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Quinn Allgood and Conner Atkin didn't set out to be car wash owners. They just knew they wanted to become businessmen, following the examples of their late fathers.
"We just wanted to be entrepreneurs," Allgood said. "We weren't set on what we wanted to do, so in 2012 we were told about an opportunity to buy a self-serve car wash and took a chance on it. It definitely wasn't on our radar."
That chance proved to be a good one as it led them to start the local Tagg-N-Go Car Wash brand in 2016. But they never could have guessed how much their little business would grow.
In the last four months, Tagg-N-Go has acquired two more locations — one in Richfield and one in Roy — and has finished construction on three new locations throughout the state, with more still to come.
Though the initial goal was to be everyone's favorite Utah car wash, Atkin says the business has evolved into so much more. Here's what makes their company different — and why they keep growing.
Doing more than washing cars
Tagg-N-Go is a homegrown organization. If you've seen any of their recent billboards, you may have read the tagline "Founded in Utah for YOUtah." You are the focus – the customer, the community, their family and their neighbors. During every meeting, the leadership team discusses how they can serve local communities and how they can improve their employees and the communities they serve.
"This is a platform for us to be able to make a difference in people's lives," Atkin said. "Whether that be teaching customer service skills, leadership or being involved in some way with the community, it all makes a difference."
Fast forward to 2022—this small Utah car wash is tied for No. 66 on the Top 100 Conveyor Car Washes list and is the largest privately held car wash in Utah. Having grown to 12 locations and over 275 employees spanning from Roy to Mesquite, Nevada, Allgood said this wasn't always the plan.
"Three always felt like the right number," he added. "However, along the way, we found a love and passion for people. And here we are now at 12 locations, with at least 15 more at some level of the planning stage. We are able to use the business for so much more than washing cars."
Providing growth opportunities
Tagg-N-Go has what they call a "purpose, cause, passion" statement, which is to "cultivate unity and inspire opportunity." This focus has helped set several employees up for long-term success with the company.
Human resources director Sara Slauf says, "Come for a job and stay for a career. We have had many employees start as part-time attendants who have now become site managers, maintenance technicians, HR professionals and trainers, just to name a few."
Conserving water
In case you had any guilt about visiting a car wash during a season of statewide drought, here's some good news: Tagg-N-Go uses less water than washing your car at home. While Tagg-N-Go uses about 30 gallons of water per wash, Earth911 reports that an at-home wash takes a whopping 100 or more gallons per vehicle.
What's more, Tagg-N-Go's top-of-the-line water reclamation systems recycle the water right on-site and send it back to the city's treatment plant to be repurposed and reused. Living up to their community engagement promise, Tagg-N-Go stays involved at the city and county levels, helping to create ordinances to make sure that precious resources are being used appropriately.
Because of their conservation efforts, Tagg-N-Go has been given the "Water Savers" designation from the International Carwash Association. Being part of this group of car washes means that they must recertify each year that they are living up to the Water Savers standards.
Welcoming competition
Conveyorized car washes are a new segment in the industry, and there's a high demand from consumers. For Tagg-N-Go, the competition is welcome.
"The competition has made us better and has held us accountable to a higher standard," Allgood said. "We have added new services to our brand, and others have caught on. Being a new company, local and founded in Utah, it is our customers that help us know what they want, and we are driven to meet our customers' needs in a quick fashion."
Staying true to this vision, you will soon see one-of-a-kind, fully indoor car washes coming into the state from Tagg-N-Go. The first one is under construction in Lehi on 2100 North, with two more in the pipeline.
According to Atkin, many businesses "shy away from this type of wash" due to the increased labor required to run it. But he says that staying true to the company's people-focused mission will allow them to offer better service to customers and more opportunities to employees.
"At the end of the day, we are more than just a car wash. For us, washing cars is the vehicle that enables us to make a difference," he said.
Ready to serve you
For Allgood, Atkin, and the whole Tagg-N-Go team, this is more than just a business. They feel as though their co-workers and customers are part of their family.
To experience the Tagg-N-Go difference for yourself, keep an eye out for new sites that are coming soon near you. For 2023, new locations are springing up in Cedar City, Lehi, Pleasant Grove, Tooele, Saratoga Springs, Ephraim, Salem and Eagle Mountain.
For more information, visit taggngo.com.
