Don”™t call them wet behind the ears.
Two young entrepreneurs in Stamford are making waves with their business, Topside Detailing, an auto and nautical detailing company that brings its clean-n-green services to the customer.
“We”™ve been excited to get our ideas out there,” said Jonathan Piazza-Harper,” principal of Topside Detailing. “It”™s just taken off.”
Piazza-Harper and his business partner Parth Thaker attended UConn together as science majors and graduated in May, though they made their start in business in the summer of 2007.
“It was a random summer gig,” said Piazza-Harper. “We both had internships that didn”™t work out, so we started doing this. It progressed and we”™d work on it whenever we had a chance.”
Piazza-Harper had worked for a yacht club and applied his knowledge of marinas to a ”˜come-to-you”™ wash concept.
The now 23 year-old pair began waxing and washing boats in Hartford and clients began to ask if we would start washing their cars too.
“We thought what”™s a unique way we can wash both?,” said Thaker. “There”™s tons of car washes tons of detailers out there, we went with going onsite and added the water retention system and gained a nitch.”
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After graduating the two found themselves in an abysmal job market. Topside took a step forward and moved to Stamford.
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“The majority of our business has been down in this area, between the yacht clubs and the marinas,” said Thaker.
Topside has recently gained a contract with the four public marinas in Greenwich. According to Piazza-Harper, Topside allows the Greenwich marinas to comply with regulations on pollutants that are being enforced seriously. Piazza-Harper said the businesses success has been helped along by networking and by partnering with the Better Business Bureau form the start.
“We knew what we needed to do to gain the good market share,” said Thaker. “Our system is not so much dry as it is a water-reclaim system. We use a pressure wash system, we go through spray off the bottom of the boat, and we collect and contain all the water and work with state certified haulers who bring it to a waste management facility, treat it properly and return it to the sewer.”
As of Oct. 1, all Connecticut marinas and boatyards are required by the state to collect and handle the wastewater runoff from pressure washing boat bottoms in an environmentally sound manner. Topside anticipated the upcoming Department of Environmental Protection marina regulations, devised a solution and quickly got together the equipment, patent and DEP approval.
“Marinas have three options in order to comply with regulations of the state and federal Water Pollution Control Act,” said Thaker. “They can install a pump that costs $80,000 and routes the wastewater into the sewer after treating it. They can purchase another standing system, which won”™t last as long and costs upwards of $35,000. Or they can hire Topside to provide mobile power washing at virtually no cost to the marina or facility. We hold the proper permits, insurances and assume all liability. The marinas simply bill their members directly.”
Bottoms of boats are often painted with copper- and lead-based paints, major contaminants for water systems. Topside collects about 800-900 gallons of tainted water in a day.
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“The economy has been interesting,” said Piazza-Harper. “We were lucky that when we first started we began everything on our credit cards before any of this craziness happened. Right now we”™re in the process of putting together a business plan to bring this to a much larger scale. We”™re utilizing anything that increases our efficiency and keeps our overhead low.”
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“We”™ve been able to use our web site, topsidedetailing.com, to attract a lot of clients and achieve a high degree of marketing,” Piazza-Harper. Cars washing has proved popular. “If we competed directly with a car wash we would”™ve lost on price. But going with the ”˜we come to you”™ idea, we”™ve gotten a lot of soccer moms who don”™t have the time and their cars are a wreck.”
Piazza-Harper and Thaker have run into their share of skepticism because of their ages.
“There”™s been people who”™ve interacted with us who you can tell weren”™t taking us seriously,” said Piazza-Harper. “We can overcome it because we”™re prepared. Though a lot of people are interested in how and why we got started. And as our clients learn more about us, they are more eager to help us grow.”
“We”™re looking to secure our business plan by next spring and eventually franchise this,” said Thaker. “We”™ve had investors come to us, but they have also wanted a percentage of the company and that”™s not something we”™re willing to give up at this point.”
