Partner Spotlight: a paid placement by a neighborhood business, not editorial coverage.
He grew up on Carmel Road, learned service running restaurants, and came home to drive his neighbors.
Stephen Fogarty grew up on Carmel Road, and he remembers when much of Ballantyne was still farmland. Now he runs a car service he says is based there.
Fogarty owns Custom Luxury Transportation, a private black SUV service that serves Charlotte and the rest of North Carolina. Airport runs, business trips, a wedding day, a date night: his job, as he describes it, is to take care of the transportation so you can enjoy the occasion.
He learned the job somewhere else. His background is in restaurant management, and he says that work taught him great service comes down to how you make people feel: a warm welcome, attention to detail, knowing what someone needs before they ask. He brought that approach to the car.
Safety comes first, he says, which means driving attentively, preparing for each trip and giving passengers peace of mind. After that come the smaller things. Clear communication. Respect for your time. Help with the luggage. And knowing whether a passenger wants a conversation or would rather ride in quiet.
After college, work took Fogarty to several places, but his parents and his brother stayed in Charlotte. In the summer of 2025, his family moved home. Coming back has given him a new view of the place he grew up, he says, and there is something special about watching his son build his own connection to it.
The moment he is proudest of has nothing to do with cars. It was becoming a dad. "It may not be business related, but it's the driving factor of everything I do," he says.
His advice reaches past the driveway, too. Whether in business or everyday life, he says, "listen closely, respect their time, and follow through on your word." Small gestures, he says, can leave a lasting impression. "You may not know what someone's day has been like, but you can help make the next part of it better."
Custom Luxury Transportation · Private black SUV service for Charlotte and North Carolina · Available by request; rides after 10 p.m. or before 5 a.m. need six hours' notice · Call, text or email to book · (704) 258-4792 · stephen@customluxurytransportation.com · customluxurytransportation.com · @customluxurytransportation · See his partner profile
This Partner Spotlight is drawn from Stephen Fogarty's own account.
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