Ten years ago, John D’Eri had one big hope for his autistic son, Andrew:
“I don’t want him to sit in a room, taken care of by others once I’m gone,” he said back then. “I want him to have a job, I want him to have friends.”
That dream came to life in 2015 with the opening of Rising Tide Car Wash in Florida, a place where Andrew, and others like him, could learn the merits of hard work, earn a paycheck, and grow more independent.
Back then, the family business managed 35 employees. Today? Rising Tide now employs 90 neurodivergent adults across Margate, Parkland, and Coral Springs, with a fourth location opening in Pompano Bay in 2026.
“I like working on the cars because it’s so easy for me,” said employee Ryan Brodie, who works alongside Andrew. “The best thing of having a job is that I make so much money.”
For psychologist and regular customer Michelle Hintz, the success is in the details: “There’s not many meaningful opportunities for individuals who have high-functioning autism, and this is something that they can do and be successful at and feel a part of.” She told CBS there’s a “clear arc of success” in the work, a dirty car, covered in suds, that gradually begins to sparkle and shine.
From the start, John knew what he wanted for his son’s future. A decade later, his vision has been shared by thousands, both on the spectrum and off of it, both in the driver’s seat and out of it. Because, as the last 10 years have shown, a rising tide truly does lift all boats.
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