Big River Carwash celebrates 10th anniversary in Selma

What began as a locally owned car wash in Selma has grown into a multi-location business across Alabama, and its leaders say community support has been the key to that success.

To mark its 10th anniversary, Big River will host a celebration at its Selma location on Friday featuring discounted top level washes, food, music and prizes.

"We just want to thank Selma and the community here," Director of Operations Desmond Looney said. "It's really cool and I often sit back and think about how awesome it is that we've been able to take something that was built in Selma for Selma and actually expand that into different markets." 

The anniversary event will include $10 top washes throughout the day, along with hot dogs, chips, music, gift cards and giveaways from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Looney said many residents may not realize they were founded in Selma and remains locally owned by the Henry family of Henry Brick.

"A lot of people don't know that the brand Big River was actually built here in Selma," said Looney. "This isn't a franchise. This was the first one of the three that we've built so far." 

The company later expanded with a location in Troy about five years ago and another in Montgomery two years ago. Despite growth in a competitive industry, Looney said the company hopes to continue expanding in the future. 

"The car wash industry, if anybody's been anywhere, knows that they're literally going up everywhere at this point," he said. "We hope we can get in on some of these other ones and possibly grow some more." 

According to Looney, the Henry family saw an opportunity to invest in Selma while creating an attractive destination for residents.

"The Henrys at the time, they just saw that there was a need," he said. "What can we do for the community to really get involved and create something that even some big cities don't have?" 

Community involvement has remained a major focus for the business. Over the years, Big River has supported organizations including the Selma High School Marching Band, ArtsRevive, the Selma-Dallas County Public Library and Safe Harbor. The company also donates a percentage of certain wash and membership sales to nonprofit organizations each year. 

"Every quarter these organizations that we feel bring value to the community get a check from us from the community who's purchased stuff here," Looney said. 

For Looney, who moved to Selma as a teenager and joined the company after working in the car wash industry elsewhere, the milestone is especially meaningful.

"It's been a fun ride," he said. "Our biggest thing is just wanting to tell Selma thank you and how cool it is that we've been able to take something from Selma and give it to other communities and be successful."