RANDYS Makes Every Full-Time Employee A Company Owner
RANDYS Worldwide introduces its innovative Team Ownership Program (TOP) that shares the organization’s success in way that truly impacts the well-being of its employees – it makes them company owners. “We are tapping into the mentality of an owner,” says Kevin Kaestner, RANDYS Worldwide President & CEO. “The mindset where being diligent about every detail pays off, where knowing a job well done impacts the collective good of everyone in the company, and where a strong company bottom line equates to a strong personal bottom line. Ultimately, we want to continue to embrace the values that got us where we are today. We’re celebrating 40th anniversary this year and a number of our employees have been with us for 20 to 25 years so it was easy to look inward and see the value of our workforce.” TOP ensures everyone benefits from the success, growth, and value creation of the organization, aligns employees’ outlook with the company’s mission to continue to grow RANDYS, and attracts world-class talent to the organization. RANDYS Team Ownership Program Highlights From February 15th through July 15th each full-time employee with 30 days under their belt will receive a grant valued at $10,000 Employee grants only have cash value at a liquidity event i.e. company sale or distribution payout The award grant’s share value will be updated quarterly Shares are not transferable or saleable and are valid only as long as employee is on active status TOP joins one of the most lucrative employee referral programs in the industry. RANDYS Refer A Friend program rewards an employee who refers a candidate who gets hired and has an incentive for new hires to sign on for the long haul. RANDYS Refer A Friend Highlights Employee Referral – Up to $2,500 paid in $500 increments over one year New-Hire Incentive – Up to $1,000 paid in $250 increments over one year RANDYS’ mission is to become the employer of choice in the drivetrain industry and our local community. This program illustrates the value that RANDYS places in its employees and its intent to hire employees that will be with the for the long run. When you join RANDYS you get more than a paycheck, you also get a piece of the action. Learn About Careers at Randy's International
RANDYS Worldwide Names Martin & Company Agency of Record
RANDYS Worldwide, a leading manufacturer and distributor of automotive aftermarket drivetrain parts, has retained Martin & Co. Advertising as the company’s agency of record. As a leading source for high-quality drivetrain parts for light-duty cars, trucks and SUVs, RANDYS Worldwide distributes a comprehensive line of products including: differential gears, axles, installation kits, driveshafts, lockers, limited slip differentials, remanufactured transfer cases, axle assemblies and manual transmissions. In addition to the company’s flagship RANDYS Worldwide brand, parts are manufactured and sold under three additional well-known brands: Yukon Gear & Axle, USA Standard Gear and Zumbrota Drivetrain. RANDYS Worldwide distributes products from seven strategically located warehouses, including: Everett, Washington; Zumbrota, Minnesota, Fresno, California; Florence, Kentucky; Portland, Oregon; Franklin, Tennessee and Arlington, Texas. Martin & Co. Advertising, based in Nashville, is a leading, full-service marketing and communications agency with three decades of experience serving clients marketing to the specialty performance and traditional automotive aftermarket. RANDYS Worldwide Marketing Director Neal Hollingsworth, said, “With the recent purchase from Tailwind Capital, we have the green light to aggressively pursue our long-term marketing objectives and new customer acquisitions to ensure maximum sales and customer satisfaction. Martin & Co. has a proven record of assisting middle-market companies with solid growth strategies. We look forward to working with Zan and her team to ensure we become the No. 1 source in drivetrain auto care and performance.” Martin & Co. President Zan Martin added, “RANDYS Worldwide is on the cusp of major growth. We look forward to assisting with their long-term plans for growing RANDYS Worldwide sales with their existing brands and proposed new ventures. Our expertise is based on 30 years’ experience specializing in the automotive aftermarket and success in developing integrated marketing strategies for companies poised for growth.”
