ZIPS reopens two remodeled Anderson washes with free wash weekend
The chain marked upgrades to its two Anderson, South Carolina sites with a ribbon cutting, a Folds of Honor scholarship, and two days of free washes.
By The Car Wash News Staff
3 min read
ZIPS Car Wash reopened two remodeled locations in Anderson, South Carolina, with a ribbon cutting on Thursday, Sept. 24 followed by two days of free washes on Friday and Saturday. According to reporting from Professional Carwashing & Detailing, the ceremony took place at the chain's Highway 81 site, with both the Highway 81 and Clemson Boulevard locations participating in the free wash weekend.
The reopening doubled as a community event. ZIPS invited local leaders and customers to tour the improvements, collect branded swag while supplies lasted, and recognize a scholarship recipient during the ribbon cutting.
Scholarship and Folds of Honor tie-in
During the ceremony, ZIPS presented an academic scholarship to Clemson University sophomore Maylen Kelley Brandt. Her father, Lt. Col. Christopher Ernst Brandt, served more than 20 years as a U.S. Marine Corps pilot and was disabled in the line of duty. The award is connected to the chain's national partnership with Folds of Honor, an organization that provides educational scholarships to spouses and children of fallen or disabled military service members and first responders. The source notes Folds of Honor has awarded scholarships to more than 73,000 families since 2007.
What changed at the sites
The Anderson upgrades are part of a wider reinvestment effort across the operator's footprint of more than 180 locations. Over the past three years, ZIPS has renovated and upgraded more than 100 sites, according to the source.
Scott Brown, divisional vice president of operations, said customers will notice a streamlined checkout process, enhanced pre-wash prep services, and improved tunnel equipment. He framed the free wash weekend as a way to bring both current members and lapsed customers back to see the changes in person. "We're excited to reinvest in the communities that have supported ZIPS," Brown said.
Why it matters for operators
Remodels are often treated as maintenance line items, but ZIPS is using them as marketing moments. By pairing reopened sites with a ribbon cutting, a scholarship presentation, and a free wash weekend, the chain converts capital spending into local visibility, foot traffic, and a reason for lapsed members to return. That approach turns a back-of-house investment into a customer acquisition and reactivation tool.
The scale of the reinvestment is also worth noting. Upgrading more than 100 of roughly 180 sites over three years signals that even large operators see refreshing existing tunnels, not just building new ones, as central to protecting membership revenue and defending market share. For independent operators, the takeaway is that equipment and process upgrades carry more weight when customers actually experience them, so promoting a reopening beats letting improvements go unnoticed.
The Folds of Honor partnership shows how a national cause can be localized. Anchoring the event to a specific family with local ties gave the reopening a human story that community members and local media could rally around, a tactic any operator can replicate through partnerships with regional charities or service organizations.
