2023 IDA Detail Shop of the Year: Kimball's Hands On Detailing

Congratulations to the winner of the 2023 Detail Shop of the Year Award, Kimball's Hands On Auto Detailing! This award is presented annually to a detailing shop (fixed location) that operates an outstanding facility. We spoke with Joseph Kimball, CD-SV, to learn more about what this recognition means to him and his team.  

International Detailing Association (IDA): What does this accomplishment mean to you and your team?
Joseph Kimball (JK): This accomplishment means so much to our whole team. We are just a small detail shop in Gig Harbor, WA, so winning this award was totally unexpected, but we are just so honored and humbled to have been nominated for such an amazing award. 

IDA: How long have you been in the industry? How did you get involved?
JK: I have been in the industry for 32 years and Kody has been in the industry for 5 years. We both got involved in detailing because of our passion for anything with a motor. The joy we get when a client picks their car up after a fresh detail is worth the work.  

IDA: How Did Kimball's Hands On Detailing get started?
JK: We started Kimball’s Hands on Detailing in January 2019. Kody had just come back from college, and he wanted to put his business degree to use. We started detailing our cars in our driveway, which led to us detailing cars for our next-door neighbors, which led to us detailing cars for our whole community. Shortly after, we bought an enclosed trailer and started doing mobile detailing. After about four months of mobile detailing, we found our current location in Gig Harbor, and we have been there since. 

IDA: What were some major obstacles that your business had to overcome?
JK: One of the biggest obstacles we faced when starting was marketing our brand to appeal to the clientele we serve. There are so many ways to market a business. Many companies that pop up in emails and social media, making promises to grow business, and deciding the best route for us was trial and error. 

IDA: What would you say is the key to your ongoing growth and success in this industry?
JK: One of the biggest keys to our growth and success is our passion for learning and growing. We have worked with a business and financial consultant for the last three years. We also attend as many trainings as we can get to, and we always take our team with us!

IDA: Who inspires you most in this industry?
JK: The person that inspires us the most in the industry is actually Joey Kimball. Joey is our son and brother and is an owner at Kimball's. Joey is autistic and has taught us to live life to the fullest, not to judge people, and has shown us that hate shouldn’t exist in this world. He pushes us to be the best we can be at all times and always has a smile.

IDA: What words of wisdom would you like to impart to your fellow detailers?
JK: One major piece of advice that I would give to fellow detailers is to never stop learning. With how much the detailing industry is changing and evolving, there is always room to improve and learn more. Another piece of advice that I would give is to know your business. Making cars shiny is ultimately what makes the money, and of course is the most fun part of owning a detailing business, but you also need to know and pay close attention to the actual business ownership side of things.

*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.