Links parent Back Nine acquires Woodie's Wash Shack, forming 50-site Southeast chain
The combined company will operate under the Woodie's Wash Shack brand across four states, ranking among the region's largest express operators.
By The Car Wash News Staff
3 min read
Back Nine Equity, the parent company of Links Car Wash, has agreed to acquire the Woodie's Wash Shack brand, an express wash operator affiliated with WWS Enterprises. According to reporting from Auto Laundry News, the deal joins two Southeastern express platforms under a single operating company.
The merged business will run 50 express car wash locations across North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and Texas. The companies say the combination creates one of the region's largest and fastest-growing express operators, with plans to keep expanding in the Tampa Bay area and adjacent markets.
Brand and leadership structure
Notably, the combined enterprise will operate under the Woodie's Wash Shack name rather than the Links banner, a sign of how the buyer values the acquired brand's consumer recognition. To protect that identity, the deal sets up a newly formed brand management company that will retain ownership of the Woodie's trademarks, trade dress, and creative identity.
Ryan Hanks, founder of Back Nine Equity and Links Car Wash, will lead the combined operating company. Donald E. Phillips, founder and majority owner of WWS Enterprises, will stay involved in a strategic role through the brand management entity. Hanks said the combination creates a platform with "tremendous scale, exceptional talent, and significant opportunities for future growth." Phillips framed the transaction as "the next chapter in the evolution of Woodie's."
The companies describe their approach as building a scaled, multi-market platform through a mix of acquisitions, ground-up development, and disciplined operations. Following the close, the two organizations say they will work to ensure a smooth transition and set the platform up for long-term growth.
Why it matters for operators
This deal is another example of the consolidation reshaping the express wash segment, where well-capitalized platforms continue to roll up regional operators to gain density and buying power. For independent operators watching the market, it reinforces that a strong local brand and loyal membership base remain the assets that command attention from acquirers.
The most instructive detail here is the branding decision. Rather than absorbing Woodie's into the Links name, the buyer chose to operate everything under the acquired brand and to legally wall off the trademarks and trade dress in a separate management company. That structure signals that consumer brand equity can be worth more than the platform name of the acquiring company. Operators building toward an eventual sale should recognize that a distinctive, well-loved brand and consistent trade dress are tangible value, not just marketing.
The combined footprint spanning four states also underscores how membership-driven express models scale. Multi-market density supports shared resources in marketing, procurement, and development, advantages a single-site operator cannot match on its own. For operators competing against a growing 50-site chain in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, or Texas, the practical takeaway is to lean into local relationships, service consistency, and membership retention, the areas where a nimble independent can still differentiate against a larger, standardized competitor.
