A significant announcement from Alliant Power at the HDAW event reveals their acquisition of Capital Reman, aimed at enhancing their engine offerings in the aftermarket. Host Jay Ginenin and guest Jeff DeCarlis discuss the strategic motivations behind this move, including addressing customer demands for high-quality engines with OEM components. The conversation highlights the importance of trade shows for brand visibility and customer interaction, as well as the potential shift in the market towards remanufactured engines versus traditional internal rebuilds.
Jeff DeCarlis, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Alliant Power, joins us live from HDAW in Texas to share a major announcement: Alliant Power has acquired Capital Reman. In this episode, Jeff walks through the strategy behind the move, how the team is being integrated, and how the new distribution model delivers a “total package” that helps shops reduce downtime, turn bays faster, and improve long-term reliability.
Note: This episode was recorded live at HDAW. We apologize for the background noise and minor audio issues.
"...can you get into turbochargers, which we did a few years back and now it's our fastest growing product liner."
A turbocharger is a part that helps an engine produce more power by pushing in extra air. This allows the engine to burn more fuel and run better, making the car faster and more efficient.
Turbochargers are devices that increase the power output of an engine by forcing more air into the combustion chamber, allowing for more fuel to be burned. This results in improved performance and efficiency compared to naturally aspirated engines.
After treatment is a way to clean up the exhaust gases from a car's engine to make them less harmful to the environment. It includes parts that help reduce pollution before the gases leave the car.
After treatment refers to systems installed in vehicles to reduce harmful emissions after the combustion process. This can include technologies like catalytic converters and diesel particulate filters, which help meet environmental regulations.
"You know, you buy the long block from us, but you can also get all the, you know, the OEM fuel, turbo, air, aftertreat, its sensors, gaskets."
A long block is a type of engine that comes mostly complete, but you might still need to add some parts to make it work in your car. It's a way to replace an engine without getting everything from scratch.
A long block is a complete engine assembly that includes the engine block, cylinder heads, and often the camshaft, but typically does not include the intake manifold or accessories. It's a common way to replace or rebuild an engine.
"...you can also get all the, you know, the OEM fuel, turbo, air, aftertreat, its sensors, gaskets."
OEM means the parts are made by the same company that made the original parts for your car. They fit perfectly and are usually of high quality.
OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. It refers to parts made by the same company that manufactured the original parts for a vehicle, ensuring compatibility and quality.
"...when we look at the product portfolio at Capital,..."
Capital is a company that might help businesses get the engines or trucks they need, though we need more information to be sure.
Capital refers to a company that may be involved in financing or leasing vehicles, equipment, or engines, though the specific context is not clear from this excerpt.
Class eight trucks are very large trucks that can carry heavy loads. They are used for transporting goods over long distances.
Class eight refers to the highest weight classification for trucks in the United States, typically including vehicles over 33,000 pounds. These trucks are often used for long-haul freight transport.
"...we're talking Cat, Cummins, you know, Detroit Diesel, Pack R with the MX platform."
Cummins makes engines that power many large trucks and machines. They're famous for their reliable diesel engines.
Cummins is a well-known American manufacturer of engines and power generation products, particularly noted for their diesel engines used in heavy-duty trucks and industrial applications.
Packard used to make fancy cars and trucks. They are known for their high-quality vehicles from the early to mid-20th century.
Packard was a historic American manufacturer of automobiles and trucks, known for their luxury vehicles and later for their heavy-duty trucks and engines.
"...that crankshaft is made new again, camshaft,..."
The crankshaft is a part of the engine that helps turn the energy from the pistons into movement. It's important for making the car go.
The crankshaft is a crucial engine component that converts the linear motion of the pistons into rotational motion, which ultimately powers the vehicle. It is often subjected to significant stress and wear, making its condition vital for engine performance.
The camshaft is a part of the engine that helps open and close the valves, allowing air and fuel in and exhaust out. It's important for how well the engine runs.
