This is a paid piece from Silverstar Car Wash.

Simplified: Jonathan Ekberg credits his background as a handyman, his dedication to hard work and his high-quality training for his fast advancement at Silverstar Car Wash. Here's his story.

Why it matters

• Eckberg, 20, started with Silverstar in December when the company opened its wash on South Minnesota Avenue. Within five months, he was promoted to wash bay lead.
• He said his success is due, in part, to his hard work paying off, but he also gives much credit to the people in the company who trained him in his position.
• And while he loves working hard and learning the ins and outs of the wash equipment, Eckberg said his favorite part of the job is seeing the customers.

"The word 'dedication' means a lot to me," Eckberg said. "I'm only 20 years old, and I've already been growing with this company. I see it as hard work paying off."

Q&A: Meet Jonathan Eckberg

This segment has been edited and shortened for clarity. Answers are all from Eckberg.

What drew you to a job at Silverstar? I'd seen a ton of locations going up, and I'd never worked at a car wash before. One of my buddies had worked there before, too, and said good things.

What has your experience been so far? The crew I've got now, I couldn't be any happier with it. I trained them all from the ground up, and while it's had its ups and downs, but it's really working out for us in the long run.

What's your favorite part of the job? Just getting that customer interaction all the time – and learning. I'm a hands-on learner, so anything mechanical in the building, I've worked on. I used to be a handyman. It's a big key to how I've learned to get to where I am now.

What's something you think customers probably don't know but should? How much actually goes into a car wash. They don't see the mechanical, the chemicals. I've had family members come through the wash and comment on how there's a lot going on – there's even more going on in the background.

What makes you successful? I had a really good team to train me. They took me under their wings and showed me what they're expecting. I also feel like I'm very reliable.

What do you do when you're not working? I'm a big dart guy. I also like to go to the races on Saturdays at the I-90 Speedway.

Learn more about Silverstar

Silverstar has 10 locations – with one more in the works – in Sioux Falls. You can learn more about their unlimited wash program here, and if you're looking to work with folks like Jonathan, find job openings here.