Staff Reports
The car wash industry continues to expand and innovate with acquisitions, new openings, and renovations. Here’s a roundup of the latest news from key players in the sector:
Quick Quack Car Wash recently held a grand opening to celebrate its new location in Victoria, Texas. It’s the company’s third in the city and 64th in the state of Texas. Quick Quack has more than 250 locations across Texas, California, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado.
The International Carwash Association (ICA) has entered a partnership with Learner Mobile to deliver an innovative and comprehensive training solution for the car wash industry. This collaboration marks the next iteration of ICA’s successful LEAD Manager Training Program. Learner Mobile’s platform offers a host of advanced features, including the ability to author content using AI, enabling car wash operators to create customized courses and training programs.
Moo Moo Express Car Wash has for the eighth year in a row been named Central Ohio’s best car wash according to voters in the CBUS Top Picks Community Choice Awards program, sponsored by The Columbus Dispatch newspaper. The company currently operates 34 express washes throughout Greater Columbus. Two additional locations (in Columbus and Grove City) will open in early 2025.
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In a 6-1 vote this month, the Bloomfield (Michigan) Township board voted to approve a site plan for a Clean Express Car Wash location in Bloomfield Hills. The company will be one of only a few car washes in Bloomfield Township and fully enclosed, with the vacuums underneath the parking area, satisfying the township’s ordinance requirements. Clean Express has 90 locations across the Midwest.
Road Runner Express Car Wash recently opened in Roanoke, Va., on the site of the former Southern Classic Car Wash, which was destroyed by a landslide in 2021. A retaining wall has been built on the property in hopes of preventing any future damage. The company has three locations in the Roanoke area.
The Southwest Car Wash Association has announced that Michael Dominguez will serve as the organization’s 2025 CEO Forum speaker. Dominguez will help attendees of the SCWA Convention – scheduled Feb. 26-28 in Fort Worth, Texas – gain insights into 2025 market dynamics. As the president and CEO for Associated Luxury Hotels International, Dominguez leads a team of nearly 80 located among 26 offices across North America and Europe.
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Lakewood, Colorado, is considering new limits on the number of gas stations and car washes that could be built in the limits of the city of 156,000 which is a suburb of Denver. The new ordinance would severely restrict the number of new gas stations and car washes, which were singled out for excessive water use and pollution. Any new car wash would have to be located at least a half mile from any existing one. A final vote to approve, amend or table the proposal is expected to be held on Jan. 13.
Washworld, which provides technologically advanced car wash equipment and systems, recently added a new member to its distributor network, Wash Dudes LLC. The company will sell and service Washworld equipment throughout western Colorado. Washworld has a network of around 100 distributors around the world.
An inventor in Ontario, Canada, with a design submitted to the Toronto sales office of InventHelp, has developed a portable washing system for motor vehicles called M B Wash. The patent-pending invention features a portable and user-friendly design that allows vehicle owners to wash a car almost anywhere. Learn more about InventHelp’s Invention Submission Services here.
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The Mister Car Wash in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, has moved into a new location about a block away. The previous site had been in use for more than 25 years. The new location, previously home to a longtime Burger King, features upgraded designs to improve traffic flow and customer convenience. Mister Car Wash, headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, operates more than 500 locations across 21 states.
A new Auto Wash, based in Canandaigua, N.Y., recently opened in Geneseo, bringing to three the number of car washes in the upstate town. At Auto Wash, attendants rinse and soap the hard-to-reach spots on each vehicle before it enters the wash tunnel. The Geneseo location is Auto Wash’s seventh since it opened in 1981. The company also operates a car wash in Batavia, with two more currently under construction, in Penn Yan and Hornell.
A staple of the Fourth Avenue Business District in downtown Birmingham, Alabama – Etheridge Senior Car Wash – recently closed its doors after 31 years. The co-owners said “the evolving economy and challenges in hiring” contributed to the decision to shutter the operation. The car wash was opened in 1993 by Willie T. Etheridge, who also owned five barbershops, beauty salons and a catering company. Etheridge died in 2003.
