QC Capital opens first ground-up AquaShine Express in Winter Haven
The new Florida site is the express platform's 10th location and marks a shift from acquisition and conversion toward new construction on high-growth corners.
By The Car Wash News Staff
3 min read
QC Capital Group has opened AquaShine Express Winter Haven, the platform's first location built from the ground up rather than acquired and converted. The site on Eloise Loop Road held its grand opening on August 14, 2026, and brings the brand to 10 locations across Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, according to reporting from Professional Carwashing & Detailing.
The Charlotte-based private equity firm has historically grown by buying existing car wash and express lube assets, then rebranding and upgrading them under standardized operations. Winter Haven represents the other half of the strategy: selecting a corner, developing a shorter-tunnel express format, and setting operating standards before the first car enters the tunnel.
Full express offer in a fast-growing metro
The new site launched with the complete AquaShine Express package, including an express tunnel, free vacuums, complimentary towels and glass cleaner, and unlimited membership plans that start at $22 per month with no contracts. Family plans, fleet programs and local fundraising partnerships are also available.
Founder and CEO Chris Salerno framed the location as different from the firm's earlier acquisitions. "Winter Haven is the first one that is ours from the dirt up," he said. The company chose the site partly on demographics: the Lakeland-Winter Haven metro area has been the fastest-growing metro in the country over the past decade, expanding more than 34% between 2014 and 2024 and adding more than 23,000 residents in a single year. A University of Florida study projected Polk County will surpass 1 million residents by 2030.
Salerno argued the timing matters because new residents are still forming daily routines and choosing service providers. "You cannot underwrite your way into a market after everyone has noticed it," he said.
Development-weighted fund and a second site
QC Capital's development push is funded by QC Car Wash Fund III, launched in January 2026 and weighted toward ground-up projects. The pipeline includes a site closed in Alpharetta, Georgia, on July 10, 2026, two additional development sites under contract, and a second Winter Haven location already under construction. The fund remains open to accredited investors.
The firm also pointed to tax advantages of new construction. A newly built car wash placed in service establishes a fresh depreciable basis, and the restoration of 100% bonus depreciation can be valuable for express washes with significant short-life property such as tunnel equipment, site work and membership technology.
AquaShine Express Winter Haven 2 is expected to open in winter 2026. When it does, a single membership will be honored at both sites, a density strategy Salerno said makes memberships more valuable without raising member costs.
Why it matters for operators
The Winter Haven opening illustrates a maturing playbook: consolidators that grew through acquisition are now adding ground-up development to their pipelines. For independent operators, that means new competition can appear on the best corners in growing markets, not just through the purchase of existing sites.
The emphasis on getting into fast-growing metros early is a reminder that membership capture happens as households form routines. Operators in high-growth areas may find it easier to win first-month members than to reclaim customers already loyal to an established wash.
The tax logic is also worth noting. With 100% bonus depreciation available, new construction carries meaningful first-year deductions on tunnel equipment and site work, which can shift the math for operators weighing whether to build or buy. Clustering multiple sites under one membership is another lever, spreading referral and fundraising benefits across locations while keeping the offer simple for members.
