Lance Winslow is the founder of Team WashGuys, and was formerly President and Founder of Car Wash Guys. He started his first companies at age 12. From 1979 until 1984, Lance operated an aircraft washing service at three different airports under the names Speedy Waxers and Aero Speed Waxing. These companies were sold to finance Aero-Auto Wash in 1985. From 1981 to 1985 he also sold aircraft under the name Speedy Aircraft Finders.
Recently Lance's genealogy and ancestry was traced all the way back to the Mayflower Voyage. Both Edward Winslow, later a Governor and Governor Bradford of the Mayflower are ancestors to Mr. Winslow. Click here for more. This may explain his passion to fight for what he believes is right and never give up.
Lance soloed five different types of aircraft on his sixteenth birthday, soloed a glider at sixteen, became a private pilot at age seventeen and started the world's first computerized aircraft multi-listing service before the fax machine was popular or widespread computer use. During this time, Lance was also the Western Regional Advertising Representative for The Pacific Flyer, a major general aviation newspaper.
Lance then operated Aero-Auto Wash until April 1990 and in June of 1989 Lance Winslow founded The Car Wash Guys. He later decided to capitalize on his concept and began to franchise. He created Car Wash Guys for this purpose. It was later determined, after 3 years of franchising, that the market potential of the washing industry and related service industries were clearly underestimated. Lance estimates the industry potential of his market sectors at several hundred billion dollars.
Lance Winslow and his team, over the past decade, have washed for many large companies; CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS
Lance was a Junior Olympic AAU track and field champion starting at age ten which culminated into a track scholarship to college, which he chose not to take advantage of. During his youth, Lance posted four consecutive years of no defeats. He continues running to this day. In addition to track and field Lance was involved in other team sports, including soccer, which he played for 7 years. Four years in AYSO- American Youth Soccer Organization, 2 years of Club Soccer and one year in HS.
Lance had early interests in architecture and the sketching of WWII aircraft. He built many plastic and balsa wood aircraft models. He also built and airbrushed 100's of army tanks and other military models. Later he got involved in HO scale railroad models.
Lance is also an accomplished motorcycle street racer and got into much trouble in his youth when he was not on the race track, most of which was blamed on his warrior genes, as his dad was a US Navy fighter pilot. In high school Lance was class president, four year varsity letterman and voted Most Likely To Succeed. He was President of his high school's Future Business Leaders of America club and Chess club. Lance was in the Civil Air Patrol and the Boy Scouts Aviation Explorers while learning to fly as kid. In the years of 1980 to 1985,
Lance personally has assisted non-profit groups in raising over $500,000 in funds for their organizations. In 1995 he rode his bicycle from Oregon to Mexico 1360 miles in six days in a pledge drive for the Special Olympics. He was Deputy Grand Marshall and Honorary Sheriff for the county’s largest parade and largest non-profit fair west of the Mississippi. Lance has been active in the Optimist Club, International and Kiwanis Clubs. He understands local politics having run in two consecutive elections for a city council seat. Lance was appointed to the county’s Council on Economic Vitality. He also served on the California Association of Governments. He founded the Neighborhood Mobile Watch Patrol which involves small businesses, chambers of commerce, police departments and cities. The entire program is privately funded. He also introduced a program where local businesses could sell their wares on the Internet, providing jobs, additional revenue for civic groups and increased sales volumes for many local merchants just as the Internet was getting started.
During the aftermath of the Northridge, California earthquake Lance reconstructed a water purification plant for Unilab, a medical clinical laboratory testing corporation. His innovation in marketing has propelled The Car Wash Guys to celebrity status in many cities. Known for this enthusiasm, exuberance and motivation, Lance Winslow is a speaker for MBA programs at top colleges and universities.
Lance worked with the County of Ventura to design a NPDES permit for the Regional Water Quality Control Board in California to comply with the EPA federal Clean Water Act. He wrote many of the Best Management Practices for surface cleaners, a category in which mobile washers and detailers fall into, for storm water non-point source discharges. These same BMPs are now used all over the United States to help preserve our fresh water supply. Lance was recognized by the City of Los Angeles for their storm water discharge program. Lance wrote a manual for the cities program which allowed continued car wash fundraising efforts to exist even though at the time they were in conflict with the California Water Codes 13260-13280, and the EPA. Wash Guys BMPs are also available online through many governmental informational web sites. Many government agencies have linked to their web site to WashGuys procedures as a way to help others comply with real environmental concerns.
