Tommy's Express earns spot on 2026 Industry Icon top franchise list
The express wash brand was recognized for franchise growth, its membership model, and new market expansion across the U.S. and abroad.
By The Car Wash News Staff
3 min read
Tommy's Express Car Wash has landed on the 2026 Industry Icon Top Franchise list, an annual ranking of 100 organizations presented by Industry & Influence that highlights innovation, leadership, and growth across sectors.
According to reporting from Auto Laundry News, the brand was recognized for converting a routine consumer service into a technology-driven membership experience. The citation specifically pointed to the chain's rapid franchise expansion, its operating model, consumer-facing technology, and ongoing growth.
Expansion at home and abroad
The recognition noted that Tommy's Express pushed into several new U.S. markets over the past year, including California, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Oregon, and Texas. The company also opened its first location in Puerto Rico.
International growth figured prominently in the award. Industry & Influence highlighted the appointment of new franchise development leadership tasked with overseeing expansion outside the continental United States. The company expects multiple Canadian locations to be open by the end of 2026, with further development planned beyond that.
Membership as a growth engine
The award also credited the TommyClub membership program and the brand's mobile app for changing the economics of the car wash business. The recognition framed the shift as moving the customer relationship away from one-time transactions and toward ongoing subscriptions. For franchise partners, that model translates into more predictable recurring revenue, a point the organization cited directly in its recognition.
That emphasis reflects a broader pattern in the express segment, where unlimited wash plans have become central to how operators value their sites and forecast cash flow. Tommy's Express has built its franchise pitch around pairing a standardized tunnel format with the technology needed to acquire and retain members at scale.
Why it matters for operators
The recognition is a franchise marketing milestone, but the underlying story is one every operator can learn from: the value of a car wash increasingly rests on its recurring revenue base, not just car counts on a given day. Membership programs smooth out seasonal swings, improve the predictability of monthly income, and raise the resale value of a site.
For independents weighing whether to invest in a branded app or subscription infrastructure, the Tommy's Express model illustrates the payoff of treating the customer relationship as ongoing rather than transactional. The technology required to run an effective membership program, from license plate recognition to automated billing and a usable mobile experience, has become a competitive necessity rather than a luxury.
The brand's expansion into new states, Puerto Rico, and soon Canada also signals that the express franchise format continues to attract capital and multi-unit operators. Operators in those newer markets should expect sharper competition for members, which puts a premium on retention tactics, consistent wash quality, and pricing discipline. Watching how a fast-growing national chain structures its membership economics can help independents benchmark their own capture rates, churn, and plan pricing.