Harris Williams Advises RANDYS Automotive on Sale to Tailwind
RANDYS is a leading supplier of highly engineered drivetrain products to the automotive aftermarket. Harris Williams, a global investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, announces the sale of RANDYS Worldwide Automotive (RANDYS), a portfolio company of Linsalata Capital Partners, to Tailwind Capital (Tailwind). RANDYS is a leading supplier of highly engineered drivetrain products to the automotive aftermarket. The transaction, led by Joe Conner, Jeff Kidd, Jonathan Meredith and Elliott Yousefian of Harris Williams’ Transportation & Logistics (T&L) Group and Giles Tucker of the firm’s Industrials Group, extends the firm’s track record in the automotive aftermarket. “RANDYS, through its partnership with Linsalata, has built an impressive organization that is a true leader in the automotive aftermarket,” said Joe Conner, a managing director at Harris Williams. “We are proud to have had the opportunity to work alongside the RANDYS team to help them realize the benefits of all their hard work and successful execution of their vision.” “RANDYS has found a true partner in Tailwind,” said Giles Tucker, a managing director at Harris Williams. “We are excited for the opportunity ahead and look forward to watching the company thrive as it continues through its next phase of growth.” RANDYS is a leading supplier of drivetrain products, including differential gears, axles, installation kits, lockers, limited slip differentials, driveshafts and remanufactured transfer cases, differentials and manual transmissions. RANDYS caters to all channels in the aftermarket, including installers, big box retailers, remanufacturers, e-commerce retailers and enthusiasts. The company markets its drivetrain products under three brands: Yukon Gear & Axle U.S.A. Standard Gear and Zumbrota Drivetrain. RANDYS employs more than 200 team members across seven warehouses and facilities, and the company continues to grow as it adds new product lines, brands and applications. Located in the Cleveland suburb of Mayfield Heights, Ohio, Linsalata Capital Partners was founded in 1984 and has combined its strong financial capabilities with extensive operational experience to accelerate the growth of middle market companies. In its 35 years of investing, the firm has completed 114 buy-side transactions totaling over $4 billion. Tailwind is a middle market private equity firm focused on growth-oriented investments in targeted sectors within healthcare, business services and industrial services. Tailwind partners with experienced management teams and entrepreneurs to transform businesses through organic growth initiatives, acquisitions and operational and strategic investments. Since inception, Tailwind has managed $3.6 billion of committed equity capital, and has invested in 40 portfolio companies and over 90 add-on acquisitions. Harris Williams, an investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, advocates for sellers and buyers of companies worldwide through critical milestones and provides thoughtful advice during the lives of their businesses. By collaborating as one firm across Industry Groups and geographies, the firm helps its clients achieve outcomes that support their objectives and strategically create value. Harris Williams is committed to execution excellence and to building enduring, valued relationships that are based on mutual trust. Harris Williams is a subsidiary of the PNC Financial Services Group Inc.
There’s No Substitute for Hands-On Training
The customer experience is truly at the core of the automotive service industry. Through a combination of business training, marketing, repairs and knowledge, all shops are seeking to achieve the same thing—getting happy customers back on the road safely and quickly. That first requirement—business training—is at the heart of every successful vehicle upgrade project. Shops that understand the products they sell and install inside and out can offer better recommendations, installations and usage suggestions, thereby creating an enhanced customer experience. Proper training requires an investment in time and resources, but more than pays for itself by providing shops with expert knowledge that online retailers can’t match. The Benefits of Hands-On Training A hands-on approach to training is nothing new to the automotive industry, of course. When we examine the repair shops and service centers that have enjoyed long-term success, we often find a shared dedication to in-person education at the core of their knowledge base. With today’s time demands, it might be tempting for some shops to forego traditional in-person training in favor of less-intensive alternatives. However, while newer electronic solutions have attempted to streamline certain aspects of the business training process, there’s really no substitute for hands-on, instructor-led learning that can elevate ordinary professionals into true product experts. Along with safety and efficiency increases, another attractive benefit to real-world training is the ability for shops to expand their business with new profit centers. Collision centers and repair facilities that stick solely with ASE-certified courses, for instance, may never realize how easy it is to add aftermarket upgrade components to their product offerings to expand their customer base. Why leave so much potential on the table when a quick training session can put you on the path to greater profits? Manufacturers Lead the Way Many top aftermarket manufacturers offer in-person business training to help shops become masters of their products. Participating in instructor-led learning helps everyone involved—the supplier knows that its parts are being marketed and installed correctly, thereby reducing returns and warranty claims, while the shop receives time-saving tips and tricks that make for more efficient workflow and more happy customers. One manufacturer that believes in the power of business training is Yukon Gear & Axle. Beginning in 2020, Yukon will provide monthly drivetrain training sessions through a three-day course held in Mesa, Arizona. “In an effort to provide educational and installation skill training, Yukon has taken it upon ourselves to help our customers be the best they can be at their trade” says Director of Marketing Neal Hollingsworth. “In our business, we have no fob to plug in to provide diagnostics of what the problem is, and the art of drivetrain installation can be tricky. There is nowhere to be trained on drivetrains except through real-world practice, so why not help our customers by providing them a hands-on class to learn, get faster and build their business?” Yukon’s Master Installer Training program was specifically developed for active mechanics, installers and technicians who want to build on their existing knowledge and take their careers to the next level, Hollingsworth notes. The course features 25% classroom instruction and 75% hands-on learning. There’s no doubt that today’s automotive technology is changing rapidly, and a constant onslaught of new products in new vehicles is keeping technicians on their toes. Shops that take advantage of the tried-and-true benefits of in-person manufacturer training will be in the best position to take advantage of all the benefits these new innovations have to offer.
