Behind The Business

Send us Fan Mail In part three of the series, Chris Jenks, CFA dives deep into the crucial car wash metrics that drive premium valuations. Explore how private equity dynamics, historical tax legislation, and strategic real estate approaches are shaping the M&A landscape for the car wash industry.   Learn why now is a critical time for operators to understand their business's true value an...

Send us Fan Mail Unlock the secrets to achieving premium valuations for your car wash business in this deep dive! Chris Jenks, CFA details the essential KPIs and metrics that sophisticated buyers scrutinize. Learn how optimizing customer lifetime value, managing acquisition costs, boosting labor efficiency, and leveraging strategic trade area insights can dramatically increase your enterprise valu...

Send us Fan Mail Discover what truly drives car wash business valuations beyond simple multiples in this deep dive with Chris Jenks, CFA. The car wash industry's M&A market has evolved, demanding more sophisticated analysis than ever before. Learn why factors like recurring revenue, customer retention, and operational efficiency are paramount for achieving premium valuations and how a dis...

Send us Fan Mail Are you wondering if the window for a high-value car wash exit is closing? Jeff Pavone breaks down why current market multiples represent a pinnacle for valuations and why waiting for a better deal might actually lead to a lower payout. We dive into the aggressive expansion strategies of national car wash chains and how their scale impacts local operators. You'll also learn w...

Send us Fan Mail The car wash industry has seen a massive shift over the last half-decade as consolidation reshapes how businesses operate and sell. In this episode, we dive into the history of these market changes and what they mean for the future of the sector. Understanding the dynamic growth of the past five years is essential for any owner or investor looking to stay competitive. We explore t...

Send us Fan Mail Preparing your business for sale is a strategic endeavor that can significantly impact your transaction's success. In this insightful episode, hosts Chris Jenks and Jeff Pavone of Amplifi Capital Group offer an in-depth guide to getting your business ready 12 months out from a potential sale. From meticulous financial cleanup and operational optimization to crucial legal cons...

Send us Fan Mail What really tanks car wash M&A deals after the LOI? Behind The Business hosts Chris Jenks and Jeff Pavone break down the biggest post-LOI pitfalls—from quality of earnings gaps and messy corporate allocations to over-optimistic projections that don’t survive KPI tracking. They explore real estate red flags like environmentals, lease assignments, estoppels, and encroachment ris...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we break down what good looks like in the car wash industry—capital partners, exit timing, operational discipline, and the fast-evolving role of technology. You’ll learn how family offices differ from private equity, why their long-term horizon can fit capital- and operations-intensive businesses, and how to decide whether to sell now or hold. We explore who wins...

Send us Fan Mail Explore the nuanced world of car wash multiples with hosts Chris Jenks and Jeff Pavone on Behind The Business. This episode provides an essential guide for car wash owners and investors, dissecting what truly drives valuation in today's dynamic market. Learn about the shift towards disciplined buying, the impact of market saturation, and the critical role of KPIs in maximizin...

Send us Fan Mail Listen to the latest podcast where Jeff Pavone and Chris Jenks, CFA discuss what's driving today's car wash M&A. They break down insights from The Car Wash Show and explore what’s really driving value in today’s market. Wondering if now’s the time to sell your car wash? For the past 5 years, we’ve led the way in car wash M&A — but what truly sets us apart is our...

Send us Fan Mail What are the trends and themes of the car wash industry as we look toward 2024? What has 2023 shown us about the current market and landscape for car wash owners? As we wrap up our 2023 episodes, we're taking a reflective glance at the insightful discussions that have shaped this year's narrative in the car wash industry. Your host Lanese Barnett reflects on several key...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Car Wash M&A, host Lanese Barnett chats candidly with Matt DeWolf, chief marketing officer of the International Carwash Association and host of CAR WASH, the podcast, before a re-broadcast of an interview Matt had recently with Amplify Founding Partner Jeff Pavone. Jeff, who now proudly bears the honor of ‘most featured guest’ on Matt’s show, reviewed notabl...

Send us Fan Mail Do you know how your customer really feels about your business? What keeps them loyal to your brand? Or what’s contributing to membership churn? As the car wash space continues to experience a tech boom, it’s important for car wash operators to know what resources are available and identify the specific technology solutions providers that might be a right fit for their business to...

