We were saddened to learn of the passing of a colleague from the other side of the globe, Martin Brooks who recently retired from the business he owned, Aceomatic Transmission in Christchurch, New Zealand.
In addition to his transmission and torque converter rebuilding business, Martin was well-known stateside as he served for many years as president of the Torque Converter Rebuilders Association.
“During his time as President of the Association; he transitioned it from a hands-on operational Board to a more governance focused Board,” remembers the organization’s executive director, Chris Horbach. “Over the last few years, with support from the TCRA Board, Martin implemented various policies and operational methods to both enhance the membership experience and to ensure that the Board is fully informed and able to make the strategic decisions.
“Martin was always thinking ahead to the future, and he relished anything technological that came his way. He had a great love of sharing his knowledge with others. It was important to him that the staff and colleges he presented to were well informed with technical information and that the information he presented was easily accessible. He did this by crafting many manuals over the years, rewriting, translating to digital and upskilling. Martin hoped that by sharing his knowledge; he has made a difference to someone else along the way.”
And, Martin spent considerable time in the U.S. participating in TCRA seminars and many other industry meetings and expos. During these journeys he often took time to include side trips including one in 2013 during which he drove across the USA starting in Washington, DC and taking Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles.
Brooks is survived by his wife, Maria and other family members. Martin died on January 9th of this year. A story on Aceomatic’s Christchurch operations can be found in the June 2015 edition of Transmission Digest.