The camshaft is a vital component in an internal combustion engine that controls the opening and closing of the engine's valves. It plays a key role in the engine's timing and performance, influencing how air and fuel enter and exhaust exits the engine.
"Here's your fuel system you need. Here's the options we have for you to line up power."
The fuel system is what helps get gasoline or diesel to the engine so it can run. It includes parts like the tank where fuel is stored and the pump that sends it to the engine.
The fuel system is responsible for storing and delivering fuel to the engine. It includes components like the fuel tank, fuel pump, fuel injectors, and fuel lines, all working together to ensure the engine receives the right amount of fuel for combustion.
"Here's the sensors, gaskets, you name it. And again, all that's going to be focused at OEM product."
Gaskets are like seals that keep oil and other fluids from leaking out of the engine. They help make sure everything stays tight and works properly.
Gaskets are seals used to prevent leaks between two surfaces in an engine. They are crucial for maintaining pressure and preventing oil or coolant from leaking out of the engine.
"Here's the related parts, because honestly, Jack, it's fascinating to me how many people will spend the money to put a remanufacturing long lock back in a truck..."
A remanufactured engine is an engine that has been taken apart, repaired, and rebuilt so it works like a new one. It's a way to save money instead of buying a completely new engine.
A remanufactured engine is one that has been rebuilt to meet or exceed original factory specifications. This process often involves replacing worn components and ensuring the engine functions like new, which can be a cost-effective solution for vehicle owners.
"...to put a remanufacturing long lock back in a truck and recycle and use the same used high mileage injectors."
Fuel injectors are parts in a car's engine that spray fuel into the engine so it can mix with air and burn to create power. They help the engine run smoothly and efficiently.
Fuel injectors are critical components in modern engines that spray fuel into the combustion chamber. They play a vital role in the engine's performance, fuel efficiency, and emissions control.
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When you break this thing down, it's like,
yeah, this is a really good marriage.
And one that we think will elevate the engine game
for the aftermarket.
Beyond the Wrench with Jay Ginenin from Wrenchway.
Welcome to a special edition of Beyond the Wrench.
I am your host, Jay Ginenin.
And today, I am joined by Jeff DeCarlis from Alliant Power
with a kind of just a unique podcast in general.
Jeff is joining us live from HDAW down in Texas.
And Alliant Power has some big news
that we're going to talk about.
And just should be a fun conversation.
So Jeff, thanks for coming on the show.
Hey, Jay, it's good to be here.
Yeah, we're live from, like you said, HDAW.
It's still a little quiet in here.
We got a few hours before showtime.
So we're taking advantage of the quiet
because here shortly, this will be a madhouse plot.
Yeah, it's gonna be a good show.
One thing I'll say about Alliant Power
is you guys always do trade shows right.
You always have a nice presence.
You always have a nice booth.
Assuming it's no different this year.
No, it's actually brand new for the year.
So yeah, the team does an awesome job.
It's a, there's a few, I think I saw the other day
where we're at north of 50 events this year.
And in fact, there's three going on this week.
So we have a big crew here.
We have a girl to concrete.
We have a power gen going on.
So there's, you know, we get kind of scattered out,
but it's an important piece for us.
I mean, we want to be out in front
and have the brand and more importantly,
our people out there talking about solutions.
So it's part of it.
And we see it as a pretty critical part of our marketing
and, you know, customer interface, you know, plans.
So yeah, but this one's gonna be good.
This year it's new booth, new message.
You got some big announcements.
So I think we're gonna have a good HDAW yet.
Well, as we record this,
it's currently like five below in Wisconsin.
So I think you have the right call
of being in Texas right now.
Yeah.
Yeah, we went out last night,
took a bunch of customers out to a very nice,
I don't know, I think it's a Tiger Woods design
putt-putt course here in Dallas.
But it was so cold here.
It was cold, nobody would go outside and play.
