The passionate and dedicated people working for Tommy’s Express are the heartbeat of our world-class car wash. Every day all across the country, hundreds of Tommy’s Express team members aim to provide an industry-leading wash and experience our guests know and love.  

We wish we could share every team member’s story, but since we have to keep this brief, we’re highlighting three whose journeys have impacted the history of Tommy’s Express. 

Clayton from Jonesboro, Arkansas

In 2019, Clayton was working at his local Kroger when the new Tommy’s Express in Jonesboro began construction. Fascinated by the building design, he became one of the location’s first hires. Starting as a team member, he eventually earned the position of team lead.  

Amidst the fast growth, Clayton met his now fiancé at the wash. While she has since moved to a different profession, he is deeply grateful that their roles at the local car wash brought them together.  

Over time, he was given the franchise group’s second Jonesboro site to manage.  

“The determination of the team is great to see,” said Clayton in an interview. “We hit a plateau and thought we would never be able to reach above it, but to see the team work so hard and get above their mark was great.”  

When asked what keeps him working for Tommy’s Express, Clayton is quick to talk about his team.  

“We are not just a 9-5, [we are a] tight-knit group regardless of work.”  

Holding excellence in work to a high standard, Clayton enjoys being able to teach his team and lead by example. Creating a strong bond within his team, they participate in monthly team-building activities under his leadership and even spend time together outside of work.  

“I look forward to coming to work every day…I work for them.” 

Between the continued growth, the work that differs daily, and the joy he finds in leading his sites, Clayton is excited about his future with Tommy’s Express.  

Magoly from El Paso, Texas

Magoly’s journey with Tommy’s Express begins in El Paso, Texas, where she became one of the first to work at this “new, fancy-looking car wash in town” that she and her coworker couldn’t help but notice. 

Magoly enjoys working at the wash for various reasons, but the most prominent is the Guests.  

“I really enjoy the people and the Guests. I did fast food for four years before, but here is different.”  

Relationship-building with the regulars at the wash is a special part of Magoly’s time at Tommy’s Express. She has come to love how hands-on and ever-changing a typical day on the job can be.  

Her role itself has significantly changed since she started, as well. After eight months as a team member, she was asked to be an assistant site leader and has recently assumed the role of site leader at the second El Paso location.  

While working towards becoming an RN after nursing school, Magoly still sees the wash as her focus. Her commitment to excellence helped earn her one of the Tommy’s Express TEACHES scholarships.  

Like Clayton, Magoly loves training her team hands-on and does all she can to ensure the wash site is as good of a work environment as it can be.  

“If you are going to spend a lot of time somewhere,” she described, “It should be a happy environment. It really helps build teamwork, which is essential to the wash running well.”  

Magoly compares Tommy’s Express to the Chick-fil-A of car washing. “Lots of cleaning and talking with guests,” which she continues to enjoy and shine in.  

As she continues her college career, Magoly is excited to remain with the company as her franchise group grows in El Paso, celebrating their recently opened third site on Montana Ave.  

David from Enid, Oklahoma

After retiring from the military, David knew he had a lot of education and experience to carry him into the civilian workforce but didn’t quite know where he was going.  

David and his wife planned financially to spend some time finding his forever career. But their search was cut short in the best way possible.

The first position he applied for was the open site leader position at Tommy’s Express Car Wash in Enid, Oklahoma. After a successful round of interviews, he accepted the position. Fast forward three years, and he is loving every minute.

“I had immediately fallen in love with the industry. I had and still do have an amazing relationship with the local team members, brand partners, company leadership, and Tommy’s Express Headquarters personnel,” David writes.  

David’s favorite part of his job is networking, fostering new friendships, and creating what he used to call his “military family,” now dubbed his “work family.”  

David attributes much of his forward momentum with the company to the kindness of the incredible support system within the franchise group’s leadership, the Davis family. David is deeply grateful to the group for making his journey possible. 

