polski
English (UK)
English (EU)
Deutsch
český
slovenský
magyar
românesc
français
русский
белорусский
український
An interview with Kacper Borowiak of CECE-Polska, the company that owns two BKF touchless car washes.
BKF: How did a consultancy that provides end-to-end CE marking services in Poland end up opening car washes? Please tell us more – these are two very different lines of business :) Kacper Borowiak: That's true, our core business is CE marking consultancy and that is what our company is built on. But like most entrepreneurs, we care about growth and stability, so we look for safe investments in new sectors that generate a steady income. That is why for many years I have been looking after the company's investments in commercial property in the broad sense and in touchless car washes. The scale of our car wash investments would probably be much larger if there were more plots on the market suitable for this kind of facility.
BKF: Is it true that common sense and a non-standard approach are important in business? Did that also matter to you when choosing a car wash manufacturer? Kacper Borowiak: They say a business has to bring you joy, and not only through its profitability. We can see for ourselves that every new car wash investment gives us a lot of satisfaction. Working with you, we don't worry about the reliability of the technology supplier – at most about whether we got the location right. Either way, that's one question mark fewer. You know us, we know you, and that brings real benefits to both sides.
BKF: What other factors did you consider when choosing an equipment supplier? Kacper Borowiak: I have the phone numbers of everyone at BKF who has an impact on our business or will have one in new investments. That may not be a success in itself, but the fact that those calls are answered and every question or doubt gets a reply – that, I think, is a success. Whichever way you look at it, it is added value for us.
BKF: Do you remember how you found BKF and what your first contact with our company looked like? Kacper Borowiak: We did some in-house research among our employees. We asked them a simple question: "Which car wash washes best?". We picked the three suppliers we considered the best and sent them requests for quotation. Every time, we discuss your offer with Krzysztof. Even if the planned facility departs from the market standard, Krzysztof doesn't see any problem with it. That makes carrying out the project much easier.
BKF: How did you configure the equipment? Did you research the solutions yourself, or did you rather rely on the help of a BKF sales representative? Kacper Borowiak: In every case we were only interested in the "fully loaded" version. Our assumption is that on a fairly competitive touchless car wash market you have to give people something more. A large number of bays, both for washing and for vacuuming, also matters. Krzysztof's sensible recommendations on configuration are, and always will be, very welcome.
BKF: Before signing the contract with BKF, did you have any special, non-standard requests that required the sales representative to consult other departments, such as the Technology Department? If so, what were they? Kacper Borowiak: The car wash in Środa Wielkopolska had a few such points – our own whims, really. For those special whims I have the number of Wojciech from the technology team, who is one of the people I mentioned earlier. Every question gets an answer and a solution.
BKF: What did the implementation of the project look like? Did the cooperation at that stage meet your expectations? Kacper Borowiak: With the second car wash we already knew what we needed and what we could expect from you. During the installation, the most important part was played by your service technicians. They still take my calls :) and I still think that, when it comes to service, those guys are the best in Poland.
BKF: Are you happy with the location you chose for the car wash? What advice would you give future car wash owners on this? Kacper Borowiak: Overall we are satisfied and are already thinking about further car wash sites. As for advice: if someone has a plot but is hesitating, they should call your sales department and get an opinion on whether the site will be profitable. What's more, they will find out whether there are already requests for quotation for a car wash in the area, or whether such a contract has already been signed.
BKF: What does day-to-day management of the car wash look like? Are you on site every day, or do you manage it online with the Carwash Manager system? Kacper Borowiak: Each site is cleaned and checked by one of our employees twice a day. In addition, twice a week a trusted person with access to the technical container comes to the car wash. We can safely say that we are always up to date with the technical condition of the equipment, the chemical levels in the tanks and the coins in the money changer. We care about high wash quality, and that depends on being present on site. Apart from that, access to your Carwash Manager mobile app and video monitoring of the site are now the basics in this business.
BKF: How do you plan to prepare the car wash for winter? Kacper Borowiak: If you keep the equipment in good condition, winter is not a problem. Before the frosts we clean the circulation sump and test the entire circulation system. We handle that ourselves.
BKF: Are you planning to expand the car wash with additional options or equipment? If so, which ones? If not, why not? Kacper Borowiak: In Kamionki we launched active foam on one of the bays, and there are often queues for it while the neighbouring bays stand empty. Our customers are now asking for foam on every bay. We are thinking about it.
BKF: Would you recommend BKF to people who want to enter the car wash business? Kacper Borowiak: Definitely!
BKF: What challenges do you face in your business on the local market? Kacper Borowiak: We keep doing our job in every area of our business. The coming months look black and white for the whole Polish economy. We have two large investments on the horizon that we will carry out over the next three years. As far as car washes go, one of them will also include a large six-bay facility.