This week, we cover acquisitions, including that of Magnolia Wash Holdings’; a marketing campaign; and a grand opening.

Magnolia Wash Holdings completes the acquisition of Oasis Express

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Express Wash Operations LLC, d.b.a Magnolia Wash Holdings, an express conveyor carwash operator, successfully completed the acquisition of Oasis Express Wash and Extreme Car Wash together (“Oasis”) on Dec. 28th, 2020, according to a press release.

Oasis operates 10 express conveyor carwash locations across the Florida and Georgia state line, including multiple locations in the metro Tallahassee, Florida, market.

The acquisition of Oasis brings Magnolia to 17 active locations across the southeast, with seven locations in Florida, seven in Georgia and three in North Carolina.

Magnolia operates multiple brands across its local markets, and the company is currently developing seven additional sites within its footprint. 

Magnolia was founded by Frank Bennett and Brooks Moye in 2014.

“We are proud to have met the objectives of Zeev Josman and the Oasis team and are excited to welcome our new teammates to the Magnolia family,” stated Frank Bennett, co-founder of Magnolia. “The addition of Oasis to the platform expands our presence in north Florida and south Georgia and builds on our existing market position in metro Jacksonville and Atlanta.”

“After several decades in the carwash industry, I have recently reached a transition point in my career. My partners and I sought out an acquisition partner for Oasis that would honor the legacy we have built,” said Zeev Josman, an Oasis shareholder. “As I have gotten to know Frank and Brooks over the past several years, their high personal character, operational excellence and commitment to their employees made Magnolia an easy choice to be the next stewards of Oasis.”

“We continue to seek out growth and acquisition opportunities like Oasis as well as greenfield developments within our region,” commented Brooks Moye, co-founder of Magnolia. “We believe our commitment to customer service, a premium consumer experience and our employees will continue to make Magnolia an attractive acquisition partner for other operators in the market.”

Magnolia Wash Holdings is actively pursuing acquisition and development opportunities in both existing and new markets across the Southeast.

Standard Change-Makers under new management in 2021

INDIANAPOLIS — Standard Change-Makers Inc., a manufacturer of currency change machines and carwash entry systems, has announced that RKU Standard Inc., under the direction of Rob and Kathleen Unterborn, has purchased Standard Change-Makers Inc. from the McNutt family, effective Feb. 1, 2021, according to a press release.

Standard Change-Makers has been owned by the McNutt family since its founding in 1955 by James R. McNutt Sr.

In 1992, Jim McNutt Jr., who has served in various capacities since 1977, took over as president/CEO of the company.

The new owner, Rob Unterborn,has served as Standard’s vice president/chief financial officer since 2016 and became chief operating officer in 2018.

“It was very important to us that the company be run by an ownership group with a family focus and not be sold to corporate interests. The new ownership should be people that believed in the products and wanted to continue to build on the foundations that we have always worked hard to maintain. I’m excited for Standard that Rob and Kathleen have that kind of focus and that the company will be in good hands,” stated McNutt Jr., who will continue to assist in the operation by serving as chairman of the board of the new company that will continue to operate as Standard Change-Makers Inc.

“We said from the start that the only way we would move forward is if Jim, Sandy and Rob McNutt would continue to be part of our Standard team. Their experience and knowledge of the industries we serve and the day-to-day operations are an important part of who and what we are as a company. We have a great core team in place, and we want to continue to build the best products in the industry,” said Unterborn.

All current management and team members will continue to serve in their present capacities; the regional sales team will continue with Dan Wagner leading efforts in the Eastern U.S., Tom Kozlik in the Western U.S. and Paul Thompson in Canada.

ISTOBAL acquires Pacific Pride Carwash Co. Inc.

BRISTOL, Va. — ISTOBAL has acquired its distributor in Southern California, Pacific Pride Carwash Co. Inc., strengthening its presence in North America, according to a press release.

This acquisition represents the first of the strategic growth plan envisioned by ISTOBAL for the coming years with the aim of continuing to increase its sales in the countries in which it is present and consolidating its international leadership. 

Thanks to the strategic location of Pacific Pride Carwash Co. Inc., this operation boosts ISTOBAL in California and enables the opening of new market niches with great potential in the Pacific region of the U.S.

Pacific Pride Carwash Co. Inc. is one of the main ISTOBAL distributors in the U.S. market.

A leader in Southern California and with more than 20 years of experience in the sector, it is an approved supplier to the U.S. Armed Forces and has a large ISTOBAL customer base.

After the acquisition of this company founded by Ed Staley and Lanai Staley, Pacific Pride Carwash Co. Inc. is now integrated into the American subsidiary ISTOBAL USA.