“Having the right support system coupled with unwavering willpower keeps me focused through everything from the dreaded “wash-down” situation to the highest recognition and honors.”  

David believes that work can be a place of satisfaction and positivity. 

“Keeping the end goal in sight will move you and your team in unison to success,” David writes.  

Work at Tommy’s Express  

Tommy’s Express is grateful for Clayton, Magoly, and David’s examples of excellence and ownership.  

From Arkansas to El Paso, there are amazing stories like these at Tommy’s Express all across the country. Are you interested in being part of the exciting growth story of a site near you?  

Visit our careers page to find the latest openings near you. We have positions at our Headquarters available as well. 

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Tommy’s Express’s headquarters is at 648 S. Point Ridge Dr., Holland, Michigan. After years of expansion in West Michigan, Tommy Car Wash Systems and Tommy’s Express’s operations were spread across several buildings in Holland. 

The new building consolidates the operations of Tommy’s Express and Tommy Car Wash Systems, referred to together as Tommy’s, into one facility. This increases efficiency and quality of support internationally. 

The company celebrated the building’s Grand Opening ceremony on August 25th, 2023, after 710 days between groundbreaking and move-in. 

Designed for support 

“The design of the building is intended to show our franchise partners and employees (they’re) the center of our business,” said Alex Lemmen, CEO of Tommy’s Express and Tommy Car Wash Systems, in an interview with Holland Sentinel.  

As the car wash franchise continues to expand, space for new team members is essential.  

Leadership found it equally critical to provide a space that would ensure the highest level of innovation and collaboration. Built from the ground up by EV construction, the facility is top-notch and intentional, down to the inch.  

Flooded with plenty of natural light and noise-dampening features, the office space provides an inviting and collaborative space to drive site development, opening, and support. 

Tommy’s Express understood when planning the headquarters that a world-class car wash can only be achieved with top-tier support. This starts with a modern supply chain center, primed for innovation and support.

With 23 loading docks and 210,000 sq. ft. of space, Tommy Car Wash Systems’ new warehouse takes up nearly 85% of the new headquarters.  

The warehouse contains a full fabrication lab, a blending department for Tommy’s detergents, and office space.  

Between the warehouse and the offices, the new location is expected to add hundreds of new jobs to Holland in the years to come. 

A headquarters positioned for growth 

The new Tommy’s Express headquarters location is selected with purpose. 

Tommy’s Express has over 160 franchise locations to support across the United States. The new headquarters is placed perfectly alongside the interstate to deliver washes and equipment nationwide more efficiently. 

The land was chosen with the future in mind. With plenty of space for expansion, Tommy’s is poised well for the future. 

With a variety and abundance of seating, the multi-purpose space serves team members well. The spacious cafeteria is a landing zone for meetings, team lunches, and all-company gatherings. 

The road ahead 

The new building is an exciting step for Tommy’s Express and Tommy Car Wash Systems. 

Finally, together under one building, the team is more equipped to Enrich Lives, Add Value, and Serve Communities. 

Are you interested in joining Tommy’s Express in our growth story by owning a wash? Learn more about becoming a franchise partner today. 

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Quality Car Wash, the precursor to the Tommy’s Express franchise model, started in 1969 with one car wash in Holland, Michigan.  

Since then, we’ve learned through decades of car wash operations and launched Tommy’s Express Car Wash as a nationwide car wash franchise in 2016.  

With over 140 locations across the U.S. and counting at the time of publishing, we’re primed for steady growth. 

“We foresee many years of 60 to 120 car washes a year,” CEO Alex Lemmen said, in reference to openings, “but with mature support for our franchise partners and a mature infrastructure.” 

