Weaving Through the Automotive Web of Connections

by Diane M. Calabrese | Published September 2026

 

 

Precision engineering, parts washing, and the practical day-to-day of cleaning all meet in the automotive industry.

Within the web of connections among automotive manufacturers, car sellers, and car drivers, water under pressure serves in many ways. Cleaning, detailing, and degreasing are all on the roster along with honing.

But first let’s review the huge contribution the automotive industry makes to the U.S. economy.

According to the American Automakers Policy Council Inc. in Washington, D.C., the full web of activity in the automotive industry accounts for 9.6 million jobs. The total includes automakers, suppliers, dealerships, and other businesses.

The tally of jobs linked to the automotive industry is impressive. Each vehicle assembled incorporates about 15,000 parts, which come from suppliers who employ more than 900,000 people in the United State, again according to AAPC.

The multiplying force of a strong automotive industry means that as suppliers, manufacturers, and dealers conduct their businesses, the entities that support those businesses also engage. Among the entities, of course, are power washing contractors.

AAPC published an 18-page report titled State of the U.S. Automotive Industry 2025. Available at the organization’s website in pdf format, the report highlights the contributions automotive manufacturing makes to the economy.

To get a fix on just how much the automotive industry contributes to the economy, especially as a jobs multiplier, let’s consider how cleaning vehicles draws in products and knowledge of all sorts. Let’s start with a carwash.

The parts required to keep a carwash humming may be fewer than the number of parts in an automobile, but they are just as important.

“As a veteran serving the contract cleaners for over 30 years, I was brought into Kleen-Rite Corp. to assist customers in the pressure washer industry with the vast amount of inventory we carry, whether it be hoses, couplers, unloaders, trigger gun assemblies, or pumps made ready (PMR),” says Marty Weaver, pressure washer production specialist at the company. Kleen-Rite is based in Columbia, PA.

“These PMRs are pumps with the unloader and inlet plumbing included and are designed for a quick change on a direct drive one-inch shafted engine,” explains Weaver. “In any given day when your system needs pumps, parts, or accessories, time is of an essence.”

To ensure a timely response to customers, Weaver’s company has made placement of its facilities a priority. “We have four warehouses strategically placed throughout the U.S. so we can get the product to the end user faster for less freight cost,” he explains.

“Also, it should be noted that we have the ability to make custom high-pressure hoses for businesses serving the pressure wash industry, as well as stocking many ready-made hoses” says Weaver. He adds the full range of in-stock and custom offerings can be found on the company’s website.

If any part of a carwash goes offline, an operation may have to be stopped. One problem component failure can result in a much bigger problem if the component cannot be replaced or repaired quickly. Weaver’s company understands the critical nature of reliable turnaround in equipping its customers with what they need when they need it.

“Currently the challenge is having the item you need and getting it to you in a timely fashion to eliminate costly downtime,” says Weaver. “If there is a pressure pump being used along with all the accessories, the challenge is to find a supplier that can provide you with the parts needed to keep things running smoothly and do it as an all-in-one dependable supplier.”

Make that reminder one for both quality parts and a dependable supplier. “Choosing the products that have a good service life at a reasonable cost rather than picking the least expensive product will always pay good dividends,” says Weaver.

“Along with tested quality products you also need a trustworthy supplier for these products,” says Weaver. “Here at Kleen-Rite we pride ourselves in being the reliable ones.”

That consistency is achieved through prudent planning in the configuration of the carwash supply chain used to provide essential products to the high-pressure washing industry, explains Weaver. Meeting the challenge of reliability and melding it with quality mirrors what goes on across the top performers in the automotive industry.

Start with the automobile itself. AAPC reports that the design of parts for vehicles requires and receives a large investment.

Automakers and suppliers spend more than $23 billion on U.S. research and development (R&D) each year, according to AAPC. Based on annual U.S. vehicle production of 15–16 million units annually, that’s about $1,473 per vehicle.

R&D crossovers happen in every industry. With the amount of water it takes to manufacture one vehicle—about 40,000 gallons for a passenger car with an internal combustion engine—there’s no surprise that manufacturers seek to find ways to cut use.

For example, in 2025 Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis announced they were taking an “all-inclusive approach” to “going green,” and they summarized in a press release the measures they were taking to reduce water and energy consumption during production.

The efforts by the automakers to achieve harmony with the environment are many. They begin by adopting an approach that minimizes the footprint of new plants as well as making facilities more environmentally friendly.

General Motors now has a wildlife habitat certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council on the grounds of its Customer Care and Aftersales headquarters in Grand Blanc, MI. Construction of the habitat relied heavily on recycled and repurposed materials. For example, recycled battery covers from the Chevrolet Volt became duck nesting boxes.

Stellantis encourages its dealer network to integrate eco-friendly practices with a dedicated program known as ECO [Environmentally Conscious Operations]. Among the changes some of the dealers have made are addition of solar-paneled systems and rainwater collection systems.

Contractors, distributors, and manufacturers in our industry who work with the automotive industry can get a bit of an edge in some business-to-business interactions by highlighting their own environmentally conscious practices. A dealer striving for an ECO recognition, for example, would welcome being able to cite its contract with a power washing company or carwash that minimizes water and energy use.

[As an aside, it’s worth noting that one of the guzzlers of water in manufacturing is the EV battery that consumes roughly 50 percent more water than the manufacture of an internal combustion engine. We note the comparison just to lift away some of the negatives often attached to the latter.]

Along the continuum of raw material to finished vehicles, every business involved seeks ways to reduce water and energy use and cut waste. Anything a member of our industry can do to help meet those objectives will be noticed.

Unionized automobile plants may offer fewer opportunities for contractors prepared to clean buildings and parking lots but not necessarily. There are plenty of ways to provide services to the automotive industry, including cleaning gas stations.

One of the toughest jobs in vehicle maintenance is the degreasing of engines slated for rebuilding. It can also be a lucrative enterprise for a contractor who can work at a specific site with a waste collection system in place.

Clean vehicles are safer vehicles. Unobstructed views through windows, headlights and taillights at full illumination, and tires free from debris, dirt, and mud are musts.

Removing salt and other road chemicals from vehicles also enhances the lifespan of finishes. Cars must be cleaned.

Power washing contractors can provide custom cleaning, especially on-site cleaning at the residence or worksite of a vehicle’s owner, if they can comply with water use rules, including wastewater collection. Custom cleaning may include waxing, vacuuming, or steam cleaning of interior upholstery.

Water and high pressure are unlikely to disappear any time soon as a pairing that yields significant tools across all parts of the automobile industry. Though, it’s true that there’s considerable research underway on alternatives to water use in the industry.

For instance, R&D has focused on deploying dry ice (carbon dioxide pellets) as an alternative to water or solvents plus water in preparation for painting. Whether or not the method will take hold eventually on a large scale, the approach does illustrate that things will continue to change in the automotive industry.

Members of our industry who serve the automotive sector must be prepared for changes. But do expect the sector to remain strong, and those who serve it will continue to find many opportunities.

Drought conditions continue for the third year across much of the United States, including the unusually dry Mid-Atlantic region. Municipalities and states have restricted water use in many places. Moreover, even without restrictions, do-it-yourselfers risk the glare of environmentally conscious neighbors for using water to clean vehicles.

The best way to conserve water (and energy) is to use as little as possible. Mobile contract cleaners should be using automatic shutoff nozzles, collecting wastewater, and using environmentally friendly chemicals.

The web that is the automotive sector—raw materials, suppliers, manufacturing facilities, dealers, auto repair shops, car washes—looks a lot like the system of highways from an aerial view. And across the sector high-pressure water tools are making contributions.