International Carwash Association 2009 Hall of Fame Inductee

Each year since 1962, the International Carwash Association has sought to honor a distinguished leader in our industry with our highest recognition, the Hall of Fame Award. Past winners have included such prominent car wash operators and suppliers as Joe Dahm, Dan Hanna, Herman Deal and Ron Peterson. Each of these recipients has not only demonstrated success in their own companies, but they have truly advanced and changed our industry.

This 2009 Hall of Fame inductee is James A. Belanger.

Jim Belanger was born in 1931 in New York State. After the death of his mother during his senior year of high school, Jim enrolled in the United States Air Force and studied mechanical engineering. Later, while working in sales for the Chicago Rubber Company, he developed an improvement to an abrasive buffing wheel for application in the automobile industry. When his employer didn’t see the promise that he did in this new technology, he struck out on his own. In 1969, Belanger Incorporated was born.

He opened the coated abrasives business in the Detroit suburb of Northville and was not long after experimenting with applications for the car wash industry. In 1975, Belanger introduced soft cloth to the professional car wash industry, effectively spelling the end for plastic car wash bristles. By the 1980s, Belanger was a dominant manufacture of car wash equipment of all types.

The business was, and to this day remains, a family affair. Jim’s mother and father worked at Belanger, as did his brothers Bud and Jerry and both their children. In addition to his devotion to his family, Jim was quietly generous to his employees and community. To this day, his family does not know just how many young people have benefitted from high school and college scholarships quietly provided by Jim over the years. He was a person whose success only increased his love and compassion for others.

Accepting the award on behalf of James Belager is his son Richard (Cetner-Left) and his wife Nancy (Center-Right). Also pictured is Vice President Jeff Gheysens (Left) and President Lisa Lyons (Right).