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
Shop profile: AJ’s Transmissions has made a name for itself with customers and technicians alike
Al Varner Jr. was “born with transmission fluid on his bib,” according to those around him. Hanging around his dad’s shop, he had an early introduction to the industry, tearing down transmissions at age 8 and building his first transmission when he was 14. “I was definitely born and raised in his business,” he says.
Shop profile: The success story of ACE Transmission
“I don’t know of another shop that does nothing but transmission work that has 23 bays going,” says Marvin Gott, founder of Springfield, Missouri-based ACE Transmission. Add to Marvin’s description the fact that the bays are full, the lot is full of more vehicles and there’s a large ACE reman facility across town building units
Shop Profile: EMCO Gears brings motorsports tech to the street
“I read one of your latest profiles about Camargo Transmissions which just turned 100 years old, and their story was similar to mine,” says Larry Bishop, director of motorsports for EMCO Gears. “My grandfather was rebuilding transmissions and working on cars, and my dad and uncle followed him into the business. I got my start
Speedy’s Transmission Races Ahead of the Pack
Speedy’s works on all types of vehicles, from late-model vehicles with complex electronic controls to decades-old cars with complicated linkage.
Canadian Shop Specializes in Honesty
The founders of B&N Transmissions in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, have had a journey that few in the industry have experienced. The shop founders are two brothers who fled their native country of Uganda, Africa in the 1970s under pressure from President Idi Amin, known as the “Butcher of Uganda.” Brian Charania moved to Canada first
Shop Profile: Ed’s Transmission of Marysville
Ed’s Transmissions has been around in one form or another in Washington state since 1952, but the original owner Dick Matson has long since sold them to separate owners of his three locations. With the original store in Everett, Washington, and two other shops added later, the Marysville store is now embarking on an ownership
Frank’s Transmission & Auto Repair
We recently spoke with Frank Wulff, owner of Frank’s Transmission and Auto Repair in Richmond, MI, about how they started and where they are today after 40 years in the industry. Wulff says he started at AAMCO in Pontiac, MI, back in 1976. “They hired me as an assistant manager, so I worked at AAMCO
Video: TransColonial Shop Tour
Take a tour of TransColonial Auto Service with longtime shop owner Rick Basta and Mike Riley from Transmission Digest. See how Rick blends General Repair with Transmission Service in today’s market.
Video: TransColonial History
Gain insight into various aspects of a transmission shop operation by longtime shop owner Rick Basta, owner of TransColonial Auto Service in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. See how business, technical, production and personnel matters have changed over several decades and the reaction to them.
Shop profile: Delta Transmission follows the golden rule
Naturally he took it to someone he knew- Corbet Bonds, then-owner of Delta Transmission. Delta Transmission was first covered by Transmission Digest in 2000 (Vol. 19, No. 6). It is just as clear now as it was then that Roger’s fascination is what led him to his position. Unlike some customers, Roger didn’t sit in the lobby drinking coffee, or run errands while his vehicle was repaired. Instead, he watched the process of the transmission being rebuilt. “I thought, well, shoot that’s kind of neat,” he said.
