When Paul and Tracy Spraetz launched Resort Life Carts on November 1, 2022, the Central California business started with just six used golf carts. Today, it sells new and pre-owned golf carts and street-legal Low-Speed Vehicles (LSVs), while offering rentals, service, customization, and fleet solutions to families, businesses, resorts, schools, municipalities, and other organizations.
That expanded business model has driven significant growth, earning the company recognition as the Top Honoree in the Growth Accelerators category of the 2026 CO—100, an awards program for small businesses hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Resort Life Carts opened a second location, also in Madera, California, in February 2025 with a 12,000-square-foot showroom and service center, finished its most recent year with $4.7 million in sales, and expects to surpass $5.5 million this year.
While the company’s revenue growth over the last three years is exceptional, Co-Founder Tracy Spraetz believes successful growth means looking beyond sales figures to ensure expansion strengthens rather than strains the business.
[Read more: Meet the 2026 CO—100 Honorees]
Building new services around customer needs
Resort Life Carts has grown by steadily expanding both what it offers and whom it serves. What began primarily as golf cart sales has evolved into a full-service dealership with LSVs, commercial and fleet solutions, custom builds, parts and accessories, lithium conversions, delivery, and multi-brand service. The company has also invested in relationships with manufacturers, hotels, schools, hospitals, and other organizations while increasing its presence at community events.
“Our most important strategy has been listening to what customers and communities need, then building services around those needs,” said Co-Founder Paul Spraetz.
That approach also influenced the company's physical expansion. Its larger showroom and service operations allow Resort Life Carts to carry more inventory and serve more customers while creating opportunities to maintain those relationships through after-sales service rather than relying solely on one-time purchases.
The company has also focused on educating customers about the differences between traditional golf carts and street-legal LSVs. It became a licensed California automobile dealership to properly sell, register, and title LSVs, incorporating safety education into the customer experience as the vehicles increasingly become a form of neighborhood transportation.
[Read more: 5 Steps to Identify New Products and Services]
Testing a new revenue stream before scaling it
One of Resort Life Carts' most significant growth initiatives has been its rental division. The goal was to establish a recurring revenue stream while reaching customers in recreation and tourism markets where short-term transportation options were limited.
Rather than immediately purchasing a large rental fleet, the company first evaluated demand, seasonal traffic, pricing, insurance, delivery logistics, and vehicle requirements. It then consigned carts from another dealer, allowing Resort Life Carts to test the concept without making a large upfront investment.
The team established rental agreements, qualification requirements, safety and inspection procedures, delivery processes, and cancellation policies before promoting the new service through its existing customer and community relationships and destination-based marketing.
The test provided valuable data on demand, pricing, maintenance, seasonality, and customer preferences while introducing Resort Life Carts to new customers. It also opened the door to larger potential partnerships with hotels, vacation properties, and tourism businesses. Based on the program's performance, Resort Life Carts has since invested in its own rental fleet.
[Read more: How to Build Strong Community Partnerships for Growth]
Spotlight On
Resort Life Carts
Resort Life Carts is a locally owned business founded by Paul and Tracy Spraetz on a simple philosophy: always do the right thing. RLC’s exceptional year-over-year growth has been fueled by an incredible team, a relentless commitment to customer service, and a business model centered on building relationships—not simply making sales. Today, Resort Life Carts specializes in new and pre-owned golf carts, street-legal LSVs, service, rentals, custom builds, and commercial fleet solutions, serving individuals, families, businesses, and organizations throughout Central California. For Paul and Tracy, however, success has never been measured by revenue alone. They believe a local business has a responsibility to invest in the community that supports it. Resort Life Carts actively gives back through local schools, nonprofits, youth programs, community events, charitable organizations, and safety initiatives. From educating families and businesses about safe and legal LSV/golf cart use and supporting organizations and causes that make a meaningful difference in their neighbors' lives. RLC strives to use its growth as an opportunity to create a greater impact. At its core, the Resort Life Carts story is about entrepreneurial determination, extraordinary growth, strong relationships, and purposeful leadership. Paul and Tracy believe that lasting success comes from taking care of customers, investing in their team, supporting their community, and choosing to do the right thing—even when it isn’t the easiest thing to do. That philosophy has helped transform Resort Life Carts from a startup with just six used golf carts into a thriving business with two locations, a team of 16, and a meaningful presence throughout the Central California community—and it continues to guide the company’s growth and vision for the future.
Our most important strategy has been listening to what customers and communities need, then building services around those needs.Paul Spraetz, Co-Founder of Resort Life Carts
Balancing rapid growth with financial discipline
Resort Life Carts' expansion has also brought lessons about what sustainable growth requires. Rising inventory, freight, insurance, fuel, and other operating costs began squeezing margins even as customer demand continued to increase.
The company responded by analyzing costs across the business, negotiating with vendors, eliminating unnecessary expenses, shopping for less expensive insurance, and strengthening purchasing controls. It also temporarily cut bonuses in an effort to preserve jobs.
“We have learned that revenue growth alone does not define a healthy business,” Tracy Spraetz said. “Sustainable growth must also protect cash flow, margins, employees, service quality, and customer relationships.”
That lesson now informs how Resort Life Carts evaluates new opportunities. The company considers staffing, systems, service capacity, space, and inventory requirements before expanding and favors testing new initiatives on a smaller scale before making larger investments.
Growing a business while giving back to the community
For Paul and Tracy Spraetz, building a successful business has always meant more than increasing revenue. From the beginning, they established a simple guiding principle for Resort Life Carts: "Always do the right thing." That philosophy shapes how the company treats its customers, supports its employees, and gives back to the community that has embraced it.
In less than four years, Resort Life Carts has grown from a husband-and-wife venture into a team of 18, with a company culture built around relationships, accountability, and a shared commitment to making a difference. The Spraetzes believe their teammates are the foundation of the company's success and that creating opportunities for their team is just as important as expanding the business.
Giving back has also become an integral part of the company's identity. Through golf cart donations, fundraising partnerships, sponsorships, and community events, Resort Life Carts has helped raise more than $500,000 for local schools and nonprofit organizations, including Valley Children's Hospital, Fresno State, the American Heart Association, the Marjaree Mason Center, and CASA of Fresno & Madera Counties.
"We started this business with six used golf carts, never imagining where it would take us," said Co-Founder Paul Spraetz. "What means the most to us isn't how many carts we've sold or how much revenue we've generated. It's the relationships we've built, the opportunities we've created for our team, and the difference we've been able to make in our community. We always say, 'We don't sell carts—we sell fun.' But at the heart of it all, we're really in the business of making friends and doing the right thing."
For Resort Life Carts, community involvement isn't separate from its growth strategy. It's part of the foundation on which the business was built. As the company continues to expand, the Spraetzes remain committed to ensuring that its success creates opportunities not only for their team and customers, but also for the communities they serve. What began with six used carts has grown into a thriving Central California business, guided by the same principle that inspired its founders from day one: Always do the right thing.
[View the full 2026 CO—100 list]
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