Mountain Spring Car Wash's new owner, Ron Stinson, stands near his Mt. Holly Springs business at 423 N. Baltimore Ave. Grand-opening festivities are scheduled for Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Car wash celebrates opening

August 27, 2004

Mountain Spring Car Wash, 423 N. Baltimore Ave., Mt. Holly Springs, will celebrate its grand opening Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

New owners Ron and Karin Stinson will promote their new business with drinks, food, coupons and discounts.

"I want to get as many people to try the car wash again," Ron Stinson says. "I am taking a personal interest in customer satisfaction. What better way to change people's minds than for them to try it themselves?"

Convenient features

The car wash has four self-service bays that can wash cars and trucks of up to 11 feet in height. It also boasts a $100,000 automatic touchless-wash lane. The high-temperature, high-pressure gantry system can accommodate full-size SUVs up to 7 1/2 feet tall.

The machine is equipped with a series of sensors that gauge the car's height and length. It uses a chemical process that loosens dirt before rinsing and has no rotating brushes that could damage antennas and other car parts.

If the outside temperature drops below a certain level, the machine has bay doors that close so a winter wash is as hot as a summer one.

The facility also boasts eight vacuums, two of which feature special attachments for hard-to-reach spots, and a vending machine, which dispenses Simoniz and Armorall products for the serious detailing points.

Stinson says his wash is "female-friendly." It has an excellent lighting system -- an important quality, because the business is open 24 hours a day.

He also added a customer-satisfaction form that people can fill out to receive refunds and to notify the owners of poorly performing equipment.

Stinson says he is community-oriented, using local businesses for his security and advertising needs, and he plans to allow groups to use the car wash as a fund-raiser. The Carlisle High School soccer team will hold the first event on Labor Day weekend.

Storefront available

The property has a storefront left by its predecessor, a Gulf station. He says the now-vacant building could be used by a small-business owner for pet grooming, tax accounting, notary services or even to sell cigars.

David Deutsch, owner of the Whimsical Poppy, an adjacent business, says, "It is obvious that he is conscientious and ambitious."

"Ron's very friendly and anxious to do business in Mt. Holly."

Laura Ditzler, who owns Laura's Restaurant on the other side of the car wash, says "Ron did a lot of work getting everything ready and fixing the car wash up. It is a welcome addition to a busy corner here in Holly."

Metal-working a hobby

Although it requires a great deal of work to maintain and to operate, the car wash is Stinson's second commercial venture. He also custom-designs metal sculpture, as his real passion to be metal working. (vist www.metalexpressions.com)

He has dabbled in the pursuit since the 1970s, while establishing a successful career in credit, finance and management reporting with his MBA from Boston University.

Stinson founded Metal Expressions, a metal-working business, in August 1997 after leaving what he describes as a lucrative job with Pennsylvania Blue Shield. He is a self-proclaimed refugee from corporate America now.

"The metalworking keeps me busy part of the time, and the car wash business will fill in the down times now," he says. It's not a job, but it is a lot of work."

Self-serve car washes start at $2 for the first four minutes, and vacuums start at $1 for the first four minutes.

The automatic touchless washes cost between $5-8. For more information, call 249-7559, or visit the business' website at www.mountainspringcarwash.com.