Ye Olde Buggy Bath is acquired

by Karen E. Culp

SBJ Staff

Ye olde owner hath sold one of Springfield's oldest car wash chains. Ye Olde Buggy Bath has new owners in Eddie Fourt and Jim Wehr.

Fourt and Wehr purchased the business Nov. 5. The company was founded in 1979 by the Goodwin family. Mike Goodwin, who had run the business for the past 11 years with his sister, said he sold it because he has some other interests and is ready to focus on those. His father, Jake Goodwin, started the car wash company.

"It was probably one of the first car washes in Springfield to have multiple locations," Mike Goodwin said.

The company was also the first in Springfield to implement automatic car wash systems. Today, each of the seven Ye Olde Buggy Bath locations has six self-service manual wash stalls and two automatic, touchless units, Fourt said.

Jake Goodwin added locations over the years. There are now Ye Olde Buggy Baths at 2100 S. Waverly, 1137 W. Kearney, 2775 S. Campbell, 1840 S. Ingram Mill, 945 N. Glenstone, 4304 S. Fremont and 3146 W. Battlefield. An eighth location is under construction at 204 W. Plainview Road, Fourt said. The new location will have eight self-serve manual stalls and two automatic stalls, Fourt said.

Fourt had been in the grocery business for 35 years and was looking for a new venture.

"When this opportunity came along, I thought this might be a good one for me," Fourt said.

His partner, Jim Wehr, also owns car dealerships in the southwest Missouri area. He and Fourt have known each other for a long time, Fourt said, and decided to go into business together.

The new owners plan a few changes in the car washes. The new site on Plainview Road will have blow drying units, and the other Buggy Baths will soon have those units, too, Fourt said. For now, the company will add more fragrance and road shampoo choices.

"We're planning to do more car washes. We'll either purchase more or build more, but we don't have any land available for that right now, but we will look to that in the future," Fourt said.

Stand-alone car washes, such as the Buggy Baths, have special concerns, including water and sewer use. The car washes have to install larger water pipes and systems for cleaning the water that drains from the car washes before it reaches the sewer, Fourt said. The reverse osmosis system most car washes use to keep the water clean and particle-free is one of the biggest expenses, he added.

"You have to maintain that system and keep it up-to-date, but that is the most important part of our business, that we keep the water clean and take all the particles out," Fourt said.

The company will maintain the Ye Olde Buggy Bath name, though its new car wash on Plainview Road will have a slightly different look, with a different color scheme and roof style, Fourt said.

The company employs 21 people now and will add about three more when the new location opens.

The car washes are preparing for their busiest time of year, Fourt said.

"You do the most business in the car wash industry in January, February and March, so we're gearing up for that," Fourt said.

Fourt declined to disclose the purchase price for the transaction. The deal was brokered by Bill Beall Co.