Stanhope Elmore students get hands-on entrepreneurship lesson from The Worx Auto Detail

The Worx Auto Detail team turned Stanhope Elmore High School into a real-world classroom on May 5, giving students a hands-on lesson in how a detailing shop works, how it makes money and how a small business builds a local reputation.

Owner and operator Kyle Jenkins led the Business and Detailing Entrepreneurship class with Shop Manager Danny Kiddy, Paint Correction Specialist Jae Cate, and detailing apprentices Hayden Anderson and Tristin Wilson. The lesson focused on the business side of auto detailing, not just the shine, and gave students a look at the kind of work that can turn technical skill into income after graduation.

Jenkins, a Stanhope Elmore alumnus, told the class the goal was to share real-world knowledge and help students see career opportunities beyond the classroom. He stressed that college matters, but it is not the only route to a stable future, pointing to skilled trades and entrepreneurship as viable paths for students who want to work with their hands and build something of their own.

That message fits with the direction Autauga County Schools says it is taking. The school system says it is preparing students for whichever post-high-school path they choose, while Autauga County Technology Center says its programs are built to prepare students either for the workforce or for more postsecondary study. The technology center also says Autauga County’s career and technical education program includes 16 career clusters.

The Worx brought added weight to the lesson because it is already a known name in the River Region. The Millbrook business says it is a mobile and shop-based detailing company serving auto, marine, paint correction, ceramic coating and mobile detailing customers, with the slogan, “Letting The City Shine One Vehicle and Vessel at a Time.” A local report placed the company at 2161 B Main Street in Millbrook in September 2024, and the Millbrook Area Chamber of Commerce later celebrated The Worx Auto Detail’s 10-year anniversary.

The company’s awards list also gave students a look at what strong local branding can do for a business. The Worx has been recognized as Best Detail Shop/Car Wash in the River Region, Best Car Wash in Elmore County, Best Auto Detailing Shop in Montgomery, and Best Car Wash & Detailing Service in Alabama for both 2024 and 2025.

For Stanhope Elmore, the visit tied classroom learning to the county’s larger workforce conversation. Prattville-Autauga economic development materials describe workforce development as a critical part of economic development in the county, and the day at SEHS showed how that can look in practice: a local employer, a local alumnus and a group of students getting a clear view of how technical work, customer service and ownership can add up to a career rooted in Autauga County.