1967
The self-service luggage cart is invented and first deployed at U.S. airports, giving travelers a coin-operated way to move their bags independently. An entirely new service category is created.
Our History
Always Building. Never Standing Still.
From a single luggage cart in Salt Lake City to infrastructure on four continents.
Smarte Carte incorporates and begins expanding the model airport by airport. Within a decade, the company becomes the dominant operator across the country.
1970
1981
Guam International Airport becomes the first international location, opening the door to global growth. The core concession model travels beyond U.S. borders for the first time.
The platform moves beyond aviation into shopping centers and retail. A cart designed for airports proves equally useful wherever large volumes of people carry heavy loads.
1983
1987
Smarte Carte serves the majority of major U.S. airport hubs. The 1,000th unit goes live at Frankfurt Airport, a milestone that signals genuine international scale.
22 million annual rentals across 89 airports in multiple countries confirm the business has outgrown its origins as a domestic airport operator.
1990
1991
The 100th airport location opens. A stroller rental program launches at Signal Hill Mall, proving that the concession model works for families, retail environments, and travelers alike.
AMLOCK, Inc. is acquired, bringing an established locker network across transportation hubs nationwide. Smarte Locke is born, and a third concession product enters the portfolio.
1993
1994
Smarte Carte becomes the first vended airport service to accept credit cards, removing the last barrier between a traveler and a cart.
The workforce reaches 1,000 people, a reflection of how broadly the business has expanded beyond its airport origins.
1995
1996
Cart and locker operations support the Atlanta Olympic Games in partnership with Visa. The network stands at 150+ airports and 200+ locker locations worldwide.
Andrews Electronic Lockers, operating across Australia and New Zealand, is acquired, establishing the first Smarte Locke presence in the Asia-Pacific region.
1997
2006
Baggage Storage launches in Australia, pairing a staffed service model with the existing vended cart business, to create a new revenue stream.
Sit Back and Relax and First Class Seats are acquired, consolidating the vended massage chair industry and adding 4,200+ chairs across 600+ locations.
2008
2012
The stroller and vending assets of Central Specialties Ltd. are acquired, making Smarte Carte a dominant operator of themed stroller rental programs in North America.
The acquisition of Bagport Holdings extends staffed passenger services into Europe, adding porter services, baggage wrapping, Lost Property, and Mail and Fly to the portfolio.
2016
2018
Aviation Mobility is acquired, adding 15,000+ wheelchairs across 300+ airports and completing a full curb-to-gate service offering for the first time.
Feel Good Chairs is acquired, adding 1,100 massage chairs across 80 mall locations and expanding automated retail depth within the existing customer base.
2019
2020
The COVID-19 pandemic brings global travel to a near halt. The business holds its position, sustaining investment in operations and people throughout the disruption.
A next-generation cart management kiosk, the Venture Wheels stroller, and Forward Pay cashless payments all launch. The business emerges from the pandemic period stronger and modernized.
2021
2024
Operations launch in Norway, Ireland, Mexico, and Spain, extending the geographic reach of the group across Europe and Latin America.
Lost and Found Software is acquired, adding 30 airports and transportation hubs. The group enters the software business for the first time, connecting physical infrastructure to a proprietary digital platform.
2026