So the wind was pretty tough.
And so yeah, I think it's cold everywhere,
but thank God we're not in madness.
Absolutely.
So let's get right to the news.
You have a really special announcement down there
this week as we talk,
you're going through kind of the press release phase
of this and announcing it to the general public.
Can you tell us a little bit about the special news?
Yeah, for sure.
I mean, this is kind of a,
I was kind of talking to you
preparation for the interview
and it's kind of been a journey.
You know, HK who we were talking this morning
at breakfast saying,
hey, it's not growth for the sake of growth
isn't what we're trying to do.
We really want to grow our service offering
and make opportunities for our employees
and all this stuff.
And really at the end of the day,
it's listening to our customers.
And there's a lot of economic pressures that we have
even from the market,
our customers say, can you do more?
Can you get into turbochargers,
which we did a few years back
and now it's our fastest growing product liner.
You know, we need more after treatment.
We need this.
And this move for us is very strategic
for a couple of reasons.
One is it's kind of that gets us
to that fully integrated package solution,
the total package.
But honestly it answers some demand from our customers.
And so along this journey over the past year,
two years of looking at how we get into this,
do we, you know,
honestly, Greenfield,
do we make it or buy it?
You know, we looked out the market to see,
you know, who aligns with us
and what I'm talking about specifically is engines.
It's a big piece of where we want to go in the future.
And it's not an easy thing.
It's a very complicated product line
to build the green manufactured engines.
So as we looked out the market,
we really tried to see if there was any alignment.
Is there strategic acquisitions that we could make?
And we found one.
We found one.
We partnered with Capital Reman
in Denver, Colorado area.
And these guys have been around 11 years.
They're building, you know, really, really good engines.
And it's got really good bones in the framework
for exactly what we wanted.
What they're trying to fill at Capital is,
is in the aftermarket,
there's a real gap in our opinion.
And for a high quality engine with OEM components,
so you either have, you know, you gotta,
it's almost like customers have to choose, you know,
quality or price, you know, at some,
at some level you can go to the OEM
and buy the OEM genuine engine.
Of course, that's, you know, we all know
where that, you know, that price level is.
And we see a gap.
We see a need in the aftermarket
to have the OEM quality product
in the engine space in the aftermarket,
which by the way, is kind of a line of powers.
That's really our value proposition is, you know,
we like to call ourselves the other OE
when it comes to parts.
And that's what we sell.
And that's what it's in our DNA.
So when we started looking at a strategy for engines,
we knew we wanted to keep that same vision,
that same mission to our customers
is offering an OEM sort of quality solution
in the engine space.
And so capital made a lot of sense for us.
They're really elevating their quality.
We're gonna continue to help them do that
and advance the product line.
But at the same time,
we're gonna bring all the OEM components
to the table, fuel turbos.
And, you know, our goal here
is to create a total package that really rivals
what you can buy at an OEM dealership
for Class 7L.
So our big announcement is that it's, you know,
it's Cap or Re-Man.
We couldn't be happier to partner with these guys.
You know, we closed on it right around the holidays
in the year.
So we got a big year ahead of us
and lots of lots of plans to really expand this
and bring more customers to them.
Now, will this be a product
that is under the Alliance Power kind of branding umbrella
or do they kind of remain in their own separate entity?
Or how does that look?
Yeah, great question.
I mean, so for now,
we're not gonna change anything immediately.
You know, I mean, long-term,
you know, Alliance Power is, we believe it.
We have a good brand.
We've got a fair brand equity out there.
You know, I think long-term,
there could be a play there,
but for right now,
we're just, we're really trying to just kind of
integrate our sales efforts.
Maybe we've got a fantastic sales team.
In fact, you know, one of the great things
about acquisitions is you always look at the talent
you acquire just as much as you look at the products
and the plants and equipment.
And we have a great team.
I mean, we've got some people coming in
on the sales customer service side,
inside sales group out there that are phenomenal.
