“Life isn’t finding shelter in the storm. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” – Sherrilyn Kenyon.
John Miller of Frank’s Transmission in Coldwater, Michigan, has had his fair share of life’s storms. His challenges began at the early age of 13. He was shoveling snow on a cold winter day after a snowstorm hit the area when disaster struck him. A semi-truck attempted to maneuver in a driveway when it lost traction and started sliding backward. The driver hadn’t seen John, and in the deep snow, John fell and couldn’t move quickly enough to get out of the way. The semi-truck ran him over, and John was hospitalized due to his injuries, but he fought through it and recovered. As John recalled the experience, his wife Dawn Miller said, “He’s lucky to be walking.”
John has experienced several other close calls. When he was 19, he got into a terrible car accident and had to be resuscitated three times on the way to the hospital. His recovery was long and hard, but he never gave up. He’s also had a couple of close calls in the shop. A radiator blew up in his face, and a hoist with a vehicle on it collapsed just moments after he’d been working underneath it. Though Dawn jokingly says, “John has nine lives,” they believe his escapes from these near-death experiences means he’s undoubtedly on this earth for a reason.
Through all of these challenges, John’s passion for working on cars has never wavered. In 1981, as a junior in high school, John began working at Frank’s Transmission through the OJT (on-the-job-training) program. Frank’s was located in a small two-bay shop which was a former service station. He fondly remembers his first day at the shop, “The first job that Frank gave me was to remove a TH350 transmission out of a 1977 Olds Cutlass,” adding, “… on a center post hoist at that!” He recalled that it took him about six hours to get the unit out.
From that point forward, Frank had John remove, disassemble, & wash transmissions. He soon moved on to reinstalling the transmissions with Frank rebuilding them. Then, one day, Frank decided to begin training John on rebuilds. John’s first transmission rebuild was an AOD out of a police car. John explained, “I removed the AOD, but then, for the first time, Frank told me I had to rebuild it. He’d never seen an automatic 4 speed transmission before and said he didn’t know how to work on it and was too old to learn. That was my first rebuild – it worked perfectly!”
John’s skills steadily improved. Eventually, in 1984, when Frank was ready to retire, John purchased the business at the ripe old age of 20 years old. Initially, he brought a friend in as a partner, which lasted approximately 6 years.
Under John’s ownership the company outgrew the building, and in 1999, he decided to build a larger location. This endeavor came with more challenges than expected. John described the progression, “When we decided to expand our business, we had no idea that we would have to fire the contractor, which left us with a half-finished project.” John knew he’d have to finish it himself. He worked day and night for months – his regular hours at the shop during the day and then nights and weekends to complete the building.
Upon hearing of their predicament, the owner of a local machine rental company decided to help. John describes his assistance with the buildout, “I had never met Dick Briggs before, but he heard about our situation and loaned us a scissor lift for an unlimited time, at no cost, so we could finish our building. He truly is a wonderful man.”
Another chance encounter occurred when a first-time customer, Stan Barry, who worked at an insulation company, provided John with all the insulation at cost. The customer also provided the equipment and spent many hours helping John install the insulation, in exchange for his transmission rebuild. The entire project spanned several months, during which John didn’t receive a single paycheck. “The stress was unbelievable,” he recalls. John’s long time friend, Doug, also was a blessing as he spent many hours helping finish the building.
Through sacrifice, dedication and hard work, the company finally saw its payoff in 2000. They were able to move from a cramped two-bay gas station to a new 5,000 square foot facility with five lifts – a significant upgrade that would further propel the business forward.
The shop expanded again in 2006 when Frank’s added a second building. The new space added 4,600 square feet with four more lifts and parts storage. A few years later, John acquired an adjoining property, adding additional parking.
As the business continued to grow and the market changed, they realized they needed to offer more services to keep up with customer demand. With the addition of general repair services, Frank’s Transmission transitioned to Frank’s Transmission and Auto Repair in 2019.
John and Dawn are committed to creating a comfortable work environment for their staff. The facilities feature a fully heated and air-conditioned environment. The shop is open nine hours daily, Monday through Thursday, and closes at noon on Fridays. During the summer months, they switch to four ten-hour days, so the staff has more time with their families, and providing them with adequate personal time away from work.
In 2019 John and Dawn had the opportunity to purchase a private jet ride, and decided to treat the employees and spouses to a long weekend in Florida. Then they decided to make it an annual event if the yearly goal is met, to treat the employees and spouses on a weekend getaway. They feel this is one way to show appreciation for their team’s hard work year-round. John and Dawn also know that happy employees lead to satisfied customers, which is why they’ve worked so hard to build a positive work environment.
The shop’s team consists of six employees, including John and Dawn.
- Brady Cox has been employed there for 11 years. He started as an OJT student and has worked his way up to a transmission builder, and is a great all around technician.
- Kelly Tyler has been a customer service representative at the shop since January 2021. She’s also responsible for accounts receivable, accounts payable and is currently learning the service writer’s position.
- Tyler Burrell is a technician and has been working there since February 2021. He graduated from UNOH, specializing in automotive and diesel technology. He is currently learning to rebuild transmissions.
- Doug Pawloski, John’s long time friend, is the newest member of the team. He’s a specialized technician in medium to heavy-duty vehicle repair.
The team’s goal is to provide extraordinary customer service experiences. The lobby is always clean and welcoming to all visitors – women and children included. Frank’s Transmission is the only shop in town offering secure vehicle storage area. Customers who need to pick up their cars after closing get a key code to access a lock box. The shop management system has digital inspection features that allows Frank’s to send photos of inspections to customers and has the ability to text for more efficient communication.
The customer satisfaction efforts have positively impacted the business, as word-of-mouth referrals bring in new customers. The business has been booming for Frank’s Transmission and Auto Repair, and marketing for the shop requires minimal advertising. Many customers drive long distances to have their vehicles repaired at Frank’s. John told me about one such situation, “There was a fella from West Palm Beach, Florida, who had a 1964 Bonneville. He was admiring another Bonneville we’d repaired and saw one of our invoices on the front seat. He actually chose to ship his transmission to us to repair it.”
After years of fixing up classic cars, the shop has garnered an excellent reputation. John and Dawn even have a 1932 Phantom II Rolls-Royce project car that took 6 years just to rebuild the engine. They’re active in the local car club community, and the shop also sponsored a local 1933 Willys Gasser. The Johnny Lightning Series contacted the car’s owner because they wanted to make a die-cast model of his Willys Gasser. Since Frank’s Transmission was the sponsor, they included the company’s name on the die-cast model, which was sold worldwide – it’s pretty cool!
Frank’s Transmission and Auto Repair is an honest shop with heroic beginnings. John Miller, the owner, started as an OJT student in high school. The company is family-oriented, focusing on providing the best customer experience possible. The shop is clean and welcoming, with a team committed to excellence in every aspect – their work ethic, the quality of repairs, and effective communication. John and Dawn feel very blessed to have had Frank’s Transmission and Auto Repair in their life and the many friendships that have been created over the years. “Our hope is to sell Frank’s in the near future to someone who will take it to the next level as Dawn plans on retiring and 2023. John, who is a few years younger, still plans on being a part of Frank’s for several years to come.”
