Mike Mountz, who founded Cloister Wash & Lube and built it into a regional company, has sold the business for an undisclosed price.

The buyer is Mister Car Wash, a Tucson-based chain that's the largest in the nation, but which previously had no Northeast locations.

With the sale being finalized Dec. 4, Mountz has retired.

"This was one of the most difficult decisions of his life," said Sharon Ramp, director of marketing for Cloister.

Mister Car Wash was "one of the few businesses" that Mountz would consider selling his company to, according to Ramp.

Like Cloister, Mister Car Wash has a strong knowledge of the industry and a philosophy of taking care of both customers and employees, she said.

However, as part of the acquisition, 1 percent of Cloister's 400-plus employees will be laid off.

The Cloister name remains on its four locations, though.

Mountz, an Ephrata resident, started Cloister in 1984 when he acquired a small carwash in Ephrata.

In the decades that followed, Mountz turned Cloister into a regional business.

He started broadening its reach by purchasing a carwash in York in 1994, razing and replacing it with an improved facility the following year.

Mountz came to Lancaster by opening a carwash and lube shop on Manheim Pike in 1999 on the former Kerek Air Freight site.

He developed a carwash, pet wash, motorcycle wash and lube shop in Reading in 2006.

Meanwhile, he expanded his original Ephrata location on West Main Street several times, adding features such as a lube shop and recon shop.

Its headquarters are on Dawn Avenue in Ephrata.

Mountz, who was inducted into the International Carwash Association's Hall of Fame in 2010, is renowned in the industry for his numerous innovations.

These include having vehicles travel on a moving belt through a carwash and using a lift to raise motorcycles for easier self-service washing.

Mountz's operational breakthroughs were so creative that his carwashes were featured on the History Channel's "Modern Marvels" series.

Cloister also has been honored by the industry association with awards for its community service and leadership in innovation.

Including the Cloister deal, Mister Car Wash now has 103 carwashes and 33 lube shops in 11 states.

Before the Cloister transaction, Mister Car Wash's locations closest to Pennsylvania were in North Carolina.

Mister Car Wash was founded in 1969 in Houston. It's been owned by ONCAP, a private equity firm, since 2007.

Mister Car Wash has been on an acquisition spree in 2012. Including the Cloister deal, it's added 32 locations via 10 acquisitions this year.
tmekeel@lnpnews.com