Rick White is what some people might call a serial businessman, having run and owned a variety of small businesses from real estate sales to a commodities broker. For a time, he even had a marina, where he rented dock space and sold fishing supplies. That job, he recalls, was only 18 steps from his home, which was a sailboat docked at the marina.
Rick now travels about 35 minutes from home to his job, but he loves what he does. He owns and operates the Cottman center at 4001 N. New Hope Road in Raleigh.
The Evanston, Ill. native spent many years in Florida, including the nine years when he lived on the sailboat. He moved to Durham when he bought the Cottman franchise there in 1997. Three years later, he took over the Raleigh shop, which had been having problems. With a focus on quality customer service, he was able to turn the business around, achieving and maintaining an A+ rating from the local Better Business Bureau.
Rick sold the Durham shop in 2009 to concentrate on building the Raleigh location.
"The key to our success has been consistently giving the best service to our customers," he said. "A tremendous percentage of our business comes from repeat customers or from referrals, which is the most gratifying way to grow."
Rick is proud of the A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. "I feel good that we've been able to build and maintain a good reputation in our community," he added.
When he's not working, Rick likes to keep up with the news and follow sports. Although he's long gone from Illinois, he remains a loyal Cubs fan.
Rick's Cottman Transmission center can be reached online at www.cottmanofraleigh.com.
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