The car wash industry has no shortage of big brands expanding rapidly across the United States and globally. But just as compelling are the stories of entrepreneurs who enter the industry with one location and limitless determination. For many of these owners, one site is just the beginning — a proving ground for growth, a way to give back to their community or even a personal calling. While their backgrounds, goals and challenges differ, each of these single-store entrants shows that the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in the car wash world.
CARRYING ON A LEGACY: Dr. Mat Park, Blue Express Car Wash
For Dr. Mat Park, owning a car wash wasn’t part of the plan. A psychologist by training, Park spent 11 years at NASA before tragedy redirected his path. When his father-in-law, James, who founded Blue Express Car Wash in Huntsville, Ala., passed away suddenly in 2021, Park and his brother-in-law stepped in.
“I was born into it, in a way,” Park said. “My dad owned and operated a self-service car wash in Alameda, Calif., called Follow Charlie Car Wash. I grew up collecting coins, restocking vending machines and cleaning pits with a shovel. Honestly, I wanted nothing to do with it.”
After marrying into another car wash family, Park watched his father-in-law run Blue Express with a focus on employees and community partnerships. When construction of a nearby overpass nearly destroyed the business, James kept fighting — even taking out loan after loan to protect his staff.
After his sudden passing, Park faced a choice.
“At first, we didn’t know what we were doing and I still told myself we’d probably sell,” Park said. “But over time, I realized this was an opportunity to carry on his legacy. I left NASA to bet on myself and go all in.”
Today, Park focuses on building strength at a single location while competing against corporate chains that have popped up nearby. “We can’t compete with the private industry funding and versatility like the big corporate washes do, so we do what we do best: We keep it personal and focus on the quality of our relationships and attention to detail on the little things,” Park said. “Our customers know us by name, and we know them by name.”
Park believes establishing and strengthening that personal relationship with every customer is the key to growing the business. “Success starts with people,” he said. “Metrics like volume and memberships improve when employees feel cared for and customers feel valued.”
That investment in people — from sending managers to leadership training to supporting local schools and nonprofits — has built a culture that he believes sets Blue Express apart. “I believe God has a way of turning burdens into blessings and messes into messages,” Park said. “What started as something I wanted to run away from has become one of the greatest gifts of my life.”
FROM FRANCHISEE TO INDEPENDENT: Todd Buckner, Scrubbles Express Wash
Not everyone enters the industry with prior car wash experience. For Todd Buckner, a general contractor at the time, the spark came when his brother-in-law mentioned a local Goo Goo Car Wash might be for sale. Buckner, who ate breakfast across the street from that wash location, began counting cars frequenting the wash and quickly realized the opportunity.
“I reached out to Goo Goo headquarters in Columbus, Ga. It took a lot of cold calls, but after five attempts, I was finally invited for a meeting at their corporate office and the rest is history,”
Buckner said. Buckner opened five Goo Goo locations as a franchisee over the next two years, and credits Goo Goo’s strong leadership and support for his success. When Goo Goo was sold to a new owner, Buckner sold his locations and made the choice to try things on his own with Scrubbles Express Wash. Sixteen months later, he opened the first Scrubbles in Missouri — and just as quickly was able to expand from one to eight sites. “From the franchise world to becoming independent, there is no way I could have launched my own brand without the knowledge and experience Goo Goo provided me,” Buckner said.
Going independent came with new challenges, but also freedoms. “The biggest surprise to me was realizing I could actually do it on my own at scale,” Buckner said. “One moment you go from having all the support in the world with a franchise system, to it being just me and my wife starting from scratch. We put our noses to the grindstone and made it happen.”
This is an excerpt of an article from CAR WASH Magazine.
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