Meet the Amplify Team

Bill Martin – Partner

Bill Martin is a founding partner of Amplify Car Wash Advisors. In addition, Bill is the current owner and operator of Metro Express Car Wash, where his expertise lies in his demonstrated ability to extract the most value per location. Bill served as past president of the International Car Wash Association and was a 2012 inductee of the ICA Car Wash Hall of Fame. Since 1969, Bill has been involved with building and exiting successful branded chains, such as Rain Tunnel Car Wash and Nu Look Car Wash. He was also one of the original founders of Car Wash Partners, which later rebranded as Mister Car Wash. By having Bill at the helm alongside Jeff Pavone, Amplify Car Wash Advisors is able to leverage Bill’s adept knowledge of car wash operations to advise clients on operational strategy with the explicit goal of maximizing business value.

Jeff Pavone – Partner

A lifelong entrepreneur, Jeff Pavone is the owner of Commercial Plus Group and a founding partner of Amplify Car Wash Advisors. Under Jeff’s leadership, Commercial Plus quickly scaled to a market leader at the forefront of M&A advisory, real estate brokerage, and financing for the car wash industry, completing complex transactions for some of the most well-known and widely respected car wash chains in the country. Leveraging his longstanding relationships with owners and operators, Jeff partnered with car wash veteran Bill Martin in early 2020 to launch Amplify Car Wash Advisors, which builds off the Commercial Plus foundation to address the evolving needs of car wash owners and operators. Outside of providing advisory services on a nationwide scale, Jeff is also a real estate investor. Prior to Commercial Plus, he was the Co-Founder of Law.com and Founder of Medical.com and National Law Resource.

Chris Jenks, CFA – Chief Operating Officer

Chris Jenks joined Amplify Car Wash Advisors as chief operating officer in 2022 bringing a strong background in investment management. With more than 16 years of experience in quantitative investing, he served as director of quantitative equities at BMO Global Asset Management where he was part of an investment team responsible for more than $16 billion in assets under management. While there, Chris developed an interest in the car wash industry due to the emerging applications of data and analytics. Chris is also the owner of Driven Car Wash, a growing express car wash chain in the Chicagoland area. Prior to BMO Global, Chris served as director of research at Embree Financial Group and as vice president and senior investment strategist at Northern Trust Global Investments. Chris holds a Bachelor of Science in finance and marketing from DePaul University and is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Chicago.

Lanese Barnett – Senior VP of Business Development

Lanese Barnett brings more than a decade of experience in the car wash industry specializing in brand management, marketing, and corporate communication. Previously working on the operator side, Barnett has a deep knowledge of what it takes to run a successful multi-site car wash operation. “The car wash industry is dynamic and evolving at a rapid pace. This is an exciting time to be involved and help car wash owners continue to grow.” She is a current director on the Southwest Car Wash Association Board. Prior to joining the car wash industry, she was an account executive at a marketing communications agency in Dallas. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in communication studies from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.

Dave Hail – Managing Partner, Amplify Growth Partners

Dave joined Amplify Growth Partners as Managing Partner and continues the firm’s mission of maximizing value for its clients through improvement in operations. Dave is the former Senior Vice President of store development at Mister Car Wash, Inc.​ Dave began his career with Octopus Car Wash in 1978, where he gained more than a decade of valuable operations management experience. He then worked with Blue Coral/Ecolab as a manager of dispensing and applications. In 2002, Dave joined Mister Car Wash, where he assumed many leadership roles during his 20 years with the company, including managing store operations, facility management, research and development, and safety/environmental. In his most recent position as senior vice president of store development, Dave oversaw the ramp-up of new store and store development.

Paul Sigfusson – Head of Capital Solutions

Paul joined Amplify as Head of Capital Solutions in November 2022 after spending the past 15 years in investment banking and private equity. Paul was most recently a Director on the KKR Private Equity team as a member of the Consumer industry team. Prior to that he was a member of the KKR Capital Markets team supporting KKR and third-party investors on capital markets solutions. He played a role in KKR’s investments in First Data, Dollar General, Academy Sports + Outdoors, The Bay Club, Fleet Farm, National Vision, 1-800 Contacts, among others. Prior to joining KKR in 2011, he was with Deutsche Bank Securities in the industrials and transportation investment banking group, where he was involved in a number of corporate advisory, debt and equity transactions. Paul earned a Bachelor of Science from Indiana University.

