Franchisee Spotlight: Butch Carter, Marietta, Georgia

Butch grew up in Belmont North Carolina, a small town outside Charlotte.  After high school, Butch went to college at NC State on an Air Force ROTC scholarship.  However, he returned home after one of his parents passed away and graduated from UNC Charlotte.  Upon graduation, Butch went into the Air Force and spent 4 years as an intelligence officer stationed in Denver and then Shreveport, Louisiana.  As part of his Strategic Air Command duties, he would keep a 3-star general and his staff informed of the current events taking place in the world.  He was also involved in Operation Just Cause in 1989 where U.S. forces invaded Panama. 

After leaving the Air Force and earning his MBA with a finance concentration from Louisiana Tech University, Butch entered the pharmaceutical industry with Pfizer as a pharmaceutical sales rep.  He then worked for the Japanese company, Otsuka, then Quintiles until landing at Axcan where he worked for 12 years as a regional manager and then a zone director of sales with responsibility for half of the US and Canada.  He was the top sales manager at Axcan three years in a row and won multiple sales awards during his tenure, but when Axcan went through an acquisition and changed their name to Aptalis, Butch declined to interview for a new position that would require a move to the northeast, and about a year later he was gone from the company.

During the past year Butch worked with a business coach, trying to decide what he wanted to do with the next step in his career.  He looked at several business opportunities before coming across Honest-1 and making the decision to open his own business in Marietta, Georgia.

Butch has always liked cars and appreciates the Honest-1 model and its commitment to customers and the environment.  The location of Butch’s Honest-1 was previously a Napa Auto Car Care Center that had been vacant for over a year.  They are currently remodeling the store to bring it up to Honest-1 standards, adding a children’s play area and an internet café, and painting the inside and outside.  Since it was built to be an auto shop, it already has 8 bays and is 5,000 square feet.

 

Dennis Eidson is the Honest-1 area developer and owns a location in nearby Roswell.

How did you learn about the brand?

I had a business coach and was looking for what I wanted to do with my life after leaving Aptalis.  We went through a process where we evaluated my strengths and looked at what I like to do.  We talked about franchise ownership and other types of business ownership.  I looked into several business models and always came back to Honest-1.  They provide good service at good prices, and I thought I could be successful working within their business model that puts the customer first and cares about the environment.

Why did you choose an opportunity with Honest-1 Auto Care?

I like the eco-friendly part of the package, with is very important these days.  This isn’t an industry where you would think of eco-friendly, so we’ve carved a good niche there.  More and more you are seeing aging cars on the street, and I knew that people are keeping their cars longer. On top of that, cars are being built better now, so there’s an opportunity there since people can keep a car longer by keeping it properly maintained.

I think in general, people distrust auto mechanics because they don’t know enough about auto care.  Honest-1 does a great job of making customers feel like they aren’t being lied to and that their best interests are being taken to heart.  If you take care of customers and treat them right, then you can be successful in this business.  I’ve always worked for companies that prided themselves in treating the customer right and having a lot of integrity.  That lines up with my own personal philosophy in business that if you treat your customers’ right, you’re going to be successful.

Tell me about your love of cars.

I’ve always been a car guy.  Right now I have a Corvette and I have always tried to have a sports car.  I had a family member growing up who owned the gas station at the cross roads by the train tracks in our small town and he was the mechanic that everyone took their car to.  Everybody loved him and I liked just hanging out there and what he did.

While I was in the Air Force they rented bays and had all the tools available so that we could do our own car repair and maintenance.  So I’d go over and do my own oil changes and brake jobs on my own.  I’ve always enjoyed working on cars.

What is the area like that you’ll be located in and serving?  Do you have ties to the area, or family in the area?

We call the area East Cobb.  The address is Marietta but it’s really in East Cobb, and it’s close to Roswell.  Where we’re located is a really great area with a lot of great businesses around.  There’s a Chucky Cheese nearby, a dollar movie theater, a regular movie theater, a big shopping center, and a bunch of other things right there.

My great grandfather lived in Atlanta for a long time and is buried there.  I’ve had family in the area for as long as I can remember so I’d visit a lot growing up.  My son lives in Atlanta too.

Are you involved with any charities or do any community outreach with your business?

We are definitely going to get involved with the community. We just haven’t gotten that far yet.  We’ll start working on a marketing plan as part of the process too.

There is an Air Force Base in Marietta called Dobbins AFB and I’m planning to work on a discount for them and see what might be possible with them.  I’ve done some work with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and have been looking to get more involved.

What challenges have you overcome to get where you are now?

I felt like I’ve overcome challenges my entire life.  I was raised by my grandparents and adopted by them.  They sacrificed a lot to make sure I got a good education and got into school. 

What are your expansion or development plans? What is your end goal with Honest-1 Auto Care?

I want to do the first one right and ensure that we’re successful in East Cobb.  Ultimately I’d like to open 2 or 3 more in the Atlanta area.  I’d like to open 3 within 5 years, but that will depend on how things play out. 

Do you have any other interesting hobbies or passions?

I’m a member of a local country club in the area and love to play golf.  I have to split that time with my girlfriend of course.  I still stay in touch with a ton of friends from the North Carolina area where I grew up, so we get together fairly often.  I’ve also done work with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and am looking to do more with them.