Chris Friesen currently serves as the President & CEO of Mint Smartwash, a company that owns and operates a chain of exterior express car washes predominantly in Canada and one location in the United States. Mint Smartwash is now the largest Express Car Wash chain in Canada with seven washes open and an eighth scheduled to open in July. Chris is a born and raised Calgarian.
He is a Professional Engineer registered with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA). Upon graduating from the University of Alberta in 2003. Friesen spent nearly 10 years working in the oil and gas upstream sector. In 2013, he joined his father Don Friesen in the family office, the Friesen Group of Companies, and serves as the Chief Operating Officer of the family office. The Friesen Group is involved in several active and passive investments including several operating companies in a variety of sectors. Don Friesen, was a founder of Hazco Environmental Services Ltd., which sold in 2004, and was an industry leader in environmental contracting and cleanup across Western Canada. The Friesen’s were introduced to the Express Car Wash model by their now partner, Taylor Nelson, who is based in Lethbridge and serves as Mint Smartwash VP of Construction and Facilities. Chris’s interest in the car wash business comes from a family legacy of clean fanatics and a passion for efficiency and optimization. Mint Smartwash is not just a regular old car wash. The key differentiator is the ability to effectively wash cars at speed. Mint can wash between 180 to 200 vehicles per hour.
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