Process of building a Tommy’s Express franchise

There are many items to check off the to-do list between signing a franchise agreement and washing cars. We call this the Tommy Journey. These are the four main steps:

1. Discovery 
   Future partners begin with the franchise webinar to answer the most frequently asked questions. When ready, a potential franchise partner signs a Franchise Disclosure Document to begin. Next, we host a tour of our West Michigan locations, and finally, the partner signs a franchise agreement.
2. Site selection 
   Next, franchise partners work closely with our real estate team to help find the perfect piece of land. Often, the search is not just for the best single site but, instead, looking for an area with several great opportunities that allow for market saturation.
3. Project development 
   This is the fun part! We’ll assign a project manager to check the boxes with a general contractor and help the process go as smoothly as possible. Franchise partners have a permanent franchise business consultant and a franchise marketing coordinator. Then, the equipment is installed and calibrated.
4. Operational 
   When it’s time to start washing cars, our team provides you with soft opening and grand opening support, ongoing national and regional marketing campaigns, and continued team member education through Tommy University.

Capital requirements and franchise fees

Have you thought about owning or operating a profitable franchise? Building and owning a Tommy’s Express requires a certain amount of capital. Financing options are available for qualified applicants. 

Full ownership requires liquid capital of US$2 million and a net worth of US$5 million.

Associated costs with running a Tommy’s Express franchise include a $50,000 initial franchise fee, 4% royalty, and 1% towards the national brand fund. 

Why Tommy’s Express?

When searching for a low-labor franchise opportunity, Tommy’s Express is an excellent choice.

Franchise Times named Tommy’s Express Car Wash the #1 smartest-growing franchise on the Fast & Serious List for 2023. Entrepreneur Magazine ranked us #1 in the car wash category on the Franchise 500 List for 2023.

We have owned and operated some of the busiest car washes in the world.

The strategies we’ve developed and the infrastructure we’ve built in these key areas give you the leadership and support to reach success faster than doing it on your own.

Interested in learning more? Fill out our application today, and our franchise development team will get back to you soon!

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The story of Tommy’s Express starts when the Essenburg family established Quality Car Wash in 1969 and expanded to seven locations across West Michigan. Years of innovation and operations experience propelled the Essenburgs to offer their car wash parts and equipment through Tommy Car Wash Systems. In 2016, the Tommy’s Express franchise was born with a vision to establish a recognized national car wash brand and expand globally.  

Serving communities, adding value, and enriching lives is the mantra Quality Car Wash and Tommy’s Express both live by, initially inspired by the Essenburgs.

Beginning with Quality Car Wash in 1969, the Essenburgs always put others before themselves and constantly expressed gratitude for those surrounding them. This heart of giving continued when they branched out to franchise internationally with Tommy’s Express Car Wash, which is still alive and thriving today.  

For more information, check out our blog on the history between Quality Car Wash and Tommy’s Express!

Passed down by the generations, the Essenburgs have continued to lead their washes with these core values, putting community first above all things.  

This mission wasn’t just a spoken goal either, as it was actively and constantly demonstrated! Events and ongoing fundraisers such as the Helping Hands fundraiser, the annual MDA Golf Scrambles, the Holland PD Racecar Day, and many more exemplified the Essenburg family’s pursuit to make a positive change in their community.

These actions haven’t gone unnoticed either. Several streets and parks in the Holland area have names dedicated to and in honor of the Essenburg family.  

As of Summer 2022, Jun Essenburg continues to lead by example by being a regular contributor at the office; despite being in his 90s, he values spending time with others and discussing the business.  

The visionary impact of these core values started by Sonny and Jun has continued to ripple into our efforts today as the story of Tommy’s Express continues to be written, carrying on the tradition of giving back to the communities who have welcomed us into their lives. 

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The story of Tommy’s Express starts when the Essenburg family established Quality Car Wash in 1969 and expanded to seven locations across West Michigan. Years of innovation and operations experience propelled the Essenburgs to offer their car wash parts and equipment through Tommy Car Wash Systems. In 2016, the Tommy’s Express franchise was born with a vision to establish a recognized national car wash brand and expand globally.

Helping Hands Fundraiser

In 1999, after three decades of continuous support and love from the Holland community, the team at Quality Car Wash sought to repay the community for their kindness by giving back. Thus, the Quality Car Wash team created the Helping Hands Fundraising Program. 