So we're gonna do some integrating there,
but in terms of brand, we see this as,
let's keep things rolling.
You know, there's a lot of momentum right now at Capital.
We have a lot of momentum in Alliance Power
and we don't wanna kind of mess with that.
But long-term, honestly, Jay,
there could be a play there.
We may, you know, we're continuously trying
to get the AP brand bigger, more skewed.
So I could see that going that way.
In fact, one of our sub-brands is called the Total Package.
You know, we was doing a lot of kidding
where you have all the part numbers in our inbox,
one bar number.
We look at the engine
as just another much larger Total Package.
You know, you buy the long block from us,
but you can also get all the, you know,
the OEM fuel, turbo, air, aftertreat,
its sensors, gaskets.
We can kind of put everything in the crate.
So this is probably gonna be
in our largest Total Package product routine.
That's incredible.
And I think when you look at it,
it does make a lot of sense.
Now, is there any restrictions on type of engine for Re-Man
or kind of give me an idea of product line?
So our primary focus is class seven and eight
on highways, you know, heavy truck.
But it's kind of interesting
when we look at the product portfolio at Capital,
you know, we've done a lot of,
you know, we've done a fair amount
of industrial engines in the past
and stationary power and things like that.
But I'd say that's still the smallest piece.
So really our focus is class eight.
I'm not an engine.
We're talking Cat, Cummins, you know,
Detroit Diesel, Pack R with the MX platform.
That's really where we're gonna be living for a good while.
And yeah, I think along the way
we've got a growing off highway business over here.
And you know, will we probably be doing some engines
for some stationary applications?
Yeah, you bet.
But right now our focus is really on highway.
From a shop's perspective,
do you see this maybe being a little bit more of a shift
of like internal rebuilds in a shop
versus kind of buying that reman product?
I know it, you know, I've made no secret.
I worked for Align Power
back when it was Diesel Injection Service
a long, long time ago.
And I almost kind of look at it
from back when I was in the business,
even something as simple as like
you had a lot of people rebuilding alternators
or starters or that kind of thing.
And that shift to where they were buying more of a whole good
in general and doing more of the R&R,
do you kind of see maybe a shift there
in terms of maybe engine replacement rather than overhaul?
Yeah, I mean, I think what we see, Jay, is like,
you know, we're largely, in a lot of cases,
competing in frame overhauls,
just to your point, exactly, in the bay,
you know, it sells ours.
And frankly, over the past several years,
the prices of engines have got, you know,
hearts just in general have been elevated.
We all know about tariffs and things
that are going on in the market.
You know, as those have gotten elevated,
yeah, it's kind of a compelling argument to do the in-frame.
I think what we have, we're finding successful
with capital is explaining to customer two things.
One, it's about turning bays faster.
So the more we can put that total package together
for our customers, we can get trucks in and out.
And there's no shortage of, you know,
a line of trucks at each one
of these repair shops today.
But also highlighting, you know,
the advantages to doing the Re-Man long block
with us plus components, because, you know,
all those parts get machined,
that crankshaft is made new again, camshaft,
everything block, head deck.
And so there's some real advantage.
So yeah, I think in most cases,
Jay, we're competing in a lot of the times anyway,
with an in-frame overhaul.
And we don't, you know, we don't want to discourage
that necessarily, because, you know,
we are in the overhaul business.
I mean, we sell kits, overhaul kits.
But I think we're, I think there's going to be
a compelling argument for a lot of our customers
to be made about, hey, try this long block
plus our value add kit.
You're going to get a longer warranty
if you put our parts on there.
There's things that are going to be real valuable to you.
And you're going to turn that bay faster
and probably have a more, you know,
sustainable long-term solution for your customer
with the Re-Man engine over the in-frame.
That's our hope.
But we're going to be able to hit both of those.
We sell in-frame kits.
As you know, in a line of power,
we'll have that as an option.
