By Kevin Deutsch
Rising Tide Car Wash, the pioneering business that employs mostly autistic workers, will open a new location in Coral Springs July 7.
The facility is the company’s third, joining its locations in Parkland and Margate. The new car wash has already created 25 new jobs for people in the community with autism.
Father and son co-founders John and Tom D’Eri created the car wash chain to “develop a scalable solution to employing individuals with autism,” according to a press release announcing the Coral Springs location.
The duo was inspired by watching John’s son and Tom’s brother Andrew, a vibrant young man with autism, struggle to find his place in the world.
“We are pleased to continue to grow throughout South Florida and provide employment opportunities for persons with autism,” said John D’Eri, the company’s CEO. “Our third location is intended to be 100 percent neurodivergent…We will offer young adults with autism the opportunity to realize their capabilities, gain confidence, attain financial independence, and make friends, all while providing a top-notch car wash experience to the community.”
According to the company, its Coral Springs location is the first for-profit business ever operated entirely by workers with autism and related neurodivergences.
The car wash is located on a one-acre lot at 10340 Royal Palm Boulevard and will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The custom-built facility features state-of-the-art equipment and offers two drive-thru lanes and 17 free, self-service vacuum stations.
Rising Tide Car Wash’s newest location in Coral Springs {Photo by Brian Soko}
Services range in price from $8 to $25.
Rising Tide Car Wash is one of the largest employers of people with autism in the U.S. Its Parkland and Margate locations employ 80 people with autism, in addition to the 25 autistic workers in Coral Springs.
Eighty percent of the chain’s workforce is autistic, and Rising Tide has hired over 170 individuals with autism to date.
The unemployment rate for Americans with autism is believed to be around 85 percent.
Rising Tide’s other locations are 7201 N. State Rd 7, Parkland, and 2970 N. State Rd 7, Margate.
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Author Profile
- Kevin Deutsch is an award-winning crime journalist and author. A graduate of Florida International University, Kevin has worked on staff at The Miami Herald, New York Daily News, and The Palm Beach Post.
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