Franchise Equity Partners (FEP) has signed an agreement to acquire IMO Car Wash, the world’s largest tunnel car wash operator, from Driven Brands. The deal includes IMO’s full portfolio of 720 locations across the United Kingdom, Germany, nine additional European countries, and Australia, marking FEP’s first international acquisition.
Founded 60 years ago, IMO Car Wash is one of the most widely recognized names in the global car wash industry, operating a high-volume, diversified footprint supported by a management team with decades of experience in the sector. The brand serves millions of customers annually and maintains long-standing retail partnerships across Europe.
FEP said the acquisition aligns with its strategy of partnering with category-leading multi-unit operators in resilient retail sectors. Under FEP’s ownership, IMO plans to focus on driving wash volume growth, enhancing customer experience and further leveraging its retail host relationships throughout the UK and EU.
The firm said it views IMO as a defensible market leader with strong name recognition, an established customer base and meaningful room for operational optimization. FEP co-managing partners noted that the transaction provides a foundation for expanding the firm’s multi-unit retail presence beyond the United States.
IMO Car Wash leadership said the partnership will support ongoing operational improvements and unlock additional value across the network as the company works to strengthen its market position.
KEY QUOTES:
“We believe IMO represents a rare opportunity to acquire a market-leading, long-standing brand with a highly defensible footprint and a strong operating team. Our goal is to help optimize and enhance performance across the existing portfolio. With IMO’s established customer base, retail partnerships, and experienced leadership, we see significant opportunity to drive organic growth and continue strengthening the brand.”
Scott Romanoff, Co-Managing Partner, Franchise Equity Partners
“Our investment in IMO is FEP’s inaugural transaction outside the United States. We believe this represents the ideal foundation to expand our strong multi-unit retail presence in the United States to the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond.”
Mike Esposito, Co-Managing Partner, Franchise Equity Partners
“This marks an important milestone for IMO Car Wash. FEP understands both the heritage and the potential of our brand. Their long-term approach, commitment to operational excellence, and deep experience in multi-unit business models make them an ideal partner as we focus on unlocking more value from our existing network. We look forward to working with FEP to strengthen our market position and continue serving our customers.”
Adam Green, President, IMO Car Wash
