Flagstop Car Wash Announces Leadership Changes, Including New Chief Executive Officer

Flagstop Car Wash (“Flagstop” or the “Company”), the leading express car wash brand in Richmond, Virginia, announced the following promotions across its executive leadership team:

• Spencer Rakes, Chief Executive Officer – Mr. Rakes joined the Company as Chief Operating Officer in April 2024 and has been instrumental in driving Flagstop’s member growth, rolling out the Flagstop mobile app and implementing substantial operating efficiencies. He has over 30 years of experience scaling multi-unit platforms at companies including Pilot, Dollar General and Walmart.
  
  
• Craig Marable, Chief Site Operations Officer – Mr. Marable joined Flagstop over 25 years ago and most recently served as the Company’s Vice President of Operations. He plays an essential role in ensuring site safety, efficiency and team leadership, supporting sustainable growth across the platform and consistently delivering a premium guest experience.
  
  
• Derek Haynes, Chief Facilities and Infrastructure Officer – Mr. Haynes began his career at Flagstop in 2007 and most recently served as the Company’s Vice President of Maintenance and Facilities. His leadership has supported optimization across the organization, while maintaining the highest level of guest experience.
  
  Jamie Nester, who joined Flagstop in 1994 and most recently served as Flagstop’s CEO, has transitioned to the role of Chief Growth and Development Officer, focusing on continuing to grow the Company’s density across the Central Virginia market. Flagstop’s executive team also includes William Kerr, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, who joined the Company in 2023 and has over 13 years of financial and systems implementation experience while scaling consumer-facing businesses.
   

“I am honored to step into this role and to build on the significant momentum our business has achieved, marked by our extraordinary team and the success of our customer-first business model,” said Mr. Rakes. “Over the past year, we have embraced growth, fostered collaboration and improved our guest satisfaction – enhancing our Company’s culture and solidifying our positioning within the market. Having the opportunity to work closely with Jamie, understanding his vision and being a part of the execution has been nothing short of inspiring. Looking ahead, I am eager to continue to collaborate with Jamie and our team to explore new opportunities and expand our footprint in the Greater Virginia market.”

“I am incredibly proud of the business we have built and our standing within the greater Richmond community as a best-in-class car wash provider customers can trust,” said Mr. Nester. “I look forward to continuing to scale the Company into more communities across Central Virginia and beyond, while preserving the culture and quality service that has been key to our success over the past 44 years. We have a number of exciting new sites in the pipeline, and I am confident that we have the right team – and leadership – in place to continue to supercharge our growth.”

The Company’s strong commitment to its employees and culture was recently recognized in the Richmond Times-Dispatch’s ranking of Top Workplaces in the region for 2025. The winners of this award were determined through an employee survey on topics including workplace life, work-life balance, training opportunities and benefits.

Since its founding in 1981, Flagstop has established itself as a leading Virginia-based car wash platform, setting the industry standard for a premium, affordable and enjoyable customer experience. Flagstop offers premium wash and membership services across 24 sites and is on track to reach approximately 30 sites by the end of the year, surpassing its growth target of 25 locations in 2025. Its executive team has over 75 years of combined car wash experience, providing the expertise and network necessary to scale quickly while maintaining the Company’s community and customer-focused foundation.

 

Flagstop’s continued success and expansion is supported by a previous investment from Garnett Station Partners, a New York-based principal investment firm that manages approximately $4 billion of assets. Flagstop has grown its local footprint since this partnership began approximately three years ago, doubling the size of its platform.