Top 50 Indie Sharma Garages Group has invested over £255,000 in a new car wash at its Bush Service Station site in Sutton Coldfield.
The state-of-the-art ‘Big Bertha’ machine from Christ Wash Systems – supplied by Wilcomatic – is described as a “uniquely modular roll-over concept for top-end requirements”.
Sharma Garages Group director Kumar Sharma has been working with Wilcomatic for 22 years and is proud of his longstanding reputation as the first UK dealer to introduce the latest Christ Wash Systems machine. “We have strong trust in Wilcomatic and are impressed by Christ’s product reliability; we believe their technology is unmatched in the market,” he says.
As is intimated in the name Big Bertha, the machine is larger than is typical with the wash bay size for the new kit on the Bush site measuring 12m long x 4.4m wide x 3.6m high.
Bush Service Station was especially chosen for the installation as there is no competitive nearby, making it an “ideal showcase location”.
The £255,000-plus investment included the new machine, plant room and wash building.
Says Sharma: “The removal of the old machine and the installation of the new one ran smoothly and efficiently. The Wilcomatic team was highly professional and quick.”
Today, valeting is all about the experience and the Big Bertha offers a ‘comprehensive, multi-dimensional wash experience’, featuring high-pressure water, oscillating nozzles, a 4D wheel cleaning system, advanced cleaning agents and complete drying via an angled 60° drying hood.
It is capable of very fast cycle times if needed, with a wash and dry in as little as three minutes.
Alex Dryburgh, head of capital sales at Wilcomatic, says: “Beyond its core cleaning capabilities, the Big Bertha incorporates multiple enhancements over conventional car washes, including ambient and functional lighting, advanced safety features and an intuitive water management system, delivering superior wash quality while promoting responsible water usage.”
Its Christ Direct Drive system saves about 10% of energy on the brush drive and its very fast washing means lower water and power consumption as well as lower chemical consumption. Its water recycling rate is up to 90%.
Big Bertha has been designed with a long product lifetime in mind with spare parts supply guaranteed for 10 years.
Big Bertha offers nine different washes (three economy, three mid-range and three premium) ranging in price from £5.99 to £14.99.
Sharma says they had a very successful launch on-site with strong uptake of top washes. The car wash was promoted via media screens and the site is also running a special offer of ‘buy three washes, get the fourth free’.
Sharma says that valeting is a major part of the company’s business, generating a seven-figure sum in annual sales across the group.
“Our plans are to upgrade all the car washes and jet washes on our sites every seven years and it is our intention to continue installing the latest Wilcomatic/Christ systems wherever possible.”
Dryburgh says business is extremely busy at the moment: “We are generally installing a minimum of three machines a week. We are seeing a new trend moving more towards wash parks with many sites now looking to offer both rollover units and self-service units to accommodate different types of customers.”
He says the best-selling models are the Christ Cadis and Alpha.
When choosing a new wash system, Dryburgh advises customers to prioritise efficiency, reliability and being provided with a tailored solution, choosing equipment that suits your business type, maximises throughput and ensures a superior clean.
