Episode 259: A tale of two halves: 2025 carwash M&A with Jeff Pavone

In this episode of Wash Talk: The Carwash Podcast, host Rich DiPaolo welcomes back Jeff Pavone, founding partner at Amplify Capital Group, for a candid and timely look at the state of carwash mergers and acquisitions heading into 2026. Pavone breaks down the major forces shaping today’s deal environment, from shifting buyer motivation to evolving private equity strategies, offering operators and investors a clear view of where opportunities are emerging. He shares his reactions to Professional Carwashing & Detailing’s 2025 Top 50 List of U.S. Conveyor Carwashes and explains what early-year signals informed his market outlook for 2025. Pavone also discusses whether Q3 and Q4 activity matched expectations as the industry continues to navigate tighter capital, rising costs and regional variance in performance. The conversation digs into what’s driving heightened buyer urgency, how private equity’s appetite for carwash assets has evolved and what the industry can expect from sponsors in 2026. Pavone also weighs in on the long-debated question: will the industry ever see a 1,000-location operator? The episode wraps with Pavone’s takeaways from Mister Car Wash’s experience as a public company, the likelihood of future IPOs and the market developments in 2026 that would surprise him most, and least. Whether you’re planning a sale, evaluating growth markets or watching broader capital trends, this episode delivers essential insight into the year ahead for carwash M&A.