New ‘tunnel-style’ car wash the latest in clean technology

Pictured at the new Diamond Express car wash are, from left, Brian Hays, Brent Zeiger, Christina Zeiger and Scott Zeiger. Contributed photo

MARY LOU MONTGOMERY

When Scott and Christina Zeiger were contemplating the feasibility of adding a tunnel-style car wash to their Hannibal business offerings, they did their homework.

“In 2023, we started really researching,” Scott said, “traveling all over the Midwest. We took a few plane rides, and went to new cities, to see what would work in Hannibal.”

What they learned, is that car cleaning needs vary depending upon local road conditions.

In rural areas, there are dirt and dusty gravel roads, which create their own car wash challenges.

“There are no dirt roads in metropolitan areas,” Scott said, “so they have a different cleaning process.

“They don’t have the mud and dirt and grime that we do,” Christina said.

The equipment they ultimately selected for Hannibal is specifically tailored “to get the extra dirt off,” Scott said. “I think the community really likes it.”

Earlier this year, the Zeigers opened Diamond Express, Hannibal’s first tunnel car wash, at 4790 Stardust Drive.

“It pulls your vehicle through, super quick, no waiting,” Scott said. “We can start a new car every 30 seconds; 4-5 minutes until the vehicle is completed” for a traditional wash.

Generations

Scott Zeiger, 51, is the second generation in the family car-wash business. He was still in high school when he started working for his father, Dave Zeiger.

“Once I graduated, I had a couple of other jobs. Dad offered me a permanent position,” with the car washes, saying that he would like to retire someday. ‘Was I interested in pursuing’ the business?”

Scott said ‘yes’.

The the meantime, Scott was dating Christina Saxbury, who was working for Kim Shores at Grand Pharmacy.

"I would take Scott lunch, and we’d eat Cracker Jacks together,” she said.

Scott, smitten with this young woman with a sweet tooth, concocted a plan to get Christina to ‘say yes’ as well.

“Scott proposed to me at the car wash,” she said.

“He put my ring in the prize package of a Cracker Jack box, all sealed up.”

He left the box on the desk, and went outside to prewash a car.

She opened the Cracker Jack box and the prize package fell out.

“He sees me and comes flying back in. Someone had to wait to get their car pre-washed while he took a minute to propose.”

And she did say ‘yes’.

“I got her,” Scott said.

In November, they will celebrate their 28th wedding anniversary. They have four children:

Brandon, 27, a power lineman, is married to Kylee Zeiger and they have one son, Wrett Zeiger.

Brent Zeiger, 25, is a manager at the car wash, and is an owner of Show Me Car Care, the parent car wash company which was was incorporated in 1994.  

Baylee Zeiger, 22, is a registered nurse and works for Hannibal Regional Hospital. She works for the car washes on Sundays.

Bennet Zeiger, 16, is a high school student and also works at the family business.

“We’re actually in the same position with our son now with the car washes,” Christina said, watching the younger generation evolve into the business.

“Scott had shoulder surgery, which opened the door for Brent to start taking a leadership role, take off with it. It’s in the plans for him to eventually take a leadership role.”

Location, location

When exploring sites for the new tunnel wash, they considered several locations.

They looked at - and purchased - the site of a former car wash on Mark Twain Avenue.

They ultimately decided that the tunnel “wasn’t going to fit where we wanted it to,” Christina said.  “We wanted an easy in, easy out, access.”

(The Mark Twain Avenue site now hosts a HeBrews XI Coffee site.)

“We got a lot of feed back from our customers,” Scott said. 

People want safe entry and exit, right off the highway, fairly quickly.

When contemplating the site that they finally decided upon, which is nearby one of their existing locations, “We were worried people wouldn’t come out that way, (to Stardust and Veterans Road.) When we built Diamond West, it started doing better numbers than the rest of our car washes,” Christine said.

The tunnel car wash has brought in new customers from the surrounding communities. People  from Quincy, who work at the hospital, like it because it is quick and they don’t have to wait 20 or 30 minutes, Scott said.

They have also noticed that the tunnel is drawing customers from as far away as Monroe City and Palmyra.

“It is a different car wash experience,” Scott said, “but its not for everyone. It is super, super quick.”

Diamond Express is the fifth family car wash location. 

Plaza Car Wash, which has been around since the 1970s, is located at 2721 James Road, and was purchased by Dave Zeiger in 1985 from Bill Craigmiles and Mike McKay.

Scooters is located at 3801 Market. “In 1999 we built Scooters Car Wash on Market Street. I was a part of that. It has handprints in the concrete of a few of our kids,” Scott said.

Diamond Car Wash, 9 Diamond Blvd., is near Farm and Home Supply.

Diamond West, 4736 Stardust. “In 2018, Chris and I built Stardust West,” Scott said.

And they broke ground on Diamond Express, the tunnel car wash, 4790 Stardust, in 2024.

On call

Scott’s phone number is posted at each car wash. “I pick up the phone, I surprise people. People from out of town think it would be a messenger service. I answer the phone.

“Our customers know we’re local, we spend money locally, shop locally. In these smaller towns, people recognize that. Customers come first. I know people appreciate that,” Scott said.

“We have great customers,” Christina said. “We get told a lot that they appreciate how clean we keep the car washes. Scott is adamant about that.”

“There is a ton of maintenance to a car wash,” Scott said. “We have parts sitting on the shelf,” he said, ready when something breaks down.

Brian Hays is also part owner of the corporation. “He’s been with us since he was 16; he’s been with us for 40 years or so. He’s a very dedicated employee,” Scott said.

“When Scott has had to step away, Brian has always stepped up there and made sure things were taken care of,” Christina said.

Expanding neighborhood

Business is brisk in the Stardust area, Christina said. “There’s a bank across from us; Sankpill built a chiropractic business, and just built a new laundry mat. The schools bring a lot of traffic, and there’s a new subdivision going in across from Fiddlestiks, on Jimmy O’Donnell Road.

In addition, there is a new subdivision in development on Stardust.

Memorable moment

Some 20 years ago, “an individual spilled gasoline in the trunk of his car, so he thought he would go to the car wash and vacuum it up,” Scott said.

“Consequently, the vacuum blew and it looked like a rocket went off. He was very lucky. It blew up the vacuum, but no one was injured. It didn’t do any damage to his vehicle.”

The customer explained he thought it was a ‘wet/dry’ vacuum. “But not for gasoline,” Scott said.

“Our vacuums are bolted to the concrete. I can vision it still to this day,” Scott said.