2022 IDA Detail Shop of the Year

Congratulations to the winner of the 2022 Detail Shop of the Year Award, Detailers of Las Vegas. This award is presented to a detailing shop that operates an outstanding fixed location facility. Detailers of Las Vegas has maintained a superior reputation within the industry. We had a chance to speak with Justin Day, CD-SV, Owner of Detailers of Las Vegas, to learn more about what this recognition means to him, his business, and his team. 

Left: Tyler Beaver (Detailer)
Middle: Justin Day, CD-SV (Owner)
Right: Veronica Blanco (Lead Detailer)

International Detailing Association (IDA): What does this accomplishment mean to you and your team?
Justin Day (JD): To me, this award is validation to myself that I’ve done something positive with my life. Aside from my family and friends, detailing has been the most rewarding part of my life. Trying to overcome my past in the juvenile justice system has been a tough road for me. Detailing helped me give back and begin to forgive myself. It gave me an outlet for my energy and required 100% laser focus. It allowed me to shake hands with some very successful people and work on cars I had only ever seen in magazines. Through all the highs and lows my business has gone through, this award is a reminder that the whole journey was worth it and to keep pushing harder every new day. 

Justin Day, Accepting the 2022 Detail Shop of the Year Award

IDA: How long have you been in the industry? How did you get involved?
JD: My start in the detailing industry was interesting, to say the least. It was 2003, I was 18, and I was in a juvenile correction facility in northern Pennsylvania, about 6 months away from being released. My case worker decided I had spent enough time behind the fences and sent me down to the farmhouse on a property called Community Reintegration Program or CRP. The CRP team placed me in a job in a body shop, which was surprising considering my charges included boosting cars! Nonetheless, it was right where I wanted to be.

My first few days were dismal at best. I would work on a car for hours and my manager would look at it and instantly point out multiple things I had missed. Certainly not in the kindest way either. I was a hot-headed kid who didn’t let anyone talk down to me the way he did, but I didn’t have a choice. My freedom was in his hands now. Over the next few weeks, I began to learn what he was looking for, the details! He taught me to get into a vehicle and look at it like it was my own. He taught me to look at all the corners of the glass and instrument panel. To look down in the crevices of the seats. And most importantly, the things people see first…the windows and the wheels. 

In the coming months, I became proficient enough to complete my post-body shop details in a matter of a couple of hours. With nothing else to do, I started hanging out in the paint shop. I learned how to identify car paint codes, mix paint, tape vehicles, spray and block primer, prep vehicles for paint, and many other skills. I consider myself very fortunate to have been put in the right place at the right time. 

IDA: How Did Detailers of Las Vegas  get started? 
JD: Detailers of Las Vegas began in June of 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Originally it was known as Two Boxers Mobile Detailing. Personally, I don’t think there was a worse time to start a mobile detailing business in Las Vegas. It was 100+ degrees outside, and I was in a 1983 Mazda B2000 with no air conditioning.

My first few jobs, I would hook up to my clients water and plug into their power. I brought an electric pressure washer and a 1-gallon shop vac. I would struggle with the sun and importantly, the water. I didn’t realize the effects water contamination had on car washing. Our water had anywhere from 450-850ppm of total dissolved solids, a result of being located in the desert. The learning curve was rough. The sun would dry parts of the car you hadn’t made it to yet. It would bake the soap onto the panels you had! Figuring out the water was vital. Once that happened, we really started doing work. 

IDA: What were some major obstacles that your business had to overcome?
JD: Some of the biggest obstacles I’ve had to overcome include transitioning from a worker to an owner. Learning how to be a businessperson instead of a laborer, learning to market my business instead of my skills. I had to learn how to balance a budget, apply for company credit cards, start filing taxes as an S-Corp. All those things you never think about while you’re detailing a car.

Employees have another obstacle. When we’re in major growth phases of our business, we look to people we trust for help. Doing this hasn’t worked out for me in the past. I’ve found it's best to find employees you don’t have a history with and build a healthy employee/employer relationship.

IDA: What would you say is key to your ongoing growth and success in this industry?
JD: I've learned a lot in my life. I would say that the number one thing that keeps me growing in the industry is the phrase, “You have to give it away to keep it.”

I’ve never been one to hold trade secrets to myself. I believe that when you advance your peers, you advance the industry as a whole. If you are in competition with anyone but yourself, you are doing yourself and your business a severe injustice.

IDA: Who inspires you most in this industry?
JD: I’ve had a ton of inspiration over the years. Mike Norng of AFS, Joshua Tan from Wrap Culture, Jason Rose, CD-SV, RIT, of Rupes USA, Chris and Christian, CD-SV, Parker of Detail Boss, Ed Terwilinger, CD-SV, RIT, Richard Lin of CS-II, Kevin Davis from Detailers Helper belt, Michael Monson of Dirty2Dreamy, Renny Doyle, CD-SV, RIT, of Detailing Success, Alan Medcraf, CD-SV, RIT, of AM Details, Kris and Michael Abens of URABLE, and the list goes on and on. But, truthfully, the most inspiring are the people that reach out for help. It takes a lot to reach out to someone. It takes bravery to step out of your comfort zone but you’re doing what you have to do to ultimately make more money.

IDA: What words of wisdom would you like to impart to your fellow detailers?
JD: Learn how to be a business owner. Detailing is the easy part. That’s why there are so many pop-up detail shops. Learn how to be a businessperson. Set yourself apart. Think outside the box. And always pay attention to what’s going on in the industry.

Additionally, get yourself a company credit card with rewards. Stop paying for everything in cash and get something back from the money your company spends. I use my Amex to pay for my PPF, chemicals, towels, business travel, training, etc. I use my points for personal travel, gift cards, dinners, etc. There’s no reason your business shouldn’t be paying you back for the money you put out to make money. A side bonus here is that you have all your expenses on one card when it's time to balance your books. Lastly, and I say this all the time, find yourself a mentor.

Justin Day, hard at work

*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the IDA.