Jason Johnson

How did the Quick Quack story begin?

Tim and I had met through mutual acquaintances and soon realized that our backgrounds in real estate and business analytics were quite complementary as we evaluated the potential for a branded, high-quality car wash model. It took a few years to convert an MBA business plan into our first location in Carmichael, California in 2004. Ultimately, Tim and I shared the same entrepreneurial spirit and surrounded ourselves with partners that shared a willingness to continuously improve the model and overcome (countless) obstacles.

What were the early growth days like?

Guided by our belief that people and culture win, over our first ten years we refined the business operating model and laid the foundation for our culture and best practices. Our vision is to be “Fast. Clean. Loved… Everywhere” and improve the consumer car wash experience. We funded our expansion one location at a time, through a supportive network of friends and family, with additional financing from SBA and regional lenders. By 2015, we had opened 18 locations and built the infrastructure and pipeline to accelerate the growth of Quick Quack in a meaningful way. But we were limited by the capital required to develop numerous locations simultaneously.

Why did you partner with Seidler?

I remember the first time Seidler reached out to me. The message about a long-term partnership approach and flexible capital model resonated. I think some of the hardest decisions early in our journey included saying “no” to potential capital partners who weren’t the right fit. Our culture is exemplified by our people—smart, kind, and driven individuals—and the Seidler team embodies those very same qualities. They listened carefully to our needs and structured an investment that helped us achieve three critical objectives: maintain our control of the business, provide liquidity to early investors, and provide growth capital. Of equal significance, they understood the importance of our unique company culture and brought an experienced voice to our Board.

What has the partnership accomplished?

It would have been easy for Seidler to simply treat Quick Quack as “just another investment.” But the SEP team really bought into our vision and has been a supportive partner at each step of our journey. Whether providing guidance on long-term strategic decisions or valuable resources for day-to-day projects, Seidler team members are always eager to jump in and roll up their sleeves to help us get things done right. They’ve supported our continued expansion through two follow-on capital investments, helped us execute acquisitions, and facilitated a debt refinance.

As the industry has attracted more attention from outside investors, Seidler has been a thoughtful partner, helping us invest in our team, processes, and infrastructure to significantly increase our greenfield growth strategy. Their experience with other high-growth, multi-unit consumer service businesses has helped us keep the focus on accretive growth while skilfully navigating away from potential risks.