The Validation...

Has come in the form of partnerships, with an executive leadership team from one of the largest and most prestigious automotive museums in Los Angeles site tour in July. Also working on similar partnerships with SEMA, NAPA Auto Parts, Jegs, Summit Racing, etc. all in the pursuit of igniting automotive education and passion.

The Opportunity

There are 283 million registered vehicles in the United States and a growing community of owners who want to work on them — but have nowhere to do it. Apartment leases prohibit it. HOAs ban it. Cities fine it. The tools cost tens of thousands of dollars. The knowledge is scattered across YouTube videos.

The Garage Society is a membership-based automotive workshop in Compton, California that gives car enthusiasts, hobbyists, and aspiring professionals access to $925,000 worth of professional-grade equipment — CNC machines, engine dynamometers, automotive lifts, precision machining centers, welding stations, and paint booths — for a monthly membership fee starting at $250.

Think of it as a WeWork for car people. Or a CrossFit box, but instead of barbells, we have Rottler boring machines and Haas 5-axis CNC mills.

Why Now

Three forces are converging:

1. The DIY automotive market is exploding. The U.S. automotive aftermarket is a $400+ billion industry. YouTube automotive content generates billions of views annually. Cars & Bids, Bring a Trailer, and the collector car market have made car culture mainstream — but the infrastructure for hands-on participation hasn't kept up.

2. The makerspace model is proven. TechShop proved the shared-workshop concept (before mismanagement killed it). WeWork proved shared workspace. CrossFit proved community-driven membership. The Garage Society combines all three in an underserved vertical.

3. We have an unfair acquisition advantage. Our facility is co-located with Custom Performance Racing Engines (CPR), an established engine building shop with 20+ years of equipment, reputation, and expertise. We are acquiring CPR's entire equipment portfolio — valued at approximately $925,000 at replacement cost — at a fraction of that price. This gives us Day 1 credibility and eliminates the typical 12–18 month buildout timeline that kills most makerspace startups.

The Business Model

Revenue comes from five streams, diversified by design:

Year 3 projected revenue: $862,000 at 47% operating margin.

The model scales because fixed costs (rent, equipment, insurance) are largely constant while membership revenue grows linearly. Each new member adds ~$250–$1,500/month in revenue against near-zero marginal cost.

Location & Facility

1360 South Santa Fe Avenue, Compton, CA 90221

An 18,750 square-foot industrial facility in a designated Qualified Opportunity Zone, featuring:

•2 automotive lifts (two-post and four-post)

•Full CNC machine shop (2 Haas 5-axis, 1 Mori Seki, Rottler block center, Sunnen hone)

•Engine and chassis dynamometers (DTS)

•Welding and fabrication area (TIG/MIG)

•Paint preparation area

•4-vehicle indoor storage

•Dedicated classroom/training space

The Compton location provides 40–60% rent savings versus comparable space on the Westside while serving the same greater Los Angeles market (15 million people within 30 miles).

The Experience

Imagine Friday nights with new friends. A barbecue out back, a band playing, people talking about and showing others their projects. Add to that competitions such as engine building races, dyno night where members compete to see who's car is most/least powerful, club drives, membership tours of private collections, its so much more dynamic and inspiring than anything else in the automotive community. Add to that the confidence that comes from avoiding the local repair shop because they've done you wrong so many times and you now know how to repair your own car with the confidence that it was done right.

Competitive Advantage

No one else has this combination:

1.Equipment portfolio — $925K replacement value acquired below market from an established shop, operational on Day 1

2.Built-in expertise — Martin Marinov (CPR, 20+ years, featured in Engine Builder Magazine, Hot Rod, National Geographic) provides all equipment training

3.Location economics — Opportunity Zone, 40–60% below Westside rents, same metro access

4.Community-first model — Not a traditional repair shop; a membership community with built-in retention and word-of-mouth growth

5.Multiple revenue streams — Not dependent on any single income source

The Team

Clark Hogan — Founder & Managing Member. Automotive enthusiast and entrepreneur with deep roots in LA car culture. Multi-exit entrepreneur, ex-Google. Responsible for business strategy, capital raising, and operations.

Martin Marinov — Equipment Training Director. Owner of CPR Engines (est. 2003). 20+ years operating the exact equipment our members will use. Featured in Engine Builder Magazine, Hot Rod, Engine Labs, and National Geographic Channel. Provides all safety certifications and equipment training.

Use of Funds

This raise will fund the transition from buildout to revenue:

Growth Path

Phase 1 (Current — Compton): Launch with 50–80 members, prove unit economics, achieve profitability by Month 18.

Phase 2 (Year 3–4 — Westside Expansion): Open a premium Westside location targeting collector car storage ($1,000/mo per vehicle, local comps prove market demand) plus higher-tier memberships. The Westside location adds $480K+ in annual storage revenue alone.

Phase 3 (Year 5+): Franchise model or second owned location. The playbook, training curriculum, and operational systems built in Phase 1 become the template.

The Ask

We are raising up to $500,000 via Regulation Crowdfunding on Wefunder.

Investment structure: SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) with a $2,500,000 valuation cap and 20% discount.

Minimum investment: $100

This is your chance to own a piece of the infrastructure that car culture has been missing. Whether you wrench on weekends, dream about learning to weld, or just believe that people should have access to the tools they need to build things — The Garage Society is for you.

Key Metrics to Watch

Extremely conservative membership growth numbers, higher acquisition rates will drive breakeven down significantly.