Following exhaustive research and comprehensive comparisons of franchise case law, legislative updates and hundred’s of other franchisor documents, Lance wrote his own Uniform Franchise Offering Circular (UFOC), Franchisee Agreement with all exhibits. The ninety plus page legal document was approved by the California Department of Corporations in an unusually short timeframe. Lance became a franchisor at age thirty-two.
WashGuys now has over 20 franchise agreements for various WashGuy systems and modifications of those to make the total over 200 different documents each over 160 pages for use in various jurisdictions and countries all written by Mr. Winslow. Lance hates bureaucracy and excess governmental controls, which he knows stifle free enterprise, innovation and consumer choice. It is estimated that this work done by Mr. Winslow has saved the company over half a million dollars in legal fees over the past 3 years alone.
Lance was previously elected to The Board of Directors of the American Association of Franchises and Dealers (AAFD). He also served on the Fair Franchising Standards Committee. This committee, advised the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and various Senate sub-committees on law changes necessary to protect franchisees.
Later Lance battled with the FTC, Federal Trade Commission over complaints and false declarations coming from competitors. After a year of legal maneuvering from both sides, he settled out of court with no fine and no penalty. Later in a letter to the FTC he pledged to keep a continual eye on their activities so they never falsely accuse another franchisor. He rifled off a 45 page letter as well as another 150 page letter citing their many unwarranted attacks on American Business. Mr. Winslow believes in the Friedman Economic Model, that government and business need to work together to provide a seamless free market system where Entrepreneurs can provide innovation, jobs and capital so consumers can have more choices, better pricing and can vote with their dollars. Mr. Winslow will never back down to those who challenge the spirit of free enterprise or any government agency which attempts to ruin all we are and all we have built..
Car Wash Guys was also a member of the International Franchise Association (IFA), but left due to a difference in beliefs regarding the Internet and modern day franchising, the IFA later changed their views and are now in line with Lance's original concerns 3 years ago. Lance also took advice from Susan Kezios, President of the (AFA) American Franchisee Association and Founder of Women In Franchising. Lance's dedication to the franchising industry has also attracted other franchise leaders, such as Lou Gurnick. Lou was Lance's mentor and sole franchise consultant, starting out. Lou helped found Midas Muffler, was a consultant to Ray Kroc and assisted Tom Monahan in taking Dominos Pizza to Europe. Lou has over 50 years experience in franchising.
Lance also belongs to the listserve of the American Bar Association's (ABA) forum on franchising. This is where Franchise Attorneys from all the world, try to work out real issues with the franchising format.
Lance has also co-authored the book "Franchising 101" published by Upstart Publications a subsidiary of Dearborn. This book is co-sponsored and distributed by the Association of Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC). Copies are sold and distributed to individuals attending government run seminars and who are interested in starting a business or buying a franchise. Lance Winslow also authored a book "How To Run A Successful Car Wash Fundraiser" which is geared towards helping non-profit groups raise money. The Car Wash Fundraiser Book has been referenced on the EPA web site, as well as the states of Montana, Tennessee, Florida, Washington, the City of Los Angeles and many academic papers on the environment and other social issues. This book is available on The Car Wash Guys web site. Lance with the help of his expert web team has developed the premier franchising web site on the Internet; www.franchising.org. They have also developed a site to celebrate our countries ethnic diversity, which is planned to be launched in 2010.
Lance led Car Wash Guys through the rigorous screening of the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) to become an approved franchisor eligible for franchisee funding. A task that fewer than eight percent (Less than 250) of all franchisors had accomplished at the time in 1997. There are approximately 1700 active franchisors in America today.
Lance is 100% owner of all concepts co-brands and WashGuy the holding company.
Lance has added modules to WashGuy. These modules include:
House Wash Guys
Graffiti Control Guys
Boat Wash Guys
Tractor Wash Guys
Lance has established with the help of his elite franchisee team and master mind group; proto-type franchise projects including; a fixed site car wash, 8-bay detailing super center, truck detailing shop, fixed site truck wash, and pontoon boat washing units.