The program allowed organizations in the area to buy discounted wash vouchers which they could then resell and keep the proceeds.

This program created unlimited fundraising potential for community members and program users, allowing them to raise money for their cause.

Helping Hands Impacts Communities

Groups that participated in the fundraiser came from all corners of the Holland community: Churches, youth groups, baseball teams, schools, science clubs, little league soccer teams, and nonprofits. 

When the fundraisers finished, the groups earned an average of $1,000 to return to their organizations.

With the growing demand for the innovations implemented by Quality Car Wash, Tommy Car Wash Systems was specifically developed to handle producing, selling, and distributing the technology created by the Essenburgs. 

Paving the Way

The success of this brand then led to the creation of the Tommy’s Express Car Wash franchise, which would be the name for washes outside of West Michigan. Turning Tommy’s into a franchise was done to achieve the modernity needed for creating a global car wash brand.

Our guests, families, and community have always been a priority at Tommy’s Express, and we look back at our roots with pride. View our history timeline to learn more about the Quality Car Wash and Tommy’s Express story, or check out our blog!

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The story of Tommy’s Express starts when the Essenburg family established Quality Car Wash in 1969 and expanded to seven locations across West Michigan. Years of innovation and operations experience propelled the Essenburgs to offer their car wash parts and equipment through Tommy Car Wash Systems. In 2016, the Tommy’s Express franchise was born with a vision to establish a recognized national car wash brand and expand globally.

One of the most significant community events hosted and sponsored by Quality Car Wash began in 1992 and was known as Seatbelt Safety Day. On this day, the Holland community was invited to convene at the Quality Car Wash on South Washington St. for a full day of eating hotdogs and popcorn, meeting racecar drivers, and learning about seatbelt safety.

Seatbelt Saftey Success

This event was held in combination with the Holland Police Department, which had a strong presence at the event. The police would set up crash simulators for children where they could ride down a slide on a sled-like vehicle and experience the importance of wearing a seatbelt when driving.

Some years later, the police would even bring in crash test dummies, which kids could take pictures and play with.

To bring more interest to the event, Quality Car Wash reached out to local racecar drivers to attend, giving families and children the chance to talk to the drivers and check out their speedy rides. One year, even Indy 500 driver Scott Brayton made an appearance!

Along with the yummy food that was grilled in the parking lot, there were even Quality Car Wash pogs and slammers that kids could collect, trade, and battle. Although these toys are a tad outdated today, they were a much-beloved pastime in the 90s. 

Seatbelt Safety

The success and turn-out of the first Seatbelt Safety Day led to this becoming an annual event in Holland. For the next five years, drivers and the Holland Police Department would meet at a Quality Car Wash location for an evening of informative fun and community involvement.

It’s events like these where the Essenburg mantra of giving back to the community shines through. That same goal continues to drive Tommy’s Express and Quality Car Wash today. Check out your local Tommy’s Express location to experience a clean like no other.

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The Essenburg family established Quality Car Wash in 1969 and expanded to seven locations across West Michigan. Years of innovation and operations experience propelled the Essenburgs to offer their car wash parts and equipment through Tommy Car Wash Systems. In 2016, the Tommy’s Express franchise was born with a vision to establish a recognized national car wash brand and expand globally.

The worldwide implementation of Tommy’s Express Car Wash was a vision that began with Tom Essenburg and was passed down to Ryan Essenburg, the current president of Tommy’s Express.

Being a leading innovative mind in the car wash industry, Tom Essenburg was a founding member of the enhancement group for car washes, a group of the top car wash owners in the world. 

Global influence

With the primary goal of observing recent trends and innovations in the car wash industry, both the good and the bad, the enhancement group would travel around the country to different wash sites. 

They would take notes on what they found and then discuss the next step for the industry and how to utilize and implement these innovations to help solve problems at their own locations.

After privately discussing, the enhancement group would attend conventions to speak about the future of car washing and the direction they saw the industry heading. 

