“Car washing has always kind of been my passion,” says Tom Gravine, co-owner of three RedLine Speed Shine businesses in State College. “I was always meticulous about my personal cars and my wife’s car. So, I said jokingly one night, ‘Well, we should open up a car wash.’”
That was the start of what would become a very successful business venture. Tom and his wife Amy started their car wash business in 2009 with just one location on North Atherton Street.
As popularity and demand increased, a second location on Shiloh Road opened a year later. In 2012, the South Atherton RedLine Speed Shine opened, and now residents of State College, Bellefonte, and Boalsburg all have convenient locations to shine their wheels.
It all began when Amy’s father, local entrepreneur Paul Silvis, agreed to help out with some financial support. Silvis told the couple to draw up a business plan … and the rest is history.
“I’m very thankful for him,” Tom says about his father-in-law. “I wouldn’t be here without him.”
“I think that we’ve built a state of the art facility here,” Tom says. “It’s recognizable. All three locations are the same – it’s a red roof, white building with a red line going down the middle of the tile.”
Fast. Professional Service. Courtesy. Teamwork. Spotless. Environmentally Conscious.
Those words are emblazoned on signs displayed at each of the three State College locations. They illustrate the core values for the Gravine’s car wash business.
Both Tom and Amy’s signatures are at the bottom of each sign along with their email addresses so customers can let the managing couple know whether the service is up to par.
“It keeps you honest,” says Tom, who manages the business with his wife. Tom admits he’s been called out a few times, but says it only motivates the team to improve.
Although he grew up in Gainesville, Fla., Tom’s family is originally from Scranton. He was raised on Penn State football in the sunshine state where he eventually met Amy, a State College native, while attending the University of Florida. After college, Tom worked at Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Gainesville where he became interested in a nearby car wash that always seemed to be busy. That’s when he started to learn more about the business.
The North and South Atherton Street locations feature an automatic tunnel wash, which is popular among children who like to ride through and watch the soap and cleaning units at work. Thorough interior and exterior detailing services are also offered. Touchless bays, which use high-pressure water to clean vehicles, and self-serve stations are open 24 hours a day.
Keeping the facilities clean and environmentally friendly is one of the goals for the RedLine team. About 80 percent of the water used is recycled through a special system.
Silvis’ other contribution to the business came in the form of a dog wash, which is offered at the North Atherton location. The owner of multiple dogs himself, Silvis came up with the idea after growing tired of the hassle involved with washing each pooch at home. For $10, customers have 10 minutes in a personal, K9000 self-wash station that resembles a mini car wash bay where they can use everything from shampoo to tick remover on their pets.
“Mainly people either come to get one or the other,” he says about the car and dog wash combination. “But if the timing’s right and their dog needs a bath and their car needs a wash as well … they’ll buy a wash and an interior cleaning and while their car is getting done, they’ll be down at the dog wash.”
Andrew Goins, operations manager for all three locations, has been a part of the RedLine team from the beginning. He says that Redline employees’ meticulous attention to detail, like knowing when customers should replace their windshield wiper blades, is what sets the car wash apart from the competition.
“We’re trying to figure out specifically what they’re looking for,” he says about serving the customers. “We try to keep a keen eye on everything.”
It’s been a very busy adventure. In the past three years, the Gravines have opened three car washes and had two daughters, Faith and Claire. It was stressful at times but Amy says running the business with her husband is also a lot of fun.
“We both put our hearts into the car wash,” she says.
Once she left State College for Florida, Amy wasn’t sure if she would return. She didn’t know what the future held. But after the idea to open a car wash was finalized and plans were made to start a family, Tom and Amy decided that State College was where they wanted to be.
“It feels great,” Amy says. “I’m honored to be back and serving this community.”
Click HERE for more information about RedLine Speed Shine.
