By Maggie Beamguard
Insider Editor
When Carolina Car Care closed in August, car owners around greater Seven Lakes were left idling in neutral. But not for long. The trusted auto center reopened with new ownership on Saturday, Oct. 16.
Jesse and Roxana Arwood are the new owners of the garage. Jesse has worked many years of experience in the automotive industry.
He previously served as a location manager for a Mack Truck dealership in Charlotte. His job frequently brought him to a secondary Mack facility in Candor. The Arwoods fell in love with the area and bought a second home in the area. They eventually sold their home in Charlotte and made Carthage their residence in 2017.
“We were looking for a great area to move to and we fell in love with the place,” said Jesse. “It was just a little vacation place too. People are just so humble and down to earth.”
Jesse later joined the team at Carolina Car Care in Seven Lakes. When the previous owner closed up the shop, widely known for its customer service and solid car maintenance and repair, Jesse brokered a deal to buy it.
“Jesse reached out to him because he’s been in this field his whole life,” said Roxana. “He was a mechanic when he was 17 or 18 years old. And he went into business and into management. He’s been in the industry his whole adult life — 20 years.”
The opportunity was one the Arwoods could not refuse. “He’s always wanted to have his own place, and here we are,” said Roxana. “God opened up the opportunity for us, and the owner worked with us, and we were able to do this. This is really a blessing for us, a huge blessing, and the community.”
The Arwoods have felt a lot of support as word of the mechanic shop reopening spread. Customers have been calling and stopping by ahead of the grand opening.
“We want to continue to offer the same care that they know, that they come here for,” said Roxana. “We want all that and even better care.”
Customers can expect to find the traditional Carolina Car Care with its signature hospitality. Part of that hospitality is continuing to offer transport for those who don’t have a backup driver and those who need special handling. It also includes snacks like coffee and brownies or other goodies.
But there will be some modern touches to benefit the community including software that can archive all the previous records and perform digital vehicle inspections, or DVIs. The DVI is free with an oil change or if you have an issue with your vehicle. Tablets are used to analyze the vehicle for a 31 point inspection.
Customers can archive the information provided to them via email or text to compare it to the next oil change or evaluation. “You can monitor your battery performance and brake wear and tire wear,” said Jesse.
“Documentation is huge these days when it comes to owning a vehicle. Every repair we do is noted in Carfax.”
Mike Deegan, a longtime former employee of Carolina Car Care has been a great friend, and supporter of the Arwoods as they take on this new challenge. When Jesse began working at Carolina Car Care as manager, Deegan mentored him on the culture of the community. “He is a really good man. He really groomed me to this area,” said Jesse.
The venture has been a family affair, with family members from both sides pitching in with their gifts and skills to help with cheerleading, customer service, painting and organizing.
“Family is huge. This wouldn’t have been possible without my family support,” “We have a lot of people that love us and we are blessed,” said Jesse. “And mine too,” chimed Roxana, who works as a dental assistant, and will now be assisting Jesse with the business. “They’ve really all come together. Both sides.”
When they aren’t working on the business together, both enjoy being active. Jesse is a recreational outdoorsman and enjoys hunting and deep sea fishing. Roxana loves hot yoga.
The Arwoods enjoy working on this opportunity together. Their joint goals, as their mission statement says, is “to provide the community with quality, dependable auto repair services. We focus on upholding trustworthiness and allowing our ethics to guide us in business.
“In partnership with our valued employees, Carolina Car Care aims to exceed customer expectations and foster a culture of reliability in the automotive services industry. Our core purpose is to work on behalf of you, our customer, and ensure each client’s vehicle is properly equipped for safe travels.”
A good turnout from the community came on Dec. 16 to celebrate the new beginning the Arwoods are forging. Even Santa stopped by for a hot dog and to check out some of the sports and antique cars for show.
One of the cars on display was the vintage car Jesse rebuilt with his dad, the one that turned him into loving auto mechanics. In addition to working for the Mack dealer, he also gained experience working with import cars and managing at the Charlotte Area Transit bus garage.
The full-service garage, located at 144 MacDougall Drive, will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can find more information about the services they offer at their website carolinacarcaresevenlakes.com or by calling (910) 673-2277.
Contact Maggie Beamguard at maggie@thepilot.com.
