Smarte Carte Inc. (

stylized In the visual arts, style is a "...distinctive manner which permits the grouping of works into related categories" or "...any distinctive, and therefore recognizable, way in which an act is performed or an artifact made or ought to be performed a ...

as ''smarte''carte) is a global company providing products and services to the travel and leisure industries. Smarte Carte specializes in luggage carts and trolleys, wheelchairs, electronic lockers, commercial strollers, and massage chairs, as well as airport services such as baggage storage, baggage wrap, lost property, Mail N’ Fly, porter services, and more. Operating in more than 3,500 locations around the world, its products and services are primarily found in airports, shopping centers, theme and water parks, ski resorts, and fitness centers. The company is owned by 3I, an investment firm based in London, the United Kingdom, that focuses on mid-market private equity and infrastructure.

Origin & history

In 1967, Jim Muellner was commissioned to design and build one of the first self-serve luggage cart vending machines. In 1970, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles saw the launch of Smarte Carte Inc.'s initial activities. They moved into foreign markets in the 1980s and have maintained market leadership in other vending equipment and airport baggage carts through long-term customer contracts. In 1992, the company recognized the increasing concern with security at airports and formed Smarte Carte Inc. to develop and grow the locker business. The company extends operations into shopping malls across the country. In 2008, with the purchase of First Class Seats and Sit Back & Relax, they entered the massage chair business, making them the largest provider of vending massage chair services in the United States. They expanded their business further in 2018 by purchasing Aviation Mobility and entering the wheelchair market.

Headquarters

Smarte Carte’s

corporate A corporation or body corporate is an individual or a group of people, such as an association or company, that has been authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law as "born out of s ...

and North American headquarters are located in

White Bear Lake, Minnesota White Bear Lake is a city in Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County in the U.S. state, state of Minnesota, United States. A small portion of the city also extends into Washington County, Minnesota, Washington County. The population was 24,88 ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Additional regional headquarters are located in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Operations

Smarte Carte Inc. operates products and services in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.

Products and services

• Luggage carts and operations at airports and major bus/rail stations.
• Mobility products, including Strollers, ECVs, and Wheelchairs at airports, amusement parks, zoos, and shopping centers.
• Long-term baggage storage, baggage wrapping, lost property, porter, meet and greet, and Mail N’ Fly and other services at airports and major bus/rail stations.
• Electronic lockers and operations at amusement/theme parks, indoor and outdoor water parks, trampoline parks, ski resorts, entertainment centers, shopping centers, zoos, and transportation centers.
• Massage chairs at airports, malls, gyms, transportation centers, and family entertainment centers.

Acquisitions

Smarte Carte has acquired several companies over the course of its history, including Sit Back & Relax and First Class Seats in 2008 (massage chairs), Central Specialties LTD in 2012 (strollers), Bagport in 2016 (carts and services), Aviation Mobility in 2018 (wheelchairs), and Feel Good Chairs (massage chairs) in 2019.

References

External links

* {{coord, 45, 4, 26, N, 93, 3, 5, W, display=title Companies based in White Bear Lake, Minnesota