But I think what we really excel
is when you try to compare us to, you know,
to an in-frame now with a re-manufactured long block,
I think what we're finding is the,
it's a pretty compelling value story on cost and quality.
Every shop, dealership and business in our industry
depends on great technicians.
Between the technician shortage,
disconnected school relationships
and lack of trustworthy workforce data,
it makes it difficult for shops to plan higher
and grow.
That's where ASC Connects comes in.
Created in partnership with Wrenchway,
ASC Connects is a membership design
specifically for shops like yours
to help you build a stronger technician pipeline
by connecting with schools,
empowering you with tools and data
to improve your recruiting, retention and performance.
With ASC Connects,
you can connect with local schools through school assist,
start building relationships
and support the programs that educate our future technicians.
You can also access verified data on technician pay,
benefits and labor rates
through the industry data exchange.
So you know how your shop compares locally and nationally.
Lastly, you can get proven strategies for leadership,
employee development and shop management
through members only guides, templates and events.
Join ASC Connects to strengthen your workforce
and build a stronger, smarter shop.
Learn more at wrenchway.com slash solutions slash shops
or follow the link in the show notes.
As you're looking at companies to potentially acquire,
I have to imagine location kind of comes into play here
and you already have at a lamp power,
a good presence in the Denver area.
That had that part had to make sense.
And just in terms of kind of a central distribution
kind of hub geographically,
is that something that came into play as well?
Yeah, for sure.
I mean, you know, you hit the nail on the head,
Denver is kind of our latest new build out.
We know we moved from an older location
into a beautiful new facility, a larger warehouse,
full training facility for fuel and air.
And yeah, I don't know if it, you know,
totally guided our decision
on where the acquisition made sense.
Cause frankly, Jay, there's just not a lot of players
in the engine re-manufacturing business
at that scale in the aftermarket.
But yeah, we certainly made this one a little sweeter for us.
We've got a location there that has capacity to grow.
You know, as we grow the engine side of the business,
obviously we're gonna, you know,
outrun, outpace kind of the footprint
we have there with capital.
And so there's some really good synergies.
You're absolutely right.
We've got our technical team there.
I'll tell you one of the cool things it's allowing us to do
is we're gonna be rolling out some really cool programs
for our engine customers.
So we'll be do free testing on injectors,
things like that.
And it's really handy, Jay,
cause we've got, you know,
our full fuel shop right across town
in Denver to your point.
So yeah, there's definitely,
I think some pool, cool aspects
of having both those facilities right together.
Do you think that you guys have always been great
with training?
Does this add some other element
with the training side of things
or is it kind of business as usual?
Yeah, we, yeah, great question.
The guys at the engine plant,
we've actually had a few conversations about, you know,
is there opportunities to expand our training
and the, you know, on engine kind of application,
hands-on fuel installation, turbo installation.
I think that, I think there absolutely is.
And I think we'll see that, you know,
you know, that kind of training come in the future,
but no doubt, no doubt,
the facilities right there next door,
it's kind of a cool, kind of a cool thing for us.
I think we're about 30 minutes apart.
So yeah, I think in the future, Jay,
you'll see some training around engines
and specifically on engine installs for fuel
and thermo and things like that.
Yeah, this is really, really cool.
Now you talked about the team
and how important that was in the acquisition stage.
What stands out to you about the team?
You know, just being,
I know it's a really vague question,
but kind of purposely so, right?
What is it about the team that you saw
that could really add maybe a different element
to a line of power that you didn't have before?
Man, I gotta tell you, I think one of the,
for me, and I can't answer for HK
or maybe others in the company,
but I can say for me,
there's some obvious things there that, you know,
their ability to, you know, their technical prowess
and their know-how relative that they've developed
on engines is obviously impressive.
But I gotta tell you, one of the coolest things
about Brian and Brian, the owners,
the former owners of Capital,
who by the way are coming,
they're now part of our team, they're staying on,
which we love that.
