International Carwash Association

What International Carwash Association does

The International Carwash Association (ICA) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association founded in 1955 and headquartered in Wheaton, Illinois, representing the retail and supplier segment of the professional car wash industry. ICA serves as the industry's central membership body, offering Individual Memberships at $120/year and a Corporate Supporter program (10+ seats at a 20% discount) for larger operator teams. Its product portfolio is organized around three pillars: knowledge and training (LEAD Training, CAR WASH Magazine, CAR WASH News, CAR WASH Pulse, and CAR WASH Exchange), live events (The Car Wash Show in Nashville, Car Wash Show Australia, and Car Wash Show Europe), and partner discovery (the Champions Partner Directory).

ICA's core technology is primarily content and event delivery rather than proprietary software. The underlying stack relies on third-party providers: HubSpot for CRM and marketing automation, Ionos for web hosting, Stripe for payment processing, and Learner Mobile as the platform powering the LEAD Training product. The 2026 Car Wash Show set a record with 455 exhibitors across 205,000+ square feet and over 9,000 attendees from all 50 US states and 43 countries, with 90% of attendees identified as decision-makers and 80%+ of the industry's Top 100 operators represented. Revenue is generated through member subscriptions, event exhibitor and registration fees, advertising and sponsorships, and the LEAD Training platform. ICA is led by CEO Eric Wulf and 2026 Board Chair Mandi Brower, and counts enterprise operators such as Autobell, Summit Wash Holdings, ZIPS Car Wash, WOW Carwash, Quick Quack, and Kwik Trip among its Corporate Supporters.

Name

International Carwash Association

Legal name

International Carwash Association

Website

https://carwash.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The International Carwash Association is a non-profit trade association founded in 1955 that serves the professional car wash industry through memberships ($120/year individual), quarterly research and publications, the LEAD training platform, and flagship events including The Car Wash Show (9,000+ attendees, 455 exhibitors in 2026) across the US, Australia, and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

NAICS

Car Washes (811192), Drycleaning and Laundry Services (8123)

SIC

Specialty Cleaning, Polishing And Sanitation Preparations (2842), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Fleet/Vehicle & Equipment Exterior Washing (Residential/Light Commercial) (HSAEAMAL)

Keywords

• Trade association services
• Car wash industry training
• Professional association membership
• Industry event management
• Trade publication services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership subscription at $120/year providing access to CAR WASH Magazine (quarterly print edition), CAR WASH Pulse (quarterly digital insights), digital content access, and member benefits.
2. Corporate Supporter Program: Organization-level membership for teams of 10+ at 20% discount, providing bulk subscriptions to CAR WASH Magazine and CAR WASH Pulse on a single invoice with added perks including 10% off The Car Wash Show registration and priority meeting room booking.
3. The Car Wash Show Event Revenue: Annual trade show generating revenue through exhibitor booth fees (455 exhibitors in 2026), attendee registration, sponsorships, and event-related services. The 2026 show covered over 205,000 square feet.
4. LEAD Training: Fee-based training programs for car wash operators utilizing the LEAD platform, with over 8,000 learners utilizing customizable training content.
5. Advertising & Sponsorship: Advertising opportunities across ICA's digital platforms, publications, and events for suppliers and service providers seeking visibility with car wash operators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The International Carwash Association is a nonprofit trade association that sells annual memberships, industry research publications, training programs, and live event registrations to professional car wash operators and suppliers. Its core commercial offerings include Individual Membership ($120/year), a Corporate Supporter program for teams of 10+, LEAD Training (an online team training platform), CAR WASH Pulse quarterly research, CAR WASH Magazine, and The Car Wash Show — its flagship annual trade show.

Product overview

The International Carwash Association (ICA) offers a suite of industry-facing products organized around three core pillars: knowledge and training (LEAD Training, CAR WASH Magazine, CAR WASH News, CAR WASH Pulse, and CAR WASH Exchange), live events (The Car Wash Show, Car Wash Show Australia, and Car Wash Show Europe), and membership programs (Individual and Corporate memberships). LEAD Training serves as the primary digital training platform, while CAR WASH Magazine and CAR WASH Pulse provide editorial and research content. CAR WASH Exchange extends this through video-based peer conversations. The flagship event, The Car Wash Show, anchors ICA's in-person offerings alongside regional shows in Australia and Europe. ICA operates on an annual Individual Membership model ($120/year) and a Corporate Supporter program for teams of 10+. ICA also spotlights supplier partners through its Champions Corner and Champions Partner Directory programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CAR WASH Magazine: The industry's flagship publication delivered quarterly to members, covering news, practical strategies and ideas from across the car wash world.
• CAR WASH Pulse
• LEAD Training
• CAR WASH Exchange
• The Car Wash Show

