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 around the industry:
Sgt. Clean Car Wash is recognizing eight students – with four being an internal team member – with a $1,000 scholarship. The one-time awards will go to qualifying students in Medina, Portage, Cuyahoga, Stark, or Summit County in Ohio and are to be applied toward school tuition and fees in support of vocational trades, business, and or entrepreneurship. Submissions must be completed online at Sgtclean.com/scholarship by April 30. All winners will be notified by May 13 and invited to a group luncheon with Sgt. Clean’s senior executive team for a check presentation.
The Big Rapids (Michigan) planning commission recently recommended the city commission approve a special use permit for a car wash at 1250 Perry Avenue. Local business owner Jerry Bowman requested the special use permit, necessary as the property is zoned C1 and requires a special use permit for any mobile related business. He plans to build conveyor belt car wash on the site. The city commission will now take up the issue next month.
The Russell Touchless Car Wash in Russell, Kentucky, suffered extensive damage from a fire on Feb. 20. No one was injured at the self-service car wash and no one was on the property when the fire was called in around 8:15 p.m. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but owners said there was a kerosene heater at the business used to combat freezing pipes.
Tommy’s Express Car Wash has opened a new location in Madison, Alabama, where customers can receive free car washes through March 2. This location marks the first Tommy’s Express in the first in the state of Alabama. The brand is renowned for its customer-focused service, convenience, and high-quality car washes, which include tunnels with floor-to-ceiling windows and a transparent roof.
Club Car Wash has plans to open a new location near the QuikTrip off I-10 and Fair Oaks Parkway in Boerne, Texas. An official opening date has not been confirmed but the site is expected to be completed by May 2026. The business was founded as Tiger Express Wash in Missouri in 2006 before rebranding as Club Car Wash in 2019. Services at the business include car washes, memberships, vacuums and other car-related cleaning services.
Jack Armstrong, the iconic voice of the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, coach and award-winning broadcaster, will deliver the leadership keynote address at The Convenience U CARWACS Show at the International Centre in Toronto, Canada’s largest and best-attended convenience, gas and car wash event. Armstrong, a high-profile, colorful and entertaining leader, will share his journey and powerful message about building success.
Spark Car Wash plans to open a new location in Tinton Falls, New Jersey, on a site that formerly housed a Burger King and Evolve Fitness Center. Spark plans to construct a 5,900-square-foot car wash, according to plans approved last month by the township planning board. The new site is expected to open in the first half of 2026. Spark, an express car wash with seven current locations and several new ones set to open soon, touts its high-tech car wash tunnel, which uses cameras and scales to adjust the brushes and other equipment to the shape of each car.
A woman was sent to the hospital after she was run over at a car wash by her husband at the Splash Car Wash in Plattsburgh, N.Y., on Wednesday, according to WCAX Channel 3. The couple arrived at the gate of the car wash, the woman got out near the kiosk and her husband accidentally hit the gas, running her over. She was listed in stable condition.
A new Buddy Bear Car Wash location recently opened in Chicago Ridge, Illinois, on a site which recently housed a flower shop and greenhouses. The Chicago Ridge location, across from Holy Sepulchre Cemetery at Austin Avenue, is the latest in Buddy Bear’s expanding chain. The company now has nine locations in Chicago and seven in the suburbs, including Bellwood, Berwyn, Broadview, Calumet City and Maywood.
The city council and planning commission of Gaithersburg, Maryland, will meet in March for a joint public hearing on the proposed development of an Auto Spa Express Car Wash on the site of the former Ziki Japanese Steakhouse. WLR Automotive Group first presented the idea in June 2023 for a 5,106 square-foot car wash facility. The existing car wash located on the adjacent Fields Road site will be discontinued thus resulting in no overall increase in the number of car washes in the area.
A new retro-modern road stop is coming to Atascadero, California, called the Coastal Pit Stop which will feature a gas and electrical vehicle power station, convenience store and car wash. The main building will feature Googie-style architecture and include a 70-foot full-service car wash. Coastal Pit Stop should be open by September.
