners have invested over $100,000 on equipment for the 150-by-90-foot steel wash structure.
“They were looking for products that are effective at cleaning the tough dirt and stains that come with driving commercial vehicles and went with SOAX Equipment and Auto-Lux chemicals. The SOAX Modular Self-Serve Car Wash System from Transchem is perfect for them; it is a true workhorse. SOAX is built with corrosion-resistant materials meant to stand up to the harsh conditions found inside of a carwash, and its flexible and modular design can be configured for most equipment room layouts. The system is unmatched in reliability and compatible with most payment and bay control systems,” says Gough.
Owners have a choice of installing SOAX’s high-pressure pump equipment on a stand or mounted to the wall. The Tilbury wash selected the SOAX Chemical Dispensing Wall Packs, which allows them to customize and maximize the chemical offerings at their site. It perfectly complements the SOAX high-pressure pumping equipment to generate additional profit. The belt-driven design provides smooth and quiet operation while the heavy-duty air pump generates consistent product application.
SOAX’s foam brush/gun system uses air injection to produce a thick, rich foam. Their Triple Foam System electronically controls three colours of foam set on an adjustable timed cycle to run sequentially, randomly or mixed. The Auto-Lux products chosen by the owners are remote-injected using low pressure to reduce chemical waste and allow for quick product changeover while washing.
“Owners, Lindsay, Tony, and Bill, along with their team, have been fantastic to work with. They are very engaging and compassionate about their business and their clients’ cleaning needs. The entire team is always up to the task to take on any job, and they continue to look for improvements with their client base,” says Gough.
Tilbury Truck, RV and Boat wash is about much more than just washing trucks. Their vision is to be a destination – somewhere their customers can go to get a great wash and experience, all rolled into one. They are well on their way to realizing this vision and, when it happens, it won’t be by accident; it will be by design.
Tania Moffat is a freelance writer, editor, publisher and photographer. She has worked on a wide variety of B2B and consumer publications, both in print and online. You can connect with her at info@chiccountrylife.com