Bigger Tires Need Bigger Gears
Fall is now kicking in full force – which, for off-road enthusiasts, means some enjoyable weather and wide-open trails. But it also means that customers who added bigger tires without swapping gears aren’t taking it to the sand, the mud, the rocks and the trails like they thought they would. With the variety of off-road vehicles and the variety of terrain they encounter, upgrades should be considered for any off-road vehicle. Just like any upgrade specific to an application, doing the same for your drivetrain is key. Doing otherwise can quickly put your customer back on the trailer and headed for home, broken down and broke in the pocketbook. Off-road enthusiasts will often just have enough in their wallet to add what they see in order to create a ‘cool factor’ with their vehicle. But when they hit the hills, cool rigs are sometimes the last in line, barely making the rocks and hill climbs. What most don’t know is that when adding bigger tires, the need for more torque increases. To not only cover more circumference of the larger diameter tire, but to provide more pressure at the surface, the drivetrain must increase its ability to transfer the torque from the transmission to the rubber on the ground. To equal the energy from a smaller tire to cover a distance, a larger tire can cover the distance with fewer rotations. But for the same RPMs to cover the same distance with a larger tire, it will require enhanced gearing and torque. The engine, tranny and drivetrain all deserve the best set-up for stellar performance, and when the installation is done right, customers get all the performance they can out of the rig. But before any changes to the drivetrain can be made, you must identify the customers’ needs. Is your customer’s need a more generic off road or trail experience? Are they trailering or driving to the trail? Perhaps this is their daily driver and freeway speed is a must. To help you determine what fits your customer’s needs, RANDYS Worldwide provides a handy calculator for tire height and specs, but conferring with experts, like the tech support at RANDYS, is always a good idea based on how the vehicle will be used. And when determining the proper gearing for the vehicle, accuracy can make the difference between heading up the trail or heading home. Neal Hollingsworth of RANDYS Worldwide mentions, “A great example of the amount of accuracy required is the fact that RANDYS Worldwide just released a choice of seven ratio options: 3.45, 3.75, 4.11, 4.56, 4.88, 5.13, and 5.38 for JLs and JTs. This number of options allows for the installation of the most accurate gear based on tire size, performance goals and fuel economy.” “One of the things on the JLs and JTs is that they now come with an 8-speed transmission. People incorrectly assume that with the new transmission program, when they install bigger tires, they don’t need to change the gears. This assumption can render your Jeep up the creek, instead of up the trail.” See more about this misnomer, as described by Nick Ashby of RockStar Garage, in this video. Once you know how to help your customer get the most out of their rig, it’s time to seek out the equipment to do it once and do it right. But a proper build doesn’t end with gears alone. Upgrades to performance vehicles can take on many different forms, and that could include not just replacing, but upgrading, your customer’s axles. To provide your customer with increased strength and performance, opt for heat treated chromoly axles, like Yukon Gear and Axle‘s offerings, which come in both 1541 and 4340 alloys. Additionally, Yukon’s air-operated, selectable locker will give your customer on-demand traction, which is key when driving on multiple surfaces like sand, gravel and rock. Yukon’s Zip Locker provides on-demand traction and 100% traction to both tires with the flip of a switch. Meanwhile, Yukon’s mechanical Grizzly Locker is built to engage both tires but allows for disengagement while negotiating turns. The Grizzly Locker is an excellent choice for towing and the best choice for pulling out on a slippery boat ramp. High quality Super Joints top off a quality upgraded build featuring a forged 4340 chromoly cross and oversized trunnions for maximum performance. The sales and tech support teams at RANDYS are there to get you the right gears and installation kits and provide you piece of mind for your build that your customer will get the most out of their vehicle and spreads the word about a job done right. Call for advice and tech support any time at 866-887-4487 to ensure you’re giving the customer the right combination.
