Putting a new look on cars and clients

Two service businesses reopen — one with new management, the other with a familiar face

The boom of new small businesses around town is a sign that things are looking up for shopkeepers and consumers.

And while restaurants and specialty stores usually catch our attention quickly, businesses that provide necessary services often go unnoticed until they either aren’t there anymore or we need them.

If spring cleaning is already on your mind, shedding winter’s grime on the car or sprucing up the ’do just got a little more convenient.

Mia’s Xpress Car Wash opened in December, next to Oil Can Henry’s in Gresham Town Fair. The facility was part of the Eco Car Wash franchises, and has been closed since 2008. Now privately owned, Mia’s underwent an extensive equipment update and is offering customers services not found elsewhere.

“All our car washes include free vacuuming and towels for quick touch-ups after the wash,” said Mia’s owner Gabe Dunaway. “We also provide a free dust cloth for interior cleaning and free fragrance. Our cleaning detergents are all Turtle Wax, and most importantly, everything we use is biodegradable.”

Dunaway is a Sherwood resident with a background in the car wash industry. He operated a similar facility in Hillsboro before taking on the long-vacant building in Gresham. Mia’s boasts the newest in “brushless” technology, Dunaway said, and operates in an earth-friendly way.

“We recycle 100 percent of the water we use,” Dunaway said. “And approximately 80 percent of that is reused. The rollers we use to clean the car are made from a foam material. They don’t absorb as much water as other materials, which means they remove more dirt without being as abrasive to the vehicle.”

Being sensitive to the environment is only part of the company’s mission.

Dunaway also is introducing “Mia’s Community Fundraising” in an effort to support local nonprofit organizations and area schools. Groups that register with the company are provided with a Charity Code that identifies them as part of the program. Friends and family use the code each time they wash their car, and monthly, Dunaway issues a check to the group.

“Mia’s will donate $1 to a local fundraising program every time someone washes their car and uses the program’s designated code,” Dunaway said. “There’s no selling or time limit to how long a group can participate, so the group can run the program as long as they want.”

To register with Mia’s Community Fundraising, contact Dunaway at gdun2@comcast.net.

Mia’s Xpress Car Wash

Where: 750 N.W. Eastman Parkway, Gresham

What: full car wash services, including free vacuuming; Mia’s Club enrollment features an unlimited monthly wash program for one price.

Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

For more information: 503-492-8942

New look for an old friend

Customers of Gloria Johnson will be pleased to learn the longtime barber and hairstylist is behind the chair once again after a six-year absence.

Johnson was well known in the Springdale/Corbett area, where she kept locals trimmed and clean-shaven for several years. She later owned the Orient Barber Shop in Gresham for more than a decade, until health problems forced her to sell the business in 2006.

Now on the rebound health-wise, Johnson has reopened her newly remodeled Gloria’s Barber Shop in the same location on Orient Drive, offering nearly the same services.

“I take both men and women clients and as a barber; I can do shaves as well,” she said. “My medical condition is still somewhat limiting, so at the moment, I don’t do perms, color or hair washing.”

Johnson spent a few years living in Washington during her convalescence and returned to Gresham in December. It’s good to be behind her signature historical barber chair again, she said, and she is especially happy to be available to both active and retired military personnel.

“I’m very supportive of veterans because I’m one,” she said. “I’m glad to be back for my customers.”

Gloria’s Barber Shop

Were: 30021 S.E. Orient Drive, Gresham

What: hair and barber services

Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday

For more information: 503-489-5175