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Not content with having military serviceman, pub owner and All Blacks captain on his CV, Wayne ‘Buck’ Shelford is about to add another career to his name.
Wash Works in Silverdale, a carwash centre that can accommodate cars, boats and campervans, is his latest venture.
“I’ve lived in the area for 30 years and can see that there is a growing demand for something like this, especially in communities such as Wainui and Dairy Flat where homes are still on tank water,” Wayne says.
“There are thousands of new homes being built on the Coast and 40 percent of households have three or more vehicles that need cleaning.”
The facility has a double auto wash, brush wash and jet wash, as well as five self-service bays with a maximum height of 3.3 metres. There are eight different cleaning options that can be used individually or in combination with each other.
Wayne says Wash Works uses eco-friendly detergents and reuses water in the auto wash.
There are four interceptor tanks to filter dirty water that can hold 15,000 to 20,000 litres each, as well as the required retention tank.
Wash Works in Silverdale is next door to what used to be the Wade Hotel (now Wade Tavern), which Wayne owned for 20 years before selling in 2009. He still owns the land surrounding the tavern, where he plans to expand Wash Works.
The car wash is a family business, where the directors are Wayne’s daughter, Lia Shelford-Toopi, who presents More FM Rodney’s midday show, and son, Eru Shelford, who is a personal trainer. The carwash is managed by Lia’s husband, Kaine Toopi.
“It’s a business for them and my four grandkids – they are the main focus for my wife and I.”
Rugby also remains a big part of Wayne’s world through his involvement with Defence Force Rugby and the North Shore Rugby Club, of which he is president.
“I’ll never give it up,” he says. “My six-year-old granddaughter is about to play rippa for the first time at the Silverdale Rugby Club and I am looking forward to that.”
