Overview: After 35 years directing a delivery-service business, entrepreneur Joseph Wartts stepped into unfamiliar territory by acquiring and overhauling a shuttered Zips Car Wash location in Webster Groves, Missouri. Following a six-month, comprehensive mechanical and chemical renovation, he opened The Gloss Vault Car Wash on June 25, 2026. Rather than operating merely as a commercial car wash, The Gloss Vault pairs high-end tunnel technology and Simoniz formulas with community-focused initiatives, including local back-to-school drives and fleet partnerships, establishing a foundation for regional growth across the St. Louis area.

How a 35-year delivery industry veteran revived a distressed Webster Groves tunnel into a neighborhood-first car wash brand.

After 35 years in the delivery-service business, Joseph Wartts decided it was time for something different.

That decision led him into an industry that was completely outside of his normal business wheelhouse: the car wash industry.

Today, Wartts is the owner of The Gloss Vault Car Wash, a 110-foot tunnel car wash located at 3142 S. Brentwood in Webster Groves, Missouri. The business opened its doors on June 25, 2026, following six months of renovations that completely transformed the former Zips Car Wash location.

For Wartts, however, The Gloss Vault is about more than washing cars. He sees the business as an opportunity to diversify, create something new and, most importantly, serve the community that surrounds it.

From 35 Years in Business to a New Venture

Wartts’ entrepreneurial journey began decades before The Gloss Vault.

He has owned a delivery service for approximately 35 years, building extensive experience as a business owner before deciding to venture into a completely different industry.

“Actually I own a delivery service. I have owned that for the past 35 years,” Wartts explained.

After three and a half decades in the same industry, Wartts said he felt a need for diversification and a desire to do something different.

The location of the future Gloss Vault also had a personal connection for him. Wartts’ church, First Baptist Church of Webster Groves, is located just down the street from the car wash.

“The Gloss Vault used to be a Zips location,” Wartts said. “It seemed like a natural fit for me to step in.”

That decision would lead to an extensive renovation and a new chapter in his entrepreneurial career.

Completely Transforming the Former Zips Location

When Wartts acquired the property, he didn’t simply want to put a new name on an existing car wash.

He wanted to understand what wasn’t working.

After the previous business closed, Wartts examined the operation and the factors that he believed contributed to the decline in the quality of the car wash experience.

“After it closed and after we bought it, I got to look at the things that made it go down and why the quality of car wash had seemed to go down,” he said. “It needed a complete overhaul.”

That overhaul took approximately six months.

The transformation included a new conveyor system, new brushes and wraps, upgraded wash technology and premium Simoniz soaps and chemicals. The facility also offers complimentary self-service vacuums for customers.

The result is The Gloss Vault, a completely revamped car wash designed around what Wartts believes should be the most important part of the experience: the finished product.

“A Clean and a Shine Only The Gloss Vault Can Deliver”

The Gloss Vault offers customers four individual wash options: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum.

The business also offers an Unlimited Wash Program for customers who want to wash their vehicles regularly. The first month of any Unlimited Wash Program is currently offered for $15.

Wartts says the goal isn’t simply to get a vehicle clean. He wants customers to notice a difference when they leave the tunnel.

“A clean and a shine only the Gloss Vault can deliver,” Wartts said.

He added, “People will always ask you where did you get that shine.”

The Gloss Vault is also reaching customers through promotional pricing, including “Give Your Pocket A Break Tuesday,” featuring the Silver wash for $10, and “Wild, Wild Wednesday,” offering premium washes at half price. Those promotions are scheduled to run through the end of September.

Beyond individual customers, The Gloss Vault is positioned to serve local businesses and municipal fleets, expanding its role beyond the everyday consumer.

More Than a Business: Serving the Community

For Wartts, building a successful company isn’t only about revenue.

Community involvement is a major part of his vision for The Gloss Vault.

He recently demonstrated that commitment through a back-to-school giveaway that provided numerous book bags and school supplies while also feeding people of the community.

“I want the Gloss Vault to be of service not just to me, but to the community also,” Wartts said.

His goal is for The Gloss Vault to become a business that responds to the needs of the people around it.

“We just did one back to school giveaway of numerous book bags, school supplies and fed a lot of people,” he said. “I want the Gloss Vault to be truly in service to the community in what the community needs.”

That philosophy gives the business a purpose beyond its 110-foot tunnel. Wartts wants The Gloss Vault to become part of the community it serves.

Looking Toward the Future

Although The Gloss Vault is still in the early stages of its journey, Wartts is already thinking beyond the Webster Groves location.

Over the next five years, he envisions The Gloss Vault expanding to multiple locations and bringing the company’s approach to quality and customer service to an even larger audience.

The goal remains consistent: give customers the shine they are looking for while building a company that contributes to the communities it enters.

For Joseph Wartts, the journey from 35 years in the delivery business to launching a completely renovated car wash represents more than diversification. It represents the willingness to step outside of his comfort zone, recognize an opportunity and build something new.

And if Wartts has his way, The Gloss Vault won’t simply be known as another car wash in St. Louis.

It will be known for the shine—and for serving the community along the way.

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