Car wash chain makes big splash with expansion
A Milford-based car wash chain is continuing to make a big splash in the industry by adding its first locations on New York's Long Island.
Splash Car Wash made its first foray into that part of New York by acquiring the Personal Touch chain, which has three locations in Suffolk County, according to Mark Curtis, the chief executive officer of the Connecticut company. Terms of the deal weren't released.
“These are nice car washes in a densely populated area,” Curtis said.
With the addition of the three Suffolk County car washes, Splash now has 50 spread across Connecticut, New York and Vermont, he said. Thirty of those car washes are in the Empire State, with clusters in New York City's northern suburbs and another grouping in western New York.
Curtis said the deal made sense to do, not only because of the profitability of the location, but also because Personal Touch's founders — Paul Vallario, Mike Pernicone, and Nick Iorio — will join Splash's development team.
“There will be additional acquisitions and expansion on Long Island,” he said. “This team knows the Long Island market better than anyone. The three will lead Splash's development in the region and have already identified several sites in the market that are currently under negotiation.”
Vallario said he and his team are looking forward to working with Splash's executives as the company continues its expansion.
“We mesh well with the Splash culture and are confident that our employees will be treated well after the sale,” he said. Curtis said Splash will retain all of the roughly 50 employees of Personal Touch.
In addition to the Suffolk County locations Splash has acquired, the company also has received zoning approval for two new express wash sites elsewhere in New York. One is in Nanuet in Rockland County and the other is in Henrietta, which is just outside of Rochester.
Construction at the new locations is expected to start this summer with opening dates scheduled for early 2023.
Splash is also developing nine other locations, including one in East Haven, which is expected to open this month, he said. Three of those locations under development are in Vermont, Curtis said.