By Jim Utter
Director of Journalism
It was just over a month ago that Links Car Wash announced several changes and additions to its executive team.
Links, a fast-growing express car wash company and affiliate of Madison Capital Group, in June announced Joe Teague as chief executive officer and that Kelly Bacon had joined the company as chief financial officer. Shortly afterward, Matt Pickelsimer was named the company’s new president.
Car Wash Daily News, in its ongoing Q&A series with car wash operator executives, recently discussed several topics regarding the car wash industry with Pickelsimer.
Today we present the final part of the interview, tackling issues such as Links’ biggest challenges, how the company stands out among its competitors, marketing practices and his optimism regarding Links’ growth strategy.
Q: What is the biggest challenge Links faces right now to remain a growing, profitable company in the industry? Do you see different short-term and long-term challenges ahead?
In the near term, our toughest obstacle isn’t demand – it’s deal flow. We’re hardly the only well‐capitalized operator racing to scale, which means the pool of truly accretive acquisitions and development sites is tightening. Our discipline is to pursue only those tunnels and parcels that fit our trade‐area analytics, can be integrated quickly into our standards, and enhance cash flow on day one. That requires a rigorous pipeline vetting process and the patience to walk away when the real estate, demographics, or multiples don’t align with our long‐range model.
Over the long haul, the challenge shifts from finding the next site to sustaining the habits that make each site outperform. As the sector consolidates, table stakes will be capital, but competitive advantage will be consistency – delivering a friction‐free, world‐class experience to every vehicle, every time, regardless of location or growth velocity. We’re investing now in standardized training, data‐driven maintenance schedules, a scalable tech stack, and a culture that prizes operational excellence, so we can outlast even the best operators.
Q: In an industry with a lot of competition, how do you feel Links Car Wash distinguishes itself from its competitors? Is that harder to do?
Links Car Washes stand out because we put our team members first and let an exceptional customer experience flow naturally from an empowered, well‐trained workforce. Our guiding principle is simple: the guest journey can never exceed the employee experience. We invest heavily in coaching, career paths, and the ‘GOLF’ framework, so every associate feels confident delivering a world‐class wash to every vehicle that rolls onto the lot. At the same time, we maintain an open feedback loop with our customers – listening closely to shifting preferences and adapting quickly, whether that means complimentary towels and interior cleaners today, free compressed‐air stations tomorrow, or the next generation of eco‐friendly chemical blends.
This dual focus on people and responsiveness allows us to evolve faster than competitors chasing the latest gadget or price point. Competition is certainly intensifying as private equity dollars pour in, but by nurturing a values‐driven culture and staying relentlessly attuned to guest needs, we continue to differentiate in ways that are hard to replicate and grow more resilient, not less, as the field gets crowded.
Q: With the ever-evolving media landscape, what changes do you foresee to your marketing and/or advertising practices?
Our marketing playbook is shifting from broad‐reach to on‐demand, data‐driven engagement, mirroring consumers’ expectation that everything — rides, food, entertainment — arrives the moment they tap their phone screens. We’re moving more budget into e‐commerce–enabled channels so guests can purchase a wash or membership in a matter of clicks and have a QR code waiting when they pull in. In the future, I can envision AI‐powered assistants staffing our Welcome Stations where they will greet customers, answer membership questions, and suggest the optimal wash package in real time, blending speed with personalization.
Q: Are you optimistic about your expansion and growth opportunities? Are you focusing more on acquisitions or greenfield development?
A: Absolutely — I’m bullish on our ability to scale. The industry’s fragmentation means many of the private‐equity‐backed platforms that rushed in around 2021 are now ready to exit, offering us a pipeline of acquisition targets that can be folded into the Links system with immediate accretion. At the same time, select trade areas remain under‐served, so we’ll keep pursuing ground‐up builds where the real‐estate fundamentals and traffic counts justify a new flag. In practice, we’re maintaining a balanced “eat and grow” diet: acquisitions give us instant volume and talent, while greenfield developments let us plant the Links brand exactly where demographics and future growth point. That dual strategy positions us to double the network by the close of 2025 while sustaining the operational standards and world‐class guest experience that differentiate us from the pack.
