Last summer we visited the On Track Car Wash in Bloomington, IL, for the 2025 Kleen-Rite calendar. We had a chance to sit down with owner/operators and brothers Jeffrey and Jeremy Schoenherr to talk about their thriving washes! Here’s a little about what we learned about these sharp, spotlessly clean and well-maintained tunnels.
Family Affair
Jeffrey and Jeremy started out young in business, working for their father who owned several convenience stores in the area. In 2010, their father decided to build an 80 foot tunnel wash connected to his Jacksonville, IL, store. It was constructed with a virtual hodgepodge of car wash systems, including a Tommy’s conveyor and Mark VII equipment. The wash was a mess, but it was there that the brothers gained the practical maintenance and experience they would use to be independent operators in their futures. Jeffery gained further experience in contracting and maintaining several other convenience store washes including 2 stand-alone self-serves and 8-9 rollovers. This hands-on work gave Jeff a strong foundation in the wash industry. So, when their father decided to sell his convenience store, the young men decided to take the leap with his support, and build a car wash of their own.
A Modest Beginning
Jeffrey and Jeremy started touring washes and researching for their investment. After months of wading through red tape, approvals, permits, variance applications, encroachment issues and various other set-backs their dream became reality.
In 2018, On Track Car Wash location one was born in Springfield, IL. But reality crashed down soon after. “When we started in Springfield, the wash started out slower than we thought it would,” Jeff lamented, “We had a lot of sleepless nights worrying that we had made a huge mistake.” While they didn’t know if their business would succeed, their father assured them that the demographic was there, it would just take some time for them to embrace the new operation. Jeffrey said “You go to Tommy’s and drink the Kool-aid. You hear all these stories about doing 200,000 cars in the first year. That is some people’s story, but it wasn’t ours.” The wash had everything it needed to make it in that location. It would just take time.
On Track for Success
Fortunately for the Schoenherr brothers, their father was right. After a few months, the business took off. Happy customers were rolling in and out of the tunnel, enjoying consistently clean washes and great pace. The facilities feature state of the art equipment and include high-end vacuums, and detailing stations offering complementary use of towels, spray cleaners, and mat cleaners. Jeffrey, Jeremy and a couple of other staff on site are responsible for 100 percent of the maintenance and operation at On Track.
While the first location took a while to gain it’s footing, the duo decided to expand with one more location in 2022, this time building in Bloomington. With all the knowledge gained constructing and opening the first wash, the process for the second was much smoother. A much larger budget also went to advertising and marketing to give the launch a boost. The brothers say they are happy with their 2 locations and have no plan for future expansion or new construction.
Sound Advice
What advice wound these owners have for those dreaming of getting into the business? Plenty. In Illinois, Jeffrey doesn’t see a great opportunity for small business, citing high taxes and interest rates, inflation driving up costs, the general decline of population in Illinois and the sheer number of big box washes popping up and over-saturating the market. “I’ve been seeing so many of the little guys selling out to the big chains, said Jeff, continuing, “But those big companies aren’t in the car wash business, they’re in the money business.” His meaning was clear.
Another huge issue is finding reliable staff. Jeff believes staffing is the hardest part of the business. Presence is a huge part of keeping a wash profitable. He said, “People think ‘Oh, it will run itself’, but that’s just not the case. You have to be at your wash just like any other business, it’s not something that will just print money for you. Independent owner/operators have a leg up because they’re at their facilities every day.” In contrast, big wash chains tend to have little or no maintenance on site, and that can lead to big problems. The quality of the services and staff goes a long way for branding, reputation and loyalty, and goes hand in hand with long-term success.
The Schoenherrs found Kleen-Rite soon after they opened the first wash. Other distributors and operators recommended Kleen-Rite as a source for supplies, especially for the best price on Simoniz chemicals. We are so happy they took time for the interview and pics for the calendar feature, and we wish them continued success moving into the future.
