2012 Table Top Tour and Show

Gaining a Competitive Edge

Where did nearly 80 attendees and 60 exhibitor reps meet while viewing 30 exhibits and enjoying a delicious buffet dinner? The 2012 NECA Table Top Show at the UMass Lowell Inn and Conference Center on May 22nd. The mood was set when the first to enter the show were greeted by a special, mystery guest… a suited up and helmeted Formula 1 Race Car Driver… a kick off for our fall social event: An Evening at F1.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Drizzly weather didn’t deter our bus tour participants from having a great time as they visited four distinctive, Merrimack Valley car washes before the Show. Special thanks to Autowash Maintenance Corporation for sponsoring the tour.

Royal T Car Wash in Derry, NH, has 3 detail bays offering express and full detailing; a propane filling station for RVs, and all size refillable tanks and exchange tank set up.

Haffner’s Car Wash in Haverhill, MA, has a large and very well-stocked convenience store with a great sandwich shop. In addition, there are 2 new touch free automatic washes built on the property that complement the self service and exterior tunnel wash. The equipment room was well set up and very clean.

Salisbury Car Wash in Salisbury, MA, recently had a complete makeover in its touch free Laser 4000 bay. including new wall panels and updated signage. A recent upgrade to the self service washes was new Ginsan meter boxes with the addition of credit card acceptance.

Felco Car Wash in Amesbury, MA, had a doggy wash in addition to the extra long exterior tunnel wash, Laser 4000 touch-free wash and self service wash. The Heavenly Donuts coffee shop in the Irving gas convenience store was a big hit. At the tail end of the tour, attendees grabbed a cup of hot or iced coffee for the ride back to the hotel.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
At the Show, ERC Wiping Products and Triad Design provided special educational demonstrations. ERC gave a side by side comparison of different wiping products and Triad offered basic maintenance for bill changing machines.

Our special exhibitor appreciation drawing, a $100 gift card for The Capital Grille, was won by Judy Dunn of DRB Systems.

Our exhibit judges had their work cut out for them and were impressed with how much effort vendors made in creating their table top displays. Best exhibit awards and prizes were presented as follows:

• Best in Show: Old Grandad Industries received a $75 gift card for Legal Seafoods for an exhibit judged most attractive and effective in displaying, branding and marketing the company’s products and services. It combined the best overall appearance, creative display of products, attractive design and use of space.
   
• Best Expression of the Show’s Theme: Autowash Maintenance Corporation received a $50 “lunch on us” gift card for an exhibit judged as most effectively spotlighting products, services and ideas that could potentially give a carwash a competitive edge. They were recognized for doing the best job of reflecting the theme: “Helping car washers gain a competitive edge”.

Most Creative: Vehicle Wash Systems’ exhibit really caught our judge’s attention. They considered this colorful table top, the most eye-catching display of otherwise mundane products/ordinary items.

We truly appreciate the support of all our exhibitors for their participation and support:

Alpha Chemical*
Arlen Company Construction*
Auto Shine Car Wash Systems
Autowash Maintenance Corporation*
Blendco Systems, LLC*
C.A.R. Products, Inc.*
Car Washing Systems, Inc.*
Cardagin Networks*
Comcast Business Class
DRB Systems, Inc.*
Ecker Enterprise
Ecolab Vehicle Care Division*
ERC Wiping Products Inc.*
Excel Tire Gauge
Innovative Control Systems*
Maintenance Tech
Mang Insurance Agency*
Michael Geller Distributors
ML Stein, Inc.
New England Car Wash Equipment*
Olde Grandad Industries, Inc.
Podgurski Corp.*
Ryko Solutions Inc.*
Simoniz USA, Inc.*
Sonny's The Car Wash Factory*
Trans-mate, Inc.*
Triad Design*
Unitec*
Vehicle Wash Systems, Inc.
Washify Services LLC*
Wipe On - Wipe Off

*current NECA Member

And, we offer a very special thanks to Autowash Maintenance Corporation and Trans-Mate Products for again sponsoring the Show.

Last but not least, we would be remiss if we did not acknowledge our hard working Show chairmen: Brian Messina and Jeff Panich. They have stepped up year after year, and deserve our sincere thanks for their efforts. Also, thanks to Mike DiOrio for assisting with the Show set up.

To see the full array of Show photos visit the NECA page.