It takes a boom truck from Jasper Electric Motors, and a couple of Maintenance Associates, to position the drivetrain onto its lofty, spinning, perch.

The spinning engine and transmission near JASPER’s Wernsing Road entrance has been a landmark of the city of Jasper, Indiana, since the company moved to this location in 1965.

For a few days in June, the Ford 351 Cleveland V8 and C6 transmission was taken off its lofty perch for a sprucing up by Associates Lauren Newkirk and Keith Recker of JASPER Certified Components. This procedure is done every four years… the last time in 2007.

The engine and transmission received a fresh coat of paint, while new chrome air cleaner, valve covers and pans were attached, giving this engine/transmission combination a new lease on life - for display purposes, that is.

The JASPER Rolling Showcase is off to another destination in 2011. It may visit somewhere near you.

Jasper Engines & Transmissions is on the road for 2011, celebrating nearly 70 years of business in the automotive remanufacturing industry.

As a way to better educate the public on our remanufacturing capabilities, JASPER has designed a mobile marketing rig, appropriately named the “JASPER Rolling Showcase.” The “Showcase” is making appearances at high-profile car shows and performance events now through October.

The JASPER Rolling Showcase is an 18-foot tandem axle box truck, towing a 28-foot stacker trailer. The showcase carries the JASPER-Powered Shelby Cobra kit car; the JASPER-Powered Vendetta V8 Custom Trike, product displays, and a 540 square foot canopy that attaches to the trailer during setup.

JASPER Associates are on-hand at each event, so visitors can walk up and ask about our remanufacturing processes. What began as Alvin C. Ruxer’s insight has evolved into a company with an ongoing commitment to quality and the largest mass remanufacturer in the world.

JASPER’s Mission Statement is simple: “Do It Right… And Have Fun!” For nearly 70 years, JASPER has been committed to being a leading force in the automotive industry.

Remaining 2011 JASPER Rolling Showcase Schedule

August 4-7 Louisville, KY (National Street Rod Association)

August 26-28 Evansville, IN (Frog Follies)

September 9-10 Pigeon Forge, TN (Shades of The Past)

Sept 30-Oct 2 Fort Worth, TX (Goodguys Lone Star Nationals)

Zach Bawel - JASPER President/COO

Jasper Engines & Transmissions held an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) Shareholders meeting July 7^th. It was the first such meeting held since the company announced its ESOP plan in March 2010.

“2010 was a phenomenal year,” Doug Bawel told Associates. “We hired 159 additional Associates and expanded our manufacturing capability by 12%. 2011 is poised to be even better.” Bawel thanked all Associates throughout the company for their efforts with respect to Safety, Quality, Productivity, Customer Service and Reduction of Waste.

“We have a lot to be proud of, but we cannot rest on our laurels,” said Bawel. “We have to take the training we have received, and the tools we’ve learned how to use, and apply them to our work each and every day in order to make JASPER bigger and better than ever.”

It was also announced that the Jasper Engines & Transmissions Board of Directors has reorganized by naming Zach Bawel as President and Chief Operating Officer (COO). Zach has been Executive Vice President of Sales since 1999, and has 24 years experience with the company.

“I am looking forward to the future growth and opportunities that JASPER has developed, both within the company, and through acquisitions that have helped JASPER diversify for the future,” stated Zach. “We will continue to look for opportunities that add value to our relationships by providing other products and services our customers need and want.”

Zach Bawel takes over as JASPER president from Doug Bawel, who was named Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), a position recently held by 63-year JASPER Associate Gervase Schwenk from 1987 until his passing in 2010.

We are here in St. Paul, MN for a three day weekend, at MSRA’s 38th Annual Back to the 50’s Weekend presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts, June 17th-19th. Jasper Engines and Transmissions is one of the many vendors appearing in this year’s event. If you’re lucky enough to be in the area, come on over and check out the 11,000+ street rods, customs and classics at this year’s show. This event will also host various musical acts, a magician, a ladies showcase, a swap meet and kids entertainment.

Visit our JASPER exhibit for the latest product literature and on-line pricing or take a picture with our Wild Vendetta Trike or Cobra Kit Car. Our experienced and knowledgeable sales staff will be on hand to answer your drivetrain component questions. We are looking forward to seeing you here! For more information about this event ‘click’ this link: http://www.msra.com/MainPage.htm

Jasper Engines and Transmissions has completed its 41,488 square foot expansion to the Crawford County Facility.

