What began with one Bay City car wash in 1964 has grown to six. According to Tim Boutell, President of Firehouse Soft Car Wash, the growth was no accident.  It started 40 years ago with a conscious effort, by my father, to be the best at what we do.  We have now expanded into three Bay City locations, one in Midland, one in Mt. Pleasant, one in Saginaw, and a new Saginaw location which will be opening soon.  Boutell adds, “Our growth began when we stopped focusing on soap and water, and started focusing on giving our customers what they really wanted: a safe, thorough car wash. Hand detailed, towel dried, and friendly service, delivered in a timely manner.  People just don’t have the time today, so we wash their car with the same attention to detail they would use if doing it themselves.  We provide a valuable service to the communities we do business in.

Boutell explains, We began by shopping around for the finest car washing equipment on the market and determined that the Soft Cloth System was the safest and most thorough.  We then installed the same equipment being used and approved by automobile manufacturers like GM, Ford, and Chrysler. We then improved on them by blending hand prepping, hand towel drying and free vacuums for our customers to use.

Firehouse's cleaning system was further enhanced with the development of their Once a Week Car Care Technique. When car manufacturers started adding clear coat finishes to new cars, we developed the once a week system to protect your vehicles clear coat finish, Boutell continues. With the development of clear coat finishes, you didn't have to wax your car as often, but this protective clear coat is easily damaged by bugs, bird droppings, road grime, mud, snow, ice and road salt. The Once A Week Car Care Technique is a recommended system for the summer and winter periods. Designed to condition and protect clear coat finishes, it also keeps your car clean from top to bottom. Regular washing, year round, will maintain the appearance and value of your investment. Besides, when you look good, you feel good.

With the safest equipment and a unique system in place, Firehouse began concentrating on service. Boutell adds, we then focused on developing weather-driven management methods for our staff. The goal was to provide a proprietary system with the same quality wash at all of our locations - including the same safe equipment, hand detailing, towel drying, and plenty of free vacuums for customer use. Boutell continues, We looked at how to provide the same quality wash during high and low volume days, no matter what the conditions of the vehicles or the elements of the weather in each season.  We improved our appearance by keeping our facilities clean, bright, and well maintained. We insisted employees provide extremely efficient and polite service.  We issued uniforms to all our employees. Then, we offered more convenient hours.

The car wash business is much more than soap and water to the Boutells. It's the satisfaction of knowing what people want and delivering it with consistency every time they visit one of their Firehouse Soft Wash locations.

Boutell says, Any business is only as successful as the efforts their management and staff put into it, because when our customers car looks good, they feel good.  That means we've provided the service they came to us for.