Bill & Zach's Excellent Adventure

In 2019, best friends Bill Enfield and Zach Lipsky invested in Detail Garage, the country’s go-to car retail brand with 70+ locations, and opened their first location in their local community of Middle River, Maryland. Last year, they dipped their toes into multi-unit development after acquiring the Detail Garage location in Glen Burnie. Since then, business has been booming for the duo, and they’ve seen first-hand the unparalleled scalability of the Detail Garage business model. With plans to further expand their portfolio over the next few years, Enfield and Lipsky are in the midst of a truly excellent adventure.

When Enfield and Lipsky met while working at Target 22 years ago, they didn’t realize they’d become friends for life or that they’d one day own and operate two successful businesses. Following college, the two went off on separate career paths, but it wasn’t long before Enfield was offering Lipsky a position with an automotive franchise he had recently joined as an executive. Both Enfield and Lipsky rose in the ranks, but after ten years, they decided to pursue becoming franchisees themselves. 

“I thought, if I’m going to work this many hours, I might as well be my own boss,” said Enfield. “Zach and I kept our eyes and ears open for a great opportunity in the franchise space since we were familiar with it, and that’s when we discovered Detail Garage.”

Enfield says the duo were attracted to Detail Garage for three main reasons: “The first was that it was a brand in an industry we were both already familiar with,” he said. “The second was that the Detail Garage system is relatively young and has so much potential for growth without requiring hundreds of thousands of dollars to start. And third, and most important factor, is that we saw the potential to saturate ourselves and the business into our local community. The people we’ve met throughout the Detail Garage system will be our lifelong friends. We know if we really hustle and work at our businesses, there’s no limit to our success with Detail Garage.”

And now six months into ownership of their second location, Enfield says that credo has proven to be even truer than they imagined. “We’ve grown leaps and bounds year-over-year,” he said. “Our second store is ‘retail insanity’. We are doing numbers that the first store never achieved in its three-and-a-half-years. Compared to last year, we are seeing 45% growth, just in the first quarter. That is a pretty big number, especially coming out of a pandemic. Detail Garage has created such a strong platform for growth, with an increasingly recognizable brand name.”

That platform, Lipsky says, includes everything from social media marketing, ordering support, hiring assistance and networking opportunities. “Everything is put in place to help you with growth,” he said. “It is all laid out for us, and we are able to combine it with our 20 years in the automotive industry to continue our trajectory. This system was designed to succeed.” 

The number one thing they’ve learned is that it is essential that customers feel connected to the local owners. “You are the face of the business,” Lipsky said. “Bill and I have two stores now and we still try to be the face of our business. If you’re not willing to put in the time, you can’t expect anyone else to. As a business owner, if you’re not in-tune with the customers and the stores, you can’t really succeed.” 

Now the duo says that they are most excited to continue growing their portfolio and spending time together as both friends and co-business owners. “Family is the most important thing to us, and over the past 22 years, Bill has become a part of my family as well,” said Lipsky. “Our families really deserve a thank you from us. Our families have stood behind us and helped us grow and we couldn’t have done it without their support. We are really just starting this excellent adventure.”

For more information, visit: https://www.detailgarage.com/.

ABOUT DETAIL GARAGE  

Started in 2008 by professional auto detailers, Detail Garage was born out of a need for the ultimate playground and community for car care enthusiasts. It is the country's go-to retail car care store for passionate car owners and detailing professionals. With over 80 locations already in operation around the world, the Detail Garage team is looking to reach 100 units open this year, followed by 50 locations added to the system each year following. 

ABOUT CHEMICAL GUYS

Driven by adventure, a passion for shine, and a love for the road ahead, Chemical Guys is a worldwide leader in automotive detailing products for car care enthusiasts and professionals. From exclusive small-batch waxes to cutting-edge ceramic coatings and specialty cleaners for exteriors and interiors, Chemical Guys sets the industry standard when it comes to product innovation, technological advancement and education. Based in Southern California, Chemical Guys has evolved from a handful of passionate car fanatics to a global lifestyle brand with the largest digital library of automotive detailing "how-to" content available. Learn more and join the Chemical Guys family at ChemicalGuys.com.