In this edition of Market Focus, we cover acquisitions, including for Mister Car Wash; an obituary; new hires; a charity event and a new carwash.

Mister Car Wash acquires two express locations in Missouri

TUCSON, Ariz. — Mister Car Wash has expanded its presence in Springfield, Missouri, moving from four locations to six with the acquisition of two Tiger Express Wash locations, according to a press release.

“The Tiger team is a welcomed addition to the Mister Car Wash family. We’re looking forward to bringing the Mister Car Wash experience to their customer base, while providing our Unlimited Wash Club members additional locations,” said Joe Matheny, vice president of operations for Mister Car Wash.

With this latest acquisition, Mister Car Wash now operates 246 carwashes in 21 states, the release stated.

For information about services and career opportunities with Mister Car Wash, please visit www.mistercarwash.com.

Leader of Romanian Detail passes away

BUCHAREST, Romania — Cristian Pop of Expert Detailing in Bucharest, Romania, passed away recently of a massive heart attack, according to a press release.

Pop, considered by many as the “guru” of auto detailing in Romania, has been a leader in bringing professional detailing to the country, the release continued.

Pop has written several books on detailing and conducted detail seminars throughout the country as well as providing private training to many, the release noted.

He was also the exclusive distributor for DETAIL PLUS Car Appearance Systems in Romania and sold several high-tech systems through the country, the release added.

Pop leaves behind a wife and daughter who hope to carry on his company, the release concluded.

VERC Enterprises announces Cheryl Ware as accounting manager

DUXBURY, Mass. — VERC Enterprises, a leading convenience store and Mobil/Gulf gasoline operator with locations throughout Eastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire, is pleased to announce Cheryl Ware of Pembroke, Massachusetts, as accounting manager.

In this role, Ware oversees the company’s cash and treasury management and is responsible for all aspects of financial reporting, the release continued.

Ware began her career in account management 38 years ago with the former Angelo’s Supermarkets, which in 1986 became Tedeschi Food Shops Inc.; she remained with Tedeschi, which was acquired in 2015 by TFS NewCo Acquisition Company for 7-Eleven Inc., until earlier this year, the release added.

Ware received an Associate of Science degree in Business Administration from Massasoit Community College and attended Bridgewater State University for course work in business administration and management, the release noted.

She and her husband Richard live in Pembroke and are devoted to their daughter Rachel and grandchildren Evan and Sydni, the release stated.

Ware is an avid reader, enjoys the beach and is a Boston sports fan, in particular of her beloved Red Sox, the release added.

“It’s a pleasure to welcome Cheryl to the VERC team,” said Barry Ahern, director of operations and human resources at VERC Enterprises. “Her industry experience, professionalism and general commitment to excellence make her the ideal person for this pivotal role.”

Sudsy’s Car Wash exceeds $10,000 fundraising goal for hurricane relief

MURFREESBORO/SPRING HILL, Tenn. — Sudsy’s Car Wash, with locations at 1870 South Church St. in Murfreesboro and 3012 Belshire Village Dr. in Spring Hill, has surpassed its goal of raising $10,000 for Samaritan’s Purse U.S. Disaster Relief, according to a press release.

The campaign, entitled “Flood Texas with Love”, started on Sept. 1st in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, the release continued.

“Little did we know when we started this campaign that our country was about to experience a second catastrophic hurricane,” stated Sudsy’s Owner Troy VanLiere. “Our customers really stepped up helping us raise exactly $12,670. We’re rounding that amount up to $13,000 for Samaritan’s Purse to help in both Texas and Florida in the hardest hit areas of our country.”

Sudsy’s donated $1 from every paid individual premium carwash during the month of September and accepted an additional $3,824 in cash donations, the release noted.

While the goal of $10,000 for the two-location, family-owned carwash was aggressive, the owners, management and employees felt challenged to do something significant to help those whose lives have been shattered by the storm, the release added.

“The generosity of our community is overwhelming,” continued VanLiere. “Each person gave from a different place in their life and for us personally, we are humbled that we had the privilege to help so many in chaos and crisis in the name of Jesus.”