James Morgan – Head of Investment Banking, Managing Director

James joined Amplify as Head of Investment Banking in July 2023 after spending 15 years providing M&A and investment banking services to companies in the Consumer and Transportation industries. James brings a long track record of delivering successful outcomes for strategic and financial sponsor clients through a combination of extensive deal execution experience, strong client relationships and creative thought leadership. Most recently James was a Director in BNP Paribas’s Consumer Investment Banking team in New York, where he primarily focused on domestic and cross-border M&A transactions across a range of verticals and deal sizes. Prior to joining BNP Paribas in 2013, James was a member of Deutsche Bank’s Global Industrials Group in New York, where he executed a variety of M&A and debt and equity capital markets transactions in the Automotive and Aviation sectors. Before starting his career on Wall Street, James spent 5 years in a variety of roles at the Northern Trust Company in Chicago. [Based in Westport, CT,] James earned his Bachelor of Arts from Franklin & Marshall College and his MBA from NYU Stern.

Colton Rodgers – VP of M&A

Colton Rodgers joins the Amplify Car Wash Advisors team with a strong mergers and acquisitions background, working specifically in the car wash industry for the last several years. Before joining the Amplify team, Colton was the director of development and acquisitions for True Blue Car Wash, where he grew the True Blue brand from seven car washes to 70 in just 18 months. Prior to True Blue, Colton worked for GO Car Wash developing the entire mergers and acquisitions process from what was at the time a startup company to one of the fastest growing platforms in the space, which now has more than 100 locations across several states. Colton attributes his career success to building personal relationships with car wash owners first, then focusing on deal structures that cater to their needs. Colton calls Gilbert, Arizona home where he actively serves his community by working with his church to provide services to senior organizations and as a coach for a Special Olympics basketball team. Colton is also fluent in Spanish and donates his time as a translator for a charitable organization in the Dominican Republic providing free dental work to those in need.

Jeff Fazio – VP of M&A Southeast Region

Jeff Fazio joined Amplify Car Wash Advisors with a mission to be an advocate for car wash owners drawing on his family’s 70+ years in the industry. Jeff is a 4th generation car washer with more than 20 years of professional experience. Jeff’s grandfather, Sonny Fazio, founded Sonny’s Enterprises which is now the largest car wash equipment manufacturer in the world. In 2002 Jeff joined Sonny’s in Tunnel Equipment Sales as a Regional Sales Manager, National Sales Manager, and Director of Inside Sales. After participating in more than 200 car wash projects, Jeff transitioned to an operator role in 2014 and ran two high-volume locations in South Florida. His locations were acquired by Luv Car Wash in 2021. Jeff is a graduate of Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, Virginia and resides in sunny South Florida with his wife and daughter.

Harris Ho – Senior Analyst

Harris joined the Commercial Plus/Amplify Car Wash Advisors team in 2017, having previously completed successful mergers and acquisitions analyst internships with Amplify Car Wash Advisors, and Dinan and Company. Harris’s experience encompasses private investment banking, as well as transaction exposure spanning a variety of sectors, including consumer, aerospace and defense, and general industrials among others. Harris earned a Bachelor of Science in finance from Arizona State University.

Stanley Cai – Analyst

Stanley Cai joined Amplify full-time in 2022 after the completion of a year- round internship with the firm. Prior to Amplify, Stanley worked on acquisitions in the self-storage space. Additionally, he is well-versed in macroeconomic analysis with a concentration on global and domestic trade. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.

