Bobby Mace, Author at Transmission Digest - Page 9 of 10
‘Transmissions are only half of what we do’

Facing technological and economic change, Craig O’Neill, the administrative leader of O’Neill Transmission & Service, aims to keep the third-generation shop profitable with a new business model for an industry he views as past its heyday.

ATI: Performance Made Personal

“ATI Performance Products Inc., has been around a long time,” says CEO J.C. Beattie, Jr. “The start was a little transmission and general repair shop in Silver Spring, Md., where my dad (Jim Beattie) was in business with a partner for the first few years. That shop, ATI Transmission, is still in business there today. The business was a small general repair type shop with a large fleet customer, Yellow Cab in D.C. There was a lot of transmission work there, Powerglides at first and later 350s and 400s.

Genuine! – Ford Powertrain throughout North America

“Our goal is to be very competitive with the aftermarket in all aspects of all service products that go into Ford and Lincoln vehicles,” explains Lisa Fournier, the team manager for powertrain and collision products. This includes a very substantial product assortment available to shops engaged in powertrain repair and rebuilding. The local Ford and Lincoln dealerships serve in the role of parts distributor to literally thousands of shops throughout North America.

Creating New Markets

Recently, Eastern Transmission of has assembled specialty kits to compete with scrap yards and has taken on specialty repairs to develop new areas of expertise. Moreover, the business has become a distributor of Raybestos Powertrain parts, adding value not only as a separate venture but also as a user of the company’s products, said Stephen Svetliza, who spoke for his brother Andrew and father Marcelo. The shop is in St. Laurent, Quebec, a suburb of Montreal.

Hayden: Cool Stuff

As for the transmission builder, Miller points out that the transmission being rebuilt has already failed under the conditions the vehicle owner puts the car through. It would only make sense that a heat failure should be addressed by decreasing the possibility of such future failures.

Foresighted, Loyal to Industry & Family

Pete Attashian strives to elevate his transmission shop to “new-generation” status, expanding his reach, cultivating the best employees, making the most of current marketing and research techniques.

Raybestos: Extending the Brand

A few years ago Transmission Digest reported on the acquisition of Raybestos Powertrain and sister company, Allomatic Products, by the Monomoy Capital Partners Group. Since that time a management team has been assembled and a company with long history in both OE and aftermarket segments of the powertrain industry has continued to develop and bring to market friction clutch plates and related product lines.

Dartco: Big Units – Big Business

“Dartco serves about 2,500 different customers over the course of a year. Of that we have 300-400 who are consistent customers; those who are ordering on a daily or weekly basis from us,” explains the company’s CEO, J.R. Sellars.

Transmissions, Nothing Else

“I rebuilt my first transmission when I was 15 years old, and I pulled my first one out when I was 9, an old Powerglide. My dad might have helped me a little bit, but for the most part I did it myself,” David said. “So I’ve been around the shop. That’s all I’ve ever done.” David said.

Precision International: All In The Bag

Marshall observes that sales, purchasing and development teams are all focused on putting the orders and the means to fulfill those orders together so that the plant can produce just what customers are wanting, just when the customers wants it and at a price the customers are happy with.

Unlikely Friendship Sparks Success

A mentor’s generosity launched Tom Fisher’s journey in the transmission repair business, in which he has earned the respect of motorists of Del City, Okla., and beyond.

2017 marks the 40th year of Tom Fisher’s ownership of DC Transmission Services, with longer milestones just around the bend.

Sonnax: Innovative Synergy

Within the past few months, Sonnax has been busy expanding its corporate campus, acquiring a third building that has been renovated to house the company’s product managers, product support team and development engineers. The pairing of engineers and product line managers wasn’t accidental but rather a strategic reflection of a reorganization of company structure a couple of years back. Sonnax Senior Vice President of Product Development.