Tommy's Express earns 2026 Industry Icon recognition for franchise growth

Tommy's Express Car Wash has been named a 2026 Industry Icon in Consumer Products by The 2026 List, an honor organized by Industry & Influence that recognizes the company's franchise growth, operating model, consumer technology, and expansion into new markets.

According to reporting from Car Wash Business Center, the recognition cited the brand's work turning a routine household service into a technology-enabled membership experience. Tommy's Express joins 99 other honorees on the 2026 Industry Icons list.

Growth cited across markets

The award highlighted Tommy's Express expansion over the past year into new U.S. markets including California, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Oregon, and Texas. The company also broke ground on its first location in Puerto Rico.

International growth drew attention as well. The organization noted the appointment of new franchise development leadership overseeing expansion outside the continental United States. Tommy's Express expects to open multiple locations in Canada by the end of 2026, with more development planned beyond that.

Industry & Influence also credited the company's TommyClub membership program and mobile app for reshaping car wash economics. The recognition framed the membership approach as a shift from one-time transactions to ongoing subscriptions, which gives franchise partners more predictable recurring revenue.

A franchise built on a long operating history

Tommy's Express is a national car wash franchise built on the history of Quality Car Wash, founded by Jacob, Sonny, and Tom Essenburg in 1969. The buildings and equipment, originally developed by Tommy Car Wash Systems, are manufactured in West Michigan. Franchisees receive training, marketing, technical assistance, and access to proprietary wash products and technology.

The brand has drawn repeated recognition in recent months. It was ranked No. 1 in the car wash category on Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 list and has been featured among that publication's fastest-growing franchises. Earlier in 2026, Inc. named the company one of the fastest-growing private companies in the Midwest.

Why it matters for operators

Industry awards do not change daily operations, but the specifics behind this recognition point to trends worth watching. The emphasis on membership and recurring revenue reflects where the express exterior segment continues to move. Subscription programs smooth out revenue that would otherwise rise and fall with weather and traffic, and they shift the economics of a site toward predictable monthly income.

For independent operators, the attention Tommy's Express draws also signals the competitive pressure of well-capitalized franchise expansion. When a franchise brand moves into new states and converts existing washes, it raises the bar on membership marketing, app convenience, and site throughput. Operators in markets targeted by national chains should assess how their own loyalty or unlimited plans compare on price, ease of signup, and retention.

The expansion into Canada and Puerto Rico is a reminder that the growth runway for express washing extends well beyond saturated metro markets. Operators evaluating their own expansion should weigh how a recurring-revenue model performs in less mature markets where membership habits are still forming.