“We are excited to have Pacific Pride join ISTOBAL USA. It is the next step in growing our worldwide company. Other acquisitions are underway,” stated ISTOBAL USA CEO, Jimmy Sisk.

Ed Staley added, “We at Pacific Pride Carwash Co. Inc. are excited about joining the global ISTOBAL team. We felt that the timing was right to team with an excellent organization to take this market to a new level.”

Currently, the U.S. is one of the largest export markets for ISTOBAL and represents one of the areas with the greatest growth potential for the group, along with China, Germany and Poland.

With a staff of more than 900 professionals; nine subsidiaries (Spain, Portugal, Italy, U.K., Austria, Denmark, Sweden, U.S. and Brazil); and three manufacturing and final assembly plants in Spain, the U.S. and Brazil, together with a wide network of distributors, ISTOBAL exports to more than 75 countries across five continents, and 70% of its production corresponds to international sales.

Soapy Joe’s puts on ‘Propose at Soapy Joe’s’ event

SAN DIEGO— Soapy Joe’s, known for fun events like the carwash karaoke competition and the Guinness World Record-holding World’s Largest Air Freshener, announced that it is reprising its award-winning Tunnel of Loveevent with a pandemic-friendly spin, according to a press release.

This year, the company is inviting couples to “Propose at Soapy Joe’s,” share and win big.

“It was incredibly rewarding to bring together 10 couples to wed last year at our Imperial Beach location,” said Anne Mauler, vice president of marketing for Soapy Joe’s. “We know COVID-19 has derailed a lot of wedding plans — one survey even reported that 63% of engaged couples put off their wedding in 2020 —and it’s likely that many more delayed engagement. But we think nothing should stand in the way of true love, so we’re encouraging everyone who’s in love to come to Soapy Joe’s and ‘drive-thru on their way to I-do.’ Plus, they could win wedding rings from San Diego’s own Honey Jewelry Co. and $10,000. Not a bad way to start an engagement.”

• What: 2021 Tunnel of Love: Propose at Soapy Joe’s
• Where: Any Soapy Joe’s carwash location
• When:
  • Videos will be accepted Feb. 14-28.
  • Voting will go from March 2-8 at 11:59 p.m. PST.
  • The winning couple will be announced on March 10th.
• How (to participate): Visit any Soapy Joe’s location, record your proposal from inside the carwash “Tunnel of Love.” Then, share on Instagram tagging @soapyjoes and @honeyjewelryco, and submit your video to Soapy Joe’s at www.soapyjoescarwash.com/tunnel-of-love.
• How (much): No purchase necessary
• What else? Be sure to flash your signature Soapy Joe’s air freshener on camera to qualify.

All participating couples who share qualifying proposals at the Soapy Joe’s website will receive a year of free washes.

One lucky couple, as voted by fans through Soapy Joe’s dedicated web page, will win wedding rings from San Diego-based Honey Jewelry Co. valued at $3,500 plus $10,000 cash.

“Sharing your engagement story is a time-honored tradition, and we’re ‘bubbling up the ante’ by creating a unique experience that is the perfect backdrop for couples to express their individualism and love,” said Mauler. “We’re eager to see how San Diego’s fun-loving couples express themselves starting on Valentine’s Day.”

For more information, please visit www.soapyjoescarwash.com/tunnel-of-love or follow the story on social media.

Legacy Express Wash opens

COLUMBUS, Neb. — According to www.newschannelnebraska.com, Aaron Luneke, co-founder of Legacy Express Wash, sought to bring something he thought was lacking in the area’s carwashes: speed.

“You’re talking a multi-million dollar investment in the city of Columbus,” said Luneke. “Most people would say, ‘You’re out of your mind. That’s crazy.’ And I would agree with that.”

However, Luneke’s delivering on that need for speed with state-of-the-art machinery, the article noted.

However, he also noted that there’s still room to improve the efficiency of getting the city’s cars clean as quickly as possible.

The carwash was designed with an open-air and light concept to keep it inviting for patrons.

In addition, Luneke said that a large part of the team effort is holding everyone accountable while also giving employees the motivation to learn, adapt and succeed.

“You have to be able to do everything that you’re asking them to do at the level you’re asking them to do it,” Luneke said. “You can’t lead from the back.”

According to Luneke, it was his mentorship with one of the best in the carwash industry that piqued his interest in car cleaning services.

“I encourage anyone to look at it because it’s kind of fun. It’s kind of neat. But the real thing that got me on this was the servant side of what it takes to run a business,” Luneke said.

Legacy Express Wash held its grand opening on Jan. 16th, offering its premium wash package for free.