Battle Creek Automotive

Kyle Bigford’s love of car care began in college, when a summer job tinkering with Corvettes awakened what would become his lifelong calling. The passion never went away, even in the face of postcollege employment: wanting to build an honest auto company for like-minded friends, Kyle quit his job as a financial adviser with Edward Jones Investments to create Hamilton Speed Shop. Now, his multipurpose shop helps customers customize humdrum vehicles, find their ideal auto, or sell their car at a fair market price. Techs at the full-service detail shop wield professional-grade cleaning products along with the knowledge to install deluxe stereo systems, rims, or GPS systems with the personality of Noel Coward. Staff will also locate, ship, and inspect autos based on a customer's wants and needs or spearhead the sale process using Internet merchants and their own database of buyers.

AutoRenew's vehicle revampers treat cars to makeovers with interior and exterior detailing and repair services. Technicians kick off multistep cleaning sessions by soaping up the car's hide by hand, sealing in its new resplendence with hand applications of carnauba wax that leave auto bodies sparkling. A hot-water extraction digs deep into carpet fibers to remove stains and impacted grime, and nitrogen turns dust lingering on all surfaces and crevices into freeze-dried ice cream. A bacteria-removal system helps quash odors from the source, and staffers treat and condition leather and scrub down windows to fashion smudge-free vistas.

AutoRenew also coats exteriors in a synthetic polymer sealant, whose chemical bond to body paint wards off signs of dirt and wear more effectively than traditional carnauba wax. Wet sanding techniques refresh headlights and fog lamps for brighter beams, and windshield repairs rein in small and medium chips lest they splinter into larger cracks.