The Clean and Green way to bring back your vehicle's sparkle - Meet The Car Cleaning Company
The Car Cleaning Company bring the sparkle back to your vehicle in a sustainable way. WiriLink talked to owner Carl Cumings about being newcomers to the neighbourhood, whether they can wash a car with less than a bucket of water, and how the brand has grown.
The Car Cleaning Company brand is one you’ve probably heard of or seen before – it’s been operating for close to thirty years in Auckland.
‘We are the longest-standing mobile car grooming company in Auckland. We’ve diversified from just The Car Cleaning Company into a couple of different brands, including The Truck Cleaning Company and The Heavy Transport Cleaning Company, to split the work and increase our market presence,’ says Carl.
The Car Cleaning Company doesn’t just offer your ordinary car wash. They offer a broad range of services tailored to different needs and vehicle types and can service them from Orewa to Pukekohe.
‘We want to make it easy for our customers to get a quality service. We can come to your workplace, your home, or you can drop your vehicle at our depot at Unit I, 12 Dalgety Drive, Wiri.’
‘Whether you’re managing a fleet of trucks, looking after a prized sports car, or need to refresh a family SUV, we’ve got it covered. We service a range of specialised vehicles including ambulances, boats, helicopters, buses, and construction equipment’.
Did you know that every time you wash your car at home with a bucket and hose, you go through 50-150 litres of water? Sustainability is not just a buzzword for The Car Cleaning Company; they want to make sure they do their bit to take care of our waterways.
‘We are the only car groomers in Auckland that are Watercare approved’.
‘We offer waterless washes – this means that there is no runoff that will go into stormwater drains and the sea. We use less than a bucket of water per clean – which is also important during times of drought and water conservation’.
‘All of the products we use on vehicles are environmentally friendly. Ninety-nine percent of them are plant-based, replacing harsh and heavy chemicals. We also have controls in place for heavily soiled vehicles, making sure wastewater does not get washed down our waterways’.
Carl decided to make the move to Wiri with his team of six, from Manukau earlier this year.
‘While we’re 90% mobile, we do get vehicles dropped off. Our site at Manukau was too small; it was fine for smaller vehicles, but we couldn’t fit buses and trucks if we needed to keep them overnight.’
‘I like the different cross sections of industry in Wiri – there’s manufacturing and trucking, whereas Manukau was more geared towards retail.’
The Car Cleaning Company has seen its fair share of tricky jobs and clean ups. From ambulances to Ubers, they’ve seen it all.
‘We’ve seen mould and flood-damaged vehicles. We get a lot of roadworks overspray – tar, paint, concrete. We’ve seen the Friday night accidents in Ubers and had customers who have given birth in the back seat of their car. It’s fair to say our experienced team can handle a range of tough jobs!’
Sometimes the key to success is being in the right place at the right time. This was the case for Carl who decided to take the plunge and become a small business owner.
‘I had a successful corporate career prior to owning The Car Cleaning Company; big-box leadership of 200 staff across multiple destinations, in banking, financial services, and telecommunications sectors. However, I wanted a career break. I met the previous owner of the business by accident. He understood my passion for vehicles; I decided to pass on that attention and care for vehicles to customers. I took ownership four years ago and have been building the business ever since.’
‘It’s quite a difference from being in a corporate position – you know your role, you know your lane, and you know what you’re good at’.
‘When you become your own business owner, you are it – you are HR, you are marketing, and it’s your own money on the line’.
‘I’d love to expand, including outside of Auckland. However, it comes down to the economy, as grooming and detailing are luxury items.’
If you’d like to know more about The Car Cleaning Company or to book a service, visit their website at www.carcleaning.nz.
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