Standing out in a competitive marketplace has become exceedingly difficult. Thanks to the state-of-the-art equipment available today, providing a clean, dry, shiny car has become table stakes. To attract and retain customers, modern operators must also be experts in branding and customer experience.
The Russell Speeder’s brand has been synonymous with clean for more than five decades, but even a well-known and powerful brand can benefit from a refresh on occasion. Russell Speeder’s, part of the Summit Wash Holdings empire, is being rebranded as Speeders, hoping to reinvent itself and attract its next generation of customers.
“We are Speeder-izing all our Russell Speeder’s locations,” says chairman and CEO of Summit Wash Holdings Dan Pittman. “We’re super excited about it. We just opened the first handful and we’re seeing record performance.”
Summit Wash Holdings, comprising Russell Speeder’s, Waters Car Wash, and the Speeders brand, embarked on a rebranding initiative earlier this year. The company is currently operating four sites under its new banner and plans to expand to 30 Speeders’ sites within the next 18 months. Overall, the entire Summit portfolio has crested 90 sites, and will reach 100 in the next few months, as both the Speeders and Waters brands continue to scale.
The rebranded Speeders sites undergo a thorough cleaning, receive new paint and signage, and get upgraded wash equipment when necessary. The rebranded sites also emerge from their transformation with a renewed focus on fun. Speeders locations feature music, dancing employees, plenty of show in the tunnel, and a family-focused atmosphere designed to connect with customers both young and old.
“When a consumer comes on our site, they’re greeted by a person,” says Pittman. “They talk to a person. They’re welcomed onto the conveyor by an entry ride operator, which is the term we use for a loader, like an amusement park would. This human touch helps us differentiate.
“After the tunnel, they go to our vacuum court. We have a wide range of amenities, and our employees are available to assist. Customers really get concierge-level service for their cars. That level of attention is a big deal.”
Speeders and the entire Summit family of brands places a high emphasis on culture. The company believes that building a powerful ethos from the ground up translates to a memorable, differentiated experience for its customers.
Summit defines culture in three words: humble, hungry, and smart. Humble means you put your team first. Hungry means you want your team to win. And smart means you think when you’re dealing with people. “A lot of companies talk about culture,” Pittman says. “But they have a hard time explaining it. We only need three words to define ours.”
The company hires based on attitude and trains employees on the Summit way. A key component of the training program is the company’s Road to Pro initiative. The platform combines text, video, and testing to certify each employee for their role, while providing upward mobility for ambitious workers.
The company has placed a significant investment in its learning management system and certifications. Employees can take courses in both English and Spanish, ensuring that every detail is consumed and digested.
Once employees are trained and certified in their current position, they are welcome to enroll in the training modules of other roles at the company. This allows employees to explore different positions within the company, assess whether they are a good fit, and demonstrate their willingness to learn to the company’s leaders.
In addition to the training program, Summit builds engaged and loyal employees with rewards and incentives designed to recognize superior performance. The company has a bonus program that provides monetary recognition for exceeding expectations, but it also has other experience-based rewards that are just as effective and help promote a team atmosphere throughout the company.
One of the company’s most successful incentive programs is its annual Summit 500 initiative. Throughout the year, high-performing employees can be nominated by their supervisors for participation in the NASCAR-style event. Those that are selected to participate are flown to Arizona, put up in a nice hotel, and are able to spend the day at the racetrack with their fellow honorees racing high-end sports cars and celebrating their success.
“The Summit 500 is a big deal,” Pittman says. “We will pick about 50 employees this year to participate. We create numerous hype videos throughout the year to promote the event. It is a great way to encourage the whole company to support one another.
“Our commitment to culture at the company has helped lower our turnover rates. We know not everyone is going to work at the car wash forever. But, as long as they are with us, we are going to invest in them and help prepare them for their next opportunity, either here or elsewhere. Our goal is to create 3,000 of the absolute best jobs in the industry, jobs that people covet and prepare you for whatever’s next.”
What’s next for the Speeders brand is the continued rebranding of all Russell Speeder’s locations, and the ongoing growth of the banner through a mix of acquisitions and green field development. “Our growth trajectory is based on market needs,” says Pittman. “We will continue to hire the right people, train them, and operate sites in the markets that are best suited to our culture and our brand. We will continue to make investment decisions based on creating a great product and great business for our customers, employees, and sponsors.”
