Tru Pearl® Delivers Innovative, Unique Ceramic Technology to the Car Wash Industry

Howco partners with Ver-tech Labs to craft customized chemical and application offerings
by Dave Anderson / Chemical Sales Manager, Howco Inc.

When incorporating ceramic chemical technology into the car wash process, would you prefer an advanced product line that delivers layered protection throughout the wash process, rather than only in the finish area? Would you also like a package thoughtfully customized for your specific equipment components and desired price points that delivers outstanding results and desirable profit margins?

Howco has teamed with Ver-tech Labs to offer car wash operators a customized premium cleaning and protection system utilizing Tru Pearl® Ceramic Technology. This pioneering product line was meticulously researched, developed, and tested by Ver-tech in conjunction with Howco to produce the ultimate customer-pleasing shine, surface smoothness, and finish preservation.

As a customization example, Howco’s most popular recommendation is a three-step Tru Pearl® process that includes:

* Tru Pearl® Clean - penetrates surface pores and imperfections to remove deep-seated road grime, dirt and soils, leaving a pristine surface ready for the next steps in the car wash process.
* Tru Pearl® Shield - acts as a surface leveling agent reducing small imperfections and resulting in mirror-like reflection, a smooth feel, and protection from the elements.
* Tru Pearl® Dry – enhances drying, leaving a brilliant shine and an extremely water-repellent layer (aka hydrophobicity).

For tunnel washes, Tru Pearl® is an added feature distributed via existing or added arches. One of the most attractive aspects of Tru Pearl® is operators’ ability to private-label and brand the products in their own customized washes and packages with supporting signage and on-site promotion. Howco can assist customers in this branding development.

Two of Howco’s most notable customers, Flagstop Car Wash and Green Clean Auto Spa, have had particular success with creating and branding their own packages with Tru Pearl®. Another wash chain conducted a pilot with Tru Pearl® at one of its washes, was immensely impressed, and subsequently switched all locations to utilize Tru Pearl® products.

For a suggested $5 customer upcharge, operators can add Tru Pearl® for a cost of just 28-35 cents per car, depending on the application process. Moreover, it’s all offered on-line, so there is no additional labor involved.

Overall, this ceramic chemical technology is relatively new to the car wash industry and is very quickly gaining attention and traction because of the products’ performance on customers’ cars and the attractive profit margins. Word-of-mouth testimony between car wash operators about ceramic technology is moving faster than anything I’ve witnessed in our industry.

While some customers prefer to replace their chemical offering, others add arches to make Tru Pearl® an add-on option. Howco works individually with operators to determine what’s best for their stores.

One interesting note:  this is not actually a ceramic product. Each chemical is composed of different versions of polymers. “Ceramic” is something of a misnomer and catch-all buzzword that the automotive industry as a whole has adopted and labeled various new technologies that have impacted vehicle surfaces in a revolutionary and impressive way.

Here’s how I like to describe and demonstrate the products and process of the polymers bonding and reacting to provide a better, longer-lasting car finish:

* Hold your hand up and spread your fingers apart, making four “V”s between fingers and thumb.
* This analogy illustrates a much larger version of a microscopic view of a car’s paint surface -- valleys and peaks.
* Tru Pearl® Clean works its way into those nooks and crannies and deep cleans the paint surface.
* Tru Pearl® Shield then actually places tiny polymer beads into the surface, filling those crevices or valleys.  
* Now you’ve deep cleaned the paint and backfilled with polymers, which produces a much richer shine and high-quality reflective appearance.
* Then Tru Pearl® Dry coats and shields as the final step for a durable finish.  
* These steps interlock to produce a new, high-tech coating, resulting in a shine previously unseen in the car wash industry.  

Development of Tru Pearl® was a collaboration between Howco and Ver-tech and has proven to be a game changer for our customers, vehicle owners, and the industry. We’ve found that once they try it, the “take rate” for our customers, and subsequently their customers, is high.

Please contact Howco today to deliver this innovation to your doorstep. We would love to demonstrate what Tru Pearl® can do especially for you.