A field is any set of elements that satisfies the field axioms for both addition and multiplication. With that being said, it makes sense to relate this to the Fields family, which has added and multiplied the south central Kentucky economy since the 1940’s. A resounding group of entrepreneurs in their own right, doesn’t necessarily mean there weren’t bumps in the road. It comes natural with any family, especially a family thats set on exceeding the status quo.
Gillian and Ida Fields left the rural countryside of Columbia in the 1940’s, with their sights set on a greater opportunity in the United States. They just so happened to land in Bowling Green, Kentucky, along with Grace and Glen, their children. Gillian was originally employed by Bowling Green Laundry, where he picked up the tools of the trade in the laundry business. Combine this with his self-sustaining spirit, and he left his position to chase his dream, which turned into Fields Laundry.
It didn’t take Glen long to undertake his own vision growing up under the watch of Gillian and Ida. Glen was an Army Ranger in WWII, with plenty of experience under his belt. He gained a strong work ethic and discipline while serving in the armed forces, practices that would greatly pay off after he returned to the states. Glen went on the develop much of what is now the stretch between Broadway and Covington in Bowling Green. As a matter of fact, he even owned what’s now our Cheetah Clean location on 31-W Bypass! It was originally named Magic Tunnel Car Wash, which he altered to Red Carpet after purchasing. Oh yeah, they pumped gas as well!
Glen had eight kids, one, of course, being Geoff Fields himself. Geoff was raised working for Glen at Red Carpet, learning the business one step at a time. As some people know, working with family can be hard and strain a relationship. It’s been no different with the Fields family. Geoff left his position at the car wash and started installing and engineering his own car wash equipment. Geoff went on to launch the Bowling Green-famous Tender Touch Auto Wash in 1988. Having earned respect by making a name for himself, Geoff and Glen reconciled their differences and moved forward together.
While Geoff was building his own enterprise, little Jeff arrived into the world. Coming up in a family of sustained success demanded a lot, and at first, Jeff wasn’t quite prepared for the task. He had dreams and visions of his own, and moved out west for a few years. Running into trouble of his own, Jeff returned to assist big Geoff with the car wash business. Much like Geoff and Glen, things didn’t go necessarily as planned. Bad blood ensued, resulting in Jeff leaving and launching his own detail business near Hobby Lobby, which quickly grew to exceed expectations.
Little Jeff then took it upon himself to get the word out about a brand new car wash he was planning on building in the Bowling Green area. He purchased property and kept the wheels churning on the rumor mill of a potential new built-out. This, as one could understand, did not necessarily make big Geoff happy, considering he was attempting to sale his wash. However, following the split and sale of Jeff’s property he had purchased, respect was earned once again. At this point, Jeff made it a point to take advantage of the opportunities he had surrounded himself with.
Big Geoff encouraged Jeff to take a property he had in Owensboro, KY to build out a new wash. This eventually became the first and original Cheetah Clean location. Jeff admittedly got his ass kicked. He was able to create success with the new project, however, he couldn’t sustain it. What some might view as a failure actually created a bigger and better opportunity down the road. Although things had not gone as planned in Owensboro, it did generate enough capital for him to build the first Cheetah Clean location in Bowling Green on 31-W Bypass. After 2 grueling years of many overnight stays, Jeff created a brand that has since expanded to another location on Veterans Memorial, with a 3rd location set to be built in Franklin, KY within the year.
Hard work and dedication results in opportunity, and that’s what the Fields family stands for. Go out, prove yourself, and not only earn respect, but BUILD relationships. Work toward an environment of transparency, which many businesses and organizations don’t have. It’s what helps separate the good from the great.