Entrepreneur Makes Wiper Blade Changes Easy

CANDLER PARK — Sometimes what ought to be simple, turns out to be more complicated than it needs to be.

For Jay Sandhaus, windshield wipers fall into that category.

So Sandhaus, along with a New York-based friend, launched EZwipers.com, which aims to make it easy buyers to pick the wipers they need for their vehicles and install them.

"We wanted to solve a problem," Sandhaus said. "We're not trying to take over the world but we are trying to solve a problem that should be easy but isn't."

The idea came when he went to purchase replacement wipers for his 1995 Volkswagen Jetta.

Auto parts stores have a plethora of wiper options, but it wasn't as intuitive or easy to pick out the ones designed for his car. Even the clerk assisting him got the wrong blade attachment for one of his wipers.

"I kept having these wiper failures," the Candler Park resident said. "I felt ripped off."

So he and business partner, Andy Bergmann, created EZ Wipers in late 2011.

The concept aims to streamline customers' wiper purchases without too much hassle in the industry, which is pegged at $7.75 billion globally.

With a few clicks online, potential buyers could see what wipers are made for their vehicles.

Keeping the experience of going to auto parts stores in mind where there's so much choice it's confusing or at the dealer where it's expensive, they give customers no more than four options from which to choose.

The wipers — the company, which fulfills the orders in-house and ships in the United States and Canada — come labeled driver and passenger, as well as rear wiper to cut the confusion.

Along with that, they also give customers full-color, step-by-step how-to photo guides regarding installation. Those have proven to be tricky, too, depending upon the style of attachment that goes with the make of the vehicle.

"We want to consistently work on making it easier and easier for people to find, buy and change wiper blades."