California, among other states, is facing extreme drought issues along with global warming and a looming shortage of clean drinking water, so why let gallons of water and harmful chemicals pour down storm drains for a wash down? of cars if it is unnecessary?
Brian Stranko of Clayton has a solution. The owner of the No-H2O Walnut Creek franchise is looking to make an environmental impact, one car wash at a time. In January, he bought the franchise that uses an environmentally safe, waterless cleaner to clean cars instead of detergent and water. His team sprays biodegradable liquids on vehicles using simple spray bottles and wipes vehicles clean by hand.
“I’m a big believer in conservation solutions that allow actors to do good while doing good,” said Stranko, who lives with his wife Michele and their three daughters, ages 18, 16 and 10.
A water conservation professional for more than 20 years, Stranko was most recently director of the California water program for The Nature Conservancy, a global environmental organization based in Arlington, Virginia.
“I was convinced to get involved after calculating how much water could be saved in California, if we could make every consumer car wash in the state waterless,” he said. “With an average savings of 35 gallons per wash and taking both the number of consumer cars in California and the average number of washes per year, per car, you end up with enough water savings to supply nearly a million people in the state. who run out of drinking water every year.
The idea of a waterless car wash is relatively new in the United States.
“No-H2O was founded in Ireland in 2007 by former Formula 1 racing driver Emmet O’Brien and his father Eoin,” said Stranko. “They saw a gap in the car care industry, namely the need for a greener, more convenient product and service. Therefore, they created a set of waterless biodegradable products and a service that is both mobile and on-demand. No-H2O goes to the consumer instead of the consumer going to the car wash.”
Your mobile phone company has no physical location and instead travels to where your customers are.
“We don’t need a lot of equipment or supplies like a waterless car wash, so we can put everything we need in small vans, even cars,” he said.
They clean cars at people’s homes, places of business, or other convenient locations.
“We also serve commercial clients such as luxury apartments, country clubs, golf courses, fitness centers, shopping malls, etc. who invite us to their locations to provide our service to their customers,” added Stranko.
Your company offers five different packages; from just the exterior to rugged detailing of a car’s interior and exterior, with the typical exterior-only wash taking around 35 minutes. Full interior and exterior washes take a little over an hour, and detailed service can take longer. Stranko explains what your cost-to-value ratio includes.
“Our services are more about detailing than washing,” said Stranko. “The difference is in the level of quality and attention to detail made. Because our service is mobile, on-demand, and performed by real people striving to get the details right, and because even our basic service results in a polish as well as a wash, our service commands a premium price.”
Your business is also a family affair.
“The two oldest daughters are retailers in the business, and we are waiting for the youngest to grow up a bit before jumping on board!” Stranco said.
Stranko, 51, was born in Tacoma, Washington, and raised primarily in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, as the son of a US Army soldier. With a bachelor’s degree in communications from Syracuse University, an MBA from Georgetown University, and a certificate in environmental policy from the University of Maryland, he sees this business as a win-win.
“By showing that we can make a profit while saving water with the waterless car wash solution, we can attract more entrepreneurs into the sector, and that will help proliferate waterless car wash and overall water savings,” he said.
Stranko is looking at the big picture.
“For me, that is the crux of the matter: to proliferate a solution beyond my own company that can lead to the complete conversion of car washes to waterless systems,” he said. “We also plan to help spark a movement: a proliferation of waterless washing becoming the norm and not necessarily with us as the supplier.”
As a member of the Concord, Lafayette, Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek Chambers of Commerce and the Clayton Business and Community Association (CBCA), Stranko’s company gives back to the communities it serves beyond waterless car washes.
“We regularly hold fundraisers with groups like the police and fire department, The Fallen Heroes, the Alzheimer’s Association and the Mount Diablo Educational Foundation,” he said. “We also volunteer at community events like local festivals and fundraising drives.”
Stranko hopes others are inspired to do their part, now more than ever.
“I think it’s time for all of us to do our part to conserve our water,” said Stranko. “That said, those of us who are creating solutions that others can participate in need to make it easy and value-added for people. Otherwise, the adoption of water-saving practices may never take hold.”
For more information on No-H2O, visit noh2o.com.
Charleen Earley is a freelance writer and professor of journalism at Foothill and Diablo Valley universities. Contact her at [email protected] or 925-383-3072.