Mel Ohlinger, a Navy veteran and University of Wisconsin Oshkosh alumna, is the owner, CEO, and founder of OhmCo, an international car wash marketing agency based in Wisconsin. With a background in Communications and Cryptology as a CTR/Morse Code Specialist, Mel has worked as a Design Director and Web Designer across the automotive, children's apparel, and car wash industries, while also managing digital security for various sectors. Her journey into the car wash world began through dealerships, where she quickly fell in love with the industry. At Washworld, Inc., she gained hands-on experience with in-bay automatics, sparking her passion for all things car wash—from equipment and products to installation, distribution, and chemicals. As her designs began to appear globally, her enthusiasm for the industry only grew.

After the birth of her second child, Mel started doing design work from home, never expecting it to turn into a thriving business. Yet, OhmCo quickly grew into a full-fledged company, and in 2022, her husband joined her full-time to further expand their services. Today, OhmCo remains an independent, family-owned business focused on building long-term relationships with clients, and their culture is centered on learning, growth, problem-solving, and delivering visually striking, effective solutions. Mel, a mother of two and accomplished painter, has spoken at the 2024 Carwash Show about AI Technology in Carwash Marketing and Design, represented the industry at the White House Small Business Forum, and helped pass paid family leave in Minnesota. She and her team are passionate about helping car wash operators build the brands of their dreams and are excited to be part of their journey.

Mike Ohlinger is the Director of Operations and Organizational Development (DOOD) at OhmCo. Known for his love of well-fitting acronyms, Mike brings a background in technical writing and documentation for the water treatment industry, creating everything from user manuals to price books. This skillset made for a natural transition into the car wash sector when he joined OhmCo full-time in June 2022 to work alongside his wife, Mel.

Running a business in such a dynamic industry was something Mike never anticipated, but it has been an incredibly rewarding experience. He finds great satisfaction in being able to steer the company’s direction and seeing tangible results for their clients. Mike is excited about the future as OhmCo continues to grow and expand.

One of the highlights of Mike’s role has been working directly with manufacturers in the car wash industry. A personal goal of his is to expand OhmCo’s involvement in creating clear and engaging user documentation that simplifies installation, repair, and service processes in the field.

If you haven’t had the chance to meet Mike yet, he looks forward to connecting. And if you’re ever interested in a chat beyond car washes—like the fascinating advancements in hardware synthesizers over the past decade—he’s always up for a conversation!