Page 7 - Harnett Life Winter 2020

A few customers’ vans waiting for restoration or service. The burgundy van is owned by a family from Tennessee, they
have two 4x4 vans that TW has maintained for years. Pickup day is always a bit of a party.The white van is number
two of three vans TW has done for a another wonderful couple in NC. The blue one is another NC Syncro 4x4 waiting
for service. The last is a TW Westy that may be up for sale in the spring.

Got Fahrvergnügen? In other words, driving enjoyment? Ac- transition to Dunn. “The building is large and perfect for the
cording to one of the largest and most successful automak- shop, and the location is great, too. I like being close to High-
ers in the world, the German-owned Volkswagen Group, “it’s way 40 and I-95 — we’re easily accessible here. I commute
what makes a car a Volkswagen.” While known for its iconic from Apex, which is about 40 minutes on the back roads. I
cars and clever slogans — the Beetle, Think Small and much have a nice country drive down Old Stage Road.”
more — the manufacturer is equally famous for its large people
movers from decades past. And thanks to the Dunn opening True to form, the immense 12,500 square-foot property, for-
of the 25-year-old original-to-Raleigh company, Transporter merly filled with antique wares, vintage finds and the standard-
Werks, at 102 W. Divine Street, the blast-from-the-past vintage bearer of all sodas, still today contains classics — those from
vehicles now have a presence in Harnett County. the wheeling world. Previously an admitted “car guy” with a
background in drag and autocross racing as well as air-cooled
Owner and CEO Sean Fraser purchased the building, better mechanics, Fraser has for a decade driven a 1991 VW Vanagon
known as the former home of Sunrise Antiques and circa 1920 camper — yep, a van.
Coca Cola Bottling Plant, back in the fall of 2019. He moved
operations to Dunn, he said, to gain space and pull away from “I was a car guy for a long time,” he explained. “But always a
an area in Raleigh the company “was being squeezed out of” Volkswagen guy.” His loyalty to the maker dates back to 1986
due to construction and sprawl. A year later, he and his five when he bought his first VW — a 1969 auto-stick. Enthusiasm
employees are settling in to their new location. and finances led to self-taught motor skills, noting he had been
working on his own cars since learning “to hold a wrench.”
“We are very happy to be here,” said Fraser, speaking of the The life-long passion led to the launch of Transporter Werks

Harnett Life ~ Winter 2020 Page 7