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How The Wheels Got Rolling
It was 1967 when Jim Muellner of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, was commissioned to design and build some of the first self-serve luggage cart vending machines for Hughes Industries of Littleton, Colorado. After setting up luggage cart services in Salt Lake City and Minneapolis, Hughes Industries went bankrupt trying to produce a large order for the Los Angeles International Airport.
Realizing the product's potential, Muellner purchased the company in 1967 with the firm belief that “helping people help themselves” would make traveling more convenient and enjoyable.
When Smarte Carte, Inc. was officially incorporated in 1970, the airports in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Salt Lake City and Los Angeles were the initial three airports to welcome the self-serve luggage cart service for passengers. Next came Oakland and other airports soon followed.
As the number of Smarte Carte operations grew, so did the need for further automation and innovation. Mechanical tugs, dollar bill acceptors, change-making and remote management capabilities were added to enhance the service. In 1992 when Smarte Carte added its credit card payment option, it was the first vending company to offer unattended credit card acceptance.
In 1993, company founder, Jim Muellner, cashed in on his success
in building Smarte Carte into a well-known industry leader when
he sold the company to a New York investor.
Through the years, Smarte Carte built on its reputation as an innovator and self-service leader to bring computerized electronic lockers to airports, train and bus terminals, amusement parks, waterparks, zoos and ski resorts, as well as self-serve vended strollers to shopping malls.
40 years later, Smarte Carte has operations at more than 1200 facilities worldwide. Smarte Carte is now helping people with a growing list of services in a growing number of places – from transportation terminals to shopping centers to amusement parks and other entertainment venues.
From its humble beginning in 1970 to the world leader it is today, Smarte Carte has continued to meet the demands of its customers by providing world-class customer service, innovative self-serve products and leading-edge technology. It is Smarte Carte's dedication to customer satisfaction that has set the company apart from its competition.
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