Gotch & Company Inc. expands with detailing service

For Gregg Gotschall, the new detailing service at Gotch & Company Inc. isn’t a replacement for his longtime business, it’s an extension of it.

The Carroll County-based company, known for its landscaping, lawn care and snow removal services, has added professional vehicle detailing over the past year and a half as a way to diversify operations while continuing its core work.

“This is just another sideline that we offer,” Gotschall said. “I’m not giving up the landscaping and snow plowing by any means.”

Gotschall said the idea grew naturally out of both necessity and experience.

With the seasonal nature of landscaping and snow removal, where work depends heavily on weather, he began looking for ways to better utilize his facility year-round.

“In this line of work, it’s never 365,” he said. “You have days of snow and days of no snow, days of rain and days of no rain. So I’ve always thought, how can I diversify into something without going head deep financially?”

The answer, he said, had been in front of him for years.

Gotschall traces his attention to detail back to his early days working at Deluxe Body Shop, where vehicles were expected to leave in showroom condition.

“That stuck with me,” he said. “First impressions and image is everything.”

That mindset carried over into his landscaping business, where he made it a priority to keep company trucks clean and well-maintained, something customers quickly noticed.

“They always want to know how we keep our trucks so clean,” Gotschall said. “It’s been a pride thing.”

That pride has now become a service.

Gotch & Company’s detailing operation offers interior and exterior detailing, polishing, paint correction and ceramic coating, along with window tinting. The business has also expanded into detailing motorcycles, semi trucks, motor coaches and even aircraft.

“We’ve done everything from small cars to semis,” Gotschall said. “We’re even set up to do aviation and marine work.”

The detailing side officially began about a year and a half ago after a local dealership sought help getting vehicles back to showroom condition. From there, word of mouth helped the service grow.

“It just took off from there,” he said.

Gotschall said the success of the detailing service comes from a combination of experience and newer techniques, including updated products and methods that improve efficiency and results.

“Old school met new school,” he said.

He said employee Kim Cowling plays a key role in that approach, bringing knowledge of newer products, techniques and technology to the detailing side of the business.

“She’s all about the latest and the greatest,” Gotschall said.

The business has received training through Professional Detail Products in Canton to stay current on techniques such as ceramic coatings, window tinting and specialized treatments.

Ceramic coating, Gotschall explained, is applied after a full detail and paint correction, sealing and protecting the finish.

“That’s the icing on the cake,” he said. “You’re basically sealing that shine in.”

Services are priced based on each job, depending on the condition of the vehicle and the level of work required.

“Every job is different,” Gotschall said. “We have to see what we’re getting first.”

While the detailing business continues to grow, Gotschall said it works alongside, not in place of, the company’s established services.

“This gives us something we can do year-round,” he said. “When the trucks aren’t going out because there’s no snow or no rain, we can still be productive.”

At the same time, the company continues to operate its landscaping and snow removal services as it has for decades.

Founded in 1984, Gotch & Company has built a reputation throughout the area, with Gotschall’s children, Jennifer and Andrew, also working in the business over the years.

“We’re still doing what we’ve always done,” he said. “This just adds to it.”

Customers can schedule detailing services by calling 330-627-7949.