Barton Lockhart's contributions to the car wash industry have been ground-breaking and unparalleled. He stumbled into the industry by chance, prompted by a conversation with his neighbours Travis Harris and Jack Thompson, who had patented the first Self-Service Car Wash in 1963. Barton, a chemist, began researching car wash soaps at his local library, only to learn “there wasn’t any such information”, however, he did educate himself on detergent and their components!
He took that information and ordered a variety of chemicals in which to manufacture a high-pressure low foam car wash detergent. So, on his garage floor he proceeded to mix large bags of powder and 5-gallon cans of liquid using just a cement mixing hoe! History was made, Barton prepared the first batch of Car Wash Soap. He then tested it at the car wash and it worked perfectly! Since it was composed of six ingredients, he named it Car Wash 106. For decades this formula became a staple in the industry, and Barton continued to innovate under the name of Kem Company.
Barton's journey continued with the creation of a patented tire cleaning machine. Simultaneously, he rebranded his company as Chem Clean. In the early 1990s, Barton embarked on his next feat. He began contemplating ways to enhance the synergy between detergent and equipment, aiming to reduce the exorbitant expense of purchasing liquid detergent with only 10% activeness. It was during his drive home from work that inspiration struck—giving birth to the concept of SuperSat (short for Super Saturated), a revolutionary, two-part powder and surfactant combination! His vision was to provide car wash operators with a 100% active product, akin to the previous solution, but with reduced powdered costs that could be converted into a liquid automatically at the wash without the cost of labour.
During the initial stages of SuperSat's inception, scepticism shrouded the process. Those who lacked a deep comprehension perceived it as a fleeting concept destined to dissolve over time. However, undeterred, Barton persevered in refining both the mechanical processes and equipment, while also expanding the range to include tyre cleaners and wax.
During this period, Blendco Inc. was founded by Barton, marking a pivotal moment. Additionally, he led the way in innovation by creating the innovative original Red Rhino wax, a highly concentrated clearcoat protectant. The iconic Red Rhino logo, chosen for its symbolism of strength, came to life. Unlike its counterparts at the time, Red Rhino elevated dilution ratios from the industry norm of 40:1 to an impressive 80:1. Remarkably, this newly formulated Red Rhino exhibited its effectiveness even at dilutions as low as 300:1. This transformative Red Rhino wax gained immense popularity in the Southwest and set the bar for where wax technology in the industry reached for.
As SuperSat gained momentum in popularity, Barton took strategic steps to harness its success further. This led to the establishment of Blendco Systems, where Barton collaborated with adept sales and marketing partners, enlisting the expertise of two entrepreneurs. This synergy propelled Blendco Systems to rapid success, with both brands flourishing and maintaining their prominent stance as industry leaders within the car wash detergent sector.
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to read more about how Travis Harris and Jack Thompson developed the first coin operated Self Serve Carwash.
