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Hernando Today

Brooksville Transmission Keeps Growing

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By TONY HOLT

Published: June 29, 2008

BROOKSVILLE The city's main transmission repair business opened at a time when the founders would see wagons passing through town.

Eighteen months later, Brooksville Transmission moved from North Avenue to a larger site off Cortez Boulevard, west of the city limits.

A few years after that, it expanded and added two more bays. Five years later, four more bays were added.

Nearly two decades later, the business is going through its largest expansion yet – six more bays in a new building. Auto technology has made it so that more bays are needed.

"Everything is more electrical now," said co-owner Rick Fuller. "When you take out the transmission in a front-wheel drive, the vehicle doesn't move. A car has to stay on a lift for days."

Fuller, 55, founded the company with the late Kenneth Roland. His son, Chris, earned an honorable discharge from the U.S. Air Force in 2001. A week later he joined his father. The two have run the business since. Four mechanics work with them.

With the economy forcing some business owners to close or scale back, the father-and-son team seems to be thriving.

The elder Fuller thinks people are more likely to turn to a transmission replacement rather than a new car. The old mentality, he explained, was if the car is broken, go ahead and spend the extra money on a new car rather than new parts.

"People are smarter with their money," Fuller said. "Jobs aren't as secure right now. You don't want a five-year car note with the economy the way it is now. That's foolish."

Chris Fuller would routinely work with his dad at Brooksville Transmission while a kid and teenager. While in the Air Force, he worked on heavy equipment, including fire trucks.

Today, he and his father work on cars, one-ton pickups and motor homes. In their garage is a 1932 Ford two-seater. The owner lives in Puerto Rico. He hopes to have the car working by the time he returns next month.

The new building is mostly empty, but they expect to have it finished in the next few weeks. They have scheduled an open house for Aug. 1.

Last week, they had experienced both the biggest scare and reward for any business owner.

A man had some transmission work done on his Dodge Ram 3500. He was hauling a camper through North Carolina when he heard a rattling noise. He pulled off to the side and stopped the engine. It didn't start again.

His family had to go pick him up in two separate trucks – one for him and another for the camper.

Chris Fuller was mortified. He knew the man had to pay for gas, food and lodging as a result of his mistake.

When the man picked up his truck for the second time Friday, Fuller handed him a $600 check for his expenses.

The customer nearly fainted. He thanked Fuller profusely. All the resentment he felt for the inconvenience disappeared.

"He wasn't expecting that check," Fuller said. "The reward comes when you see people realize they're going to be treated the way they should be treated."

Word of mouth has been what fueled the business, Rick Fuller said. He thinks he knows the trick of the trade – honesty.

"The only thing you really have to be is honest," he said. "That's a big-ticket item. Eventually, people lose that fear that they're going to take you for a ride."

Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or wholt@hernandotoday.com.

Biz at a glance:

Name of biz – Brooksville Transmission

Owners – Rick and Chris Fuller

What it is – Transmission garage for cars, trucks and motor homes

Where it is – 16402 Cortez Blvd.

Hours of operation – 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday

Get in touch – 352-796-6544

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