Samaritan’s Purse mobilizes staff and equipment and enlists thousands of volunteers to provide emergency aid to victims of tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, floods and other natural disasters in the U.S., the release concluded.

To learn more, visit www.samaritanspurse.org/disaster.

Blendco adds more talent to its already growing team

BRISTOL, Pa. — Blendco Systems is pleased to announce the addition of Daniel Cook and Mark Perkola as territory account managers, according to a press release.

Cook is from Pennsylvania and has a very strong understanding of business management as well as the carwash industry, the release continued.

Perkola is from Michigan and brings to Blendco 17 years of solid experience in the carwash industry, the release added.

Both Cook and Perkola will focus on new and existing account development in chemical sales in their respective territories, the release stated.

“We are excited that Marc and Dan have accepted our offer to join our company. I am confident they will bring enormous value, while making a strong contribution to our already growing team,” said Brent McCurdy, president of Blendco Systems.

TDR Capital sells International Car Wash Group to Roark Capital

ATLANTA — Roark Capital Group, an Atlanta-based private equity firm focused on multi-unit consumer businesses, announced that its affiliate has closed on the previously announced acquisition of UK-based International Car Wash Group (ICWG) from TDR Capital LLP, according to a press release.

ICWG is the largest carwash operator in the world, washing more than 35 million cars every year through more than 900 locations in 14 countries across Europe, the U.S. and Australia, the release continued.

Founded in Germany in 1965, the company has solidified its position as the international market leader, developing an extensive network of more than 750 carwash locations across Europe and more than 100 carwash locations in the U.S., the release added.

ICWG’s focus on express-service style operations appeals to a broad base of consumers seeking a quick and high-quality wash at an affordable price, the release noted.

“We are excited to partner with Roark, an experienced investor in growing multi-unit businesses, to help us accelerate ICWG’s growth,” said Mike Smith, executive chairman of ICWG.

Bill Derwin, CEO of ICWG, said, “Roark brings a deep understanding of the consumer and an operational expertise that complements our business. We are delighted to be a part of the Roark family.”

Ezra Field, senior managing director and chief investment officer at Roark, said, “ICWG’s quick conveyor carwash model provides high-quality washes at an affordable price point that is attractive to today’s consumers who demand convenience and value.”

Matt Kaelin, managing director at Roark, added, “We are looking forward to working with Mike Smith, Bill Derwin and the rest of the management team to continue to build the business.”

With the acquisition of ICWG, affiliates of Roark have acquired 61 multi-unit brands which combined generate annual system revenues of approximately $25 billion from 28,000 locations in 50 states and 78 countries, the release concluded.

Auto Solutions installs carwash

BERMUDA — According to www.royalgazette.com, Auto Solutions, a car dealership and auto servicing provider, has now installed a smart, clean and green carwash at its location.

The system uses biodegradable soaps, less energy to run and less water, the article continued.

Furthermore, it uses 3-D mapping technology to provide a custom wash for each vehicle, the article noted.

Auto Solutions has always provided a complimentary carwash, but in the past, these washes were done by hand, the article noted.

Glen Smith, managing director, said, “The ability for us to turn around cars when washing them by hand was not as quick as we would have liked. At Auto Solutions, we are always looking to improve, so we looked into the idea of installing an automatic carwash system. Originally, we wanted to install a carwash only to be able to wash the cars that we service in a more efficient manner.”

Smith continued, “However, we soon realized how great this … carwash really is; therefore, we quickly came to the conclusion that we had to open it up for the general public to experience as well. We will also be welcoming our commercial fleet business customers with special rates to wash their complete fleet of vehicles.”

Peter Richold, the company’s new carwash manager, said, “We will have an array of different options for customers to choose from. They can opt for the basic exterior wash package which starts at $35, and from there they can upgrade to our full package which includes additional services such as a high-pressure underbody wash, scrub wash with power dry, wax and spot free rinse, doorjambs cleaning, dashboard clean and polish and a complete vacuum.”