Like many of the car washes Kleen-Rite calls customers, the story of Great Mission Car Wash is a true family affair. Tony Tang built Great Mission in 2013 and established a solid customer base during his years operating the wash. After a decade of hard work building the business, he retired and handed the reins over to his daughter, Florine Tang. She now handles virtually all aspects of the day-to-day operations. Although it’s always a learning process, Florine has helped out at the car wash from the very beginning, so it’s by no means completely foreign to her. You might not immediately realize it because of her humble disposition, yet it was clear from watching her work that she handles the duties with confidence and knowledge.

Located in Ontario, California, Great Mission is a spacious and clean six-bay self-serve facility with manicured landscaping and well-tuned equipment. The lot is peppered with vacuums and vending machines, along with a handy ice machine. We were lucky enough to visit Great Mission for a chat with Florine about her experience in the car wash industry and plans for the future!

Servicing and Maintaining Great Mission Car Wash

With her background helping her father run the car wash, Florine certainly has a great foundation of knowledge. Still, she knows that she has a lot to learn, especially when dealing with the more technical side of things. To tackle that, she leans on a lot of online advice from experts.

“I do a lot of YouTubing. There’s a lot of Googling and YouTubing that comes with it. Actually, a lot of your (Kleen-Rite) videos help me too.” She even added some kind words specifically about our favorite car wash technician and video star, Fix It Phil, saying, “He’s really great! He’s really good on camera and charismatic!”

We asked Florine what advice she would give new car wash owners, or somebody thinking about entering the industry, and she shared these words of wisdom:

“Do your research. Honestly, like any business you have to keep track of demographic – what your target audience is and what type of car wash you’re trying to do. And know that there’s always going to be problems, but as long as you’re able to figure it out and do your research beforehand and be aggressive about it… it’s fine. With everything, to not jump straight into the deep end is best.”

Although the female presence is expanding in the car wash world, she’s aware that it’s still very male-dominated. She’s proud of her role in the growing female segment, but would love to see even more women enter the industry, saying, “I would like to encourage women to break in and not be afraid of it. Once you’re in, you work your way through!”

Being Part of a Community

Great car washes know the importance of being actively involved in the community that surrounds them. It’s a reciprocal process in which the community benefits while the business is strengthened at the same time. Florine understands the value of this relationship.

“We have quite a few schools in the area, so they always need money. It’s good for us as well, because they’re able to bring in a new set of customers for us.  We host quite a few fundraisers for, say, the dance teams or a lot of soccer teams. They come in, sell tickets, and they have their people come in. That brings a lot more customers for us.”

A New Business in the Making

Ever the ambitious businesswoman, Florine had a soft opening for her new restaurant beside Great Misson and is planning a grand opening soon. Another family endeavor, Tang’s Kitchen features a menu of Asian fusion cuisine with a “fresh, healthier take” on familiar dishes, with options for a full, hearty meal as well as a quick bite for people on the go. They also serve a selection of refreshing boba drinks.

While Florine’s family has owned the property since 2013, it’s always been vacant. Her father single-handedly started and grew the car wash business while also building a car sales operation. Since he was very focused on those undertakings, he never started a new business on the adjacent land. Fortunately, Florine has her sights set on changing that. With her self-described “young and persistent” personality now running the show, she’s anxious for the exciting challenge of running a restaurant in addition to the car wash.

If you’re in the Ontario, California area, pay a visit to Great Mission to scrub your car and check out their facility. And make sure to check out Tang’s Kitchen for a delicious meal!

We’re grateful to Florine for being a Kleen-Rite customer and welcoming us to Great Mission for a visit. We look forward to seeing her continued success!