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:
A new Tidal Wave Car Wash is on its way to Villa Rica, Georgia, next to the upcoming Chick-fil-A near Mirror Lake. City officials have confirmed that site prep is already underway for the car wash. Originally, a Circle K convenience store was considered for the spot, but those plans didn’t move forward. The car wash is expected to offer the chain’s signature quick and convenient service. No opening date has been announced yet, but construction is expected to begin soon.
National car wash franchise Tommy’s Express Car Wash has broken ground on its first location in Portage, Wisconsin. Located at 2725 New Pinery Road, next to Culver’s, this location is expected to open to the public in mid-2026. The new facility features the Tommy’s Express signature building design and advanced, exclusive car wash technology. Oversized bay windows will offer a view into the wash system as it operates, guiding vehicles along a dual belt conveyor capable of handling a wide variety of vehicles. The service includes soft cloth brushes, tire shine, hot wax, and a powerful underbody flush.
A new Zippy Auto Wash location is under construction in Milan, Michigan. The owners say they have finished the stormwater detention and are now starting to come out of the ground with cement foundations. Corey and Michelle Weaver started Zippy Auto Wash in 2007 with the opening of their location on Ellsworth in Ann Arbor. The Milan location will be their eighth site. Their seventh site, located in Belleville, will open in a few weeks. The Milan location features two freeway entrances. The Weavers are working to expand the number of locations in the Washtenaw County area.
Lockport (New York) City Council members expressed disapproval for a proposal to build a car wash in The Springs at Lockport development. The proposed Mister Carwash would be located on a 1.1-acre plot of land at the corner of 159th Street and Adelmann Road. The car wash would include a 4,874-foot stand-alone, drive-thru wash building, 19 vacuum stations, parking spaces, and separate ingress and egress driveways, as well as landscaping features designed to mitigate noise. While the Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to approve the plan for the car wash, City Council members during their Committee of the Whole meeting Sept. 3 were not as enthusiastic.
Whitefish (Montana) City Council last week voted unanimously to approve a permit for a car wash to be located at 6335 U.S. 93 South, the former site of the Big Mountain Thrift Store. Rocky Mountain Car Wash owner Riley Irwin plans to build a facility with four self-service bays, three automatic wash bays and several self-serve vacuum stations. Irwin said his company is looking into a silenced dryer system and more robust options for water recycling.
Tommy’s Express Car Wash, the fastest-growing car wash brand in the nation, is celebrating the opening of its newest location in Ypsilanti, Michigan, at 5458 Carpenter Rd. Tommy’s Express locations are built using recycled materials and featuring signature floor-to-ceiling windows and a transparent roof. The new state-of-the-art facility in Ypsilanti includes premium amenities, such as complimentary floor mat washers and high-powered vacuum stations.
