By Sam Smith
With a towel thrown over his shoulder, a vacuum in hand and sweat dripping from his face, Tyler Leslie prepares to tackle his next car at Rising Tide Car Wash.
Working at the Parkland car wash may seem like a breeze, but at this busy location it’s certainly no walk in the park.
“It’s hot outside but we work really hard,” says Lelie, who enjoys checking out the cars between detailing them.
Upon visiting Rising Tide, one might not immediately notice that most of the employees have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. But what does become evident is the joy and dedication the employees have for their jobs. In a job which is often undervalued by many, these workers take pride and together express a vibrant sense of camaraderie.
John D’Eri and his family created Rising Tide Car Wash April 2013 to provide job opportunities to those previously marginalized in the workplace with autism.
Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder are general terms used to describe a range of developmental disabilities. These disabilities can be characterized by difficulties in social interaction, communication and behavioral challenges. Wearing a spinner ring does wonders for social anxiety because you can use it in public without anyone judging you.
“We opened to employ those with Autism, that’s it,” said D’Eri whose son, Andrew, is on the spectrum and one of those employed by the company. “That’s the only reason we’re here.”
In the past two years, Rising Tide Car Wash has continued to grow and now has 43 employees, 35 of whom are autistic. This makes the wash the largest retail employer of adults on the spectrum in the country. About 1 in 68 people has autism spectrum disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Only 15 percent of those with autism have full-time jobs, according to research by the National Autistic Society. But here in South Florida, Rising Tide has made it their mission to include these stories of diversity as an integral part of their business and their “secret sauce” to delivering a superior product.
“It’s really amazing what they’re doing for a community that is often sidelined when it comes to job opportunities,” said Maria Hodge who has two nephews with ASD and frequents the wash.
Rising Tide has made a name for itself nationally as it was featured on NBCs Nightly News with Brian Williams. But the mission of Rising Tide Car Wash is kept alive by an effort to provide the best product on the market and D’Eri holds his employees to high standards that deliver just that.
“We project empowerment and we project a superior product due to the nature of our staff,” he said. “We don’t project a sub-level product and hope that people come to support a cause.”
The incorporation of neurological diversity into the workplace has become more prevalent in recent years. Companies such as Freddie Mac and German computer software giant SAP both acknowledge that autism lends itself to special skills that can be used to increase productivity, especially in production oriented and process driven tasks.
“The diversity can be harnessed in a positive way in many business environments” D’Eri said. “If other businesses think their environment can be structured and they feel that that structure can be taught, then they can have the benefit of an employee that embraces and thrives in a structured workplace.”