Israeli finds his niche in GCP car wash

Timothy Meyer

In 1976, David Baram boarded a plane from Israel to America with only the shirt on his back and $2,000 in his pocket.

“There were better opportunities for me in America,” Baram said. “Bigger economic opportunities as well.”

After working at a car wash for six years, Baram seized one of those opportunities by buying the High Tech Car Wash at 2450 Jericho Turnpike in Garden City Park.

“I’ve always wanted to do something with cars, and I like being in the retail business,” Baram said.

Baram sold the business in 2007, after he felt he needed a change and bought another car wash in Bethpage.

It wasn’t until a few years later when he was contacted by the new owner of the car wash in Garden City Park, looking to sell back the business.

Baram sold his car wash in Bethpage and bought back his original business in May of 2011.

“It was of course worth it,” Baram said. “If you invest then you get paid, and if you work hard you get paid. You have to have a quality product and good relationship with customers. I’ve had some of the same customers for 30 years now.”

High Tech Car Wash services an average of 150 cars a day, with each car getting a full-service cleaning lasting about four to five minutes for $16 plus tip. All the cars are hand washed, a process Baram said they changed over to a few years ago.

“We used to have the machine washers, but we found customers prefer the hand washing more,” Baram said. “Its more gentler on the car and more attention can be paid to the car.”

Baram also owns an oil changing service center adjacent to the car wash, something Baram said puts him ahead of his competitors.

“For customers who get an oil change, we offer them a free car wash,” Baram said. “That is why everyone comes here, because no one can compete. There are no car washes that offer oil changes.”

The center also provides “everything do with liquid” for cars, such as transmission fluid, steering fluid, window washing fluid, and more.

High Tech Car Wash also provides a multitude of car accessories lining the inside of store walls from air fresheners to window shield wipers.

One of Baram’s customers, Bellmore resident Anthony Ponturo has been a regular customer for the last year and comes once a week.

“I like how the boss [Baram] is always around,” Ponturo said. “They hand wash everything and do a nice job. Its that extra care they take to make sure its perfect.”

Baram moved to Roslyn seven years ago and is married with three daughters and six granddaughters. At one point Baram owned six car washes, but now is down to the three, with his other two in the Bronx and Brooklyn.

His car wash services vehicles for fire patrol cars the different fire district chiefs use, such as the Williston Park Fire Department, New Hyde Park Fire Department, and even some of the 3rd Precinct.

Baram said he works seven days a week 12 hours a day, and that having a clean place is important along with treating your employees right.

“You see some of these places that are just so dirty and its terrible,” Baram said. You also have to make sure you treat your employees well. After all, if I don’t take care of them, they won’t take care of you.”

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