ZIPS hires retail veteran Scott Brown to lead divisional operations
The Plano-based chain has added a longtime multi-unit retail and hospitality executive to oversee performance across its more than 185 locations.
By The Car Wash News Staff
3 min read
ZIPS Car Wash has named Scott Brown as its Divisional Vice President of Operations, adding an executive with more than 25 years of multi-unit leadership across retail and hospitality to its management team, according to reporting from Car Wash Business Center.
Brown arrives at the Plano, Texas company after a career with national brands including Harbor Freight Tools, 24 Hour Fitness, AMF Bowling, and Circuit City. In his new role he will focus on strengthening operational performance, improving the customer experience, and supporting continued growth across the company's footprint.
A track record in large multi-unit operations
Most recently, Brown served as Regional Vice President for Harbor Freight Tools, where he oversaw operations spanning five states and more than 160 stores that generated over $800 million in annual revenue. The company said he led one of Harbor Freight's highest-performing regions and posted employee engagement scores of 98 percent for four consecutive years.
Brown has also been credited with advancing hundreds of leaders through structured development programs and has earned recognitions including District Manager of the Year honors. He studied Business Administration with concentrations in finance and accounting at East Carolina University and completed executive leadership training through Franklin Covey.
CEO Pete Nani said Brown's experience running large-scale operations and building teams makes him a strong fit as the company grows. Brown, who describes himself as a servant leader, said he believes investing in people and executing with operational discipline drives results. "Great customer experiences are the foundation of strong business performance," he said.
ZIPS is a privately held operator running more than 185 locations across 19 states under three brands: ZIPS Car Wash, Rocket Express Car Wash, and Jet Brite Car Wash. In 2025 the company was recognized by Newsweek in its "Best of the Best" and "Best in Customer Service" categories.
Why it matters for operators
The hire is another example of a large express chain recruiting senior leadership from outside the car wash sector, particularly from big-box retail and hospitality where multi-site management, labor engagement, and customer experience are core disciplines. For operators, the pattern signals where the industry is placing its bets as consolidation continues: the ability to run consistent operations across dozens or hundreds of sites is now a competitive advantage in its own right.
Brown's background points to two priorities that translate directly to any wash of scale. The first is employee engagement. Sustained high engagement scores in a frontline retail environment suggest an emphasis on hiring, training, and retention that reduces turnover, one of the biggest cost drivers at a tunnel operation. The second is a structured leadership pipeline. Chains that formalize how they develop site managers tend to open and stabilize new locations faster than those that promote ad hoc.
Smaller operators cannot replicate a corporate divisional structure, but the underlying playbook is portable. Clear standards, defined development paths for shift leads and managers, and a measurable focus on customer experience are all available regardless of site count. As the largest chains continue importing executive talent from adjacent retail sectors, independents competing in the same markets should expect a rising bar on service consistency and staff professionalism.
