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:
Construction is nearing completion on a new Golden Nozzle Car Wash location in Leominster, Massachusetts, with the final landscaping installation work being done by Perrone Landscaping Inc. Golden Nozzle was founded in the 1970s in Springfield, Mass., and has more than 60 locations across five states – Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Golden Nozzle has another location coming soon in Webster, Mass.
Sonny’s Car Wash College recently unveiled a new web site that features several new upgrades to help strengthen and equip car wash teams with resources in a central location. Among the new features include a streamlined site login (which provides faster access to courses, tools and training materials); more training resources (including the latest how-to maintenance video and guides); enhanced search filters (smarter ways to search for the right classes); and discounts and special offers on the special offers page.
Last week, the Audubon (New Jersey) Joint Land and Use Board reviewed an application for a corner property at 755 S. White Horse Pike, which has remained vacant since 2023. The application is for plans to put a new flex car wash called Flagship Carwash at the location. The site most recently houses an AT&T store. Flagship, one of several brands owned by Spotless Brands, has more than 40 locations in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC.
At least two dozen car washes in the Los Angeles and Orange County, California, areas have been the sites of immigration sweeps this month, according to CLEAN Carwash Worker Center, a labor advocacy nonprofit. According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, some of the targeted car washes have remained open while others have lost enough workers – either because they were detained by immigration officials or because they’re staying home, fearing future raids – that they have been forced to shut down. Several of the car washes that are open report their business has dropped off as well following the raids.
A car wash and laundromat in Wilkes-Barre Township has been condemned due to unsanitary conditions. A letter from a Zoning and Code Enforcement Officer address to the owner of Blackman Street Car Wash and posted at the location says the property “is not being maintained properly.” In addition, the letter says, “There are rotting bags of garbage and rubbish scattered throughout the property. At this point the property is unsafe due to the unsanitary condition it is in.” The car wash cannot reopen until the trash is removed and an inspection is completed.
D&S Car Wash Supply, a leading manufacturer of all-welded stainless steel car wash systems, recently announced the promotion of Michael Wagner to Chief Revenue Officer. In the new role, Wagner will oversee sales and marketing across both D&S Car Wash Supply and WashCard Systems, aligning the teams to work smarter and faster on behalf of customers. That includes a more unified sales experience, better coordination between equipment and payment technology and streamlined communication from initial consultation to grand opening.
Sud’s Factory Car Wash recently celebrated the grand opening of its third site, located at 607 Bustleton Pike in Feasterville, Pennsylvania. The company has two other sites, both in Philadelphia, at 7885 Oxford Ave. and 7930 Roosevelt Blvd. Sud’s offers four different wash packages, beginning at $12.99 for a basic wash up to $24.99 for “Suds Ceramic.” It also offers unlimited memberships ranging from $21.99 to $39.99 per month.
The site of a former restaurant in Butler Township, Ohio, could be transformed soon into a car wash. The township’s Board of Trustees has scheduled a public hearing this week on a proposed plan to create a Flying Ace Car Wash at 3311 Benchwood Rd. The property is the former location of a Frisch’s Big Boy, which closed in December 2024. Flying Ace is one of five express car wash brands owned by Express Wash Concepts, which has nearly 120 sites across six states.
A new car wash is set to open on a long-time vacant lot in Fayetteville, New York. The fenced-in site which is located at the intersection of Highbridge and East Genessee streets, will be the home of a new Splash Car Wash. A development project for the area fell through in 2019 and the car was option was first brought up in 2022. The current automated, indoor car wash site is approximately 5,500 square feet. Splash has more than 35 locations in New York State.
