Oxi Fresh of Maricopa gets new owner, stays in family

David Wedel took over ownership of the Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning franchise in Maricopa from his father-in-law, David Knapp, at the end of March.

Oxi Fresh has franchises in 45 states and British Columbia. Wedel has been in the business for six years.

“I like to see instant results,” he said, “that instant gratification when the customer didn’t have any hope for their carpet.”

Sometimes it is a special-case cleaning, but usually his work is regular maintenance for home and office carpets. The franchise must take in a certain number of households, so Wedel’s extensive area includes Maricopa.

“It’s about everywhere from Goodyear to Tempe and south on I-10,” he said.

While his wife Amy home-schools their children (four boys and two girls), Wedel is his only employee to cover that wide territory.

In his first year as franchisee, he wants “to build a strong, repeat clientele and keep busy in Maricopa, so I don’t have to drive so much.”

Though he works out of his Senita home, Wedel said for “Google purposes” he would like to share a storefront with a local business.

Originally from Germany, Wedel came to the United States to attend Bible school. He met Amy, who also comes from a strong religious background, and they married in 1999.
[quote_box_right]David Wedel
Oxi Fresh of Maricopa
From: Germany
Resides: Senita
Family: Wife Amy, six children age 6 months to 15 years
Likes most about Maricopa: The small-town feel and family-friendliness, and it’s close enough to the big city.
Likes least about Maricopa: One road in, one road out[/quote_box_right]
Six years ago, after he lost his government job in North Carolina, they moved to Arizona to be closer to her parents. David and Crystal Knapp are heavily involved in ministry and mission work and live in Mesa.

Family is important for the Wedels, even over long distances.

“Amy and I love to travel,” Wedel said. “Two years ago, we took the family back to Germany for two months. And now my sister is coming here for five days.”

By taking over his father-in-law’s franchise, he is keeping an established business all in the family.

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This story appeared in the April issue of InMaricopa.