A Historical Look at Grace-Lee Products

This pumping unit offered accurate metering control from the equipment room and fed the detergent and water to all the brushes. Subsequently, Grace-Lee had a product that worked in the new long-brush wheel washers and perfected the Chemical Tire Applicator to dispense the product. The company coined the phrase, “Cost per Clean Dry Car,” and helped operators control their chemical costs.

1970s: operator Revenue Front & Center

Grace-Lee showed carwash owners how to increase their revenue per car. The company’s Interior Air Freshener Machine was economically priced and guaranteed to pay for itself in 90 days or it could be returned to the company. None were ever returned, according to the company.

During this decade, Grace-Lee also introduced a carpet extractor for fast online carpet cleaning. Its success lead to a product called Poly Bond Sealant and then Poly Bond Foam Wax, which automatically applied polymer paint sealant to vehicles.

Pressure sensitive marketing signs also were developed, and the “Make a Mint” program was off and running. Grace-Lee pioneered the menu concept and produced multicolored menus to be used in merchandising.

1980s: Touch-Free Washes, Triple Coat & Marketing

The ’80s ushered exciting growth for Grace-Lee, with the company opening a second manufacturing plant in Toledo, Ohio; a company warehouse in Chicago; and public warehouses in Omaha, Neb., and Houston. These additional facilities greatly improved delivery time.

The company then turned its attention to developing products that would enable washing vehicles without friction. With chemistry ahead of equipment design, Grace-Lee partnered with an industry inventor who helped develop an innovative arch. Modifications of that arch are the center point of various touch-free wash equipment still being manufactured today, according to Ecolab.

During this time, Grace-Lee employed three full-time chemists who worked under the direction of Jerry Hoyt, who today is Ecolab’s senior scientist. Hoyt and his team developed the Ultra Shine line of products, including the multicolored vehicle protection product called “Triple Coat.”

To assist carwash owners market these products, Grace-Lee sales representatives were trained to conduct seminars for carwash employees. Among the marketing slogans Grace-Lee used during this period was “A Shine So Bright You Need Sun Glasses.”

1990s: Rapid Market Growth

In 1990, a fourth-generation Graceman, Barry’s son Mike, joined the company. Mike Graceman, like his father, grandfather and great grandfather before him, had a passion for the carwash business. He ran the equipment division for a number of years while also developing many new marketing concepts. Graceman spent much of his time out in the field calling on carwash operators and realized the strength of the company was in providing equipment and dispensing solutions, chemistry and service.

Ecolab acquired Grace-Lee in 1997. This year, Mike will celebrate his 18th year in the carwash business and is currently senior marketing manager for Ecolab Vehicle Care.

“It is an honor to have a fourth-generation Graceman as part of our team,” says Gaetan Lambiase, vice president and general manager of Ecolab Vehicle Care. “Mike has received several awards, including our Ecolab Circle of Excellence award and our Vehicle Care Marketing Excellence award. He is a valued member of our team.”

2008: Building on history

Today, Ecolab continues to push innovation behind advanced technology like Blue Coral Solid Power and Rain-X On line surface protectant. In addition, Ecolab has continued to invest and enrich the service and distribution model pioneered by Grace-Lee through certified vehicle care specialists and distributor partners.

Last year, Ecolab enjoyed more than 22 million consumer purchases of Rain-X, building strength in its national brand.

“We are very proud of our Ecolab Vehicle Care business and all of our associates. We are celebrating 10 years of Ecolab history, 75 years of Grace-Lee history and four generations of the Graceman family,” says Lambiase. “In the service business, it really is all about people. Over the years, great people have built this business, which makes our business so special.”

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