In horse racing, the term trifecta applies to a bet on a race in which you attempt to pick the first, second, and third place horses in the correct order. The odds against successfully doing this are incredibly high, so the payoff is usually quite substantial. It’s not unusual for a $2.00 trifecta bet to pay upwards of $200.
Trifecta is a noun and recent addition to the English language. While it first appeared in horse racing in the 1970s, its definition has broadened. For instance, it’s often used in business to describe three things co-occurring, producing an extraordinarily good or bad result. Trifecta is the perfect term to describe the formal alliance of the three companies featured in this article: Transgo, RevMax, and Transmission Specialties, Inc. (TSI).
Rodger Bland and I recently had the pleasure of meeting with John Landry, Vice President of Transgo, Ken Kelly, General Manager of TSI, and Frank Kuperman, formally of RevMax and now President of the new trifecta, aptly named Race Winning Brands Transmissions. This trio of business leaders was excited to share the news of the trifecta alliance between their respective companies. And just like the payout for winning the trifecta in horse racing is significant, the transmission industry also stands to enjoy a significant win due to the impact of this business trifecta.
Here’s how the trifecta came about. Race Winning Brands (RWB) acquired RevMax, TransGo, and Transmission Specialties, Inc. (TSI) in April 2022. Their goal was to leverage the three companies’ transmission expertise, technical capabilities, and industry reputations. RWB saw it as a natural step to add transmission technology to their engine-related performance lines.
- RevMax specializes in performance aftermarket transmission products, from standard street vehicles to high-performance diesel.
- TransGo offers advanced automatic transmission solutions, implementing key manufacturing and engineering technical data and techniques to produce proprietary valve body repair kits, valve body performance kits, and other specialty components, and is the originator of the ‘Shift Kit.’
- TSI offers transmission models from all the major American manufacturers, featuring USA-manufactured products such as race-focused torque converters, valve bodies, and complete transmissions
“We are very excited to be a part of Race Winning Brands,” said Frank Kuperman, President of Race Winning Brands Transmissions. “The synergies between RWB’s industry-leading engine components and our transmission components go hand-in-hand. Our team is focused on helping RWB build a new growth path in the performance transmission sector. More importantly, we are excited about the new opportunities for all of our customers.”
However, the marriage of these three companies began with 25-plus years of courtship. John, Frank, a nd Ken have known each other for over 25 years. Their mutual respect and longterm friendships came through loud and clear during our interview with them.
RevMax and TSI were already deep into merger discussions prior to RevMax being acquired by Transgo and their prior stewards, Five Points Capital, back in 2020. Not long after RevMax was acquired, TSI joined the group, launching a performance transmission force unlike any in the history of our industry.
The three companies will continue to operate separately but share research, engineering, and design technologies. They see both symbiotic and synergistic benefits for their companies. However, they agree that the industry stands to be the primary beneficiary of their unified expertise.
Frank commented, “It was a no-brainer when it came to seeing the synergism between our three companies.” He continued, “This is good for the industry. Our companies make each other better with better products, better engineering, and new products through the strength of our combined research capabilities. It’s only positive for the industry!”
Ken observed, “We’re stronger as a group than separate. We share ideas for new products and product improvements, and we each bring areas of expertise that complement our respective specialties.”
John couldn’t wait to chime in, “Competition is good, and it’s especially good for our industry. Transgo’s performance kits are complemented and improved by parts and components provided by RevMax and TSI. The competition will drive all companies, and the industry will benefit.”
All three men agreed that one of the first areas the industry will experience is with a significant improvement with getting product. Supply chain issues are a thing of the past. Kuperman confidently explained, “The majority of the group’s products are USA-made. Transgo is experiencing no backorders, TSI has a 96% fill rate, and the only typical delays RevMax faces are related to the normal build times because our performance transmissions are custom rebuilds.”
A Little History About The Three Companies
Transgo – El Monte, California
In 1959, Gil Younger opened TransCo, which became TransGo, a valve body repair kit company. The primary goal was to diagnose, correct, prevent, and reduce transmission complaints with time-saving, easy fixes. During Gil’s ownership of TransGo, the company collected a long list of industry firsts; the first ‘valve body repair kit,’ the first to engineer and manufacture lengthened valve lands, the first to oversize a bore for replacement valves, and the high-performance valve body kit.
By 1969, TransGo had established a solid reputation for engineering and producing different valve body repair kits. Builders knew buying a TransGo valve body repair kit for certain units was as essential as an overhaul kit.
After many years of the industry calling these kits “shift kits,” after Gil’s nickname, Mr. Shift, the company decided to trademark the name SHIFT KIT®.
Longtime engineering director, David Hardin, leads TransGo’s R&D team. The team focuses on engineering solutions with the builder in mind by eliminating labor-intensive and expensive processes on the bench while maintaining a price point to help keep shops profitable and competitive.
Some of the company’s most recent patented R&D innovations include:
- A two-piece pressure regulator valve system
- Tuneless Technology, where all programming is done in the valve body and pump instead of the TCM/ECM
- Universal reaming tools, like the one made for all GEN2 FWD Ford and General Motors six speeds
TSI – Aston, Pennsylvania
When it comes to high-performance transmission components for racing vehicles and hot rods, very few manufacturers can give TSI a run for their money. TSI’s products set industry standards that many other manufacturers can’t match. Professional racers and other high-speed enthusiasts trust TSI’s top-quality transmission parts and components worldwide. With over 30 years of production experience, TSI is recognized as a leading manufacturer of high-performance automatic transmissions and related parts. TSI is known for:
- Supplying the industry’s highest quality race converter kits, diesel converter kits and performance hard parts.
- Aftermarket, SFI approved one- and two-piece Powerglide cases.
- The industry’s strongest straight-cut Powerglide planetaries.
RevMax – Charlotte, North Carolina
At RevMax, the difference starts with their workforce. They employ knowledgeable people who are devoted to making the best possible products. In Charlotte, NC, the company features a complete CNC manufacturing center where they produce their industryleading billet shafts, drums, and a large assortment of other high-performance diesel transmission hard parts. The RevMax team is proud to be the industry leader delivering fixes and high-performance components for the diesel transmission industry first.
- Complete line of patented billet input, intermediate, and output shafts
- Patented 68RFE 700 Series billet input clutch drum
- ZeroFlex billet 68RFE channel plates, released in 2016, the original and strongest billet channel plate
- Patented cooler bypass technology for the 66RFE, 68RFE, AS69RC and Allison L5P
Frank, beamed, “RevMax is proud to be hosting the 2023 TCRA Annual Seminar in Charlotte, North Carolina, on April 14th and 15th. Come check us out!”
