While there is not as much welding performed at the store as in past years, Mann said the-35 year-old business sells a variety of products and performs service work on light- to heavy-duty trucks.

The business was founded in 1973 by his father, Jim, who was involved in a similar business in Tacoma for many years, Mann said. The business sold products for light and medium trucks-from mud flaps to hitches-and provided shop work to install hitches, do electrical wiring, and in the earlier days welding services, he said.

Today, the 6,800-square-foot building houses a showroom with products for trucks such as hitches, tool boxes, lighting, electrical components, bike racks, and other parts, though service work comprises about 80 percent of sales, Mann said. Most of the parts purchases are installed in the shop, but some purely retail business exists as well, he said.

Trailer hitches are still big business at Mann's, but it now sees more installation on cars due to fuel costs, Mann said. Trailer work, camping, and other travel-related services are performed on cars, trucks, motor homes, and campers, he said, including electrical wiring for towing and transmission coolers.

While many hitches used to be custom work, Mann said the business now sells more production hitches. Draw-Tite is one of the most popular brands, he said. On average, he said they do about six hitch-related jobs a day.

Service work at Mann's includes everything from installing hitches and towing products to axle and brake work, Mann said. Custom work for tradesmen is a large part of their business, he said, including outfitting tool boxes for those in the construction and similar trades such as carpenters and plumbers.

"We also perform work for local car and truck dealers," he said. "About a third of our sales are wholesale."

What does not sell as well as past years are the mud flaps and running boards, Mann said. "We used to have a big inventory of running boards, but they are not hot sellers today." He said many boards are either standard or optional equipment on trucks, but the firm does sell the occasional set of boards.

Servicing a variety of small fleets in his north Seattle area, Mann said the store outfits and services pickups, medium-duty trucks, and some larger trucks. On a recent visit, the firm had just completed an installation of a wooden deck in a dump truck. Another project just completed was the installation of PIAA lighting on the roof of a Toyota pickup for a customer.

 
The shop area has an extensive array of tools and equipment, much of it designed by the staff to perform specialized services on vehicles, Mann said. "We do some interesting work here and need special equipment to perform some of that service," he said.

"We provide quality work, so we've built a reputation," he said. "We get folks from the Olympic Peninsula and even farther away who come to us because we've been here a long time and people know our work." Mann said he intends to expand the business more toward commercial vehicles because  that provides consistent work throughout the year. "We like servicing commercial vehicles and appreciate the fleet business we have. Taking care of their needs seems to fit our business style."