By Jim Utter
Director of Journalism
Express Wash Concepts on Wednesday announced it had acquired three ZIPS Car Wash locations in Ohio to fuel the expansion of its Flying Ace Express Car Wash brand.
The move increases EWC’s express wash portfolio to 118 sites across six states across five different brands. Terms of the deal were not released.
The three ZIPS sites that will be integrated are located in Fairfield, Springdale and Cincinnati, Ohio. All three are currently closed for site improvements and rebranding.
EWC says it will invest more than $5 million into these locations to transform the sites and deliver the elevated wash experience that customers have come to expect from EWC and Flying Ace. All three locations are scheduled to celebrate their grand openings on Aug. 1, 2025.
“At our core, EWC will continue to grow through greenfield development; however, as the market evolves, we will seize acquisition opportunities to efficiently expand our brands, better serve our customers, and create new growth opportunities for our team,” John Roush, Founder and CEO of Express Wash Concepts, said in a statement.
“These ZIPS sites presented a unique opportunity, and we’re excited to bring our unmatched operations, cutting-edge equipment and technology, and best-in-class customer experience to even more communities.”
Earlier this month, ZIPS Car Wash announced it had successfully emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy and had appointed a new chief executive officer to lead the restructured operation.
ZIPS, one of the country’s largest privately held car wash operators, voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 protection in early February in hopes of greatly reducing its debt obligations. The company also operates brands Rocket Express Car Wash and Jet Brite Car Wash.
Homegrown and locally operated, Flying Ace Express currently operates 18 express wash locations across Greater Dayton and Richmond, Indiana.
The brand has been repeatedly recognized for its superior wash quality and customer service, earning accolades such as Best of Dayton and Best of Butler County by the Daytona Daily News and No. 1 Car Wash by Dayton.com.
EWC brands feature fast, high quality and environmentally friendly express tunnel wash experiences and free vacuums.
The company says more than 25 new locations are slated to break ground or open by the end of 2025 – including three additional Flying Ace locations.