And these guys started this business 11 years ago
from scratch, I mean, Greenfield.
And so one of the most impressive things to me
is just meeting, spending time with the two Brian's,
as we call them, the Brian's.
But seeing these guys that came from, you know,
other industries, frankly,
and decided to kind of fell in love
with the re-manufacturing business,
started this from scratch,
and on a mission to really do what we're trying to do,
which is offer, you know, an OEM caliber product
in a space where it really is hard to get
outside of the OEM in the aftermarket.
And man, I gotta tell you the scrappiness
and the aggressiveness of this team
has been one of the coolest things
that we've gotten to witness.
And culturally, there's just an amazing fit.
And these guys really believe
that they can tackle the world,
that they can win this race for the engine business.
And man, that's where we live.
That's where our teams at Alliant Power are.
We're a very humble team,
but we're also very confident in what we can do
and we know what kind of value we provide.
So I think, Jay, yeah, there's the technical side
where we picked up a whole lot of smart people
in this thing, you know,
that really know the engine side of the world.
But what I love about it is we picked up
some real scrappiness and entrepreneurialism
around, you know, around the team there,
not only Brian's, but their extended team.
And so there's a lot of excitement right now.
I mean, I think the guys look at it as,
hey, we, you know, we had this cool engine company
that was really working towards a very high quality,
you know, highest quality engine.
And now we've got an OEM parts company.
And when you put those two things together,
we've always subscribed to the idea that,
hey, great engines are just made of great components.
And so when you break this thing down,
it's like, yeah, this is a really good marriage.
And one that we think will elevate the engine game
for the aftermarket.
And so we picked up a lot,
but scrappy, technical, yes,
all the above great cultural fit.
I can't say enough about the team, their capital
and how hard they've worked.
We're just, we're, we're proud to be a part of it.
To be honest with you.
Yeah. And that's a great answer to a really vague question.
I think that grittiness is so important.
And anytime you can add kind of grinders like that
to your team that started something from scratch,
I think it does add a different element
and it adds maybe a drive and a push
to see something succeed that it's hard to have
when you don't have that baby, right?
Like when you, when you don't actually raise something up.
So I think that is a, just a great observation.
Now, distribution model,
how will people be able to buy these engines?
Yeah, so same as what we've been doing today
at Capital and you know, all this is,
you know, ship direct program.
There's a few stocking customers,
but as you, as you know, engines,
especially Class 8 engines are small.
These are large investments.
So most of our model is going to continue
to be a ship direct.
I think the biggest change you'll see for our customers
is now Capital will be offering more of that total package.
So, you know, we buy your long block from Capital.
Now you'll have a slightly longer skid.
You'll have a box on there
that basically has every component you need in that bay
to address that engine as an option for you.
So, you know, it's a little tricky.
You know, we got our guys, our team,
the logistics team is obviously working around the clock
to get us to where we can assemble all these parts
in one location and ship to a customer.
But that's what our customers can expect is the same.
They love our total package fuel kits and things like that
because every part number you need is in the box
and this is going to be no different.
So when you call in with an ECM,
a technical team is going to say,
okay, great, by the way,
here's your fuel system you need.
Here's the options we have for you to line up power.
Here's the turbo, here's the after treatment.
Here's the sensors, gaskets, you name it.
And again, all that's going to be focused at OEM product.
And we're building some full programs around,
you know, if you do that
and you put the right parts back on that engine,
we're willing to stand behind it deeper
even than maybe capital did in the past.
So cool stuff coming.
But yeah, I think that's what they can expect,
you know, a ship direct program,
but more parts, the right parts in the box
when they get it, you know, cut down downtime
and trying to source parts.
HK always talks about, you know,
50, as much as 50% of the downtime
repairs in days is waiting on the part.
You know, we're constantly trying to address that
by putting everything you need in the box, you know.
And so we're approaching the engines the same way.