Chris Niro – VP of Business and Legal Affairs

Chris Niro joins Amplify Car Wash Advisors as vice president of business and legal affairs. As an intellectual property and business attorney, Chris brings a strong background in complex commercial transactions, corporate formation and governance, and brand development (intellectual property) experience to the team. He has worked with clients across multiple industries in connection with commercial transactions, intellectual property development, and corporate management, including his work with individuals and entrepreneurs, and mid- market companies. Chris has appeared in federal and state courts around the country in commercial and intellectual property matters and has been recognized as a Rising Star in Intellectual Property Litigation by Illinois Super Lawyers. Chris is a graduate of DePaul University College of Law and is admitted to practice in Illinois, before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and 7th Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Christopher has represented clients nationwide in federal courts.

Brandon Reuter – Business Analyst

Brandon Reuter joins Amplify Car Wash Advisors as a business analyst. Prior to joining the team, Brandon worked as an information technology expert for Microsoft Corporation, giving him valuable knowledge of business systems and analytics. Brandon was also a corporate trainer for Landry’s luxury restaurant concept, Mastro’s Ocean Club, where he helped create and implement curriculum championing corporate standards and business efficiency.

Denise Hong – Marketing Manager

A true marketing and design enthusiast at heart, Denise joined Amplify Car Wash Advisors as Marketing Manager in 2023. Coming from a diverse field of industries, Denise brings experience and expertise from a variety of sectors, from nonprofits, to agencies, to technology, and more. Having worked with different types of companies and teams, she’s cultivated and sharpened her marketing skills with focus on digital marketing, graphic design, and content production. Passionate about design since she was a kid, Denise believes marketing and design go hand in hand, and the best marketing is one that uses the power of stories to evoke emotion. Denise is a lifelong learner, constantly curious and exploring new marketing strategies and design trends. She is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles and very much enjoys the sunny weather in Southern SoCal.

Chris LoVerde – VP of Finance

Chris LoVerde joins Amplify Car Wash Advisors as Vice President of Finance. Chris brings 15 years of experience founded in public accounting, he then shifted to the corporate realm having worked across a broad array of industries and company sizes, from multi-billion dollar industrial conglomerates to software startups . Chris has spent the last several years scaling out finance departments within emerging growth organizations, most recently serving as Vice President of Finance with Curaleaf. During this tenure, Chris oversaw the merger of Grassroots Cannabis into Curaleaf and his region’s growth from a $70M in annual revenues to $440M. Chris understands the importance of having timely financial data with integrity and strives for his team to deliver on this foundation every day. Chris holds a Master of Accounting Science and Bachelor of Science in Finance from Northern Illinois University and is also a Certified Public Accountant.

Blake Cumbie – Staff Accountant

Blake Cumbie joins Amplify Car Wash Advisors as a Staff Accountant. Blake most recently served as a General Ledger Accounting Analyst at Circle K, where he managed B2B transactions, reconciliations, and journal entries. He also owned the check and cash processing system for all North American stores and offices. As part of the GL team, he was often the point person for coordinating cross-functional projects and collaborating with various departments. Originally from Texas, Blake has Bachelor of Science degrees in Finance and Political Science from Arizona State University. He is passionate about sports and has experience as an Account Success Manager at Professional Sports Publications where he enjoys creating tailored strategies for clients and identifying mutually beneficial synergies.

Kaitlyn Fry – Bookkeeper

Kaitlyn was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona and just recently graduated from Northern Arizona University with a degree in Business Management. She began her career in the restaurant and catering industries as she attended college. However, after graduating she learned that she did enjoy accounting and wanted to pursue a career in that which led her to Commercial Plus in 2023. When she is not working, she is often with her dog, on an adventure outdoors, or creating art. She plans to continue her career for many years here.

Jet Brite Car Wash

With decades of hands-on experience as operators, when it came time to sell our car wash business who we sold to was important to Sam and me. Chris [Jenks] and the team at Amplify listened to us throughout the entire process. They found the right buyer in ZIPS who would be a good steward of the brand and helped find the best path forward for us where we can continue pursuing our passion for manufacturing high-quality car wash equipment.  

