Bluebird Express Car Wash

Building the nest

After graduating college where he studied finance and real estate, Fery partnered with a development company and an industry icon to open one of the nation’s largest carwashes in Sheridan, Colorado.

“Eventually, I returned to Idaho to establish the Bluebird brand,” recounts Fery. “In 2020, Dominick joined me at Bluebird as the operations manager and later as vice president of operations. It’s been great working with my brother, as we both share the same passion for excellence, hard work and challenging
expectations.”

Today, Bluebird Express Car Wash operates four express locations in the Treasure Valley (along the Idaho/Oregon border) and one in Colorado. By the end of Q3 2023, the chain is projected to have seven operating locations.

“Our mission is to challenge and change expectations,” asserts Fery. “We do that by providing unparalleled customer experiences with industry-leading equipment and a highly skilled team.”

For example, one of Bluebird’s unique features is its water reclamation systems, which recycle high-pressure water to provide an environmentally friendly, safe and highly effective cleaning. These efforts aren’t going unnoticed. Local media and organizations are chirping about the carwash chain’s water conservation efforts, which use only about 20 gallons of fresh water per car.

With best-in-class, attractive buildings and engaged employees, this wash is making an impact.

Other accolades bestowed on Bluebird Express Car Wash include:
• Idaho’s Best Employer (Ranked No. 11, 2022)
• Idaho’s Best Car Wash – Treasure Valley (2022, 2023)
• Best Car Wash – Western Treasure Valley, Idaho (2021, 2022, 2023)
• Best Car Wash Englewood, Colorado (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022).

Setting the Bluebird standard

Leaning on his college education, Fery learned to fly in this business by abiding to established pillars of success.

“We believe that there are six factors that make our organization a successful and reputable brand: engaged talent, A-plus real estate, exceptional equipment, beautiful buildings, scalable processes and values-based operations,” educates Fery.

• Engaged talent: The company is proud to have a highly engaged team and uses the Gallup Employee Engagement Survey each quarter to measure engagement levels. Bluebird consistently ranks in the top 15% — 1% of engaged employees in the Gallup database nationally across all businesses and industries. “We believe in serving our people to drive exceptional guest service,” he adds.
• A-plus real estate: Bluebird uses a proprietary scorecard to consistently identify and evaluate the best real estate locations in its target markets.
• Exceptional equipment: “We prioritize delivering the highest-quality experience by continuously seeking better ways to efficiently wash cars in our 165- to 200-foot tunnels. We partner with equipment and chemical groups that share our vision for excellence and invest more in equipment than our competition to increase throughput without sacrificing quality,” explains Fery.
• Beautiful buildings: According to Fery, the chain’s buildings reflect the team’s commitment to quality, combining high-quality materials with efficient design. While each location is slightly different, all reflect Bluebird’s dedication to excellence.
• Scalable processes: Fery and his team document and refine processes to achieve efficient growth. “We align quarterly goals around our vision for the future, ensuring everyone is working towards our shared objectives and understands their role in preparing for scaling the company,” notes Fery.
• Values-based operations: Four core values — pursue excellence, serve with humility, be accountable and deliver smiles — guide all aspects of the chain’s operations, from financial reviews and employee coaching to customer conversations. These values, say Fery, are integral to the organization’s strength as well as culture.

Soaring toward a bright horizon

Showing no signs of slowing, more customers in the region will soon have access to a Bluebird Express Car Wash in the coming years.

“We are coiled for explosive growth and plan to double the size of the company in the next few years,” says Fery. “We have built a scalable platform with tremendous back-of-house support and shared services. There is tremendous population growth in the Northwest and Mountain West, and we want to make sure all of those people have clean cars.”

The chain will welcome new additions in Meridian and Caldwell, Idaho, soon.

Just as fellow classmates and friends supported the Fery brothers during the early years in the car care business, the current dedicated Bluebird team helps uphold the company’s mission statement and high standards. This level of commitment continues to inspire and drive Fery.

“I am thrilled to come to work every day surrounded by a team that shares my values and is driven towards the same goals. The dedication of my team makes me exceptionally proud. We have worked tirelessly to get to this launching point and are very excited to be moving forward into an accelerated growth phase,” explains Fery. “We have invested significant time and resources assembling horsepower on our support team and developing scalable processes. The next few years will see the transformation of Bluebird from a collection of a few highly successful washes to a professional organization that is best-in-class in the markets it serves.”

Bluebird Express Car Wash is committed to bringing high-quality customer service, excellent wash quality and an unbeatable value to its customers. The Fery brothers continue to lead the growth of the company, and with their shared vision, they are poised to double the chain’s size over the next two years. That’s what happens when birds of a feather flock together.