One of the oldest car washes in the US ‘retires’
After 78 years of washing cars in Louisville, the family-owned Thomas Car Wash chain has sold its five locations to Whistle Wash. One location will not reopen. The rest will be rebranded and updated.
Through a simple Facebook post, the family-owned company broke the news. The Louisville Courier Journal quickly picked up on it. According to the previous owners, the “Thomas Car Wash” name will remain on the buildings for up to nine months despite the immediate transfer of ownership. The Bardstown Road location will remain closed indefinitely.
hard decision
“We just want to thank the community; we understand there is a car wash popping up on every corner and people drove out of their way to wash with us … that’s what made this decision so hard,” said brand director Kristina Ellis to the Courier Journal.
Apparently, Whistle Wash approached the Thomas family late last year with interest in buying the brand. It took a while before the transition materialized, mainly because the company wanted to make sure the employees were treated fairly. “We did everything we could to make sure they were set up for success,” Ellis says.
No lay-offs
All employees at Thomas Car Wash will have the opportunity to continue working under the new Whistle Wash management. All customer washing plans, single-wash tickets, and gift cards will be transferred and honored by Whistle Wash until the end of this year.
“While we know how bittersweet this ending is, please know this isn’t a final goodbye, it’s a ‘see you later,'” the Facebook post stated, noting the Thomas family plans to remain in Louisville following the retirement of the car wash. “Car washing is still in our blood. Who knows what we’ll end up doing later on.”
Express tunnels
Just a few years ago, Thomas Car Wash pivoted from doing full-service washes at all five sites to going express style in an effort to keep up with the fast-paced economy.
The five-chain Louisville car wash company was started by Tom, Nick and Eli Thomas in 1946, claiming to be the first, and oldest car wash in the commonwealth and the Southeast and one of the oldest in the U.S.
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