Jet Brite Car Wash  
Dave Delesandro  | Founder

Ducky’s Express

I have been a multi-site developer and operator in the car wash industry for over 30 years. Four years ago, a partner’s health concern forced me to sell a portion of my portfolio, and during that process, I was introduced to Jeff Pavone of Commercial Plus. I was immediately impressed with Jeff’s knowledge of my industry and his volume of successful deal closings. In a very short period of time, Jeff found the right buyer at a very fair price, and the transaction closed shortly thereafter. I was looking for a team with honesty, integrity, and a proven track record of success, and I found all of that in Jeff.

Ducky’s Express
Richard Miller

Trademark Car Wash

These are some of the most exciting times for car wash owners. As we grew 350% in revenue in just one year, we recognized the time to partner up with a top-tier team that has mastered growth in retail and specifically the automotive industry. Amplify Car Wash Advisors had helped us acquire, raise capital, and was the perfect partner to help us reach this next chapter of the Trademark story.

Trademark Car Wash
Andrew Goldberger

Quick N’ Clean

My relationship with Commercial Plus over the past 20 years has been a very professional and trustworthy relationship. The feel of trust is very important in this business, and Jeff Pavone and his staff have exhibited a level of trust that makes me continue to feel that they have my best interest front of mind. I deal with many brokers across the nation, and my best experiences and results have been achieved with Commercial Plus representation.

Quick N’ Clean
Richard Karle | Owner

Zips

It’s been a great experience working with Amplify Car Wash Advisors to bring these sites into the ZIPS portfolio. We look forward to serving Dallas area customers with an enhanced car wash experience unique to ZIPS, with the added benefit of our extensive network of stores. This year we have continued our aggressive growth track with the goal to truly shine in our efforts to be the best express car wash provider in the industry and it’s acquisitions like this that help us reach our goals.

Zips
Gene Dinkens | CEO

ModWash

It was truly a pleasure to work with the Amplify team on our most recent acquisition of three additional operating locations in our home state of Tennessee. Their team provided great support and ensured a timely and seamless closing process, and we are excited for the additional growth opportunities this relationship will produce in our near future. We know this is the first of many transactions we will successfully complete with the Amplify team as we grow from our current operating store count of 23 to well over 200 locations across 14 states in the next two years.

ModWash
Brian Thornton | COO

Busy Bee Car Wash

For years I’ve talked to a lot of brokers with the same goal; sell your car wash chain as quickly as possible. But I chose to work with Amplify because they were interested and invested in the emotional side of selling my business and truly value long-term relationships. They weren’t forcing me to take a deal just to take a deal. They listened to my concerns and goals then educated me on all my options. And that’s how I decided on the right partner for my chain specifically. I went to bed at night after I signed the papers knowing I got the best deal possible versus just having any deal put in front of me that is only about money.

Busy Bee Car Wash
Jim Mulholland | Owner

Q Car Wash

We really appreciate Jeff and his entire team at Amplify. Their expertise and deep industry knowledge helped us navigate our options and best showcase our strengths to maximize our value. Caliber is a good fit for Q Car Wash as they look to expand in North Texas.

Q Car Wash
Viran Nana | COO

Cobblestone Auto Spa

I have known both Jeff and Bill for over thirty years combined, and respect them both as experts in our professional car washing industry. Their unique and individual strengths bring very strong talent and advice to operators, sellers, and buyers with sharp knowledge, client’s best interest in mind, and an actual personal touch. They hold the expertise and performance track record to hold a very high level of respect within this rapidly-changing car wash industry.

Cobblestone Auto Spa
Tuck Bettin | CEO

Oasis Car Wash

Turning over a business you started from one shovel of dirt 25 years ago and grew to several locations is a difficult and even uncomfortable process. So, when it came time for Larry and me to sell, we chose Amplify Car Wash Advisors to guide us through the process because of their strong reputation and thought leadership in the industry. Their team was professional and did a great job walking us through each step.

Oasis Car Wash
Dallas Hawkins | Partner

Busy Bee Car Wash

Selling our business after 52 years is big deal and certainly not a decision I took lightly, turning over our family legacy was an emotional process and I appreciated that the team at Amplify respected that. They helped me understand my options and found the best deal for me.

Busy Bee Car Wash
Jim Mulholland | Owner

Subscribe To Car Wash M&A, The Newsletter