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Overview

JASPER Engines & Transmissions was founded in 1942 by Alvin C. Ruxer, the owner and operator of a successful Ford dealership. Ruxer's vision was to establish and expand upon a locally based company with the premise of an ongoing commitment to quality. Ruxer possessed traditional values and a drive to find perfection within his employees and the quality of their work. As the decades passed, JASPER escalated into one of the largest, most prevalent drivetrain remanufacturers in the world. With national coverage, JASPER supports two distribution centers and forty branch locations sprawled across the contiguous United States.

At the onset of World War II, new vehicles were unobtainable as factories converted their resources toward munitions and war materials. It was then that Ruxer began rebuilding gasoline engines to extend the life of present vehicles. This new operation originated in the 12 x 20 ft. wash rack of his Ford dealership and marked the conception of what would later evolve into Jasper Engines & Transmissions. Even after the war had ended, there still remained a demand for an uninterrupted supply of replacement engines. In 1946, the company made two decisions that would influence the quality and continued acceptance of their product. The first was to remanufacture "by the book" to the original manufacturer's specifications. The second was to recycle all five major castings through remanufacturing. These two basic principles supported the JASPER philosophy and allowed the company to rise to its' current successful status.

In the early years of the company's development, JASPER utilized pick-up trucks to make local deliveries. As territories expanded, JASPER slowly built its fleet of tractor-trailers to meet the need for multi-regional deliveries. Today JASPER supports Jet Transit with a fleet of over 500 vehicles including: 27 semi-tractors, 66 trailers and 175 delivery trucks.

As JASPER continued to develop, it became obvious that gas engines were not the only drivetrain component that had remanufacturing potential. A transmission division was launched in a separate facility in 1957. Two years later, JASPER procured Indiana Tool and Die to remanufacture torque converters and machine some of the many intricate and delicate transmissions parts that were previously outsourced. As the number of sales continued to rise, it was decided that in 1965 the two facilities become consolidated under one roof to reduce the costs of production and shipping. At that time, JASPER produced approximately 14,400 gasoline engines and 6000 transmissions annually. Again, looking to grow, JASPER started remanufacturing diesel engines in February of 1968. To meet the growing demand for diesel products, a 22,200 sq. ft. addition was built. This area included a modernized fuel room with contaminant free, temperature controlled features necessary to regulate the remanufacturing environment of diesel fuel systems and fuel pumps. A diesel service and installation department was also implemented to save diesel operators the financial burdens of downtime.

In 1976, JASPER introduced the production of exchange differential assemblies for heavy-duty trucks, stocking a variety of applications. Growth was apparent in all production divisions, specifically gas engine production. Ruxer sold his company to the existing management team in 1987. Focused on the future, JASPER empowered its associates (employees) to carry out the company's philosophy of continuous improvement in safety, quality, productivity and customer service. That same year, JASPER established its Marine Division, offering remanufactured inboard engines, I/O engines and stern drives. The marine division would later be expanded to include outboard lower units and powerheads. The [http://www.jasperelectricmotors.com/ JASPER Electric Motors] Division was also established to expand the company's capabilities involving motor rewinding and repair.

JASPER launched its Performance Division in 1989, offering a product