| QS-9000 Certified | Customer Satisfaction Survey |
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The
Blumenthal Companies: It is said that for a business to grow, it must be ready to shift gears. One company that's successfully managed to shift gears over the years, while at the same time servicing the gearshifts of their customers, is the Oklahoma City-based Blumenthal Companies. The Blumenthal Companies include Blumenthal Manufacturing Company, Blumenthal Automatics, Inc., Blumenthal Heavy Duty, Inc., Blumenthal Drivelines, L.L.C., and Automatic Machine Works, L.L.C. Together these companies offer everything in both drive train and power train components: engines, clutches, automatic and manual transmissions, drivelines, and differentials. If it's 'In Chassis' it's their forte. |
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| Blumenthal
Manufacturing was founded in Oklahoma City in 1949 by I. H. Blumenthal Sr.
Blumenthal Manufacturing initially offered automotive transmissions to Sears
and Roebuck, OTASCO, Western Auto, and Montgomery Wards. After college and
service in the US Armed Forces I. H. Blumenthal Jr., or "Dunnie"
as customers and friends know him, joined the business with his father and
laid the groundwork for both physical and financial growth.
"When we began, we had cores stacked everywhere," Dunnie Blumenthal said. "We only had one building, we now have 16 buildings with over 225,000 feet full of engines, transmissions, differentials, clutches and other power train components, our business size and sales grew right along with our core inventory." The company's business grew based primarily on Dunnie Blumenthal's dream and his dedication to quality and service first, and price last. |
ZF 5 Spd. Transmission: Final Production Stage Before Dyno Test |
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Blumenthal Manufacturing, Inc. grew steadily over the years but the company shifted into a higher gear in the mid-80's when Blumenthal's sons, David, Scott, and Kevin came aboard as co-owners. Though local markets remained the company's life-blood, the goal of the Blumenthal family was to build their distribution network and product lines. Spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on quality control dynamometer equipment over the years and implementing QS9000/ISO2001 conformance for registration has allowed just that. Blumenthal Heavy Duty, Inc. is an Authorized Transmission Remanufacturer for TTC/SPICER with a seat on the S.T.A.R. Counsel and they are an Authorized Re-builder for the EATON Corporation, and the Blumenthal Companies are Authorized Distributors for ZF, Meritor/Rockwell, and the New Venture Gear Corporations. The Blumenthal Companies have grown to become one of the largest New Venture Gear Distributors in the nation for GM and Chrysler transmissions and gears, and the list goes on with the highest quality suppliers in the nation. | |
| "We
have made a concerted effort to become a complete, highly efficient QS9000
re-manufacturer of power train and drive train components to be distributed
both nationally and internationally" said Kevin Blumenthal. "We
want to be able to supply and seek Authorized Status with the biggest manufactures
and we want to be diverse, but, we never want to forget about the over-the-counter
customer looking for a differential for a Model A truck or a kit to rebuild
his own transmission," he added.
As the Blumenthal Companies grew so did their capabilities and their client list. Today they supply: light duty manual transmissions, medium duty manual transmissions, heavy duty manual transmissions, automatic transmissions, light duty, heavy duty, and agricultural clutches, drivelines, differentials, third members, transfer cases, PTO's, and remanufactured engines to companies like Crane Carrier, United Parcel Service, United States Postal, U-Haul, Ryder, GM, Ford, and many more. |
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| "We are a direct or master distributor for automotive giants such as AC/Delco, ZF, Borg-Warner, Federal Mogul, Rockwell/Meritor, DANA, Eaton/Fuller, TTC/Spicer, New Venture Gear, and others," said Scott Blumenthal. The Blumenthal Companies have diversified into at least 10 divisions, including automatic transmissions, engine remanufacturing, clutches, differentials, torque converters, and drivelines. Although the Blumenthal Companies have grown to over 150 employees, the Blumenthal family maintains strict control over each division and together they strive to offer quality OEM products, and the best possible service. "This year our total sales should exceed $25 million," Scott added. |
As One Of The Largest New Venture Gear Distributors, Hundreds Of NV4500's Are Ready For "J.I.T." Orders |
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Authorized Eaton / Spicer Remanufactured Transmissions Are On The Shelf At Blumenthal Heavy Duty |
An excellent example of the Blumenthal Companies organization and commitment to quality is evident upon touring each facility. QS9000/ISO2001 requirements of cleanliness and organization are easily met at Blumenthal Manufacturing, Inc. and throughout the Blumenthal Companies. | |
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Blumenthal Manufacturing offers rear axles, a full line of clutch kits, light duty manual transmissions, transfer cases, past model parts and past model transmissions, differentials, and transmission, transfer case, rear end, and wheel bearing kits. Each kit offers the correct OEM QS9000 bearings, seals, and gaskets to do the job. "Fifty-five years of re-manufacturing experience has given us the knowledge we need to place all that is needed in each kit," said David Blumenthal. Other companies' kits, he explained, may have several different gaskets, springs, and seals which leave too many opportunities for error for the novice or even some experienced builders. |
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| The Blumenthal
Companies also offer private label packaging for their customer base. "Motive
Kits, Inc. our sister company, is an authorized warehouse location for SKF/CR,
one of the nation's largest bearing companies," he added.
The Blumenthal Clutch Program includes light duty, medium duty, heavy duty, industrial and agricultural clutches such as; LUK, Valeo, Eaton/Fuller, ASCO, BCA, Daikin, INA, Koyo, F.C.C., and Auburn. The Blumenthal Companies stock includes over 800 different clutch kits available to their clientele. This is notable, according to Kevin Blumenthal, since an automotive parts chain store may only offer 150. The Blumenthal Companies have three different R&R facilities to remove and install all the components they sell, and they are backed by what Kevin Blumenthal calls, "one of the best warranties in the nation - 55 years of dedicated and satisfied customers can guarantee it." This dedication to quality is also evident in the extras the Blumenthal Companies put into each remanufactured item. "We have accomplished one of the lowest warranty rates in the nation due to our quality control," David Blumenthal said. "Our focus is on quality, and, if our builders each average only two transmissions, transfer cases, or engines built a day, and we maintain or improve our warranty percentage, we're ecstatic," he added. New state of the art diagnostic equipment is also fast becoming a trademark of the Blumenthal Companies. Blumenthal Automatics, Inc. has a new $110,000 computer controlled Axiline Dynamometer Tester with an AutoTrans Computer Option that rivals any video game in its graphics. In addition, Blumenthal Engine Works, the engine division of Blumenthal Automatics, has just installed a DCM Magna-Flux crack detector for its quality assurance. Before every transmission, engine, transfer case, or differential leaves the facility, the Blumenthal Companies add one final touch that's been a company hallmark for 55 years. Each transmission, engine, or differential is cosmetically restored to a like-new appearance to match the pristine top quality parts inside. Every line item is efficiently packaged in expandable foam and poly-bag packaging both for protection and quality. "We want people to think they're opening a Christmas package when our products arrive," Scott Blumenthal said. Looking to the future, The Blumenthal Companies are striving for wider distribution into the industrial, light duty, medium duty, heavy duty, and agricultural markets at the garage level. All the Blumenthal Companies are expanding their custom programs to service fleets, offer the best possible technical support, and to expand contract and private label remanufacturing. Further facility growth is imminent, as the companies are planning a new state of the art production facility to concur with their QS9000 registration, David said. Ironically, the Blumenthal Manufacturing Company location is on the footprint of the proposed new I-40 highway construction through downtown Oklahoma City. So, just as the road changes direction, The Blumenthal Companies are once again shifting into a higher gear to help their customers keep the pace. |
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