September 8th, 2010, was when ground was broken on the project. It took approximately eight months to complete, and has effectively increased the size of the Crawford County facility to over 408,000 square feet under roof.

The expansion allows the space needed to merge Jasper Innovative Solutions with the company’s Distribution operations for a more efficient flow of finished product, along with allowing both companies to grow. 

“Moving into this new area allows us to expand our presence in the market,” says Luke Bawel, Jasper Innovative Solutions General Manager. “Before, we were limited to the amount of commercial fleets we could take on due to the availability of space for those products. Now we have the space to not only take on those customers, but this also allows us to add additional part lines to better service our customers.

JIS currently has over 12,000 part numbers in stock. With the new expansion, Bawel anticipates the ability to store over 20,000 part numbers, depending on the quantity of each part. This includes components from the recently acquired Canam Marketing Corporation. Canam’s inventory will be moved from their Milwaukee, Wisconsin, distribution center to Crawford County. “We’re bringing on 900 additional product lines with the purchase of Canam, and we still have the capacity to service more fleets,” added Bawel.

Not only does the expansion give JIS the opportunity to fill all orders under one roof, but keeps them involved in new product development. “We feel we have a great advantage when it comes to producing quality products at JASPER, says Bawel. “It’s going to allow us to better suit the customer’s needs and get a hand in production because that is what JASPER excels in.”

The Crawford County facility is located approximately 40 miles east of Jasper, Indiana. Originally constructed in 1998 for the purpose of core processing, the Crawford County facility has evolved into a complete remanufacturing operation in the disassembly, machining, assembly and testing of gas engines, transmissions, transfer cases and select manual transmissions. 

JASPER’s Product Distribution Center opened at Crawford County in 2000. Nearly 600 JASPER remanufactured products are shipped from the Distribution Center each day to a network of 40 branch locations throughout the United States. The Distribution Center is also the primary location for the unloading, tagging and identification of core and miscellaneous product from the branch locations.

Jasper Innovative Solutions, a sister company to JASPER, moved to the Crawford County facility in 2008. JIS is a supplier of vehicle parts to the United States Postal Service Vehicle Maintenance Facilities and other fleets throughout the United States.

We left this past Monday for our first show of the season at the 21th Annual Cruisin’ Ocean City in scenic Ocean City, Maryland, which is scheduled May 19-22. Jasper Engines and Transmissions is one of the many sponsors appearing in this year’s event. Visitors can expect to see more than 3,000 Hot Rods, Customs, Classics and Trick Trucks, live on-stage DJ’s, daily on-stage trophy awards, automotive and pop culture trivia contests and special give-aways.

Activities began Thursday morning with the Cruisin’ Ocean City Parade on Ocean City’s Boardwalk. Meet Danielle Colby Cushman, star of the History Channel’s show American Pickers. Danielle will be available for autographs and photo opportunities Saturday 11-4 and Sunday 10-1. The Batmobile will also be on display at the Convention Center all four days of the show.

Visit our JASPER exhibit for the latest product literature and on-line pricing or take a picture with our Wild Vendetta Trike or Cobra Kit Car. Our experienced and knowledgeable sales staff will be on hand to answer your drivetrain component questions. We are looking forward to seeing you here! For more information about this event ‘click’ this link: www.specialeventsponsorships.com

Would you like your repair facility to be busier? Would you like to grow and improve your profits? Are you looking for simple and effective things you and your staff can do to grow? If you answered YES to any or all of these questions, the JASPER “Strive To Thrive” program will benefit you.

“Strive To Thrive” was designed by JASPER’s Customer Advisory Group to help independent garage owners (IGOs) grow and be more profitable. The program has been tested in major cities with amazing results. Some IGOs have reported some super results in just 60 days!

The cost to attend Strive To Thrive? Four hours of your time, initially. If your spouse, child, partner or key Associates want to attend, they are welcome too. Doug Bawel, President of Jasper Engines & Transmissions, is the presenter of Strive To Thrive. His resume reads like the “Who’s Who” in the automotive industry:

• 1973-1976 - Ruxer Ford, Youngest member of the Ford 500 Club
• 1976-Present - JASPER Engines & Transmissions
• President of Jasper Motorsports
• President of Penske Jasper Racing

Doug’s real passion is helping others. He believes in the success of the small independent business operation and has devoted a large portion of his life to helping others. In 2003, Doug was named Business Man of the Year by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

“During the presentation, we will share over 50 ideas that work,” says Bawel. “Only ideas that work will be shared.”

