Doing the little things right at Habby’s Transmissions
Habby’s Transmissions started as a radiator shop. When Warren Frie bought it in 1975 (keeping the name Habby’s from the previous owner), it took until the mid-1980s until he saw an opportunity in the transmission repair market, and transformed the business. “Then, when I was 19,” says Warren Frie Jr., the current owner, “I graduated
12 transmission jack safety tips
A transmission jack is a must to remove, install or move transmissions, transfer cases and transaxles in a shop. These jacks save backs and time, but they are powerful multitask lifting systems so they must be operated correctly, with safety being the first priority. Unlike a conventional hydraulic floor jack or bumper jack that raises
Going the extra mile: Price’s Garage builds on a family legacy
Joshua Price grew up in the transmission industry — so much so that he used to take copies of this very magazine to school with him. “I’ve been in this business my whole life,” he says. “My dad had a transmission shop; he was in business from 1967 to 2008.” Bob Price’s shop was called
Rolling with the changes: How Mister Transmission plans to continue growing in its 60th year and beyond
Tony Kuczynski may be on the executive side of the transmission industry these days, but having gotten his start as a technician, he has experience with both the business and the technical side of things. For the past five years, Tony has been president and CEO of Mister Transmission, Canada’s largest transmission repair shop chain,
Counterfeit parts: Let the buyer beware
There is a Latin term handed down from English common law: “Caveat Emptor,” which means “let the buyer beware” of what is purchased. In this era when purchasing parts and other products online is becoming more common, that cautious approach to purchasing is of particular importance. Recently Transmission Digest participated in a discussion with a
Shop profile: Fryar’s Transmission is keeping up the reputation
His grandparents warned him that the transmission industry was a “tough business.” But Matt Fryar, who grew up around the business, ended up in it anyway. The family shop, Fryar’s Transmission in Pearcy, Arkansas, was opened in 1965 by Matt’s great-grandfather, Weldon Fryar. At the time it was called Fryar’s Garage and was a general
From the ground up: Dunn Transmissions trades on a long history and a strong reputation
The founder of Dunn Transmissions, a shop which has become a staple of the East Texas city of Tyler, was Truman Dunn, a World War II veteran who worked on cars in his spare time. He opened a repair shop called Dunn’s Transmission Shop in 1950, specializing in what was, at the time, the latest
Shop profile: Virginia’s AAMCO Transmissions is built on life lessons from a family of industry lifers
Mary Gentry has been around transmissions and automotive repair all her life. Her father ran a shop, her brothers are all in the transmission business; she even met her husband in her shop. It pretty much runs in the family. Growing up in the business, you learn a lot of lessons. Mary, owner of AAMCO
Hard parts hunting
Image caption: The diagram representing results from the 2022 Transmission Digest survey of retail shops tracks the various sources those shops rely on for acquiring hard parts. The results don’t provide a breakdown of the original source of the parts. Here we show where the order is placed by the rebuilder. Every April we tend
Shop profile: Small-town RAMM Transmission puts family first
When you spend time talking to transmission repair shops, you’ll hear a lot about the importance of family. Transmission shops, after all, tend to be small and specialized, so it follows that many of them are family-owned and operated. Rare is the transmission shop, though, that is 100% family staffed. But that is the case
Customer-focused approach: American Transmission specializes in automatics and customer service
“We only specialize in transmissions in this shop; this is not a one-for-all shop,” says Bo West, owner of American Transmission in Louisville, Kentucky. “We only do automatic transmissions. No general repair, no tires, no engines, no tuneups, no oil changes. None of that. Just transmissions.” West, the self-described “owner/diagnostic guy/transmission rebuilder,” took over American
Nominate your shop to be featured in TD’s shop profile series
Our best wishes to you all for a successful and happy new year. I know we’re all trying to overcome the challenges of supply chain shortages, inflation and the pandemic. But, every time we see January roll onto the calendar, we have the opportunity to take a fresh look at what we do and quite
