The Full Story
The Beach Mule's Why:
As a consumer first, Will Parker, founder of the Beach Mule and local to Wilmington beaches, found himself constantly making the exhausting haul-of-a workout to get all of his gear to the beach. Even when it was just him and he only had a few items, it seemed like no one had come up with a solution of the seemingly simple issue of getting things effectively to the beach without the hassle. On a search for a motorized option to a plastic wheel beach cart, Will couldn't believe his eyes at the prices listed for these "solutions".
"$500 for a two wheeled manual pull cart, it doesn't even have beach wheels??" - he shouted.
"$800 for something that isn't power assisted??" - he cried.
"$3,000!!! FOR AN ELECTRIC BEACH CART!!" - he fainted.
Will now understood why this issue had not been tackled yet and he never saw anything such as this on the beach.
Simply because of the unattainable price. His solution: "Well, I'm an engineer, I will just build my own!" Will had started in manufacturing 10 years prior as an operator, then moved up to a mechanic, then a technician, and finally an engineer with years of experience in industrial automation and mechanical design for large manufacturers. Over his time, he had started his own business in engineering as a consultant for manufacturing plants and acquired industrial machinery for his shop.
Will quickly realized the admiration and praise
Upon building his own and testing it on Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina, he quickly realized the admiration and praise he received for building something that so many people could envision it helping them too. As an engineer who took the long way up, his purpose for wanting to become one from a child was to make things that help people and that they find joy in. What he didn't expect, was that after all the multi-million-dollar projects he had worked on in the past for big heartless corporations, that this would be the one that finally gave him that fulfillment.
Being A customer first
He realized that being a consumer first helped him see the cost issue in obtaining something so useful and needed on the beach. So instead of trying to match the competition's pricing, he decided to do everything he could to make this affordable and attainable for everyone on the beach. His wife always said he "looked like a Mule carrying all that crap on the beach." Thus, the Beach Mule was born.
Affordable, Innovative, and In-House Masterpiece
After researching why the other carts were so expensive, it became apparent that it was because everything they did was outsourced. Will decided to go a different route and make everything, down to the small components and wiring, in house with his team no matter the workload. After 2 years of designing a cart that is exactly what is needed and nothing that isn't, in 2023 the most affordable, first four-wheel drive, fully collapsible, lithium power-tool battery operated, lightweight and user-friendly electric beach cart solution hit the market.