Built a 57-Location Business by Putting God First

What if the secret to building a scalable business isn’t better tactics… but deeper faith? In this Kingdom Entrepreneur episode with host Ray Young, you’ll meet Trey Merchant, the faith-based CEO behind Champion Express, now operating 57 locations with nearly 600 employees across multiple states. Trey shares what it really looks like to build a business God’s way without turning it into a “Sunday-only” brand. This conversation is for Christian entrepreneurs, business owners, and leaders who want to grow a company with purpose, build a strong culture, and lead people with integrity, while still staying profitable. You’ll hear how a family-run company stopped making faith just a slogan and started living it in the field through bold leadership decisions, prayer-based culture, and practical systems that uplift employees and customers. If you’ve ever wondered how to integrate faith and business, how to lead with humility, or how to build a mission-driven organization that actually scales, this episode will challenge and encourage you. Learn how Trey and his leadership team handled criticism, stayed consistent under pressure, and watched the fruit show up in culture, retention, and results. Highlights: → How a fast-growing CEO scaled a family business to 57 locations while keeping a faith-first culture → Why “being the church serving as a car wash company” became their real mission → How simple systems like prayer, encouragement, and leadership rhythms transformed employee engagement → How to respond when customers or partners push back against bold faith in public business settings Learn more about Ray Young - Covenant Leadership Group Facebook Kingdom Entrepreneur Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Ray Young Leadership Development TikTok Learn more about Ray Young - Covenant Leadership Group - Rayyoungspeaker.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/171rsYQV1E/?mibextid=wwXIfr Kingdom Entrepreneur Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/1Eg9qzQYDS/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4ray2/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-young2/ Ray Young Leadership Development - Rayyoung.net TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@rayyoung.2