Tommy’s Express Car Wash has opened a new location in Cadillac, Michigan, where customers can receive free car washes through March 9. The brand is renowned for its customer-focused service, convenience, and high-quality car washes, which include tunnels with floor-to-ceiling windows and a transparent roof. With over 240 franchise locations across North America, Tommy’s Express is ranked No. 1 in the car wash category on the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 list, as well as being recognized on the list of Fastest-Growing Franchises.
Moo Moo Car Wash recently held the grand opening for a new location on Turnberry Court in Grove City, Ohio. The express wash site is offering free car washes to customers through March 9. During the free week of car washes, you can join the Unlimited Wash Club and Moo Moo will donate $10 to its partner Student Success Stores, a volunteer-led group of civic leaders who work to meet the basic needs of students in grades 6-12 from economically disadvantaged communities.
The St. Clair (Ohio) Chief of Police told the St. Clair Township Board of Trustees at a recent public meeting that he is doing what he can to control traffic jams occurring at the new Wash Rite Car Wash in Calcutta, Ohio. Trustees have received numerous complaints about traffic backups when the car wash gets busy. The department is currently posting an officer at the intersection to handle traffic from 3 to 6 p.m. but they have limited manpower. Signs are posted instructing people not to block traffic while waiting to get into the car wash.
New signs have been added on the streets in Ashland, Kentucky, to help with traffic clow issues around the Suds Car Wash. The signs were installed by the Kentucky state highway department. Boyd County Sheriff’s deputies have been monitoring the situation and directing traffic at times near the location to ensure safety. A Kentucky Revised Statute law prohibits stopping or parking in roadways.
Summit Wash Holdings, which operates car wash sites in Florida, Connecticut, New York, Nebraska and Missouri, has hired Josh Stowell as its new regional marketing manager for Florida, focused on Summit’s Waters Car Wash brand. Josh has over 10 years of experience in the sports, entertainment, and hospitality industries. His responsibilities will include overseeing local marketing initiatives, building community relationships, enhancing brand visibility, and supporting sales growth through targeted campaigns.
A groundbreaking ceremony was recently held for a new Steel Point Express in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The facility, which will span over two acres, is set to include a full-service gas station, a modern car wash (Steel Point Express Car Wash), and a drive-through Dunkin’ Donuts. Designs from Bridgeport Landing Development feature 24-hour food service within its 4,200-square-foot facility.
Sud Stop Car Wash recent opened its newest location in Mount Dora, Florida, and is offering a discount on its “Founders Club” membership through the end of March. Through March 31, Founders Club membership is $9.98 per month for the first three months on any of the site’s top three wash plans, a savings of up to $105. This Sud Stop location has a sub-four-minute wash tunnel with multiple cycles for bugs, tires, rain repel, finish protection and rapid drying.
Inclement weather postponed the recent community grand opening at the Bubble Bath Car Wash in Converse, Texas, which was scheduled to celebrate the merger of Quik Trip and the San Antonio, Texas-based car wash company. The Converse Bubble Bath location is part of the first combined site with a QT. The grand opening gala has been rescheduled for March 15 but the car wash has been open since Feb. 23.
Quick Quack Car Wash’s new location in Oakley, California, donated $17,000 to Bertha and Ma. Dolores, two parishioners of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, as part of the site’s recent grand opening this month. The money being donated to them is to help with their bills due to recent hardships they have experienced. “We are excited to expand our Quick Quack service and convenience to Oakley,” said Jason Johnson, CEO of Quick Quack.
Regency RE Investment LLC has purchased five parcels of land in Auburn, Massachusetts, for $2.9 million with plans to locate a car wash facility on the site. The property is the former location of a local seafood restaurant that operated for 67 years before closing in March 2024. Regency is proposing a 4,800-square-foot car wash, which it expects to service about 375 cars per day. The proposal was approved by a 5-0 vote at a recent Auburn Planning Board meeting.
The Big Rapids (Michigan) City Commission recently took up consideration of a resolution to approve a special use permit request from Gen 3 Investments to establish a drive-thru car wash on Perry Avenue. The city’s planning commission recently held a public hearing on the special use request and city staff received no opposition from residents and the commission recommended approval.