Tom would speak to packed crowds eager to hear what he experienced traveling with the group, such as the recent innovative trends and how those trends changed his outlook on the industry. His wealth of knowledge captured the attention of international eyes, leading many to travel to Holland, Michigan, to see how Quality Car Wash processed so many cars in such little time.

The car wash innovation of Tom Essenburg

The Quality Car Wash on S. Washington St. was the one they came to see. It featured a 180-foot tunnel. The added length improved speed and wash quality due to the increased dwell time of the product and the additional cleaning equipment in use.

The Essenburgs were also one of the first in the industry to utilize a subscription model, which promoted unlimited wash plans.

Of course, not all innovations come to fruition. Innovation is fraught with failure.

Occasionally, this was the case for Tom as he continued coming up with ideas to make the wash a better and cleaner experience for guests.

Through trial and error, this experimentation led to some of the most remarkable findings and innovations in car wash history, such as the game-changing conveyor belt system that has become the industry standard for the top-of-the-line guest experience. 

Thanks to the Essenburgs’ innovative spirit and engineering, Tommy’s Express has become a globally-recognized brand within the car washing industry.

Experience the innovations of Tom Essenburg and his family for yourself by stopping at your local Tommy’s Express! 

For more information, view our history timeline here or read more about the Quality Car Wash and Tommy’s Express story. 

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The MDA Golf Scramble was hosted annually by Quality Car Wash for six years starting in 2002, raising a significant amount for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.   

Quality Car Wash’s vision was always to be more than just a car wash. While giving their community access to affordable and professional car washing, their vision always included supporting the surrounding communities by holding events and fundraisers.   

This vision of giving, highlighted by the MDA Golf Scramble, continues to inspire the culture and actions of Quality Car Wash and Tommy’s Express today.   

MDA Golf Scramble

In 2002, Quality Car Wash partnered with the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) to run the 1st Annual MDA Golf Scramble. The goal of the golf scramble was to raise money and awareness for muscular dystrophy.  

MDA’s focus spreads beyond just muscular dystrophies, as they also support research and treatments for all neuromuscular diseases. Their mission is to “empower the people we serve to live longer, more independent lives”.  

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes muscular dystrophy as “a group of muscle diseases caused by mutations in a person’s genes.” These slow and unforgiving diseases weaken and waste muscles over time, leaving many patients reliant on wheelchairs.   

MDA has given hope to patients and families for over 70 years. They have contributed to important research and advocated for improved care and quality of life for people with muscular dystrophy.   

The golf scramble was hosted at Clearbrook Golf Club in Saugatuck, MI. Team members included both beginners and professionals who golfed 18 holes. This included carts, dinner, T-shirts, games on the course, and prizes. 

Community Impact

Many businesses in the community helped by sponsoring the event and games. Their logos appeared on the backs of the t-shirts given to volunteers and participants in the golf scramble.  

The golf tournament’s proceeds went to MDA-funded programs. This included summer camps for kids, free clinics, support groups for parents and patients, and ongoing ever-important research.  

Tradition of Giving

As a national brand, Tommy’s Express supports Water Mission, an organization that works to develop clean water solutions globally. Individual sites and franchise groups are also encouraged to partner locally with organizations to serve their communities and give back specifically.   

Being a large brand with a history of giving creates a wonderful opportunity for impact nationwide. As our presence grows across the United States, so does our positive impact on communities.  

More Tommy’s Express locations mean more sites that are able to leverage their business as more than just a car wash but a venue for change and community benefit.  

The story of Tommy’s Express begins when the Essenburg family established Quality Car Wash in 1969 and expanded to seven locations across West Michigan. Years of innovation and operations experience propelled the Essenburgs to offer their car wash parts and equipment through Tommy Car Wash Systems. In 2016, the Tommy’s Express franchise was born with a vision to establish a recognized national car wash brand and expand globally.  

