“Do We Really Have to Prep Here?”
When Express Carwash Equipment acquired a Sudzy Salmon site in Anchorage, Alaska, it came with a 190-foot, double tunnel structure that was already built.
Most operators would have followed the standard model: add prep labor, push volume, and adjust as needed.
But Express Carwash Equipment Chief Innovation Officer Nathan Bertsch weren’t interested in the standard — they wanted to set a new one.
“As we were looking at it, my partner said, ‘Do we have to prep here? We've got 190 feet. What can we do?’”
The challenge to eliminate prep and still deliver 300+ clean, dry, shiny cars per hour sparked a collaboration with the team at Hoffman innovateIT.
The Problem
"Imagine the dirtiest Saturday — but 40 days a year."
Anchorage brings some of the most demanding conditions a car wash operator can face. Heavy grime, frigid weather, and customer skepticism make consistency and speed non-negotiable. And with the tunnel already built, there was no chance for a ground-up redesign.
The team needed to:
Remove manual prepping
Maintain throughput and wash quality
Earn trust from a new customer base in a high-expectation market
Most operators would say it couldn’t be done.
The Solution
Nathan turned to Hoffman innovateIT, known for their operator-driven car wash equipment and solutions that prioritize throughput, reliability, and repeatable performance.
“The Hoffman innovateIT team was great. They spent a lot of time with us over a couple months laying it out, playing with it, modifying some equipment, figuring out what we could do—and we got it done.”
Together, the teams:
Evaluated and optimized the existing tunnel layout
Modified equipment operation and calibration to optimize cleaning performance
Designed a process that eliminated prep without sacrificing quality
This wasn’t a rebuild — it was a smart, operator-focused rework of a real-world site.
The Results
“We are washing over 300 cars an hour, completely prep-less."
The decision to go prep-less didn’t just cut operational overhead — it redefined customer expectations.
What began as a gamble in one of the harshest markets turned into a streamlined, high-efficiency operation that customers embraced enthusiastically.
Sudzy Salmon’s Midtown Anchorage site now consistently processes more than 300 cars per hour with a single loader per tunnel and no manual prepping.
Labor was reallocated to higher-impact roles, like membership sales and maintaining the free vacuum lot, improving both customer experience and revenue generation.
Memberships took off, fueled by faster service and a cleaner, more consistent wash. What started with skepticism quickly turned into community-wide buy-in.
“The local community has loved it. The memberships have actually exceeded our expectations, and for all the skepticism we had from the community, we’ve now gotten overwhelming support.”
Conclusion
Sudzy Salmon shows that even an existing tunnel in one of the toughest climates can operate at high volume without prep, when the equipment is right and the thinking is bold.
“Just because you already have your wash, you’ve been running it for a long time, doesn’t mean you can’t question that belief: ‘Do I need to prep?’”
This is the power of operator-driven collaboration and car wash equipment designed to solve real-world car wash challenges.
Ready To Rethink Your Wash?
Sudzy Salmon’s success proves even the harshest markets can go prep-less with the right equipment and support.
Want to see how Hoffman innovateIT’s durable, high-efficiency equipment can transform your wash?
Contact our team today to learn more. 👇👇
Get In Touch
call us
(518) 741-4200
Email Us
sales@innovateitcarwash.com
