Our History

We are tidal wave

The Tidal Wave Auto Spa story is the classic, small town American tale of hard work, big dreams, and family.

In 1999, Scott and Hope Blackstock opened their first car wash in their hometown of Thomaston, GA. Hope managed the five-bay, touch-free car wash located next door to Scott’s successful auto service business. Never ones to sit still, the couple soon set their sights on building a new car wash experience that was convenient, innovative, and efficient. In 2004, just five short years after opening their first wash, the couple opened Georgia’s first ever express car wash in Riverdale.

Though it didn’t happen overnight, their first express wash in Riverdale would evolve into one of the nation’s fastest-growing car wash companies, Tidal Wave Auto Spa.

FAMILY FIRST

Scott and Hope met in high school in the small town of Thomaston, Georgia. After Scott completed his degree at Georgia Tech, they returned to their hometown to start a family. In 1991, the couple welcomed their child, Justis, who was born prematurely and diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Knowing that Justis would require a lifetime of specialized care, Hope and Scott looked for opportunities that could provide the resources to support a rewarding life for Justis. At that time, self-service car washes seemed a reliable way to provide that security. They had no idea that with their inspiration and tireless efforts the business would evolve into the remarkable enterprise it is today.

Many family members joined the business in the early days of the company, and family has always been at the heart of Tidal Wave. Through hard work, smart business sense, and a dash of luck, the family found success and grew the single Riverdale wash to 13 locations in 2008 in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina

Hometown Heroes

As long-time residents, the Blackstocks were keenly aware of economic challenges facing Thomaston. Like many small towns in the South, Thomaston had once been home to busy textile mills that employed mostly local residents. However, those mills had long since closed, leaving the town’s economy searching for new ways to find prosperity.

Scott and Hope knew they needed to grow the business to take care of their family, but they also wanted to take care of the people of Thomaston and bring opportunity to the community. Despite recommendations from consultants to relocate Tidal Wave to Atlanta, Scott and Hope committed to doing their part to rebuild the economy of their beloved hometown and kept the company rooted in Thomaston – providing jobs for hundreds of residents.

Building a Better Car Wash

As they began expanding, Hope knew what mattered to customers: convenient, attractive, and clean locations. Her top priority was to make sure women would feel comfortable at Tidal Wave, so she made sure each location was safe, clean, and secure.

While Hope took care of property acquisition and management, Scott leveraged his engineering experience to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of existing car wash designs. His advanced, well-engineered version of the express car wash would become the Tidal Wave signature model and quickly gained the loyalty of customers at each Tidal Wave location.

Family-Friendly Culture

Tidal Wave Auto Spa’s company culture can be described in one word: FAMILY. Just as family had been the motivation for starting the business, a strong commitment to a family-like atmosphere and family-friendly policies are what make the company special, make people want to work here, and make people want to stay here.

As the company has grown to over 2,500 employees, it has remained committed to keeping the small, family feel. In 2022, after several years of accelerated growth, the company created a dedicated Company Culture Department tasked with keeping their culture alive throughout all corners of their footprint.

Always Giving Back

As the company has evolved, the commitment to giving back has not wavered and has been a core value of the culture. Since its founding, Tidal Wave has actively supported causes serving individuals with special needs, in honor and support of Hope and Scott’s son, Justis.

In 2009, the company initiated its annual Charity Day, during which 100 percent of all wash gross revenues are donated to charities. To date, Tidal Wave’s Charity Day has raised over $1,000,000 in donations benefiting communities across the country.

Today and Tomorrow

Today, the company has grown to over 275+ locations in 28 states. Tidal Wave’s success is driven by the company’s promise to deliver cutting-edge car care technology and a pristine customer experience. The company has been consecutively recognized as one of the top 5 conveyor car washes and was included in the 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 Inc. 5000 list for America’s Fastest Growing Companies.

What tomorrow holds is easy: more of the same. More growth, more giving, more family, more hard work, more sparkling clean cars, and more satisfied, loyal Tidal Wave customers throughout the country.

FAMILY FIRST

Scott and Hope met in high school in the small town of Thomaston, Georgia. After Scott completed his degree at Georgia Tech, they returned to their hometown to start a family. In 1991, the couple welcomed their child, Justis, who was born prematurely and diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Knowing that Justis would require a lifetime of specialized care, Hope and Scott looked for opportunities that could provide the resources to support a rewarding life for Justis. At that time, self-service car washes seemed a reliable way to provide that security. They had no idea that with their inspiration and tireless efforts the business would evolve into the remarkable enterprise it is today.

Many family members joined the business in the early days of the company, and family has always been at the heart of Tidal Wave. Through hard work, smart business sense, and a dash of luck, the family found success and grew the single Riverdale wash to 13 locations in 2008 in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina

Hometown Heroes

As long-time residents, the Blackstocks were keenly aware of economic challenges facing Thomaston. Like many small towns in the South, Thomaston had once been home to busy textile mills that employed mostly local residents. However, those mills had long since closed, leaving the town’s economy searching for new ways to find prosperity.

Scott and Hope knew they needed to grow the business to take care of their family, but they also wanted to take care of the people of Thomaston and bring opportunity to the community. Despite recommendations from consultants to relocate Tidal Wave to Atlanta, Scott and Hope committed to doing their part to rebuild the economy of their beloved hometown and kept the company rooted in Thomaston – providing jobs for hundreds of residents.

Building a Better Car Wash

As they began expanding, Hope knew what mattered to customers: convenient, attractive, and clean locations. Her top priority was to make sure women would feel comfortable at Tidal Wave, so she made sure each location was safe, clean, and secure.

While Hope took care of property acquisition and management, Scott leveraged his engineering experience to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of existing car wash designs. His advanced, well-engineered version of the express car wash would become the Tidal Wave signature model and quickly gained the loyalty of customers at each Tidal Wave location.

Family-Friendly Culture

Tidal Wave Auto Spa’s company culture can be described in one word: FAMILY. Just as family had been the motivation for starting the business, a strong commitment to a family-like atmosphere and family-friendly policies are what make the company special, make people want to work here, and make people want to stay here.

As the company has grown to over 2,500 employees, it has remained committed to keeping the small, family feel. In 2022, after several years of accelerated growth, the company created a dedicated Company Culture Department tasked with keeping their culture alive throughout all corners of their footprint.

Always Giving Back

As the company has evolved, the commitment to giving back has not wavered and has been a core value of the culture. Since its founding, Tidal Wave has actively supported causes serving individuals with special needs, in honor and support of Hope and Scott’s son, Justis.

In 2009, the company initiated its annual Charity Day, during which 100 percent of all wash gross revenues are donated to charities. To date, Tidal Wave’s Charity Day has raised over $1,000,000 in donations benefiting communities across the country.

Today and Tomorrow

Today, the company has grown to over 275+ locations in 28 states. Tidal Wave’s success is driven by the company’s promise to deliver cutting-edge car care technology and a pristine customer experience. The company has been consecutively recognized as one of the top 5 conveyor car washes and was included in the 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 Inc. 5000 list for America’s Fastest Growing Companies.

What tomorrow holds is easy: more of the same. More growth, more giving, more family, more hard work, more sparkling clean cars, and more satisfied, loyal Tidal Wave customers throughout the country.