Lance and his team are conducting test markets of the following additions to the team: mobile oil change trucks, www.oilchangeguys.com, mobile bed-liners and other coatings and chemical snow removal units.
He was engineering and created the drawings, & prototype of an electric powered hydro-cushioned car wash truck, until fuel cells became feasible and sent that project back to the drawing board. Over the last four years Lance has traveled to all 50 US states, visited every state capitol building, and gone to every city in the continental U.S. with a population of 10,000 or more. He did this to lobby for his company and the mobile washing Industry. Discussing environmental concerns, non profit groups, energy issues, water shortages, crime, employment, and children's issues. He has traveled to 90 Indian Reservations, 250 museums, visited 500 Chambers of Commerce and Economic Development Associations to discuss the possible role for The Car Wash Guys in those communities.
Mr. Winslow believes it is necessary to understand the local dynamics of an area before he enters the market. See just a few of the places we have been; click here. Lance has also been to every state capital in the United States; click here. (Photos taken prior to 9/11)
Lance has also visited over 3000 coin-op car washes, 700 full service car washes, 3800 roll-over car washes, and had his Corporate Command Center washed at over 100 different truck washes. He has visited 600 of the Nations largest corporation head quarters. He has viewed the units of over 1000 plus mobile washing units and visited every other major manufacturer of washing equipment.
WashGuy.com and its predecessor company have forced an estimated 380 competing companies to exit the marketplace through direct competition in the market place. Mr. Winslow takes nothing for granted and does not believe in luck, believing business is a three dimensional chess game whose rules change every minute and every move effects every other and that there are new undiscovered moves awaiting those who study the theory of the game, he loves it.
Mr. Winslow constantly stays abreast of information in all of WashGuy's 22 industry market sectors and reads over 160 paper periodicals per month, views 75 online newspapers, newsletters, & e-zines daily. Lance after leaving college has been self-educated taking his 3000 plus title business library with him on the road. He usually reads three books per week in his quest for knowledge & 10-12 white papers per day. Lance is the only franchisor in the history of franchising to have a corporate office on wheels. Lance has been literally living in the Blitz Mobile Command Center for the past 6 years. Mr. Winslow's recommended reading list for up and coming super stars can be found at the following link:
http://www.carwashguys.com/0021803_2.shtml
Lance is also a truck driver, driving the Mobile Command Center around the country and is testing special oil additives, and later plans to test bio fuels and alternative fuels in the truck over the next five years. The Command Center is scheduled for the installation of solar panels to run all electronics housed within and replace the two large fossil fuel generators on board. Lance offers his expertise to those companies and individuals who he believes are on the leading edge for modest fees as an outside consultant or board member.
Lance is in the process of forming his own foundation to help the World www.lancewinslow.org and hopes to have it fully formed and funded sometime in 2012. The Foundation will be an extension of Mr. Winslow's commitment for the betterment of all mankind, a lifetime pursuit. Lance had developed over three years, a special sleep schedule, Lance skipped sleeping every third night putting in 36 hour marathon days so he could finish projects. The other days he put in 14-17 hour days taking no days off. This experiment did not work, having affected Lance's positive outlook on the world.
Mr. Winslow is a "Futurist" and member of the World Future Society. He is also a member of the Federation of American Scientists. Being an Entrepreneurial Capitalist by nature he is also a member of The Ayn Rand Institute. Mr. Winslow, as founder is organizing chapters for The OTT - Online Think Tank to help network the most brilliant minds of the Planet. He is actively recruiting members now;
Lance is also a writer and has written over 20,000 online articles, which are posted at;
thus making Lance the most prolific online article writer to date. Mr. Winslow is also a guest writer for Various Industry Trade Publications and Magazines. Lance has also written several online eBooks:
Futurist Books
- Hover Boards and Skateboards of the Future
- Holographic Projection Technologies of the Future - Killer Applications
- Truck Technologies of the Future
Other Books
- Plan of Action for Nairobi Slums
- How to Run a Successful Car Wash Fundraiser
- How You Can Help in Honduras
Essay
More can be found at the Online Think Tank Site
Simpler Version of Lance Winslow's Bio
To learn more about Lance's background, click here.
© Copyright 2000, The Lance Winslow III Foundation.