New York wash association draws 85 to Saratoga track networking day

The New York State Car Wash Association brought together roughly 85 operators, suppliers and their families for a full day of thoroughbred racing at Saratoga Race Course on Friday, July 24. According to reporting from Professional Carwashing & Detailing, the group spent the day across two trackside Casamigos Spa Verandas with food, drink and time to connect.

The outing was sponsored by American Car Wash Solutions, NCS and Simoniz USA, and the association is billing it as the first in a planned series of similar gatherings.

A day built around relationships

The event was open to wash operators, suppliers and their families, a format that leaned as much on personal connection as on business. Chris Kubarek, the association's incoming president, said the day showed both professional networking and the personal friendships that develop across the industry. "It was an awesome day," he said.

The family-friendly angle drew attendees who brought spouses and children. DRB's Patrick Bittel, who attended with his wife and three children, said his family had a great time and is already looking ahead to a 2027 edition.

Saratoga Race Course, which opened in 1863, is one of the oldest organized sporting venues in the United States. Its racing season this year began July 3 and runs through Labor Day, giving the association a well-known regional venue for the debut event.

What comes next for NYSCWA

The association's next scheduled gathering is its Fall Carwash Tour and Membership Meeting on Oct. 29. That event pairs a tour and lunch at G & G Industrial Lighting in Malta with visits to three area car washes, mixing site walkthroughs with membership business. The combination of a social event in the summer and a working tour in the fall gives members two distinct reasons to engage during the year.

Why it matters for operators

State and regional car wash associations remain one of the more practical ways for operators to build relationships that pay off later, whether through vendor referrals, hiring leads, or informal advice on equipment and site problems. The Saratoga event underscores a trend of associations moving beyond conference-room meetings toward social and family-oriented formats that keep members coming back.

For operators weighing whether association dues and event time are worth it, gatherings like this offer a low-pressure way to meet suppliers and peers face to face. The fall tour format is arguably even more valuable for day-to-day operations: walking three working washes and touring a lighting manufacturer gives owners and managers concrete ideas they can apply to their own sites. Operators in New York and neighboring states may want to track the association's calendar, since the group has signaled it intends to make the trackside event a recurring fixture.