Hanna-Sherman, which exports car washes and parts to about 90countries, is currently operating out of two facilities inMilwaukie. The company says its five just south of Interstate 84and east of Northeast 181st Avenue was the best possibility forconsolidating all its operations under one roof. Executivesreportedly looked at 50 buildings all over Oregon, but Greshamofficials went out of their way to help the company in an attemptto further diversify its employment base. The new facility willemploy well over 100 people, most of whom will relocate from theexisting plant.

"It's a fabulous upgrade to that site," says Shelly Parini,business assistance manager for the City of Gresham. "Not only hasthe building been sitting empty for several years, but the newtenant is bringing to it a higher-valued use than storingtires."

Portlander Dan Hanna – who came up with his first automaticcar-washing system in the late 1950s and has since patented severalrelated innovations – is no longer the owner of the company. Hannawent bankrupt in 1990 after trying to add a chain of Southern carwashes to his empire. A Dallas investment syndicate picked up thepieces and merged it with New Jersey-based ShermanInternational.