ATECO ENGINE SHOP ? GOOD or BAD ??
04-01-2011, 10:15 AM
#142
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I am Bill Lawson. I started ATECO over 41 years ago. I don’t usually go on online forums for a lot of reasons, however this one has been brought to my attention and I feel I need to address some issues. I will not waste my time nor yours with rumors, assumptions or unsubstantiated opinions, I will only offer facts on this post. I have been traveling on business for the past few days and returned to find this issue. I am not avoiding questions or concerns about my business, but simply trying to focus on the legitimate problems and working to fix them as quickly as possible.
This thread was started by a customer in Malta who recently had an engine upgrade. During the initial running of his boat, he wondered if he should be getting more horsepower than he was seeing. During phone conversations, I was informed that he was only running the boat at ¾ throttle and was still using the original prop when he was checking the horsepower. He’s been made aware that it’s necessary to focus on tuning the propeller right now. His findings are being monitored and currently he is satisfied with the results. He is aware that I am willing and ready to discuss any further questions he may have during this process. I am as interested in his final outcome as the rest of you. I have asked him to keep me informed.
I have noticed that my customer and friend, Brad Zastrow has taken some unnecessary flack for viewing his opinion, so let me state the facts where Brad is concerned. Brad is a successful businessman who loves boating. He has owned several high performance boats and ATECO has been fortunate enough to have built engines for all of them, I believe. He is an engine builder’s dream customer because he understands engines and follows suggestions/instructions perfectly. Over the years we have become friends and he did invest in a business venture between a separate division of ATECO and Custom Marine, Inc., creating one of three world wide distributorships of CMI headers and mufflers. He did not purchase equipment for ATECO, he has never worked at ATECO and he does not receive any kind of financial gain from speaking his opinion about ATECO. I value our friendship, I respect his business savvy and appreciate his trust in ATECO. Enough said…
All of my engines come with a warranty. My warranty is listed on my webpage for everyone to read, and a copy is offered to each customer who purchases an engine. My responsibility is to honor that warranty when it is appropriate and the consumer’s responsibility is to READ and FOLLOW the warranty procedures. Failure to do so voids the warranty. A few years ago, during a 5 year period, I offered $25 cash to anyone who would bring a page back to me, as proof that they had read the warranty. During that time we were building 250 to 300 engines per year, yet in 5 year’s time I had only 17 people bring it back and collect the money.
I am not going to discuss an ongoing engine issue on an open forum. There are far more facts on Vette Steve’s situation than have appeared to date on this forum. I will say that I just received the fuel pump from his engine last week and it has been returned to the vendor for evaluation. Steve, I did send correspondence to you upon my return today and I will be in touch with more information as I receive it. I prefer to conduct my business in a more personalized fashion and have elected not to use the forums to communicate any more detail.
I have neither the time nor desire to initiate an ongoing discussion on this forum, I have engines to build. However I felt it was time to address issues that seem to come up frequently and I wanted to make it clear that unless the posts are from the ATECO username (which is noted as a currently active OSO Advertiser) all other assumptions about how the business is run is simply that, opinion and speculation. I am here to be honest and answer legitimate client questions and move forward in the forum with my business.
Bill Lawson
This thread was started by a customer in Malta who recently had an engine upgrade. During the initial running of his boat, he wondered if he should be getting more horsepower than he was seeing. During phone conversations, I was informed that he was only running the boat at ¾ throttle and was still using the original prop when he was checking the horsepower. He’s been made aware that it’s necessary to focus on tuning the propeller right now. His findings are being monitored and currently he is satisfied with the results. He is aware that I am willing and ready to discuss any further questions he may have during this process. I am as interested in his final outcome as the rest of you. I have asked him to keep me informed.
I have noticed that my customer and friend, Brad Zastrow has taken some unnecessary flack for viewing his opinion, so let me state the facts where Brad is concerned. Brad is a successful businessman who loves boating. He has owned several high performance boats and ATECO has been fortunate enough to have built engines for all of them, I believe. He is an engine builder’s dream customer because he understands engines and follows suggestions/instructions perfectly. Over the years we have become friends and he did invest in a business venture between a separate division of ATECO and Custom Marine, Inc., creating one of three world wide distributorships of CMI headers and mufflers. He did not purchase equipment for ATECO, he has never worked at ATECO and he does not receive any kind of financial gain from speaking his opinion about ATECO. I value our friendship, I respect his business savvy and appreciate his trust in ATECO. Enough said…
All of my engines come with a warranty. My warranty is listed on my webpage for everyone to read, and a copy is offered to each customer who purchases an engine. My responsibility is to honor that warranty when it is appropriate and the consumer’s responsibility is to READ and FOLLOW the warranty procedures. Failure to do so voids the warranty. A few years ago, during a 5 year period, I offered $25 cash to anyone who would bring a page back to me, as proof that they had read the warranty. During that time we were building 250 to 300 engines per year, yet in 5 year’s time I had only 17 people bring it back and collect the money.
I am not going to discuss an ongoing engine issue on an open forum. There are far more facts on Vette Steve’s situation than have appeared to date on this forum. I will say that I just received the fuel pump from his engine last week and it has been returned to the vendor for evaluation. Steve, I did send correspondence to you upon my return today and I will be in touch with more information as I receive it. I prefer to conduct my business in a more personalized fashion and have elected not to use the forums to communicate any more detail.
I have neither the time nor desire to initiate an ongoing discussion on this forum, I have engines to build. However I felt it was time to address issues that seem to come up frequently and I wanted to make it clear that unless the posts are from the ATECO username (which is noted as a currently active OSO Advertiser) all other assumptions about how the business is run is simply that, opinion and speculation. I am here to be honest and answer legitimate client questions and move forward in the forum with my business.
Bill Lawson
04-01-2011, 10:28 AM
#143
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like you stated im still gonna get chit for my post...so i had to ask my question in some sort of way....i didnt mean to raise the subject for others to attack...but i never criticised the builder in anyway
04-01-2011, 10:34 AM
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He never asked to bash these people, quite the opposite in fact. He also is not going to defend them.
He simply bought an engine that has not met his expectations, yet. Other customers came out and changed this thread to their problems.
To say "Great post, good job" to the owner of this business is to ignore his behavior in the past. Not returning calls, ignoring certified mail and taking money for dyno pulls that he admits he never made are what this is about, not DonZ.
I really do not see why there is debate about this, Ateco just needs to reply to these issues either in public or in private, it does not matter.
But one needs to be done before the views go over 10,000 and he looses business that he normally would have got if he just stood up and did the right thing. JMHO
04-01-2011, 10:37 AM
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Originally Posted by Ateco
I am Bill Lawson. I started ATECO over 41 years ago.
I am Bill Lawson. I started ATECO over 41 years ago.
ate co?
a teco?
a tee co?
04-01-2011, 10:44 AM
#146
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Ateco is one of the leading global suppliers of high-end, quality baking supplies, tools and ingredients to the commercial and home bakers.
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04-01-2011, 11:16 AM
#149
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