The Story of Tommy’s Express: Seatbelt Safety Day

The story of Tommy’s Express starts when the Essenburg family established Quality Car Wash in 1969 and expanded to seven locations across West Michigan. Years of innovation and operations experience propelled the Essenburgs to offer their car wash parts and equipment through Tommy Car Wash Systems. In 2016, the Tommy’s Express franchise was born with a vision to establish a recognized national car wash brand and expand globally.

One of the most significant community events hosted and sponsored by Quality Car Wash began in 1992 and was known as Seatbelt Safety Day. On this day, the Holland community was invited to convene at the Quality Car Wash on South Washington St. for a full day of eating hotdogs and popcorn, meeting racecar drivers, and learning about seatbelt safety.

Seatbelt Saftey Success

This event was held in combination with the Holland Police Department, which had a strong presence at the event. The police would set up crash simulators for children where they could ride down a slide on a sled-like vehicle and experience the importance of wearing a seatbelt when driving.

Some years later, the police would even bring in crash test dummies, which kids could take pictures and play with.

To bring more interest to the event, Quality Car Wash reached out to local racecar drivers to attend, giving families and children the chance to talk to the drivers and check out their speedy rides. One year, even Indy 500 driver Scott Brayton made an appearance!

Along with the yummy food that was grilled in the parking lot, there were even Quality Car Wash pogs and slammers that kids could collect, trade, and battle. Although these toys are a tad outdated today, they were a much-beloved pastime in the 90s. 

Seatbelt Safety

The success and turn-out of the first Seatbelt Safety Day led to this becoming an annual event in Holland. For the next five years, drivers and the Holland Police Department would meet at a Quality Car Wash location for an evening of informative fun and community involvement.

It’s events like these where the Essenburg mantra of giving back to the community shines through. That same goal continues to drive Tommy’s Express and Quality Car Wash today. Check out your local Tommy’s Express location to experience a clean like no other.