ransmissions, Inc. Inc by Paul Morton Beach, Beach, Florida Florida

Transcription

1 SHOP PROFILE National National Boynton Bo Beach, Beach, Florida Florida Transmissions, ransmissions, Inc. Inc by Paul Morton Mike Dechants is the owner of National Transmissions, Inc., in Boynton Beach, Florida. By any standard, he operates a very successful transmission repair business. The road he traveled to reach that level of success was not without its hazards and pitfalls; which only made it that much sweeter. Mike grew up in Alexandria, Virginia, and developed an early curiosity for transmissions and how they worked. Not long into his teen years he tore his first transmission down on a picnic bench in the backyard. I spent a bit of time looking for parts in the grass, he said, recalling the unsuccessful endeavor. I had to take the parts into a shop and have a builder put it back together, he said, ruefully. It cost me three hundred bucks. It would be awhile before he had another crack at a transmission, but it would be the last time he passed a job off to someone else that he couldn t do himself. Still in his teens, married with a child, he found himself one day freshly out of work, and loafing in an auto parts store. He ran into a man he knew that worked a transmission shop, and was offered work as an R&R man. I didn t know what that was, but I soon found out, he said. He was soon working six lifts, supporting two rebuilders, and accumulating a load of knowledge. M i k e referred to his early teachers as masterful, and not just intent on providing technical information, but on teaching him the right way to do things as well. Life sometimes has a funny way of interfering with our best-laid plans. After only a couple of years, Mike s promising career in the transmission business was temporarily derailed by a water-skiing accident. He was in the Mike Dechants, owner of National Transmissions, Inc. Potomac River, waiting for his tow to start and sorting out the slack working at the first shop, but it was in the tow line. The boat driver apparently didn t realize Mike was so occu- serious. He was paid piece work, build- here that his building education turned pied, and fire-walled the throttle. When ing C-4s and Torqueflite 6s. Learning the line pulled tight it was wrapped to rebuild transmissions without a around Mike s hand and arm. The damage was substantial, and resulted in the but he still managed to complete three thumb was not the easiest of ventures, loss of Mike s right thumb, with longlasting injury to the rest of his arm. After some six years, Mike decided to four units a day. Recovery was long and painful, and his he needed a change of locale, and headed south into Florida. In those days old job had been filled when he was able to resume work. much of Florida was fairly provincial, Down but far from out, Mike and the local folks weren t real quick to looked around until he found work in a offer work to outsiders. The first shop shop at Bailey s Crossroads, Virginia. that took Mike on proved not to be the He had dabbled in rebuilding while most ethical, and he decided to look 42 GEARS March 2002

2 elsewhere. After a few years of lessthan-satisfactory work, Mike decided to set out on his own. In 1984, Mike Dechants formed National Transmissions, Inc., in Boynton Beach, some 15 miles south of West Palm Beach. I had a pretty good understanding of how business worked and I knew how to provide old-fashioned service, he said. He worked hard to establish wholesale and fleet accounts, and made them a priority. None were too small. I practically gave the work away just to pay one employee. I hardly ever got any money, and starved for a long time. But I always repaired the transmissions properly, even in the face of losing money. Mike said when National opened its doors he was competing against five other shops in town. As if the competition weren t enough, he also struggled to find the right employees. At one point his service writer, builder, and an R&R man left to open their own shop just a few miles away, just as Mike returned from vacation. They also attempted to take away some of Mike s business in the process. Despite the struggle, the small, two-bay, single-lift shop grew. Mike said he worked hard to keep his business name in front of potential customers, but over time, it was word of mouth that proved to be the most successful form of advertising. Eventually Mike bought another building, and expanded the operation. To take advantage of their location in sunny southern Florida, Mike installed a unique, employee-pleasing work area. A six-lift R&R area can be found outside the shop, under an open, carport-like cover. The area has everything needed for R&R work, with the added benefit of a daily ocean breeze that keeps the work area cool and refreshed. The guys love working outside, Mike explained, adding that they can work there in all but the worst of weather. The shop itself is 3,000 square feet of area used for transmission rebuilding, parts storage, and the use of metalworking machines. The well-organized parts room stores over 60 of the most commonly used kits, along with some From left to right: Bob Stricker, Steve Simpson, Robert Kraus in Parts Department. Note the high number of Sonnax boost valves and TCC Valves Mike stocks. Single Gun Vertical Weld Aligner AWA-2002 Over seven million torque converters have been rebuilt with TCRS equipment. The Auto-Weld-Aligners are the flagship of the line. With features like air-operated collets, patented autotack and auto-weld, the ability to do bowl-buildups and weld on impeller hubs, the Auto-Weld-Aligners are the choice of of quality rebuilders worldwide. Make the same choice as the Big Three: Ford, GM and Chrysler--they all use the TCRS Auto-Weld-Aligner! TCRS is dedicated to keeping you on the leading edge of technology Kleppe Lane Sparks, NV Phone: (775) Fax: (775) A member of the H E L C Group tcrs@helc.net GEARS March

