Most transmission shop owners got their start in the technical end of the business, and somewhere along the line, they decided to transition into shop ownership. In some cases, they inherit the shop as part and parcel of the natural progression of a family-owned business. Sometimes they get a “too good to pass up” deal from their employer. In other instances, they either buy an existing shop or start one from scratch. In any event, when they finally find themselves “in charge,” they’re fully prepared to deal with the technical end of the business but ill-prepared for the business end. I’m reminded of a humorous wall plaque I saw in the business section of a bookstore; it read, “Yesterday I didn’t know how to spell entrepreneur, and today I are one.”
Cory and Nicki Bensley of Benchmark Transmission in Pierce, Colorado, took a leap of faith by purchasing Benchmark Transmission seven years ago. Located thirty miles from three major cities, they saw that it had the potential to draw customers from these larger markets. Cory wasn’t one to bounce around, as he was a builder for over 25 years. Nicki left a career in dental hygiene to pursue this new career in the automotive industry.
This proved to be a successful endeavor, as they quintupled their revenue since their first year. This growth did not come without pain, of course – they quickly realized the role of a business owner differed significantly from the builder role. Cory stated, “I had no idea how much behind-the-scenes work there was. Nicki had to learn the aspects of bookkeeping, as she is from a dental hygiene background. I had to learn the paperwork for employees, and I had no bookkeeping experience either.” Nicki added, “It was a learning curve for sure.”
Cory attributes much of his success to the time he spent learning from his previous employer. He explained, “He taught me how to treat customers, conduct training for employees, and gain trust with both his team and his customers. But, as I said before, he didn’t prepare me for the behind-the-scenes stuff that owners have to deal with every day.”
A business’s value, like all assets, fluctuates. As Tony Robbins describes – there is no such thing as a “steady” business – a business either grows or shrinks. Many business coaches explain this concept when mentoring business owners. It’s a scary concept to embrace, but it’s a crossroad that every business owner must face – one that Cory and Nicki took head-on.
Earlier this year, the opportunity to expand to a second location in Cheyenne, Wyoming (over thirty miles away) presented itself. Starting a business is intimidating but expanding to multiple locations is even more so. 
After considering the fact that a fair amount of their existing business comes from customers who have made the 30-mile trek to Pierce and that they’d also acquire the market share that Cheyenne Transmission already had, they decided to move forward. They can now provide transmission and drivetrain services for customers in both markets and can focus on growing their newly acquired company.
During the process of expanding any business, it’s important to identify both the advantages and disadvantages of the opportunity. As I already mentioned, the biggest advantage of acquiring Cheyenne Transmission is gaining market share. Additionally, by being in a larger city, they felt they could expand their market reach by providing their high-quality transmission repair services over a wider area. Cheyenne is a city of around 65,000 population versus 1,000 in Pierce; so, the potential for an increase in customer base is pre-established.
However, the larger population also holds another opportunity to address another challenge they were facing – finding good technicians. Along with the rest of our industry, staffing is one of the biggest challenges they’ve encountered. “Technicians have been retiring from the industry at a faster pace than new ones are coming in. It’s difficult to find technicians right now,” Cory stated. Nicki added, “We use Indeed Ads and sometimes Facebook for leads, but it’s still hit or miss.” Our discussion continued around the fact that many shops struggle with staffing shortages. They’re implementing strategies that include building relationships with the nearby tech schools through the ATRA Virtual Training Solutions online program (VTS).
When asked how they would combat the staffing shortage in the meantime, they replied that with the addition of the second location, they’re utilizing a newer trained builder from their Pierce shop to swing between the builder and R&R tech roles at the Cheyenne location until more staff are recruited. Also, one builder in the Cheyenne shop stayed on with the new team after the acquisition.
They also have the added advantage of being a Certified Transmission Distributor in the region. This helps to bridge the gap with reman units to meet overwhelming demand. It also helps maintain workflow by not having to rebuild every transmission in-house.
Pushing through these obstacles has been far from easy, but they’ve persevered. Cory commented on how they’ve overcome the difficulties, “Lots of hard work and a supportive wife and family fully vesting in the success of the business.” Neither of them is afraid of hard work. Nicki runs the back office, and Cory continues to balance his time between the build bench and managing the shop in Pierce. They’ve been able to go through the growing pains associated with expanding their business by utilizing their employees’ strengths and training new employees. They’ve definitely made a name for themselves, as Benchmark won Best of North Weld County in 2018, taking the honored position from a local shop that had won the previous five years.
That being said, Cory and Nicki want to acknowledge their great team members who have made the shop’s success possible.
- Brian Blanton is a service writer at Benchmark. He started in December 2018. He brings two decades of service writing experience and is helping them grow significantly.
Kevin Watkins started working at Benchmark in September 2019. He began as an R&R tech with plans to move into the build room. With a year of training under his belt, Kevin is now swinging between building and R&R. The objective is to move him to building full-time once another R&R tech is added to the team. He attended EXPO for the first time in 2021.- Tristan Henker started in June 2021 as general repair tech. He has a lot of drive to learn new skills and has demonstrated the aptitude, attitude, and ability to advance in his career. Tristan enjoys working on his own cars in his spare time.
- Matthew Pellett started in November 2021 as a general tech. However, he has some transmission building experience and will be moving to the build room in the near future.
- Bryon Talbot started in November 2021 as a general repair tech. He works at the Pierce location. Bryon’s hobbies include spending time with his three kids, with a fourth on the way. He also enjoys going to the shooting range.
- Dawn Jensen also started in November 2021 as an additional service writer in Pierce. Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, business has steadily increased; so, this position was added to the team. Dawn’s pastimes include relaxing at Colorado’s lakes and rivers and rockhounding.
- Joseph Vigil is the builder who stayed with Cheyenne Transmission after the Bensleys acquired the shop. He’s been employed at that location for 16 years.
- David Kingsley is a service writer who trained at Benchmark before transferring to the Cheyenne location. He has prior sales experience at another transmission shop and uses those skills during the expansion.
Benchmark Transmission is a family-owned business that consistently provides a top-quality product and customer-first service at both locations. The company demonstrates its commitment to high customer satisfaction by sending a handwritten thank you card to every new customer, no matter the size of the job. They’re also committed to developing relationships within the community. For example, Cory is the superintendent for the local 4-H shooting sports program and a coach for the local high school trap program. Cory and Nicki also support the local high school at the annual FFA labor auction and sponsor the middle and high school athletic booster clubs.
It’s critical to have a good balance in life, but it can be challenging to navigate the fine line between work and home life when you own a business. However, Cory and Nicki are happy with their current lifestyle. They prioritize spending time with their kids and enjoy doing things together as a family. 
They have two sons, Braden and Tavis. Tavis has chosen a career in welding, and Braden is in college pursuing a business degree. The couple also makes sure they have time for themselves, enjoying the outdoors – camping and riding UTVs together. Cory likes Walleye fishing and hunting, while Nicki prefers horseback riding.
Cory and Nicki have developed a successful business model based on personalized customer service and positive relationships within their community. Benchmark’s key takeaway for expanding their business is building a team that’s committed to maintaining high levels of customer service at both locations while also ensuring resources are in place for expansion. The blending of Benchmark Transmission and Cheyenne Transmission is an example of what can be accomplished by facing the challenges head-on with a positive attitude.