General Motors recently unveiled a new reinforcement method to fix roof flex issues in its GMC Canyon, a problem that has been particularly noticeable in automated car washes. Many owners have reported a loud popping noise when the high-pressure air dryers at the end of the wash cycle apply force to the vehicle’s roof. This issue affects 2023-2025 GMC Canyon models that do not have a sunroof and were produced before Feb. 3, 2025. To resolve the issue, GM has developed a structural reinforcement system involving the installation of reinforcement panels and a longitudinal stiffening rib inside the roof.
Tommy’s Express Car Wash is celebrating the grand opening of two new locations this weekend – in Parrish, Florida, and in Grand Blanc, Michigan. The Parrish location will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony today (March 7) and half of all proceeds made on Saturday will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club of Manatee County. The Grand Blanc location had a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday (March 6) and $1 for every car washed today and Saturday will be donated to the London Strong Foundation. With over 240 franchise locations across North America, Tommy’s Express is ranked No. 1 in the car wash category on the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 list.
Indiana-based Crew Carwash has opened its newest location in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, on a site that once housed a Burger King restaurant. The new site is the company’s fifth in Minnesota and has more than 50 across the Midwest. To mark the opening, Crew Carwash is offering free Ultimate Washes for a limited time and will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 17 and host a fundraiser from April 17-19 to benefit PROP Food Shelf.
In a first for the company, Autowash recently opened a new location in Wheat Ridge, Colorado that is exclusively touchless. The state-of-the-art facility uses acid-free soaps and spot-free rinses and has four touchless automatic wash bays as well as self-serve vacuums. Autowash has more than 25 locations around the state of Colorado.
A proposed development could see a new Chick-fil-A, Wawa and Crew Carwash location in the Franklin Township area of Indianapolis, Indiana. In September 2024, a real estate lawyer requested variances from the Board of Zoning Appeals to accommodate the proposed redevelopment by BT Investments to turn the site into four new businesses. The zoning board unanimously voted to approve the variances after the developers agreed to a handful of changes, including the addition of a new direct exit from the drive-thru to the main road.
Tommy’s Express Car Wash has opened a new location in Dayton, Ohio, where customers can receive free car washes through March 16. The brand is renowned for its customer-focused service, convenience, and high-quality car washes, which include tunnels with floor-to-ceiling windows and a transparent roof. With over 240 franchise locations across North America, Tommy’s Express is ranked No. 1 in the car wash category on the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 list.
Big Dan’s Car Wash announced the promotion of Anne Paige Wilson to chief of staff, a position on its executive team. Wilson was the third employee hired by the company in June of 2021. Wilson has served most recently as marketing manager. Prior to Big Dan’s, Wilson served as director of annual giving at Berry College in Rome, Georgia. Big Dan’s, launched in December 2020, has 24 sites with a pipeline in development phases.
Tidal Wave Auto Spa will celebrate the grand opening of its newest location in Early, Texas, with free premium car washes on Wednesday. Any new customer that purchases a Tidal Wave Clean Club unlimited wash membership during the week will receive the first month of unlimited washes for only $9.97. Tidal Wave has 289 express wash locations across the country, with 19 Texas locations.
Links Car Wash has continued its expansion in Florida with the acquisition of a new development property at 4089 S Goldenrod Rd. in Orlando. This marks the Charlotte, N.c.-based company’s third Orlando location. The new site is set to break ground in early 2025. “Bringing a third location to Orlando is an exciting milestone for us,” said Ryan Hanks, founder and CEO of Links. “We look forward to welcoming customers at this new location and continuing to grow our presence in Florida.”
A new Super Star Car Wash location is expected to open in September in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, area on North Tarrant Parkway. The site will offer self-service and full-service detailing and provide complimentary vacuums, mat cleaners, microfiber towels, air blasters and tire inflation hoses. Super Star, which operates in Arizona, California, Colorado and Texas, has more than 20 locations in the DFW area.
Pony Express Car Wash recently opened its newest facility in Rexburg, Idaho. The operators have developed a unique water conservation program that washes vehicles with plenty of water while minimizing the use of fresh water. It’s the sixth Pony Express to open in eastern Idaho. The first Pony Express opened in 2019 in Chubbuck. Since then, they have expanded to Idaho Falls, Ammon, Pocatello, Blackfoot and now Rexburg.
