December 2008 Times Publications Cover
This Month's Cover
 
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This month's top stories from the Valley's most popular newspaper - The Zany Press
 
Renowned restaurant critics' suggested Valley eats.
A closer look into the private workspaces of some of the Valley's high-profile personalities.
OPEN DOOR POLICY
Award-Winning Feature Writing


Read The Times most recent Arizona Press Club award-winning stories, the most revered awards in Arizona journalism.
Walking Tall
Guilty
Frozen Assets
The Vanity Tax
Addicted Youth
Silicone Valley
Fatal Lapse
Shooting Stars
Finding Love Again
Auction Action
 
open door policy
Danny Hendon
Danny's Family Carwash Founder

Carwash magnate Danny Hendon admits, “I sometimes pray for a little sprinkle.” All those sprinkles have added up. After 23 years in the car washing business, Danny’s Family Car Wash has 17 locations in two states. In addition to his plans to open 20 additional carwashes, Hendon is now developing 325 acres of land and running a successful club and day spa. A friendly entrepreneur known as “Danny” to his 2,000 employees, Hendon recently invited The Times in for an Open Door profile of his squeaky-clean office.
1. Autographed Suns basketball from a fundraiser where the players served more than 1,000 people in attendance.
2. Photo with Hendon’s daughter, Heather
3. Hendon’s first home, in Detroit, Michigan. The humble home reminds him of where he’s come from. Hendon bought his first carwash and moved to Phoenix in 1984.
4. VCR and DVD player for presentations on big screen
5. Giant flat screen TV on the wall displays TV, DVD, VCR or Hendon’s computer monitor, which includes access to about 30 worker surveillance cameras at each of his 17 carwashes, allowing him to see every carwash without leaving his office. He can also view the surveillance cameras from his Newport Beach house.
6. Worker surveillance cameras at Danny’s Family Car Wash on computer screen. Each morning, Hendon comes in around 5:30 a.m. and browses his stores on screen while his workers arrive.
7. “Easy” button from Staples. “Everyone thinks it’s easy. It always looks easier than it actually is.”
8. Glass water bottle
9. Daily sales numbers from each of Hendon’s 17 carwashes. Hendon has 20 more washes currently planned for construction.
10. Advil
11. Sunglasses
12. Sharpee markers, for quickly modifying carwash blueprints and designs
13. Business cards
14. Photo from Barcelona, the restaurant/club Hendon owns
15. Stress relief ball
16. Calculator
17. Correspondence from Hendon’s recent state land purchase of 325 acres. He plans to develop homes and apartments on the property.
18. Baseball bat from a MLB baseball star who was touring Mario Andretti through Hendon’s carwashes. The two were getting ideas for their own carwash.
19. Breitling gold watch. “It took me 25 years to get this.”
Chris Bianco
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ODD JOBS
A closer look at some of the Valley's more interesting gigs. This month meet Jayson James the stunt man!