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:
NASCAR Car Wash, an official licensee of America’s premier motorsport, will celebrate the grand opening of its newest location in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on Saturday (May 17) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event features free food, giveaways, and a chance to win a free annual wash club membership. The NASCAR Car Wash in Rock Hill offers an advanced express wash system that prioritizes both convenience and quality, utilizing a state-of-the-art dual belt conveyor system. Amenities include vacuum stations, air guns, towels, glass cleaner, mat cleaning equipment and a pre-treat “Pit Stop” area with free tire air and windshield washer fluid.
Hoffman Car Wash invites the community to help fight hunger during its 14th annual Spring Food Drive. On Saturday and Sunday (May 17-18), customers who donate a non-perishable food item at any exterior or full-service Hoffman location will receive a free Ultimate Car Wash as a thank you. This year, donations will support 21 regional food pantries across upstate New York and southern Vermont, which will provide much-needed supplies to families and individuals facing hunger.
Tommy’s Express Car Wash is celebrating the grand opening of its newest location in Dayton, Ohio, at 4476 Brandt Pike. The site will donate a portion of all proceeds made today (May 16), to the Girl Scouts, Peace and Tranquility Lake Corp., and Miss Teen Dayton Mackenzie Gibson. Free washes will be available from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Guests can also enter giveaways for Dayton Dragons baseball tickets and enjoy food and beverages outside the vacuum area.
A new Heroes Car Wash is expected to open this fall in Cornelius, North Carolina, on the site of the former Carolina Auto Springs on West Catawba Avenue. The facility will include state-of-the-art car wash equipment, as well as 28 customer vacuum and amenities stations. Heroes Car Wash was founded in 2018 and currently has locations in Cary, Asheville, Salisbury and Wilson – all in North Carolina. A second location in Cary is also expected to open soon.
Tommy’s Express Car Wash is celebrating the grand opening of three new locations – in Visalia, California; Norfolk, Virginia; 4922 S. 202nd Ave. in Omaha, Nebraska. These are the company’s first sites in Visalia and Norfolk and fourth in Omaha. Guests visiting any of the three new sites will receive free car washes through Sunday (May 25). With nearly 250 locations across North America, Tommy’s Express is ranked No. 1 in the car wash category on the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 list.
The Brooksville (Florida) City Council recently unanimously approved the first reading of a measure to limit future growth of car washes, marijuana dispensaries and storage facilities in the city located north of Tampa. Applications for such businesses already in process can move forward. The second and final reading is scheduled for Monday (May 19).
Akron, Ohio-based chemical provider Qual Chem has added Matt Unger to its sales team in Boston, Massachusetts. Unger brings extensive experience in water treatment, holds a license in wastewater operations and also has over 15 years of car wash industry experience. Unger currently sits on the New England Car Wash Association’s board as Car Wash Supplier Vice President. Unger will focus on supporting New England Qual Chem car wash partners and the national distributor network.
A former IHOP restaurant location could become a new Club Car Wash location in Overland Park, Kansas, if the Overland Park Planning Commission gives its approval. The plan for the new site calls for a roughly 5,000-square-foot car wash with 21 vacuum bays. It would be the fifth car wash facility in Johnson County. Club Car Wash offers multiple tiers of memberships, offering unlimited monthly washes (beginning at $22 monthly. Customers can also opt for single washes (begin at $10).
The City Council of Mentor, Ohio, will hold a public hearing on today (May 20) in the Mentor Municipal Center to discuss an application for a conditional use permit to allow a new Clean Express Auto Wash location at 9361 Mentor Ave. The permit has been submitted by Express Wash Concepts and Boston Market Real Estate Company. Clean Express currently has more than 32 locations across the areas of Cleveland, Toledo, Detroit and Pittsburgh.
WashU Car Wash recently announced the opening of its newest location at 311 E. Loop Dr. in Wheaton, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. This location marks the company’s 11th location in the Chicagoland area and 13th site incorporated into the WashU brand. This new location offers a combined approach to exterior and interior auto cleaning with state-of-the-art tunnel experience and numerous free amenities, including vacuums, mat cleaners, compressed air, towels and cleaning spray. To celebrate the grand opening, WashU’s Founder’s Club Unlimited Wash Plan costs one cent for the first month of membership.
Akron, Ohio-based chemical provider Qual Chem has added Matt Unger to its sales team in Boston, Massachusetts. Unger brings extensive experience in water treatment, holds a license in wastewater operations and has over 15 years of car wash industry experience. Unger currently sits on the New England Car Wash Association’s board as Car Wash Supplier Vice President. Unger will focus on supporting New England Qual Chem car wash partners and the national distributor network.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana recently received $10,000 from Mike’s Carwash following a successful “Get a Wash, Give a Future” fundraiser. On April 26, Mike’s Carwash locations around Fort Wayne, Indiana, donated half of the proceeds earned from their Ultimate and Ultimate+Ceramic washes to BBBS for the 16th annual campaign.
