Rick and Teresa Baum established Dart Automotive in 1997, but Rick has always had auto repair in his blood. When he was a kid, he worked at a cabinet shop and then at a gas station doing minor auto repairs. Later, Rick joined the Air Force and was stationed at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, where he stayed for 7 ½ years as an aircraft maintenance specialist on the F-4 and the A-10.
Teresa happened to crew the A-10, and Rick and Teresa met on base. During this time, however, Rick kept himself busy, working part-time as an automotive technician and operating a towing business even while he was servicing aircraft. Later, Rick moved with Teresa to Europe for three years to work maintenance on the F-111 Super Saber.
Despite Rick’s long tenure doing aircraft maintenance, he found his way back to auto repair. After returning to the states, Rick and Teresa settled down in South Carolina and Rick started working as a technician at a small independent dealership. He got his A&P (Airframe and Powerplant) License and ASE certifications along the way.