Products and services

• LEAD Training A scalable, customizable online training platform for car wash operators and their teams, powered by Learner Mobile, offering on-demand courses across operations, safety, and business management topics. Used by over 8,000 learners.
• CAR WASH Magazine The professional car wash industry's flagship quarterly publication covering news, practical strategies, and trends from across the global car wash sector, delivered in print to members and available digitally on carwash.org.
• CAR WASH News (Weekly Newsletter) A free weekly email newsletter delivering the latest headlines, industry developments, and news notes directly to car wash professionals to keep them current on industry trends.
• CAR WASH Pulse ICA's quarterly in-house research hub providing consumer trends, market insights, performance benchmarking, industry sentiment, growth projections, and customer behavior analytics to enable smarter business decisions. Exclusive to ICA members.
• CAR WASH Exchange A video and podcast series featuring conversations with industry leaders and innovators covering technology, customer experience, marketing, culture, and operational strategies for car wash operators.
• The Car Wash Show ICA's flagship annual trade show held in North America (2026 edition in Nashville, TN, May 11-13, 2026), attracting nearly 10,000 attendees and 455 exhibitors across 205,000+ square feet of exhibition space, featuring 60+ hours of education across 6 tracks, networking, and featured speakers.
• Car Wash Show Australia Australia's largest car wash exhibition held biennially (2026 edition October 13-15, 2026 in Adelaide), organized with ICA branding and support, bringing together operators and suppliers from across Australia and the broader region.
• Car Wash Show Europe A European edition of ICA's signature car wash trade show bringing together operators and suppliers from across Europe for exhibitions, education, and networking.
• ICA Individual Membership Annual individual membership priced at $120/year providing access to CAR WASH Magazine (quarterly print edition), CAR WASH Pulse (quarterly digital insights), digital content access on carwash.org, and member benefits.
• ICA Corporate Supporter Program Organizational membership tier for teams of 10 or more members at a 20% discount on a single invoice, providing bulk subscriptions to CAR WASH Magazine and CAR WASH Pulse plus added perks including 10% off The Car Wash Show registration, priority meeting room booking, and group registration assistance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Membership subscriptions capable of generating up to 80% of site revenue for car wash operators
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• HubSpotcoreTechnology or IntegrationHubSpot serves as ICA's data hosting services provider. ICA shares user data, including Personal Information, with HubSpot for the purposes of processing data pursuant to member use of ICA's services and platforms.
• IonoscoreTechnology or IntegrationIonos provides web hosting services for ICA's website and online platforms. ICA shares user data with Ionos for website hosting purposes.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationStripe handles payment processing for ICA membership subscriptions and event registrations. ICA does not collect credit card information directly; Stripe processes payments on behalf of ICA with users subject to Stripe's privacy policy.
• Learner MobilecoreTechnology or IntegrationLearner Mobile powers the LEAD Training platform used by ICA to deliver customizable training content to car wash operators. The platform enables scalable, engaging training for team development.
• DRBmajorTechnology or IntegrationDRB is a Champions Partner providing point-of-sale technology, CRM, analytics, and operational insights to car wash operators. Featured in ICA's Champions Partner Directory and educational content about technology integration strategies.
• AVW EquipmentmajorTechnology or IntegrationAVW Equipment is a Champions Partner and family-owned manufacturer of car wash equipment including stainless steel dual belt conveyors. Featured in ICA content about equipment retrofitting and modernization strategies.
• Qual ChemmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQual Chem is a Champions Partner providing customized chemical solutions to car wash operators. Offers innovation, custom-curated chemical lines, personalized training, dedicated account coordinators, and marketing assistance. Founded by operators for operators.
• National Car Wash SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with ICA on Pulse Intelligence study examining branded chemistry impact on customer behavior. Featured in Car Wash Exchange Episode 5 exploring how Armor All, Rain-X, and Black Magic chemistry branding affects wash selection and pricing.
• Summit Wash Holdings / Russell Speeder'smajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate Supporter member and parent company of Speeders Car Wash. Formed through partnership with Russell Speeder's Car Wash (founded 1963) to create a major car wash platform. Featured in ICA case study on rapid New Jersey expansion growing from zero to 22 locations in under a year.
• Mr. Wash AGmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean car wash operator led by ICA Hall of Fame inductee Richard Enning. Nearly 40 locations across Germany with more than 2,100 employees. Enning served as ICA's first European president in 2019.
• CJ's Car WashminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Jersey operator with 11 established, high-volume locations acquired by Summit Wash Holdings. Represents Summit's strategy of partnering with existing operators rather than just acquiring assets.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS): NACS is the trade association for the US convenience store industry, which is increasingly the largest single channel for car wash growth (Kwik Trip is a member of both NACS and ICA). It runs the NACS Show — a comparable flagship event plus category research, advocacy, and member services — making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Auto Care Association: Auto Care Association is the trade association for the automotive aftermarket, representing suppliers, distributors, and service providers. It runs AAPEX, one of the largest automotive aftermarket trade shows, and operates a similar member-publication-event-research model directly adjacent to car wash suppliers such as DRB and AVW.
• Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA): SEMA is the trade association for the automotive specialty equipment industry and runs the SEMA Show, one of the largest automotive trade events in North America. It is a closely analogous model of membership dues + flagship trade show + industry research + advocacy.
• National Restaurant Association: The National Restaurant Association runs the Restaurant Show (one of the largest US trade shows), the ServSafe training platform (comparable in concept to ICA's LEAD), and extensive industry research — a structurally identical membership + event + training + research model applied to foodservice.
• International Franchise Association (IFA): IFA represents franchising across the US economy, including many car wash franchise systems (Tommy's Express, ZIPS, and others are ICA members). It runs a major annual convention, member education/training programs, advocacy, and research — closely mirroring ICA's structure.
• American Cleaning Institute (ACI): ACI represents the US cleaning products industry, including manufacturers of detergents and chemicals used in car wash operations (Qual Chem and similar suppliers). It runs a member-services, research, and event model that overlaps with ICA's chemical-supplier Champions Partners.

Broad incumbents

• National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA): NADA represents franchised new-car dealers — a broader automotive industry trade body that operates a similar member-services-plus-flagship-convention model (NADA Show) and overlapping automotive supplier ecosystem.
• Consumer Technology Association (CTA): CTA owns and produces CES, the largest consumer electronics trade show globally, and represents a broad technology industry through membership, research, and advocacy. CTA is a larger, more generalist analog of ICA's trade-association-plus-flagship-event operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/carwashorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/carwashorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carwashorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Carwash Association