AquaShine Express to Open 12th Location in Winter Haven, Florida on Dec. 4

Continued growth for the express car wash brand inside QC Capital Group's operator-led car care platform, with the new site opening as a stand-alone express wash

WINTER HAVEN, Fla., Oct. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AquaShine Express, the express car wash brand operated by QC Capital Group, LLC, today announced plans to open its 12th location on Friday, December 4, 2026, at 6990 Eloise Loop in Winter Haven. The new site becomes the latest addition to a portfolio that has grown to 11 active express wash locations across Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.

Winter Haven holds a special place in the AquaShine Express story: this will be the brand's second location in the city, following a grand opening this past August, and both Winter Haven sites are developments owned and built by QC Capital itself. The company chose to return to Winter Haven in part because of the area's trajectory — the Lakeland-Winter Haven metro ranked fourth in the nation for percentage population growth from 2024 to 2025, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures, and Polk County's population is now projected to surpass one million residents by 2030. The new location will operate as a stand-alone express wash.

To celebrate the opening, AquaShine Express will offer free car washes to every customer from November 9 through December 6.

"Every new site is a promise we make to a community, and we take it seriously because we are the ones standing behind it," said Chris Salerno, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of QC Capital Group. "We grow when the operations, the team, and the site economics all say the same thing. That is how AquaShine Express reached twelve, and it is how the next sites will get built."

"We learned a lot from the first Winter Haven site, and this new location benefits from all of it. The team is already being hired and trained, and we're ready to show this community what a winter full of clean cars looks like." said Chris Stevens, Vice President of Operations for AquaShine Express and Cruz Express Oil. Stevens oversees operations across all AquaShine Express and Cruz Express Oil locations and is leading hiring and site readiness for the Winter Haven opening.

The expansion reflects the operator-led model behind QC Capital's car care platform, which pairs AquaShine Express express car washes with Cruz Express Oil quick-lube centers across the platform's car care operations. The platform expanded into quick-lube with the launch of the Cruz Express Oil brand, announced in September, with rebranded sites now serving customers in Duluth and Alpharetta, Georgia.

The 12th AquaShine Express location is scheduled to open on Friday, December 4, 2026, with hiring for the new site to begin in advance of opening.

About AquaShine Express

AquaShine Express is a growing express car wash platform owned and operated by QC Capital Group, with 11 active locations across Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina and a 12th location at 6990 Eloise Loop in Winter Haven, Florida opening December 4, 2026. AquaShine Express operates a shorter-tunnel express format built around unlimited membership plans, family plans, and fleet programs. Learn more at aquashineexpress.com

QC Capital Group, LLC is a Charlotte, North Carolina based private equity and alternative investment firm founded in 2018. The firm acquires, builds, and operates real assets and operating businesses for accredited investors, with active portfolios across car care, flex industrial real estate, business and commercial real estate credit, healthcare, and venture partnerships. QC Capital’s strategies pair real estate ownership with the operating businesses that occupy it, with the objective of producing tax-efficient current income alongside long-term capital appreciation. The firm is led by Founder and Chief Executive Officer Chris Salerno, a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and a Charlotte Business Journal Most Admired CEO. QC Capital Group is an independent firm and is not affiliated with QC Holdings, QC Capital Management, QC Capital Partners, or QC Home Buyers. Learn more at qccapitalgroup.com

Amy Tuck
Vice President of Marketing
QC Capital Group
(704) 281.8580
qccapitalgroup.com

Important Disclosures

This announcement is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Any such offer is made only to accredited investors, as defined under Rule 501 of Regulation D, and only by means of a confidential private placement memorandum and related offering documents, which should be read in their entirety. Private investments are speculative, illiquid, and involve substantial risk, including the possible loss of principal. Past performance is not indicative of future results, and the performance of any individual location or platform is not indicative of fund-level results.

Statements regarding development timelines and scheduled openings are forward-looking and subject to construction, permitting, financing, and market risks that could cause actual outcomes to differ materially.