Ribbon cutting at E-Zea Auto Center

I noticed the new business E-Zea Auto Center at Washington and Weston in early May but was unsure what it did. Today the Chamber of Commerce had a ribbon cutting to welcome the business and I found out.

The business provides car washing and detailing, which is a thorough cleaning of the inside of a car. They offer four options. E-Zea Wash takes approximately thirty minutes and includes vacuuming the interior. Express Wash and Wax takes about an hour and includes hand waxing and also shining the interior. Complete Wash & Wax includes detailing the interior. Finally the E-Zea Works takes about three hours and includes an interior shampoo and vinyl cleaned and dressed. The more you want, the more it costs, but the first option is only $20 for cars. If you want to know more, stop in or call the number shown in the picture above.

What was once the office of a gas station is now a comfortable waiting room, which will work for a short E-Zea Wash, but you might want to have something else to do for the longer procedures.

 I asked the owner, Ron Zea (pronounced Zee) how he got into this business. He said that he began washing and detailing cars when he was in high school. After high school he went to work for others, including a car dealer in DeMotte. He has spent over thirty years washing and detailing cars and wanted to open his own business. Noticing that the former gas station on the corner of Washington and Weston was vacant and for rent, he inquired. He opened for business in May. He said both May and June were slow months. I suspect that in May no one knew he was there. He thought the weather in June hurt business.

In talking to the people who came to the ribbon cutting, I learned that many businesses had passed through this location since it stopped being a gas station. It was at one time the office of a lawyer (who is no longer in town). Hopefully E-Zea Auto Center will last a lot longer than some of his predecessors.

Then it was time for the ribbon cutting. It was the first and last ribbon cutting covered by the intern for the Rensselaer Republican, Javonte Anderson. His eight week internship is finishing and now he will return to Bloomington and wait for the start of his senior year. People wished him luck in his final year and in finding a job after graduation. He was at the paper during an interesting time--the changing of editors.