But that will be a significant change
I think people will enjoy.
I think that part, HK is absolutely right.
With limited resources in terms of the amount of help
that we can find to actually do the repairs,
we talk about the technician shortage a lot
and that's a lot of what we do here at Wrenchway
and our recently announced program, ASC Connects,
you look at that efficiency and the ability
to kind of feed those parts
and just really operate a efficient operation in a shop
is much harder than it sounds.
It's really, really challenging.
And to your point, waiting on parts is such a killer
for that efficiency and the productivity out of a shop.
And if you can kind of streamline that a little bit,
if you can make it a little bit faster,
make it a little bit easier on your technicians in the shop,
I think it's a win-win for everybody.
Yeah, yeah, we totally agree.
And we love what you guys do.
I mean, you're right.
And say, technician shortages, man,
it just plays right into that.
And we hear it every single day is make it easier.
You know, and the old days of trying to source
20 different parts from 15 different suppliers.
And that's a dinosaur model.
We're like, hey, let's figure this out.
In fact, at AP over the past two years,
we've actually built our own,
we call them the yes men,
but they're a parts tactical team.
And we don't like to say no.
So even if you need a part that we don't typically offer,
we find it.
And again, that focus on engine,
it's just exactly the same as you're buying the engine.
Here's the related parts,
because honestly, Jack, it's fascinating to me
how many people will spend the money
to put a remanufacturing long lock back in a truck
and recycle and use the same used high mileage injectors.
You know, and it's like,
hey, you're spending all this money.
Why would you stop there?
So we will obviously accommodate that customer,
but really what we're gonna do a lot of training
and sort of communication our customers around
is just how valuable it is to go ahead
and test those injectors,
test that fuel system to make sure
you're not gonna cause a catastrophic problem
with the input, just such a large evasional.
And that's why we're doing stuff.
We're gonna be doing stuff here,
like free testing on injectors,
just to say, use our equipment.
We'll put all this stuff on the test equipment
and it will make sure that before you install that stuff,
you know what you're putting on that engine.
So that's all an effort to say,
hey, while you've got this thing torn apart,
you might consider some new components
or remanufacturing impunsternous,
but yeah, that's kind of the goal.
And then like I said,
just to kind of streamline,
it'd be cool to have one part number.
You order that engine based on a serial number
and you can put everything in box
to make sure it runs as fast as possible.
It's fascinating to me just being in the building
20 years ago, 20 plus years ago
when really just started getting
into the reman injector game
and kind of seeing the progression
of the company as a whole during that period of time.
It does make me really excited
about an acquisition like this
because it is kind of putting,
I would call it polish.
I think Alliant Power brings a lot of that polish
to a brand and, you know,
whether it's the customer service side,
the branding side, the sales side,
just all encompassing everything
that you guys are able to bring to a brand like that,
I think really just again is a win for everybody.
I think it helps you guys kind of
continue to round out your offering
as well as kind of elevate what they've already built.
So it sounds like a perfect relationship
kind of from all sides.
And ultimately, I think the customer benefits
at the end of the day.
We hope so.
I mean, that's what we,
every one of these moves that we've made over the years
and you've been, you've watched all of them happen,
I know, and always supported us and appreciate that.
And honestly, they've all just came as a,
we try to listen to our customer base
and it's pushed us in some directions
that we were surprised to be pushed into.
Whether you're talking about geographic or expansion,
we have, you know, I think they're 16 employees now
at AP Mexico, we had a location there
where in Eastern Canada,
some of this stuff surprising us.
I mean, I think if you had told HK two years ago,
that we would have been in the engine business right now,
I think he would have laughed, you know,
but we listen, we roll with the punches
and we try to be this great integrated solution.
That's really at the end of the day all we're trying to do
and, you know, whether you call it a one-stop shop,
we think it's a little more than that.
I know the technical support and the, you know,
the data and connectivity side of our business
and all that that Nikki and our team work on.
