Patrolman Gets a New Beat with Car Wash Investment Opportunities

Starting a car wash was the furthest thing from Brett Hart’s mind when he graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1995. Hart put his criminal justice degree to work and joined the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department as a patrolman.

Years later, Hart was exploring self-storage investment opportunities in the Charlotte, NC, area with a commercial real estate broker when they discovered a good car wash site. The broker had recently advised another client to invest in the car wash business and knew a potentially successful site when he saw one.

Hart acted quickly by enlisting the services of Howco to help guide him through the process of building, supplying, and opening a wash.  Hart established his flagship operation, Carolina Springs AutoSpa in Cornelius, NC, with an express wash and multiple detail offerings.

“We’ve had Howco technicians on-site late into the night addressing inevitable equipment issues after hours, so I can operate normally during the day,” says Hart. ”That attitude and customer loyalty are invaluable in keeping our business open and available to customers. Howco truly understands the car wash business and what it means for a small operator like me.” 

Fast forward several years, and Hart had the chance to invest in another opportunity at an existing wash site. Howco worked with Hart on the conversion of Kannapolis AutoSpa in Kannapolis, NC, from an in-bay automatic to a conveyor express wash.

“I consider Howco to be a vital partner in our car wash business,” offers Hart. “I’ve also worked at times with other suppliers of car wash equipment, but Howco’s service, equipment, guidance, and hands-on dedication to helping make me successful are unsurpassed in my experience.”