Bellcrest Lending Group, a small-business funding service in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, explains funding for auto repair shops and car washes: equipment financing for lifts, scanners and wash systems, working capital for parts and payroll, and term loans for buildings or buyouts. It cites Fond du Lac County automotive repair figures from County Business Patterns 2023 and Nonemployer Statistics 2024.
At a glance
- Employer establishments
58 employer locations, Fond du Lac County, WI (CBP 2023)
- Fewer than five employees
35 of the 58 employers (60.3%, CBP 2023)
- Annual payroll
$13.2 million paid to 304 employees (CBP 2023)
- Businesses without paid employees
117 with no payroll (Nonemployer Statistics 2024, NAICS 2022)
Auto Repair Across Fond du Lac County, WI: 2023 and 2024 Census Counts
For automotive repair and maintenance (NAICS 8111), which includes car washes, County Business Patterns counted 58 employer establishments in Fond du Lac County, WI in 2023, with 304 paid employees and $13.2 million in annual payroll; 35 of them, or 60.3%, had fewer than five employees, and 23 used a ZIP 54935 address (ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023; the ZIP is not the city limits). That works out to about 5.2 employees per establishment and about $43,408 of payroll per employee (our arithmetic).
Nonemployer Statistics, a separate Census program built on NAICS 2022 codes, counted 117 businesses without paid employees in automotive repair and maintenance (NAICS 2022 8111) in the county for 2024, with $9.1 million in combined receipts, or about $77,915 each (our arithmetic). The two programs count different businesses, so this page keeps them apart.
How to finance a car wash business in Fond du Lac, WI
A car wash is equipment-heavy: tunnel conveyors, brushes, dryers, water reclaim systems, pay stations and vacuum stations. Financing splits into the land and building, financed with a term loan or real-estate loan, and the equipment, financed separately. Partners read the wash's volume history and the condition of the equipment.
Car washes fall under automotive repair and maintenance in the Census industry codes, which counted 58 employers in the county in 2023; that count includes car washes along with repair shops.
Car wash equipment loan for Fond du Lac County, WI businesses
Car wash equipment loans finance a new tunnel, an in-bay automatic or self-serve bay equipment. The equipment's resale value supports the agreement, though installed systems tied into plumbing and concrete are harder to remove, which a partner will take into account.
Illustration only, invented figures: a $150,000 in-bay system financed over 72 months at 9% costs about $2,704 a month (our arithmetic). Divide the payment by an average ticket to see how many washes a month cover it.
Mechanic shop business loan: what Fond du Lac, WI owners should know
A mechanic shop business loan covers lifts, alignment machines, tire changers, diagnostic scanners, air systems and shop software. Repair shops in the county had 35 employers with fewer than five employees out of 58 in 2023 (County Business Patterns), so a shop may well be buying one machine at a time.
Equipment financing fits each machine; a term loan fits a building purchase or the buyout of a retiring owner's shop.
Working capital for car wash company around Fond du Lac, WI
A car wash's working capital pays chemicals, utilities, wages and repairs. A breakdown that closes a bay stops income while the repair bill arrives, which is a short gap that working capital or a line can cover. Card and app subscription payments give partners a clear record of income.
Keep a maintenance reserve in the forecast; a partner reading the request will want to know how repairs are paid for.
Auto shop financing in Fond du Lac, WI
Auto shop financing for parts and payroll follows the repair cycle: parts are bought for a job, the customer pays at pickup, and fleet or insurance customers may pay later. A shop with fleet accounts can carry receivables for weeks. Working capital or a line bridges that gap.
Working capital in Fond du Lac, WI covers the details. Parts stores have a related page: retail funding.
Car wash business financing for Fond du Lac County, WI businesses
Car wash business financing for a purchase reads the seller's volume and revenue history, the equipment's age and the site. A buyer should get equipment service records, utility bills and membership revenue reports before sending the request.
Partners may treat the land, the building and the equipment as separate pieces of collateral with separate values.
Diagnostic Tools and Software for a Fond du Lac, WI Repair Shop
Scan tools, calibration equipment for driver-assistance systems, and shop management software change quickly. Hardware can be financed as equipment over a term shorter than a lift's, because it ages faster. Software subscriptions are operating costs paid from cash flow rather than financed.
Illustration only, invented figures: a $28,000 calibration rig financed over 36 months at 11% costs about $917 a month (our arithmetic). If the shop bills $180 per calibration, six jobs a month cover the payment and five fall just short (our arithmetic). Run the same check on any equipment quote before asking for funding.
Shop Paperwork a Partner Reads in Fond du Lac County, WI
- Recent bank statements plus card processor reports.
- Tax returns and year-to-date financials.
- Fleet or insurance receivables, with due dates.
- Quotes for equipment.
- The lease or property records for the building.
Fuel stations with service bays can also see gas station financing; machine shops see metal shop loans. See all industries or the Fond du Lac, WI business page.
By Bellcrest Lending Group ยท Updated