It's a total package, you know, unintended,
but engines is kind of the same thing.
We just saw a great opportunity here
to capitalize on it and this, you know, it fit, it fit.
So we, who knows?
Two more years, well, let's talk
and we'll see where we're at,
but we maybe we'll cut it else,
but right now this engine thing we feel,
we feel is gonna be a huge, huge, huge thing
for our people in their capital as well.
And we've picked up a great team out there
in many years, so.
This is exciting week.
It's an exciting week.
So how does your show week look?
Are you tied to the booth?
Are you walking the show?
Are you kind of all over the place talking to customers?
What's your week look like?
Yeah, so it's, you know, you know how HGAW is,
we've got a lot of really great one-on-one meetings set up.
There's a lot of buzz around this.
It's kind of funny, I was talking to HK this morning,
the announcements went out today.
So, you know, in terms of the what's out on the wire
and the press releases and all that,
we have our big unveiling party tonight.
So, you know, half the room will have heard this
or seen it, you know, via social media or on the wire.
The other half will probably be like, what the heck?
So, but there's a lot of excitement around it.
So we're having a big,
we have a Hunter Music Band here and I,
you're footing on as a big show for everybody.
I think the RSPK list grows.
So, it's gonna be a combination.
It's an idea we're really excited about.
And then the rest of the time,
we're gonna be having one-on-one sessions with Kester
and actually talking to them about how we can leverage
this acquisition to help them.
We feature and I know it's gonna be a good week.
So, we always do good here at HDAW.
It's a great team.
I don't know, we've got about 15 people here it seems like.
So, it's a big crew for us and it's gonna be a good week.
Well, congratulations on this
and continued success with everything in Lion Power.
This is, I'm really sad to be missing HDAW this week.
I think it would be a blast
to see all of this up close and personal.
But I know you guys are going to knock it out of the park
like you always do and just excited to see the growth,
the continued growth.
And I do give HK a lot of credit for kind of his mindset
in wanting to be maybe aggressive
and really continue to grow the brand and not sit idle.
So, congratulations to you, to HK.
You said Nicky.
I haven't talked to Nicky in a while.
I gotta talk to Nicky.
But congratulations to all of you.
It's, I still to this day take a lot of pride in the company
and love to see the growth.
Well, man, we appreciate it.
You're a great friend that always supported us.
And yeah, you're right.
Everything you said about HK is dead on.
He's a shining example of humble leadership
and we've got big plans and he's steering the ship
and we're minding him.
So, we're excited.
Well, that's amazing.
You enjoy your week.
Hopefully you get a little bit warmer weather
and are able to actually get out and enjoy it a little bit.
I'll be up here freezing my tail off in Wisconsin
and just thinking about everybody at HD AW.
Yeah, well good.
I'm glad you're there and I'm not.
That's good.
Well, I'll be back.
Well, thanks for coming on the show.
It's a condensed version of Beyond the Wrench,
but I was so happy that we were able to make this happen.
And once again, congratulations on a pretty special
announcement and looking forward to seeing
the future of this thing.
Jay, thank you so much for having us.
We were grateful and let us come back sometime.
We'll tell you how this is going.
That sounds perfect.
Yeah, we'll take you up on that for sure.
All right, well, last thing,
where can people learn more about this?
Just go out to the website.
Is there any other avenues or places
that they should be looking for news on this on?
At?
Go to the website.
Obviously, Capitol's website's still out there.
We'll have a bunch of announcements
on the Lionpires website and certainly
call our technical team.
We're integrating those teams now.
So anything you want to know,
we're happy to help you out and get you more info,
but you'll see a bunch coming out.
And believe me, we'll be providing
lots and lots of information, so good stuff.
That sounds amazing.
Well, cheers on a successful 2026
and we'll look forward to having you
on another podcast here in the near future.
That wraps up another episode of Beyond the Wrench.
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We'll see you next week.
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