Midwest Rebuilder Says Key Is Quality Parts by Sonja Carberry Drivers of family cars aren’t the only customers getting alternator and starter repairs and rebuilds at Fred’s Auto Electric, Lincoln, Neb. Boaters, cyclists, heavy-equipment operators, classic-car enthusiasts and “tons” of farmers are drawn to Fred’s for the kind of customized work that’s hard to find, Owner Mike Maddox said. “We build high-end alternators for street rods. Here lately we’re getting into the powder-coated alternators for those guys that want a color like blue instead of chrome,’ Maddox said. ““We’re also doing more upgrading of existing alternators to higher-end alternators as people have more accessories.” The accessorizers include everyone from the young stereo enthusiast who wants to add yet another amplifier to the farmer who needs more lights on his tractor. It’s the commercial customers, such as farmers in the fall, who need the “time-is-money”’ turnaround. “A combine sits for 11 months of the year. They need it to work for the four weeks it needs to work,” Maddox said. “I know when the season is. When a farmer comes in then, I don’t need to ask when he needs it.” Maddox said he draws agriculture equipment work from as far as north- ern Kansas, but most comes from a 50-mile radius around Lincoln. More heavy equipment comes from local construction companies, he said, and his government accounts include the state of Nebraska and Lancaster County. That’s not to say that Maddox doesn’t work on family cars. He emphasized that he does, especially work sent from service stations. Nearly all of his work is done on the bench, but Maddox said he hasn’t yet gotten into diagnostic and repair service that requires having the whole vehicle, usually a newer car, on site to fix a prob- lem outside the starter or alternator. “T got away from that,” he said. “Tl Fred’s Auto Electric Owner Mike Maddox continues the business his father, Fred, started in 1972. probably end up getting back into that. What we do really is a lot of cus- tom work.” The up side of specialized markets, Maddox said, is a willingness to spend more for quality, especially by enthusi- asts and farmers. “They know value,” he said. “That’s my biggest battle—to educate the customer that quality is cheaper in the long run.” The current wave of inexpensive alternator and starter parts into parts stores has created an almost philosophi- cal divide for customers and specialists such as Maddox. “There’s so many out there now, it’s almost like you can decide which way you want to go, the cheap way or the expensive way,’ he said. “What makes us is the quality of the products we purchase. The biggest key is buying quality parts.” Maddox said he depends heavily on one-day delivery warehouses because, with 4,000 part numbers for domestic and foreign cars alone, “It’s almost impossible to stock complete units.” He said his top two suppliers are Ace Electric, L.L.C. and Wetherill Associates Inc. (WAI) because both offer one-day shipping. He also uses Wilson Auto Electric Limited and J&N Auto Electric, Inc. “They are my parts warehouse,” he said. “WAI and Wilson are probably the leaders in software.” Going online saves Maddox considerable time searching for the right part, he said. But because of the amount of custom work he does, “T still have to keep my old dinosaur books.” Domestic and foreign cars keep and Technician Joe Urbauer consult on the repair of a starter. Maddox in tune with the latest trends. “With the newer starters and alterna- tors, the quality is getting better and they last longer,’ Maddox said. A lag time between new models and new business has always existed because low-mileage cars return to dealers for repairs before ending up at a shop like Fred’s, but that interval seems to be stretching, he said. He cited manufacturers’ improvement, and perhaps mastery, of fuel injection and other factors as having influenced the starter and alternator trade. “It’s not like the old days of the carburetor flooding and sitting in the driveway cranking and cranking,” he said. “The trade-off is the newer stuff is more expensive.” Maddox said other manufacturer innovations look good but have yet to prove their longevity. “They’re integrat- ing the computer with the alternator. For example, the computer knows when the car is running at full load, and it can adjust the settings,” he said. Fred’s is a four-person shop. Maddox said he, two techs, and his wife, Karen, keep the place going from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays. Maddox’s father, Fred, opened the business in 1972, and the son began learning the basics at age 13. “He taught me everything,’ Maddox said. “There’s nothing like hands-on