São Paulo – DryWash, a dry car wash company, is negotiating its entry into the United Arab Emirates. Based in São Paulo, the chain has 65 franchises in the country and is beginning to enter the international market, by opening a unit in India.
According to Lito Rodriguez, a partner at DryWash, the enterprise was not seeking international expansion, but was contacted by foreign businessmen interested in the chain’s business model. Regarding the United Arab Emirates, he claims that negotiations are "at an advanced stage, but no deals have been closed yet."
Rodriguez explains that DryWash works with two different structures: a chemical industry dedicated to manufacturing products for cleaning automobiles, surfaces and environments; and the franchised chain, which operates in car washing, polishing and waxing.
Negotiations with the Arabs involve both the possibility of exporting only the washing products and of establishing a franchise in the country. According to Rodriguez, the sale of products is being negotiated with more than one businessman, whereas talks regarding the franchise are underway with one single potential partner. The company has already shipped products to the Arab country for testing.
Rodriguez says that he is seeking businessmen who identify with the business model proposed by DryWash. "What we are seeking are people, partners who firmly believe that sustainability, the convergence of people, environment and profit will lead a business to thrive. That is our main goal."
To the businessman, water scarcity in the Middle East may attract the interest of other countries in the region in DryWash’s product and services. "There is no reason for spending 300 litres of water to wash a car, or for generating a similar amount of sewage and waste," he claims. "In that respect, washing the car without using water is very strong marketing. The whole world is looking for convenience," he finishes off.
The DryWash partner claims that the focus of his company is on managing people and that in Brazil alone, the company has potential for attracting the interest of 35 million possible collaborators. The washing can be done both within a franchise facility, at locations with high traffic, such as shopping centres, and in residential condominiums by one single person, which he calls self-franchisees.
Due to this model of private operation, Rodriguez claims that he is unaware of total revenues by his chain, but states that in order for it to be economically viable, every person working under the Dry Wash system (either franchise employees or individual workers) must earn at least 3,500 Brazilian real (US$ 2,080) per month.
In India, DryWash is implementing a complete chain, including a franchise and a personnel training centre, but no factory. The local partner is supported by United States-based fund Partners of World Life, which is investing US$ 1 million in the establishment of the Indian unit.
In the United Arab Emirates, Rodriguez says that he is interested in implementing as similar operation, but also including a chemical plant. "We want to manufacture in many different parts of the world in order to bring down logistics costs and be more sustainable," he declares.
In Brazil, DryWash franchises can be found in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Mato Grosso, Goiás, The Federal District, Rio Grande do Norte and Bahia.
Contact
DryWash
E-mail: internacional@drywash.com.br
Site: www.drywash.com.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