Passionate about car washes and the communities they served, Sonny and Jun, the founders of Quality Car Wash and Tommy’s Express, found ways to show their communities how much they appreciate them.  

To learn more, read our blog covering the history between Quality Car Wash and Tommy’s Express!

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To answer that question, we’ll need to start back in 1969.

Sonny and Jun Essenburg started Quality Car Wash * in 1969 in Holland, Michigan.  

Car washes in the 70s and 80s were a side function of auto body repair shops, often operating in dark, cinder-block style buildings that weren’t very friendly to the public.  

And they were often unreliable, closed for repairs almost more often than they were open. 

But the Essenburgs were unique.  

They were passionate about keeping their wash open, even if it meant creating their own parts and doing their own maintenance. 

Quality Car Wash expands across West Michigan

Sonny and Jun continuously improved their wash, working tirelessly to increase the number of cars they could wash in a day.  

Their ingenuity and vision propelled Quality Car Wash to expand in the area, opening new washes across the region. Jun’s son Tom Essenburg was also instrumental in the wash expansion, inheriting the family’s passion for the car wash business. 

Their efforts did not go unnoticed.  

In the 90s, West Michigan became a destination for out-of-town visitors wanting to learn from the Essenburgs. Many were impressed by their innovative equipment, processing speed, and vision for the industry.  

Innovation continues to drive change

The spirit of innovation that started with Sonny and Jun carried throughout the family. In 2001, Tom Essenburg launched the first version of the Tommy Car Wash Systems equipment line.  

He designed the distinctive round arches that are a key part of the tunnel today and envisioned a more retail experience for car washes – something bright, open, and friendly. 

Ideas began to percolate about offering our integrated systems and proven operational excellence as a franchise. A more distinct name was needed to grow globally as a car wash brand.  

In 2016, the Tommy’s Express Car Wash franchise launched. The iconic Tommy Tunnel equipment package became available to both Tommy’s Express franchise partners and private brands across the U.S. and internationally. 

Tommy’s Express and Quality Car Wash today

Today, Ryan Essenburg, Tom’s son, is the Chief Innovation Officer and president of Tommy’s Express. Mandi Brower, Tom’s daughter, runs Quality Car Wash. Both Tommy’s Express and Quality Car Wash are supported by Tommy Car Wash Systems.  

Tommy’s Express is rapidly expanding across the U.S. and internationally. Because of its deep roots in West Michigan, Quality Car Wash remains a staple in communities across the region.  

Today, the two companies exist in synergy. For over 50 years, our family of brands has been developing car wash equipment and processes to make Tommy’s Express who we are today. Members can wash anywhere, anytime nationwide at over 120 Tommy’s Express and the Michigan Quality Car Wash locations. 

Decades of experience in the industry help propel our franchises to success. Our corporately owned stores give us the daily operations involvement alongside our partners, allowing us to learn and grow together.  

We consider it a privilege to work in an industry that serves communities.  

And we can’t wait to see what’s to come in the next 50 years. 

*2667 28th St. Quality Car Wash not included.

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Although we love our furry friends, we don’t offer pet washes at our sites.  

Taking care of your pet is just like taking care of your car – you always want to make sure it’s clean and comfortable. 

We want that, too.  

But for now, you’ll have to keep your pet-friendly sudsy fun safe at home. The more bubbles, the better! 

We’re big pet lovers, but our washes are just for cars. 

Car Wash with a Pet Wash

While we don’t offer pet washes, we love seeing pets come through our wash! If you stop at the window, we may even have a treat available for your pet.

An exterior dog wash at a car wash location is a convenient do-it-yourself alternative to taking furry family members to the groomers.  

We get that – it’s like an all-in-one option to clean your car and your dog at once.  

It’s definitely food for thought for our future. 

For now, visit your favorite Tommy’s Express for a fast, convenient way to love your ride. 

We have a few furry friends who love taking a trip through our tunnel. If you have another fan who loves a quick trip through the wash, take a picture or video and tag us on your social media. We love sharing! 

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