Schorr added that his father, however, also always told him that no hill is too high to climb. So, although business has slowed down a little, he said he has kept his employees busy by keeping rates low and expanding into general repair.

He said the shop in its previous location had specialized in transmissions and performance work on racecars and dragsters.

One way that Schorr said he has upgraded the shop is by adding a management system. He said he recently purchased Mitchell 1 Manager to help track his numbers better. 

"The program is really user friendly," he said. "Even if I have problems and can't get a hold of my rep, Todd Finley, I can get onto a forum and get questions answered, and it has built-in training videos."

Through Mitchell 1 Manager, Schorr said he can also order all his parts online and has the capability to compare a number of vendors for availability and the best price. 

 
"I also like that I can print out vehicle maintenance reports from the program," he said. "I am going to start giving those out to every customer when they leave the shop so they will know what the manufacturers recommendations are on their vehicle." 

 
Schorr said that providing his customers with vehicle maintenance reports is a way to show his customers when their vehicles need maintenance performed, so they are not surprised when services are recommended.

During slow economic times, he said it is not only important to work on his business, but also to keep his employees busy, which is one reason he said he has kept his labor rate at $75.

"Although that may be on the low side, it is kind of a 'catch-22' because at times like this, you need to make more money, but if you up the labor costs and parts costs, it is going to be harder to sell," he said. "Something my dad taught me is that sometimes it is better to keep your guys working and not make as much money rather than laying guys off."

  
Before Schorr opened Schorr Transmission Auto, he said he had worked at Schorr's Noland Road Transmission Service, the shop his father, Jack, opened in 1972.

However, in 2006, Jack Schorr sold the land his shop sat on to CVS Pharmacy and retired.  David Schorr said he continued the family business, but in a new location with a greater breadth of services.

"All we previously did was transmission repair, but when I moved to this location, I knew that with the economic state we needed to expand and start doing general repair," he said.

The purchase of the new 7,000-square-foot shop combined two businesses. He said he bought an existing general automotive repair business, kept its customer database, and added his transmission repair business.

Schorr said the new building included three two-post Rotary lifts and a Hunter alignment machine, and that he kept an employee from the general repair facility. He said he also brought one technician from the transmission shop and added a third general repair technician. He said he also added a fourth Rotary lift for efficiency.

The transition from transmission shop to general repair shop has required significant training, Schorr said.

"I had worked on a lot of racecar stuff, so I had an idea on general stuff, but the late-model cars are not cut and dried," he said. "So, I have learned a lot in this area, and I am continuing to learn through training classes."

To stay up to date on late-model vehicles, Schorr said he attends classes through CARQUEST, O'Reilly Auto Parts, and Factory Motor Parts, each of which he also orders his parts from.

Now, he said he is able to offer his customers everything from computer diagnostics to complete engine installations.

Averaging about one engine install each month, Schorr said he turns to Dahmer Powertrain, which he said can offer him remanufactured and new OE units.

"They also offer a great nationwide warranty," he said. "And, sometimes, the OE units are even cheaper than some of the remanufactured units. Since it has been a little slower, I have had the opportunity to shop to find the best product for the price."

Schorr said the relationship with Dahmer Powertrain is a two-way street because if Dahmer Powertrain customers in the area needs warranty work done, they will recommend his shop.

Performance work is a specialty at Schorr Transmission Auto and makes up a significant amount of repairs, he said, adding that he rebuilds a lot of transmissions for dragsters and circle-track cars and also does custom exhaust work.