The Hub Blog

Blog Post #4: The Hub Wash

What Wash Type is Best for My Vehicle?

It’s that time of the year again. The days are getting longer. The temperatures are slowly rising. Snow and ice are melting and the roads are slushy and dirty. And, of course, this means a dirty car. It’s difficult to wash a vehicle at home during the winter, and thankfully there are automatic car washes available in most communities.

You may be wondering: “soft touch” or “touch-free,” which is best for me? The Hub offers both -- a soft touch car wash in Dickinson and a touch-free wash in Beulah.

Let’s start by acknowledging that there’s simply no better washing method than the old-fashioned hand wash; the caveat being that the proper chemicals, applicators, and towels should be used. The idea of washing a car is to remove all impurities from the surface of the clear coat paint, and humans still do it best.

When it comes to automatic equipment, the truth is that “soft touch” and “touch-free” do an excellent job. Let’s start with the touch-free car wash.

The Touch-Free Wash

Touch-free washes are simple to use. Drive in to the bay, put your vehicle in park, sip your coffee and relax for a few minutes while your vehicle is washed and dried. No equipment physically touches your vehicle. The equipment uses a mixture of carefully selected chemicals and high-pressure water to clean your car. The water pressure is strong and consistent and leaves the same finish across your entire vehicle. The down side? No matter how great the chemical and how strong the pressure, there’s always the likelihood that there will be a film of impurities left of the surface of the vehicle. How does one know this? Run your car through a touch-free wash, then wipe your finger across the paint. There’s a good chance that you’ll see dirt on your finger. And when chemicals absorb in to this dirt it can be detrimental to the paint. Have you ever seen circular “spider-web” micro-swirls on a vehicle when the sun is hitting it in the right way? Those are generally a result of too many impurities being on the paint surface for too long. Contrary to what some believe, they ARE NOT a result of a soft-touch car wash.

The Soft Touch Wash

The foam fingers used in a soft-touch wash are gentler than any microfiber towel on the market. The fingers, made of closed-cell foam technology, are scientifically formulated to not hold on to any particles. Put a lubricating chemical on this material and it’s extremely gentle and safe for the surface of your vehicle. This friction will also remove the nearly invisible film I referenced in the above paragraph. So what are the risks? Well, if your have dirt and mud on your vehicle, it needs to be removed before going through a soft-touch wash. Otherwise you are taking the risk of the brushes massaging that dirt and mud in to your paint surface. Obviously, that’s not a good thing, and that’s why The Hub has an attendant on duty at all times. In addition, many times the brushes may not flow perfectly or align with every angle and crevice on your vehicle, thereby leaving small areas that didn’t get cleaned. These areas are very noticeable.

Car Wash Wrap-Up

So at the end of the day, I’d like to offer my humble and educated opinion. A touch-free wash will clean 100% of your paint surface with 95% effectiveness. A soft-touch wash will clean 95% of your paint surface with 100% effectiveness. Both are marvels of modern technology, and both are great products. But remember, nothing beats a bit of car wash soap in a bucket, some microfiber applicators and towels, and bit of elbow grease. When time doesn’t allow for that, come see us at The Hub!

Tweet us @HubConvenience and let us know your favorite wash type! Snap us while you relax through the touch-free wash @HubConvenience. We love hearing from and seeing you!

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Blog Post #3: Team Member Feature

Melanie S

You spent most of your professional career working in the travel industry. Moving to convenience retail must have been a big change for you. What drew you to The Hub, and what are some of your favorite things about the convenience retailing industry?

I knew that I was ready for a change from the travel industry. I was working from home and although it does have it perks I missed being around people. I had been searching for jobs to see what else was out there and I came across The Hub. I had heard through the grapevine that you were going to be operating it and I thought to myself now what better way to learn retailing than from you. I knew the store itself was going to be great and the values even greater, so I took a chance. It has honestly been one of the best decisions I have made.

Some of my favorite things about the industry is learning the tricks of the trade. I went into this position pretty green about the industry. I love the science of product placement. Everything has a very smart and unique way of being placed in the store from top to bottom. Once I started understanding it, everything made sense and I wanted to make it better. I love doing resets, whether it be seasonal or new product, it is fun setting it up designing so to speak of how the product will be displayed and purchased. Another one of my favorites is our brand. The Grind and The Chill . Our customers come in and will say what does The Hub have for lunch today or I'm headed to The Grind for some coffee. It makes me feel great knowing they appreciate what we do and that they come to our store for those specific things.

Though you have many day to day responsibilities, what aspects of the business do you most enjoy?

I enjoy working with our team members a lot. Whether it be out front on the registers or in the kitchen and sometimes even the car wash, I feel that it is important to not only know all aspects of the job but what better way to get to know your team members than working side by side with them. I like that we are involved in the community. We are in our second year of doing concessions for DSU and it really is a lot of fun supporting all of our schools and working at the games.

