Built on Experience: The Story Behind Carolina Outdoor Parts
Do you know what happens when you get two friends—that's Jamie and me—around a campfire in Uwharrie National Forest? Carolina Outdoor Parts. Now the story could stop right there, and it would be a perfectly factual origin story, but that's not fun; everyone wants the gossip.
If you were to meet Jamie, you would say he was practical, intelligent, hard-working, and dedicated. What about me? Pretty much the same, just in a shorter package. We have been co-workers, and more importantly, friends, for over 15 years.
Combined, we have over 40 years of experience in automotive, parts, and e-commerce. We have helped customers from all over the globe, literally. From assisting in record-breaking runs in the South Pole to supplying parts for epic builds in the Middle East, snow to sand, we've been there. We took an automotive dealer from a concept to leading the online parts scene in North America. We helped an outdoor equipment site nearly double its online sales. Heck, we've even done some consulting along the way.
I know this sounds a lot like a guy saying, "I scored four touchdowns in a single game for Polk High," and reliving the glory days. By the way, if you get that reference without Googling it, we can be friends. The point is not the touchdowns. It is what we learned getting there.
Our experience has taught us some valuable lessons. We were constantly seeing customer service decisions that focused too heavily on making another dollar instead of building a relationship. We also saw inaccurate inventory become normal, even when it meant customers wasted time placing orders that could never be fulfilled. The frustrating thing for us was the inability to enact change. Eventually, the solution became obvious: why not build it ourselves?
Circling back to the campfire, Jamie and I are avid outdoor people. From motorcycle camping trips to getting Land Cruisers stuck under power lines, we like being outside. You get both of us outdoors, around a campfire, with (allegedly) a few adult beverages, and we can get passionate. Not like that! We are happily married to our wives. The conversation can get passionate. We had discussed starting a business before, but the real truth is that it is scary and a big leap of faith. That's what Jamie tells me; I was good, obviously. Our conversation kept building on itself like the fire we were sitting around.
“We could do this.”
“We would never do that.”
We could start with UTV and ATV parts. Then expand into snowmobile parts. I grew up in NH; I know what a snowmobile is. Finally, we could expand into lawnmowers, chainsaws, trimmers, and other outdoor equipment.
What I remember most about that night was our excitement. We had a plan; we had focus; now we just needed to make it real.
From the beginning, we knew accurate fitment had to be the foundation. When a customer orders a part from us, they need to know it will fit the first time. This saves the customer time, reduces frustration, and avoids returns. We have painstakingly created our own Year-Make-Model filter to meet those needs.
This business is just Jamie and me; his dog, Chewy, makes an appearance occasionally. When you reach out to Carolina Outdoor Parts, not only are you talking to a human; you are talking to an owner. We are working on Chewy’s typing skills, but he isn’t that good.
Our ultimate goal for Carolina Outdoor Parts is to build a brand customers can trust because they know the people behind it. We want people to understand that we know what it is like to be in the middle of a repair and get the wrong part. We have been there. We want the customer to turn to us for a replacement CVT belt, but at the same time grab a new chain for their 455 Rancher while they are shopping.
We know that taking care of customers will make our business successful. That belief has influenced every decision made while building Carolina Outdoor Parts.
— Brian & Jamie
Founders, Carolina Outdoor Parts