CAMEROTA TRUCK PARTS
answers by Frank Camerota, president
WHY DID YOU START THE BUSINESS?
In 1960, Salvatore “Sam” Camerota (father of the current owners) founded Camerota Used Truck & Tractor Parts as a truck dismantling and parts yard. When Sam became ill, his sons Frank, Salvatore and Steven assumed control of the company. In 1974, the brothers shifted the company’s focus from dismantling used trucks to selling new truck parts, remanufacturing transmissions, rear differentials and steering boxes, and changed the company name to Camerota Truck Parts.
For over 48 years Camerota Truck Parts has evolved to continually satisfy customer needs with full-service repair and installation facilities, sales of major OEM product lines and by providing new and remanufactured manual and automatic transmissions, rear differentials, steering boxes and drivelines for trucks of all sizes. As the company evolved so has its footprint in the Northeast with a large remanufacturing, sales, service and distribution facility at the headquarters in Enfield, Conn., and facilities in: North Haven, Conn.; Westborough, Mass.; Bow, N.H.; Bangor, Maine; and Valley Cottage, N.Y.
WHAT’S BEEN YOUR TOUGHEST BUSINESS DECISION?
Shifting away from hands-on, owner control of every transaction to developing a management structure to support expansion through multiple locations. In the early years we were a much smaller company which allowed the three owners to be very hands-on. To grow, we knew we needed to change. Strategically, the decision to move to the next level, was to either sell more in the same market or expand our market area.
The growth decision was made in 1989 to expand our parts and units business with the opening of our first branch facility. This first step was huge and allowed us to develop our first non-owner management structure and move forward. That was a very tough decision at the time and certainly one of our best as it has allowed us to further expand to six facilities throughout the Northeast, all of which are staffed with exceptionally talented people. The three owners are not solely responsible for the company’s success – it is the loyalty, the abilities and the hard work of 145 people within the organization that makes Camerota successful every day.
WHAT WAS YOUR BEST BUSINESS DECISION?
Embracing the combination of lean manufacturing and achieving ISO certification for our quality management and distribution systems changed our company from a rebuilding environment to a manufacturing environment. Implementing both concepts has taken us from good to great in providing best in class service and product value to our customers.
WHAT WAS YOUR WORST BUSINESS DECISION?
In an attempt to diversify our product offerings in the early years, we stepped outside of our core product line to integrate reman gasoline and light-duty engines. It didn’t add value so we pulled the line.
