Community & Recycling
Go Hand In Hand In Our Business


Recycling

Having lived in Flagstaff over 40 years, one can appreciate the beauty and the necessity of recycling. There are more ways to recycle than meets the eye. Sure we recycle newspapers, cardboard, glass and plastic and so on. But what about transmission parts, computer hard drives, TV's. We like to call this sort of recycling Re-purposing. .......more


Community

If you've been in Flagstaff any length of time, you have probably seen or heard of some of the Trans-Mission Man's envolvement and contributions to the community.

If not you can read about them, view pictures and even watch a few videos.......more






RECYCLING---OUR BUSINESS DEPENDS ON IT!


While recycling may not be the first word that comes to mind when speaking of the transmission repair business, this industry is based upon the concept of recycling wherever and whenever possible. Take a minute to think about the term "rebuilding". By definition, it is the act of taking a worn or nonfunctional product and reconditioning it to be functional again. In the world of transmissions that means we tear the unit down to it's basic constituent components and carefully inspect them. Components that show no wear are reconditioned. After cleaning, bushings and seals are replaced where needed. At that point they are ready to be recycled back into the original transmission.

Components that do not measure up to manufacturer's specifications are replaced with parts that do, be they new or recycled from a donor transmission. The old worn parts are sometimes placed in a scrap metal pile. Scrap metal may then be sold to a scrap metal recycling company. From there they eventually become a resource for various factories to melt down and recycle into other products.

At The Trans-Mission Man another option may come into play when considering the fate of worn or spare parts. John Rogers, the owner of the business just might include them in one of his unique metal sculptures. Parts that are aesthetically pleasing, or have a nice ring to them, often end up in John's "resource pile". Sculptures made from these parts are frequently seen at the Coconino Center for the Arts "Recycled Art Exhibition". Interesting old parts may become unique metal sculptures, more windchimes, or one of a kind kaleidoscopes (see John's art gallery on this website to view some examples of his work). In 2008 one of his entries , "THE WIND CHIME FROM HELL", won the "Best of Show" award. In 2012 a kaleidoscope made from old TV parts and flooring samples was awarded a blue ribbon in the "Most Creative" category.

Used oil also comes into play when addressing the many facets of recycling in the transmission business. At The Trans-Mission Man our used oil is recycled into heat. Our efficient oil burning heater burns used oil to keep the shop warm during the cold winter months. It's a win win situation. Old oil is put to good use and our heating costs are kept to a minimum.

In general, John's attitude at The Trans-Mission Man can be summed up in one line. "Don't throw anything away if you can repurpose it for something else."



COMMUNITY EVENTS


PARADES:


4th of July Parades in Northern Arizona are great fun for both viewers and participants. The 2011 parade in Flagstaff drew an estimated crowd of 10,000 people from all over Arizona. John truly enjoys these events, often spending weeks in creating complex mechanically animated features for the Trans-Mission Man's float to rouse the excitement of kids of all ages. These features include a giant whirligig with a spinning airplane propeller powering a kicking Trans-Mission Man, smoking rockets ridden by kids, and The Trans-Mission Man Synchronized Kicking Team. (youtube)

When the event schedules allow, John will take his parade entry to nearby towns and join in with their celebrations. He often participates in the Parks parade and Williams parade.

The Festival of Lights Parade in Flagstaff is another favorite event. The T-Man van, already an icon around town, is often used for this parade. This vintage 1965 Dodge van is frequently used by John in his daily errands, turning heads and creating smiles all around Flagstaff. Lit up with a thousand lights adds a whole new dimension to it.


ART SHOWS:


John is getting to be pretty well known around Flagstaff for his artistic creations. They range from metal sculptures that double as musical instruments, wind chimes made from various recycled metal parts, to some of the most elaborate kaliedoscopes you can imagine. In 2008 one of John's wind chimes won "Best of Show" award at the Coconino Center for the Arts Recycled Art Show. All his artworks have been designed with one constant theme in mind. As John puts it, "I like to make things that put smiles on the faces of those who experience my artwork. The world is a better place when people are happy."


THE DEMOLITION DERBY (in John's own words):


"One of my earliest memories includes the excitement of sitting in the grandstands with my family watching the jalopy races and the destruction derby, as we called it in those days. I was about 4 or 5 years old. Watching drivers of a bunch of old cars intentionally crashing into each other, wringing the last few inches out of those outdated machines until they simply wouldn't move anymore was about the best thing ever. The sound of roaring engines, radiators bursting, tires popping, metal hitting metal, and the crowds screaming out for their favorite entry still gets my heart pounding with excitement like I was a kid again. Given the choice of going to the Superbowl and going to the demolition derby, the derby would win every time."

The derby is an exciting and fitting end for all those worn out vehicles before they are sent out to be recycled. The Lions Club organizes, promotes, and runs this highly entertaining event each year. As such, the proceeds go toward helping kids with disabilities who cannot afford new glasses and hearing aids, in addition to providing substantial support to numerous other local charitable causes. In other words, the money you spend on entry fees and refreshments is helping a very worthwhile charitable cause.

John has reached the age where wisdom dictates he no longer drives a car in the derby. However, he helps support it in other ways. At the request of friends in the Lions Club, he has built some unique, animated metal sculptures that have served as 1st place trophies.(youtube) Not content with a static trophy that just sits on a shelf doing nothing but gathering dust, John's trophies crank, spin, and entertain.

Community Events

4th of July Parade 2011

Demolition Derby Trophy