Neb. Operator Buys 12 Washes

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Jeff Ballenger, owner of Gorilla Car Wash and Jeff's Wash n' Glo, has purchased 12 Power Wash properties in Lincoln, Neb., The Daily Nonpareil reported Tuesday.

Power Wash is a good brand in Lincoln, and the former owners were good to work with, Ballenger said.

"An opportunity arose and we saw an opportunity to grow a little, and we're excited about the opportunity," he said.

The acquisition brings to 19 the number of carwashes Ballenger owns in Council Bluffs, Omaha and Lincoln. Four are in Council Bluffs and three are in Omaha, he said. The 12 new units will be renamed Gorilla Car Wash.
With the nation's attention turning to renewable fuels, Ballenger is "optimistic" about the economy in the upper Midwest, he said. And people generally have good feelings about carwashes.

"When people are there, they're generally in a good mood," he said. "People love their cars, and they like to keep them clean."

Ballenger and his wife, Cristy, opened the first Gorilla Car Wash in 1991. He bought Ballenger Automotive from his father, Bill, and uncle, Harold, in 1997 and converted it from a wholesale parts shop to a modern automotive service center. The business, at 125 W. Pierce St., has been in the family since 1926. The family will celebrate the shop's 80th anniversary in October.

Source: The Daily Nonpareil