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CHAMPION continued
CHAMPION continued
Opening its doors in 1989, Champion
celebrates thirty years of serving locals.
Established under the original owner Joe
Wilber as The 19th Hole Car Wash, the name was
changed to Champion in 1999, with the second
owner named Dave. Deciding to keep the name,
Carubba became the third owner in 2016, and
polished up the brand with a little shine in
updating the logo, refreshing the building, the
paint, the signage, lobby, technology, equipment
and all things Champion. Defining the business,
Carubba tells, “We are a true full–service car
wash, wherein you bring your car, and we do
everything. We wash and dry the car by hand,
vacuum and wipe down the inside along with
your glass, rims and tires—all cleaned by hand.
Although everything in the industry is trending
away from full service to less labor intensive,
more automatic. We have been an institution in
Southern Pines for 30 years and remain one of
the last true full–service car washes around.”
Taking the round about to arrive at
destination Champion Car Wash, Carubba
shares his incredible journey. Growing up in
Buffalo with his brother Michael, Carubba
enjoyed life surrounded by lots of aunts,
uncles and cousins. As family encouraged each
endeavor, Carubba attended traditional school
and majored in Economics in college. He laughs,
“Initially I wanted to be a marine biologist as I
loved sharks! In middle school, I wanted to go
to dental school and become a dentist. In high
school, I became interested in competitive
golf and was introduced to a little town named
Pinehurst.” Thus began the whisper of the pines
calling the Carubba family home as they fell in
love with the area.
Carubba’s degree in Economics led to a
career in the financial services industry as he
liked numbers and finance. However, once he
started selling financial products, Carubba
realized, “I didn’t enjoy selling because I wanted
to become more involved in how things worked
which prompted me to go back to school.
Earning a MBA from the University of Buffalo
School of Management, he graduated with a
concentration in international finance.”
An externship in Buffalo led to working in
Manhattan with a large private equity fund. On
the floor of the NY Stock Exchange, Carubba
met some IBM executives who offered a job
in the corporate finance department of IBM.
Progressing through the ranks, Carubba
moved into a role that didn’t require him to
be geographically tied to New York any longer.
“Being able to work remotely ultimately led me
back to Pinehurst,” says Carubba. “Always fond
of the area, I knew this was home, and I bought
a house while in town to surprise my mother for
her 50th birthday. Fortunately, my parents moved
here full time after I bought my house in 2011.”
Moving into the higher levels of management
at IBM, Carubba became the Global Operations
Manager overseeing many employees based in
Raleigh, which worked out really well. When
global operations came local, a mutual friend
playing matchmaker introduced Carubba to a
better destination. On the porch of the Carolina
one April evening in 2013, Carubba met the love
of his life—Brooke, a teacher at the time with
the Moore County school system. As friendship
blossomed, a trip to Italy in 2014, brought a
“Yes!” to Carubba’s proposal of marriage. In
2015, the Carubba family welcomed another
name on the family tree.
As roots became firmly planted in Moore,
Carubba’s entrepreneurial spirit grew stronger.
Choosing to leave the corporate world of IBM
and another position secured with Golf Pride
Grips overseeing their global affairs, Carubba
chose a return to hands-on ownership in
the automotive business. Interestingly while
Carubba was working at Golf Pride, his father
Sam happened to strike up a conversation with
the former owner at Champion who mentioned
wanting to sell the car wash. After some due
diligence which ultimately led to the purchase
of the business, Carubba shares, “I experienced
a return to the roots—back to the automotive
business my family started all those years back.”
When Carubba’s grandfather Anthony started
the little auto body shop and his father Sam grew
the shop from one to fifteen locations who could
have dreamed such a legacy! Carubba recalls, “I
actually started my first business at 19 years old
when I operated a defensive driving school in
Buffalo. Tied to my family’s collision business,
the idea was if someone had an accident and
were concerned about insurance rate increases,
then they could take my defensive driving class
and reduce their premiums.”
With Carubba returning to the family heritage
in automotive work, he explains, “I specialize in
the cosmetic and aesthetics of auto care. To keep
the vehicle as close to new condition as possible
is my specialty.”
Defining the services, Carubba says, “Our car
wash is your traditional clean-up, meant to get
your entire car clean in a fairly short amount of
time, say less than an hour. The detail shop is
much more involved in providing a deeper level
of clean that requires more expertise and skill.
A typical detail takes 4–5 hours. Our top–end
car wash is what most locals choose; however
with increased awareness, our greatest source of
growth has been the detail shop—hands down.
We went from being a very basic meat and
potatoes detail operation with one detailer to a
sophisticated operation running three detailers
who handle some of the most expensive cars in
Moore County.”
Along with the standard services offered at
Champion, Carubba assures, “Our level of skill,
our level of training sets us apart. Certified by
the International Detailing Association which
is the equivalent to a mechanic being certified
by ASE or ICAR, I know the business. We tailor
our services to each customer’s needs, desires
and vehicle. Beyond servicing, we educate our
customers on their vehicle care.”
The transition from the corporate world
to small business owner presents a different
set of challenges. Instead of the day-to-day
operational challenges, the challenges are more
in the planning, staffing and making sure the
business is running as needed. Of the sixteen
full–time employees, a gentleman named Billy
Latchman has been with the business since the
place opened 30 years ago. Billy works on the
car wash side; his specialty is cleaning glass.
Another employee, Adrian has served for 19
years. While each employee finds their niche;
Carubba shares, “Akin to a sport’s team, you use
your team in the positions wherein they are the
strongest. Honestly our employees set us apart
in the marketplace. Our employees make all
the difference in the world. Anyone can supply
a bunch of equipment with the chemicals
and run a car wash, but when push comes to
shove, it’s the people, the employees and their
commitment to doing the job well who make it
happen.”
As interesting as the employees, the clients
are a favorite! “Many interesting people have
come through the door,” tells Carubba. “Literally
we have some customers who drive over an
hour from Raleigh or Durham to get their cars
washed. That is pretty neat!”
Inviting locals to come meet the Champion
Car Wash team, Carubba says, “Come and
experience what we do differently from everyone
else. See why we have such a loyal and growing
customer base. Expanding our capabilities
remains at the top of the list for growing the
vision into the new decade.”
Carubba smiles, “Our family is happy to be
in the car business again. My father remains
an active advisor and partner in the business—
always my sounding board offering advice and
support. We are excited to be doing something a
little different in Moore County, and we hope to
continue for a long, long time.”
With a son named Sam, the Carrubas
welcome a new son in the new year along with
a renewed vision for service. No matter the
changes ahead, family remains the constant
driving force. “Everything I do is for my wife
and my sons,” ponders Carubba. “I never
understood it until I got married and became a
father. Working to provide a comfortable living
and to afford opportunities for my family, I feel
so very blessed. If you took my family out of the
equation, I don’t know what I’d be doing or why
I’d be doing it.”
Pretty much the story begins and continues
down the same road as family makes life worth
the living! Drive in for a visit as the Carubba
family provides the best automotive care
revolving around great customer service from
a dedicated team centered around old–school
family values! ☐
LINCOLN con't from p. 31
Anthony Carubba at Champion
takes care of the best cars in the county.
Anthony Carubba in the Detail Shop.
930 Old US Hwy #1 S • Sou. Pines.
championnc.com • fb • Instagram
p.36 The Pinehurst Gazette, Inc. No. 137
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