About Southbend Clutch co.

South Bend Clutch's third generation auto parts rebuilders, designers, and partners. Left to right, Peter, Andrew and Woody Pyfer.

Three Brothers

Carry on the Heritage

of their Father and

Grandfather.

Harold Palmer began rebuilding auto parts in the early 1940's. "He was a pioneer in parts rebuilding as we know it in this area today," adds Woody Pyfer. Mr. Palmer eventually taught the trade to his son-in-law, James Pyfer, who made great strides in the field, as well. In the 1960s, Mr. Pyfer was employed by Kaley Motor Service, Inc. in South Bend as a parts rebuilder and refurbisher. After years of continued growth there, Mr. Pyfer founded South Bend Clutch, Inc. in 1967.

South Bend Clutch (SBC) remained a connected part of Kaley Motor Service until 1979, when the company moved to a small building on West Jefferson Boulevard in Mishawaka. Mr. Pyfer taught his skills as a parts rebuilder to his three sons, Woody, Andrew and Peter. They experienced slow, but constant growth in his new location. His sons worked full-time for years with him until his untimely death in 1991.

Today, Woody, Andrew and Peter carry on the heritage of their grandfather and father as equal partners in South Bend Clutch, Inc. "We all knew we would end up in the family business," explains Woody, "We all wanted to be part of it."

Since taking over the business, the Pyfer brothers have only made one serious change. In 1995, an adjacent tavern was demolished and South Bend Clutch was expanded into a more spacious building. Other than that, SBC still holds true to its founder's business philosophy.

"We still maintain a small business attitude," insists Woody. "We continue to provide our customers with the quality and service they have come to expect for over 30 years." And that's an easy task for the Pyfer brothers, as they have, collectively, over sixty years experience in the industry, over sixty years of knowledge in rebuilding clutches, front wheel drive axles and water pumps. "We can work on clutches for automotive, agricultural, industrial and high-performance vehicles," states Woody. South Bend Clutch also provides shop blasting and surface grinding to its customers.

"We still maintain a

small business

attitude...

We continue to

provide our

customers with the

quality and service

they have come to

expect for over 30

years."

Used in the

manufacturing of

clutches, kevlar

produces incredible

results. "It actually

lasts three to five

times longer than

the standard clutch

material..." SBC

has, what can be

considered,

exclusive rights to

Kevlar®, as it is one of

the only companies

in this area with

access to it.

Shot blasting is a cleaning process where-by a machine actually removes all of the dirt and grime from any auto party, restoring it to virtual newness. Surface grinding, on the other hand, is limited to clutches only. "Clutches are designed to take wear," Woody describes, "so there are typically a large number of gouges and scratches left on the clutch after use." The machine used in the surface grinding process is designed to grind the clutch back to an original flat surface. The newly-flattened surface provides the driver with better contract, and ultimately safer driving conditions.

"The primary bulk of our business is in the rebuilding and designing of clutches," Woody explains, "but we are certainly not limited to that."

Another product that is making South Bend Clutches stand out from its competition is a revolutionary friction material called Kevlar®. Used in the manufacturing of clutches, Kevlar® produces incredible results. "It actually lasts three to five times longer than the standard clutch material," Woody boasts. And SBC has, what can be considered exclusive rights to Kevlar®, as it is one of the only companies in this area with access to it.

The Pyfers' dedication to maintaining a small business attitude is remarkable, as their business is generally a stressful one, "The one idea that my father had that has worked best for our business is the idea of slow, gradual growth," he comments. Woody, Andrew and Peter still hold strong to that, despite the fact that South Bend Clutch's business has more than tripled in size over the last several years. In fact, the expansion in 1995 was well-needed to keep up with the amazing number of orders and requests. The telephones ring at an outrageous rate, signifying the real demand for the services South Bend Clutch provides.

But how can a family-run company keep up in a market plagued by large auto retailers? "Our best attribute is our stronghold in the community," Woody assesses. That stronghold is shown in the amount of business South Bend Clutch receives. "We're not only a well-known company," he emphasizes, "but a well-liked one, too."

South Bend Clutch has expanded into the field of Cryogenics. With the addition of the fourth family generation, Jonathan Pyfer is leading South Bend Clutch into the cutting edge technology of Cryogenic Processing. South Bend Clutch has been using Cryogenic treatment to enhance their products as well as improve the performance and life of their machining tools. South Bend Clutch has had great success with Cryogenics and is now offering this amazing service to the public.

The Pyfer brothers and their employees constantly try to keep up the type of service that the customers of South Bend Clutch have come to expect. SBC looks for mechanically and logically-minded individuals when seeking new employees. "Above all," he says, "we look for people with a good attitude. It's important to us that people perceive South Bend Clutch as an enjoyable place to be."

"We always try to give our customers more than they would get somewhere else," Woody stresses. Having roots in the community has prevented the Pyfers from getting involved in the ugly price wars that typically occur between competitors. "We don't attempt to blitz the public with a lot of advertising," he adds. "We hold fast to our prices and remain dedicated to our customers." After all, South Bend Clutch employs three third generation auto parts rebuilders. That reputation speaks for itself.