3 National Transmissions, Inc. Mike Dechants chatting with customer at front counter. R&R Man Bob Stricker Julia Dechants in office Robert Kraus building a 4T60E. Manager Steve Simpson holds National's newest tee shirt design. 100 of the most common torque converters. Two lathes are available, as well as a flywheel grinder. Mike indicated that the grinder was one of the best things he added to his machinery inventory to acquire and maintain wholesale accounts. It paid for itself a long time ago, he said, and just keeps making money. Today, National employs Steve Simpson as a service writer/center manager, builder Robert Krause, swing-man Jack Evans, who can do it all, full-time R&R tech Bob Stricker, and clean-up man Larry Parker, who also helps out under the lifts. Mike and his technicians are all ASE certified. Mike s wife, Julia, keeps things moving in the front office, and handles the accounting and customer follow-up tasks. Jobs are priced by use of a computerized book system that is no different from many other shops. What allows Mike to wring the most out of his operation, and gross around a million dollars a year, is the application of his personal and business ethics. Ethics that he attributes directly to his parents, who embraced the Golden Rule as more than just a saying. My beliefs begin with my father, who worked three jobs to make ends meet. Failure to provide was never an option. He s the one who instilled in me such a strong work ethic. My mother never sees the bad in a person this helps me deal with my customers and employees every day. To hear Mike Dechants tell it, the key to his success in business centers on just a few basic principles. We do what is right without being made to. When we re wrong, we admit it and solve the problem. I decided that doing a good job was more important than making money. Money is important, but not at the expense of cutting corners. Mike expressed the belief that his insistence on using quality parts and procedures in his rebuilds is not a waste of money, as some people have told him, but an investment in developing future customers. You have to do what you say you are going to do, he said, even though doing so is not always easy. I m always curious about how 44 GEARS March 2002

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5 National Transmissions, Inc. National's Flywheel grinder cutting flywheel for top fuel dragster. It stays busy earning profits. The work ethic is something that, he hopes, is instilled in potential employees before they come to his business. It s something he works to reinforce, just as he continually reinforces the technical skill of his work force. His technicians are in frequent attendance at training seminars, and he subscribes to a wide variety of training resources to keep them knowledgeable. If the training of technicians is of significant importance, in the opinion of Mike Dechants, simply finding the technicians to train is becoming critical. The industry can no longer rely on the historic progression where a young person, interested in auto mechanics, started at the bottom rung of the shop ladder and worked towards the top - becoming a builder. Nowadays, there are simply too few young people attracted to the industry. The problem, as Mike sees it, is that today s technician is still seen as an auto mechanic, as opposed to the highly trained technician they really are. So those young people the industry needs those whose interests lean towards science and engineering look past the transmission industry in search of something else. When the industry can break through that barrier, he said, Back Of Shop shop owners across the nation view challenges and changes in the transmission rebuilding industry. Probably the most frequent response I hear concerns the availability of good, well-trained technicians. This was no different in the experience of Mike Dechants, but he also added something I haven t heard all that often: the lack of a solid work ethic. Mike views this apart from the technical skills he looks for in prospective employees, and feels fortunate that his current staff possess both good technical skills and a willingness to work hard and care about the quality of their product. Mike on carpeted floor by torque converter stock. it will go a long way towards solving the problem of developing professional technicians. Other industry issues are of concern to Mike, though, as he said, The problems are clear, but the solution isn t so easy. Among them he identified the eventual fall out from the automotive manufacturers recent offerings of zero percent financing for the sale of new cars, and their 100,000 mile powertrain warranties. Other issues, he said, include non-serviceable transmissions, sealed units, the manufacturers withholding of technical information, and new transmission designs that require the use of specialty tools. These are interesting observations and concerns that can lead to even more interesting questions. And, as Mike indicated, they are ones in which solutions will not be easily found. Fortunately, easy has never been a requirement for success in Mike Dechants world. With that said, I wouldn t be a bit surprised if he s not one to develop some of the solutions. 46 GEARS March 2002

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