Car Work Pays Off

High school student Ethan Crowell builds his own car detailing business to serve his community

Words by Elizabeth Williams | Images by Al Blanton

Ethan Crowell had a goal to buy a train horn for his truck. There was only one thing holding him back: he did not have two thousand dollars to spend on one. So, he began saving his money.

Last April, Ethan was getting ready for his junior prom and had borrowed his uncle’s 2016 Dodge Ram 2500 work truck. The black exterior showed a thick coat of dirt and every little blemish. After several hours of grueling work, the truck was spotless, and Ethan was ready to arrive at prom in style. When he returned the truck, his uncle was very impressed by Ethan’s job. The truck had a beautiful shine and looked better than it had in years. He noted, “I was going to get it detailed, but you did such a good job I don’t need to anymore.”

Immediately, an idea sparked in Ethan.

To get started, Ethan cleaned friends’ and family members’ cars. It did not take long for social media to be covered with pictures of his work. By summertime, he had a name made for himself.

Ethan had achieved his goal and got a train horn for his truck. However, his work did not stop. He had found a new motivation:

“I wanted to be the change in Jasper,” says Ethan. “I wanted to be ‘the next thing’.”

By September, Ethan had so much business that drop off and pick up at his house was no longer working. He went mobile and opened a whole new world of possibilities.

What started as a side job became a full-time business. Ethan devoted his time to improving his business profile on social media, and before long he had over 500 pictures and 35 5-star reviews.

What makes Ethan stand out is his customer service and attention to detail. He values his customers and wants to ensure they are receiving the best services possible. One vehicle can anywhere from 3-4 hours to several days, and Ethan makes it certain that the customer knows how each minute of that time is spent. Then, he follows up with a courtesy call for two reasons: to make sure the customer is satisfied and to try to improve the quality of work.

Not even a year later, Ethan is detailing a car seven days a week while also being involved in robotics at Jasper High School and Curry Church of Christ’s youth group.

When asked about his future, Ethan says, “Only time will tell.” For as long as he can remember, Ethan wanted to be an engineer, but as his business is growing, his plans are changing. He looks up to businessmen in the community such as his uncle Bryant and the Crump family; their success motivates him to continue pursuing his own business.

In the fall, Ethan will attend Bevill State Community College, where he can juggle the responsibilities of maintaining his books and keeping his business running. There is a lot in store for Crowell Auto Detailing in the future. 78