The Power of Re-Powering

“We sell repower solutions,” said Brandon Huber, President of Repower Specialists LTD. I was already intrigued.

The moment Brandon made this statement, I began envisioning the possibility of repowering all sorts of things: my finances, my relationships or my workday.

Although what Brandon is offering is not quite that all-encompassing or life altering, it is, nevertheless, intriguing in its own right. Re-powered engines, the concept on which this Eugene, Oregon-based company is built, can be extremely beneficial to equipment managers and have significant positive impact for golf course superintendents.

Founded in 1988, by Rick Huber, Repower Specialists LTD offers custom engine replacement packages. When equipment engines go bad, essentially three choices are available: purchase an entirely new machine, attempt to repair the broken engine, or turn to Repower Specialists and repower your equipment with a new engine.

Purchasing new equipment is not only costly, it also means that too often the old products wind up in a landfill. The issue of the non-working equipment isn’t resolved; it is simply changed from one type of problem to another. Repowering with a new engine allows an otherwise perfectly good piece of equipment to stay in operation, thereby extending its useful life.

Revitalized with a new engine, equipment typically operates more efficiently, in many cases requiring up to twenty-five percent less fuel. Equipment owners may choose to upgrade an engine in order to make the equipment better suited for the demands of the job. Also, choosing to repower instead of buying new equipment may yield savings on insurance and taxes. But here is the most motivational reason of all to repower instead of replace: a repower kit can save as much as ninety percent over the cost of buying new equipment.

When you think about the benefits in this way, it is really no surprise that Brandon describes what his company provides not as repower kits but as repower solutions. Brandon, a University of Oregon graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer and Information Sciences, is Rick’s son. Having essentially grown up in the business, Brandon began working with his father fulltime in 2009 after successfully launching two companies of his own. While he is passionate about automated processes that grow business, Brandon, like his dad, considers customer care to be the top priority above all else.

Brandon said, “For us, the goal is not just good customer service; it is providing the best customer service in the industry. We are proud of our one-business day response time on inquiries. Our goal is to not only provide a solution, but to provide the service to simplify product installation.”

In March of 2012, Rick passed the baton to his son, announcing that he had turned over the responsibility of day-to-day operations to Brandon and that, although he would continue to be involved with the company, “Brandon, will be steering the boat. He has taken the reins and is working very hard to insure our success in the 21st century.”

The Nuts and Bolts of a Repower Kit

Let’s be perfectly clear, a repower kit is not a rebuilt engine, nor is it a remanufactured engine. Each engine replacement includes a brand new, emissions-certified engine that has been custom lasered and milled on high-quality CNC machines, plus all the parts needed for hassle-free installation, bolt-in replacement. Perhaps most importantly, every kit includes detailed, easy-to-follow instructions.

Brandon stressed that a small engine repower kit always includes more than the engine itself. “Every engine sold by Repower Specialists contains all of the components you will need for installation of the engine in your equipment and the parts have been carefully selected to suit your application. In addition to the standard kit, you receive other important parts and pieces including drive line adapters, mounting plates and a new exhaust.”

The Repower Kit Check List:

• Driveline adapters for connecting the appropriate driveline(s) for the intended application. Without driveline adaptors, the new engine will not be able to power the equipment.
• The wiring harness, which enables the installer to quickly match the appropriate wires in the wiring schematic. No special wiring is required. Installers need only to match the new wires to the old connection points.
• The mounting plate, designed to fit the existing bolt pattern and to raise the engine to the appropriate height and to match the new bolt pattern.
• A new exhaust to ensure that the new engine will fit and work properly in the target equipment.
• Control cables, included when appropriate.

The hardware kit is included as part of every Repower engine. Correct bolts and other hardware are integral to the ease and success of the installation.

Emphasizing again that customer service does not end with the sale, Brandon continued, “We offer unlimited support during installation. If there’s any type of problem with the parts we’ve delivered, we guarantee to ship you whatever is needed to get the job done, free of charge. In addition, our knowledgeable staff has the ability to remotely troubleshoot many types of installation issues.”

Repowering the Golf Course

Repower Specialists LTD replaces any type of 13 to 40 horsepower combustible engine, including gas, propane or diesel. Among the most requested brands are engines from Honda, Briggs & Stratton, Cushman, Toro, Jacobson, Bobcat, John Deere and other names you’ll find hard at work on golf courses across the U.S.

The Tom Fazio designed, Tranquilo Golf Club is only one of many examples. This 18-hole, 6,968-yard course was originally built in 1992 as Osprey Ridge, part of the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. The course closed in October 2013 when the Fazio team renovated and enhanced the design in preparation for its relaunch in October 2014 as Tranquilo Golf Club at Four Seasons Orlando.

The Four Seasons Orlando is the only non-Disney owned resort permitted to operate on Disney property, which speaks volumes for Disney’s confidence in the standards and attention to detail of Four Seasons as a consummate hospitality provider. More than a resort course, the Tranquilo Golf Club also is the member course for residents of Golden Oak, Disney’s exclusive residential community where home prices start at two million dollars.

In today’s economy, no facility is so large, upscale or so well-known as a brand that budgeting is immaterial. However, at the Tranquilo Golf Club, cost-savings are not the only consideration in making decisions. Stephen Tucker, Equipment Manager at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort, chooses Repower Specialists as his solution of choice for many equipment repower versus replacement decisions.

“I have used Repower Specialists for many years now,” said Stephen, “and they have been my go-to when it comes to refurbishing our equipment. Not just because they have great service but because ‘they get it’.

“As a customer, I like to know when I am doing a refurb that I am getting not only the right parts but everything I need to get the job done. Why else would you order from Oregon being in Florida? It’s worth the extra shipping time to know you’re getting exactly what you need.”

You can learn more about Repower Specialists LTD and receive a response to any inquiry within one business day or less at www.repowerspecialists.com.

Linda Parker has been writing professionally since the 1980s. With clients in finance, sports, technology, change enablement, resorts and nonprofit global initiatives, Linda helps organizations communicate their stories in meaningful ways to the people they most want to reach. She has authored, ghostwritten or contributed to more than a dozen nonfiction books. Linda is a member of the Authors Guild and the Golf Writers Association of America. You can connect with her on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/GlindaCreative