Send us Fan Mail Here at Car Wash M&A, The Podcast, we're taking a short break for summer. Until our next episode in August, we want to remind you that you can find all of our episodes wherever you like to listen to podcasts, or you can listen at amplifywash.com/podcast .   As Lanese shares in today's recording, we want to leave you with these questions to consider: How you are colle...

Send us Fan Mail The prompt on the gas pump to buy a car wash isn’t new. In-bay automatic car washes have been a regular add-on to many gas station chains for years, though usually as an intended customer convenience and not a core focus. But things are starting to change, and big-name gas/c-store companies are actively participating in more car wash M&A transactions. Earlier in 2023, we saw t...

Send us Fan Mail Want to know the Amplify team’s key takeaways and market insights gleaned from The Car Wash Show 2023? In this episode, Lanese talks with Amplify COO Chris Jenks about themes and sentiments that emerged from this year’s show in Las Vegas. With the cost of capital high, mergers and acquisitions activity is picking back up as many platforms are adjusting their path to growth. This i...

Send us Fan Mail Well, folks, The Car Wash Show is just around the corner, taking place May 8-10 in Las Vegas! If you’re attending, be sure to listen to this episode for a sneak peek of the timely and highly relevant car wash market insights members of the Amplify Car Wash Advisors leadership team will share during various sessions and speaking times during TCWS. Hear Chris Jenks on Monday, May 8...

Send us Fan Mail With Q1 closing out, where is the car wash market today, and is now a good time to sell your car wash? In this episode, Lanese Barnett and Jeff Pavone discuss lingering negative headwinds like bank failures, rising interest rates, and increasing competition, but they also highlight how the car wash industry remains an attractive investment space, and the list of interested buyers...

Send us Fan Mail Have you considered how a customer experience platform could strengthen your car wash business? Guests Dennis Dreeszen and Adam Trien talk with your host Lanese Barnett about AMP Memberships, a powerful platform specifically designed to support car wash business owners and their customers.   In the episode, Dennis and Adam share how AMP works and how it can benefit car wash owners...

Send us Fan Mail What can car wash owners do today to facilitate their business’s continued growth and success amid changing market conditions? How do the current headwinds impact access to capital? As Paul Sigfusson, this month’s guest on Car Wash M&A, The Podcast, shares with host Lanese Barnett, it is not all bad news for operators looking to grow. In fact, the very conditions that are caus...

Send us Fan Mail With so many changes in the car wash M&A space this past year, getting advice from industry experts is more important than ever. As we wrap up 2022 and prepare for 2023, we’re taking a look back at some of the vital insights we heard on Car Wash M&A, The Podcast this past year.   In this episode, your host Lanese Barnett looks back at her conversations with Bill Martin, Ch...

Send us Fan Mail What does the car wash M&A space look like as we head toward the end of 2022? In this episode, we share Amplify Car Wash Advisors Partner Jeff Pavone’s recent interview with Matt DeWolf on CAR WASH The Podcast. Jeff and Matt discuss how the market has changed, what remains the same, and what predictions Jeff has for the future in the car wash industry. Be sure to listen in to...

Send us Fan Mail For business owners, recognizing that you can’t - and shouldn’t - do it all can be a humbling process. Bringing in other talented people to lead departments within your organization, and intentionally developing your team from the executive level down, positions your company for meaningful growth.  In this episode Lanese talks with Derrick Merchant and Michael Murry of Champion Xp...

Send us Fan Mail “It began as a mistake." This is the quote on Andrew Goldberger's iPhone background screen taken from the opening line of a Bukowski novel. In this episode, Lanese and Andrew talk about his journey into the car wash industry where he reveals that, like many entrepreneurs, what started as a well-laid business plan on paper turned out to be incongruent in practice. And, ho...

Send us Fan Mail Ready to grow your car wash chain and wondering about your financing options? There may be more available than you think. In this episode, guest Bill Koenig, a seasoned investment banker, shares with host Lanese Barnett various financing options to facilitate meaningful growth or fund capital improvements on existing sites, many without going to the local bank and signing another...