Upcoming Strive To Thrive events in 2011 include:

• Buffalo, NY April 5th

• Boston, MA April 6th

Take advantage of this opportunity to help your business grow. Learn more about the Strive To Thrive program by contacting your JASPER Sales Representative!

Jasper Engines & Transmissions has named Matt Weinzapfel Vice President of Engine Manufacturing.

Matt’s duties will be to oversee the remanufacturing processes of the Gas Engine and Diesel Engine Divisions, as well as the Jasper Authentic Custom Drivetrains Division. “Matt was selected based on his recent experience as Diesel Division Manager, and his prior work as manager of JASPER’s Crawford County operations,” says Mike Schwenk, Executive Vice President of Production.

“I appreciate the opportunity to serve the JASPER family in this new role,” says Weinzapfel. “It’s an exciting time at JASPER, due to solid sales growth and our recent move to 100% Associate ownership. I look forward to working with all JASPER Associates on our journey of continuous improvement.”

Matt began his career at JASPER in May of 1994 working in Branch Auditing and Accounting for four years. After that, Weinzapfel spent five years as General Manager of JASPER’s Crawford County operations. Matt later spent three years as General Manager of Gas and Diesel Engine operations for the Jasper and Crawford facilities, two years as a member of the JASPER Production System and, most recently, has been Diesel Division Manager for the past three years.

JASPER also announced that Ryan Dooley has been named Diesel Division Manager. Ryan will oversee the day-to-day duties within the Diesel Division.

Dooley began his JASPER career in July 1997, when he was assigned to the Gas Engine Failure Analysis Department. After that, Ryan spent 11 years in Customer Service, including two years as Department Manager. Since August of 2008, Ryan’s recent position has been Manager of the Diesel Fuel Room, where he established JASPER’s Fuel Components Program in February of 2010.

The Indiana Department of Labor has announced the Merit Certification of Jasper Engines and Transmissions’ Crawford County facility in Indiana’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP).

VPP, Indiana’s Voluntary Protection Program, was established to recognize and promote safety and health management programs throughout the state. All companies, regardless of size or business, can participate in VPP - where management and employees work together to create and maintain a healthy working environment.

The Crawford County facility is the second of JASPER’s remanufacturing facilities to achieve VPP status, and is one of only 56 Indiana companies to reach this level. The Jasper, Indiana, remanufacturing facility earned its Merit Certification in 2008. “It is always gratifying to witness companies that proactively address and manage workplace safety and health,” commented Commissioner of Labor Lori Torres. “The Department of Labor is pleased to partner with and congratulate Jasper Engines and Transmissions for achieving VPP Merit status.”

“The JASPER Safety Committee and Associates have been working on this program, and its benchmarks, for four years,” says Jason Pieper, JASPER Safety Director. “We understand we still have a lot of work to do, but we have now created more awareness, more Associate involvement and made sure JASPER has Safety Systems in place.” The VPP Merit Certification ceremony was held September 24th at the Crawford County facility. The ceremony provided an opportunity for JASPER Associates, staff and management to showcase their exemplary status to state officials and local elected officials.

JASPER has been successful in reducing the number of OSHA recordable injuries and illnesses by 30% in a three-year span. “VPP sites are demonstrated leaders in the occupational safety and health arena,” added Torres. “The reduction of recordable injuries and illnesses at JASPER is proof positive in how successful implementation of a safety and health management system has an impact on not only injury and illness rates, but also on employee satisfaction and morale.”

“Management commitment and Associate involvement are the two main components of the VPP program,” added Pieper. “JASPER has both these elements, which has improved our safety program. JASPER’s goal is to have all of our remanufacturing sites in the VPP program”.

A special Veterans Day luncheon was held yesterday, November 11^th, to honor JASPER Associates who served in branches of the U.S. military. Approximately 90 Associates participated in the lunch (pictured above) at the Jasper facility. It was JASPER’s way of saying “Thank You” to the men and women who served in the Armed Forces of our great country.