Today we’d like to introduce you to David Johnson.
Hi David, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Livonia, Michigan. My mother was an interior designer, and my father was an executive with various manufacturing companies. Before the age of ten, my parents, sister, and I moved to Columbus, Ohio; Lexington, Kentucky; and finally settled down in South Bend, Indiana. My parents purchased Henco Enterprises in 1981, which manufactured aircraft components and assemblies for major aircraft manufacturers, including Boeing, McDonald Douglas, and Airbus. Being entrepreneurs at heart, my parents pivoted the company into the medical prosthesis industry in 1983, developing and manufacturing the first titanium hip and knee joints sold worldwide by Bristol Myers Squibb and Zimmer. My mom and dad sold the business in 1986, allowing for an early retirement at the age of 42 and 44, respectively. I went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Florida in 1992. To this day, I proudly bleed orange and blue—Go Gators!
My career has been defined by a passion for innovation, strategic growth, and building high-impact teams. While still in college, I joined Simkin, Inc., a clinical pharmacy software and services company. Over the next decade, I led marketing and sales, cultivated an international client base, and built a robust distribution network that included industry giants like Abbott and Baxter. After successfully selling the company in May 2000, I relocated to Jacksonville, Florida.
In October 2001, I helped launch Availity, LLC, and helped grow it into the nation’s largest health information network. Over 14 years, I led marketing, communications, and sales operations—both inside and outside—driving adoption and strategic partnerships across the healthcare ecosystem. In December 2015, I stepped away to pursue new ventures.
In June 2016, I acquired Beaches Car Wash—operating in St. Nicholas and Jacksonville Beach—through my holding company, Interlinx Technologies, LLC. I take pride in mentoring my team and leveraging the business to support local charities and community initiatives.
Beyond entrepreneurship, I’ve remained committed to service. I joined the Board of Directors for Lutheran Social Services of Northeast Florida (LSS) in June 2017, became Vice Chair in October 2018, and was honored to assume the role of Chair from October 2021 to October 2023.
I also contribute to Ivy League Gifts, a family-owned business specializing in corporate gifts, branded merchandise, and promotional products—where I help shape marketing and sales strategies to drive growth and customer engagement.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not at all. After moving to Jacksonville, I went through 2 failed startups during the “dot bomb” era. I helped launch a web-based physician practice management system called e-MedSoft that failed to gain traction and closed in less than a year. I went on to help launch Buildscape, a web-based construction management system, which again stuttered on take-off, leaving me without a job after purchasing a home in the area. It was frightening. I was fortunate to then help launch Availity, which luckily became the largest domestic health information network, earning my place in the “startup success story club”. I suppose the third time is the charm.
In the fall of 2015, my business partner and I both decided to leave the corporate grind behind and buy our own business. Unfortunately, in January 2016 he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and was given a 10% chance of survival. While he went through 6 brutal months of chemotherapy at Mayo Clinic, we worked with an amazing local business broker, who showed us a number of local businesses. We eventually decided to purchase Beaches Car Wash from the original owner, with one location in Jacksonville Beach and one in St. Nicholas. Luckily, he beat cancer, completely recovered, and we were delighted to own two local landmarks that we frequented as customers for years.
As any business owner knows, owning your own isn’t a walk in the park, but we are happy we have been able to improve both locations and give back to the community.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Beaches Car Wash has two local landmarks. The St. Nicholas location is the oldest continuously operating car wash in Jacksonville, having served customers since November 1969. The Jacksonville Beach location opened its doors in March 1989. Both locations are “flex service” car washes, meaning we offer self-service wash packages, where customers ride in their vehicles through the tunnel and clean their own interiors, and we offer full-service packages where the vehicle goes through the tunnel alone and our attendants clean the interior. We also offer express detail services, such as waxing, carpet cleaning, and seat cleaning. There are only a few car washes that still offer interior cleaning, and we have two locations. We also offer a gift gallery at our beach location, where customers can shop for housewares, clothing, jewelry, greeting cards, and more while their vehicle is being cleaned.
What’s next?
We want to continually offer our customers the services and improvements they request. This may include refreshing some of our tunnel equipment, refreshing the buildings, adding self-service vacuums, adding unlimited wash plans, and offering merchandise in our gift gallery that is most requested. We invite our customers to offer their suggestions.
Pricing:
- Express Exterior Washes from $8 to $16
- Full-Service Washes from $25.99 to $46.99
- Express Detail Services from $30.99 to $219.99
Contact Info:
- Website: https://beachescarwash.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beachescarwashjaxbeach/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeachesCarWashJacksonvilleBeach/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beaches-car-wash/
- Twitter: https://x.com/BeachsCarWashJB
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@beachescarwash5671
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/beaches-car-wash-and-gift-gallery-jacksonville-beach-2
- Other: https://nextdoor.com/pages/beaches-car-wash-and-gift-gallery-jacksonville-beach-fl/
