HOUSTON — BlueWave Express and ClearWater Express Wash announced in a press release a strategic alliance of their respective portfolios of express carwash locations.
The companies will partner with CarWashKing to form an integrated management team and combine operations to become the largest independent owner, operator and developer of express carwashes in Texas, according to the release.
On a combined basis, the companies currently operate 50 locations and expect to have 65 locations open by the end of 2023 and 100 locations open by the end of 2024 in the Houston, San Antonio, Rio Grande Valley, DFW and Northern California markets.
Bill Poland, owner of BlueWave, will be joined by Terral Hill, co-founder and CEO of ClearWater, and Vinny Carfora, CEO of CarWashKing, in executive management positions overseeing the combined business.
Guests of both companies will benefit from having access to a larger number of membership locations, with the ClearWater facilities and membership benefits migrating to the BlueWave brand and membership network over the coming months.
In addition, management plans to initiate an investment program across existing locations that will include the upgrade of facilities and equipment, the implementation of new amenities and the sharing of best practices among the companies.
Team members will also benefit from more diverse growth opportunities across the combined platform.
“This exciting new partnership will allow BlueWave to grow in a bolder and more ambitious way than we ever could have imagined when we started this journey over 15 years ago,” Poland said.
“BlueWave has consistently been a leader in the industry in delivering the highest quality eco-friendly washes to our guests, and we are excited to welcome Terral, Vinny and their teams as some of the most well-respected operators in the industry to the BlueWave family.”
“CarWashKing’s management operations are renowned throughout the industry for achieving record membership counts, AUVs and margins across our owned and managed sites,” Carfora said.
“We are excited to bring our expertise to help make BlueWave and ClearWater the leading platform in Texas.”
“In only two years, ClearWater has already emerged as a recognized leader in guest experience and wash quality in the Texas carwash market with 10 locations open and more than 20 sites in development,” Hill added.
“By joining one of the largest platforms in the region, our guests will immediately benefit from more membership locations, and we look forward to the opportunity to further enhance the guest experience across all locations.”
The CarWashKing team and Wolfson Partners LLC served as advisors to the companies on the formation of the strategic alliance.