From day one you’ve had a strong focus on building relationships with our customers. But you don’t do it just because “it’s good for business.” It’s who you are. Tell us a bit about your natural ability to connect with
others.

This is my absolute favorite thing, the customers. My grandmother has always said I was blessed with the gift of gab and a kind heart. I believe she taught me how to use these gifts in getting to know people. The customers are what usually makes my day, whether it be the few seconds while I complete their transaction or a couple minutes to chat, I like getting to know the customers. My husband tells me I never forget anything and I use that to my advantage when talking to the customers. I make it a point to ask them about their hunting trips, their vacations, the kids, their spouses etc. I usually get a smile and a response like wow you remembered or thanks for asking. I had one customer tell me that The Hub is like the TV show Cheers. It's a place where everyone does know your name and they are always glad you came. Our customers truly are my favorite thing.

Residents of Dickinson have many options when choosing a destination for fuel, fresh foods, or an on-the-go snack. Why should they come see you and your team at The Hub instead of somewhere closer to their home?

I personally choose a store on three things. Customer service, cleanliness and selection. Our store has all of these. I feel that we give 100% to our customers and we provide a great atmosphere. Our facility strives to maintain not only our inside appearance but also our outside. We have clean fuel islands and they are spacious. You don't feel like you are in your neighbors vehicle. Our store inside is very clean, to me that means the team members here care about the appearance and wanting it to look it's best at all times. Our selection at The Hub is outstanding! From the junk food lovers to the health nuts we have a wide variety for everyone. Whether you want something fresh from our deli or a pizza to go The Hub is a one stop shop.

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Blog Post #2: Our Journey

Our Journey

9/20/2017

Though we opened in 2015, the vision for The Hub was formulated over the course of nearly two decades. On one hand, we had a lifelong convenience retailer wanting to use his many years of experience to start his own concept (myself). On the other hand we had an innovative business man who had this piece of land with a vague idea on what to do with it (Chris Fitterer). Fate brought these two forces together in 2013, and a unique synergy was immediately formed.

When The Hub was planned and designed, we tried to do everything with you, our customer, in mind. We believed that if we could deliver a product that was indispensable to the public (even if they didn't know they needed it in the first place), we could build a successful business. So came our plans for a business focused on fresh food and not tobacco and liquor and indulgent snacks like most stores in the area. So came wide shopping aisles, high-end restrooms, ample security, healthy snacks, and smiling team members eager to serve. We aim to be in the 90th percentile in hourly wages in the retail channel in order to attract the highest quality workers. In addition, it was important to us to be deeply imbedded in the communities in which we do business.

Our first store in Dickinson opened on January 8, 2015 in the middle of a whiteout blizzard. You all didn't disappoint us, as the doors swung open at a pace we never expected. Looking back, we may have done a few things differently in Dickinson, but we're certainly proud of the product we off you every day. We also know that we can't rest on our laurels -- that we need to be focused on continuous improvement every day. Why? Because you deserve it, and we owe it to you.

In August of 2016 we acquired two stores in Beulah and Hazen, ND. We have been running them 'as is' for a year, but we're chomping at the bit to bring those communities a true Hub experience. God willing, we'll start that process in the spring of 2018.

As for the future, we'd like to add many more locations. We're interested in acquisitions, ground-up builds, and expansion through other channels, like our concessions operations within Dickinson State University.

Rest assured, we're going to continue our growth with a focus on evolving consumer demands. We're going to continue to recruit, hire, and develop the best retail talent in the area. We're going to refine our company culture to impact the lives of all of our team members. We're glad to be here, and we're thrilled to serve you each and every day.

Jared Scheeler

Managing Partner

(Next time: Team Member Feature - Melanie S. (Dickinson))

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Blog Post #1: Relationships

Our Hub is Your Hub

August 4, 2017

Happy Summer to all of The Hub’s wonderful fans!

One of the many things that we cherish at The Hub is the connections and relationships we have with our customers, suppliers, and the community at large. In fact, the importance of relationships is directly written into our company mission statement.

Healthy relationships include a sustained effort in the area of communication, and that’s what brings us together today. This blog has been started with an objective of personifying our company; to tell the stories of not just what we are, but who we are. Sure, we like to think that The Hub offers much more than what you’d expect from a standard convenience retailer, and all of that is great and fun. In fact, you’ll hear me write about some of those things in the future. However, it’s who we are - from our people to our culture - that is truly our strength.

I’ll do my best to keep these posts short, but insightful. Educational, yet entertaining. At the end of the day I hope I can help you, our wonderful fans, to have a greater glimpse into life at The Hub. I may talk about car washes, philanthropy, or current events. I might delve into my personal life or those of our team members. Heck, I will probably someday write about why we use the term “team members” instead of “employees” and why it even matters.

You already know a lot about what The Hub is. Now it’s time to learn who The Hub is. We’re thrilled to have this opportunity to strengthen our relationships with each and every one of you. Thank you.

Jared Scheeler

Managing Partner

(Next time: From the birth of The Hub until today…)

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