1. PA, Paoli 2. MD, Waldorf 3. CO, Denver Broadway 4. LA, Gretna 5. NC, Greensboro 6. MI, Flint (Saginaw) 7. VA, Norfolk 8. KY, Louisville Shelbyville 9. LA, N.O. (New Orleans) 10. OH, Dayton

1. Dear Cottman Franchise Community,
Believe it or not, by the time you read this we will already be well into the fourth and final
quarter of 2010, and what a year it has been! In one short year we’ve gone from a company
that was experiencing some significant “communication challenges,” to an organization that,
as a whole, is more connected than at any time in recent memory. Attendance at our monthly
Town Hall webinars has continued to climb at a steady pace, while our new “Franchisee and
Technician Portals” have provided an entirely new means of facilitating the information
delivery process.
In addition, our Cottman Convention in May and subsequent “Mini-Convention” regional seminars have provided
the perfect forum to connect with the majority of Cottman Owners and Staff, while helping to spread the vision
regarding STORE LEVEL PROFITABILITY and our goal of creating “THE ULTIMATE COTTMAN.”
Although I personally believe that we’ve made great progress these past few months, there is still much work to be
done and 2011 will once again be a year of growth and change for all. So what’s on the horizon you ask? Plenty –
here’s a brief preview:
The rollout of our new and significantly improved Point of Sale System
New and improved business intelligence at a local, regional and national level
The continued rollout and implementation of our new “Outside Sales in a Box” program
An enhanced and improved Site Visit process
New and improved Marketing and Advertising programs
Even more focus on Individual Store Profitability
And more…
Based on my conversations with many of you, along with my personal visits to multiple stores this past year, I
believe that the key to our success going forward will be the relentless pursuit of the “Ultimate Cottman” ideals:
clean, good looking stores; high quality, well-trained staff; upgraded software; new third-party programs, a
commitment to high quality transmission and Total Auto Care work; and a continued emphasis on profitability.
Thank you for all of your hard work and commitment this year and I’m looking forward to another year of
continued growth and success in 2011.
Sincerely, INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Town Talk 2
The New and Improved Cottman.com 4
Rick Center in the Spotlight: Hammond, LA
A little recycling can make you some extra cash
6
8
The Home Office Team 12

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Town Talk By Joe Josko
In this issue of Town talk, I would like to discuss several dealers who think “well” outside
the box. Our first dealer is Dan Simon of Cary NC. Daniel is always looking for new ways
to increase his centers visibility. Daniel went out and had 100 jackets made with the
Cottman logo proudly displayed on them. He then went around town giving them to the needy and
homeless. It is hard to drive around Cary and not see our logo somewhere you would least expect it. This
served a two-fold purpose in that not only does it get our name out there in a very unique way, it also
helps some very needy folks. And because of that, its all tax deductible. He also purchased a headlight
polishing business. He not only sells the service to his TAC customers but, he also uses it to get on many
dealer lots by offering free or discounted services to those who send him their work. It has helped him
establish several new wholesale accounts. These steps are a necessity for Daniel whose center is buried
in an industrial park, and therefore hidden from view.
In Waldorf, Maryland, Ken and Cara Barker use several other unique methods to generate interest.
First, they use little plastic discount cards attached to the customer’s key ring. It is punched each time a
customer returns for work and entitles the customer to a ten percent discount on any future work. In this
way they pattern their customers to keep returning. They also offer 90 day same as cash financing and
have helped roll this useful program out to the entire chain. It must be effective, as they will be the first
Cottman to exceed the million dollar mark in TAC sales alone.
Fred Bowen in Greensboro NC makes heavy use of the internet to promote his shop. He credits the
exposure from this single source for about one third of all his business. Dealers everywhere are looking
to capitalize on the rise in the auto repair segment of the market by using new logo signs with Total Auto
Care, pennants, banners, handouts, window clings, mirror hangers, shirts, hats and good old fashioned
palm pressing to establish or solidify relationships with our customers.
In our recent round of “Mini Conventions” Rick Basch, our President,
Joe Josko, Senior Operations
asked what your plan was for generating business tomorrow. Are you
Manager is available to
one of the ones still waiting for snow, a hurricane or excessive heat to
answer all your questions improve your business or do you have a real plan for your center’s
about your center. He may growth? We are in the fourth quarter of 2010 and quickly headed for a
be reached via email at new year. If you lack a plan at present, set your sights on 2011 and
jjosko@cottman.com what you want and need your business to do and how you plan on get-
or at ting there. If your not sure of what to do give us a call and we will be
215-643-5885 Ext. 153 happy to help.

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THE NEW & IMPROVED COTTMAN.COM
As you are no doubt aware, the new COTTMAN.COM website has now been live for a few weeks, and we hope
you are as excited as we are to have such a cutting edge, user friendly and highly optimized web presence.
There were three major goals we set out to accomplish in the design of our new site.
In order to maximize the exposure of a website, through either SEM (Search Engine Marketing) or SEO
(Search Engine Optimization), there are very specific components that needed to be a part of the design.
Many of these are not visible on the site itself, but are an important part of the back end design. In the
creation of the new site we worked closely with the development team to make sure our site was
designed with all the right “key words” and “tags” to ensure that the site was fully optimized. We have
already seen a measurable improvement in our on-line exposure and rankings since the new site was
launched.
Next, it is important to have a site that is attractive and
interactive. We want our visitors to stay engrossed, and
our goal was to create an “experience” that inspired them
click through the various links. The site needed to be very
easy to navigate with all of the important information
easily visible and simple to find. That is why the “Click to
Save”,” Find a Cottman Center” and “Car Problems?” are
available on the first page in multiple locations. Once a
visitor locates their nearest location, we wanted to make
sure that your individual page included as much
information as possible.. If you have not done so already,
please take a careful look at your own page and let
either Leonie Sowah or myself know if anything needs to
be added or corrected. The last thing we want is to miss
an opportunity due to a lack of correct information. Please note that the online appointment function is
still active, so please remember to check your email several times throughout the day.
Finally, we wanted to create a website that would provide a wealth of information to our Franchisees, and
that would help them (and their Managers and Techs) to become more knowledgeable and profitable. On
the bottom of the website, simply click on the link that says “Portal.” The username is “franchisee”; the
password is “cottman246”. Once you enter the portal you will be able to view all kinds of information
including news, communications, previous webinars, videos, the monthly “Score Cards” and even an online
“Swap Shop.” Please take some time to visit each and every link. We have also added links to all of our
third-party vendors, which will take you directly to their respective websites. At the bottom of this page
you will find the “Technician Portal” link; the username is “technician” and the password is“tech321”. The
“Tech Portal” provides valuable technical information such as bulletins, news and technical training videos.
Your technicians will be able to access the side directly by clicking on the “Portal” link on the main
Cottman.com page and using the same username “technician” and the password “tech321”.
Please keep in mind that this is only the beginning. We will constantly be updating the site with more news,
information, videos and webinars. Please visit the site frequently and as always, your comments and
suggestions are always welcome!
By Sue Burg

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Center in the Spotlight
Mike Price, Hammond, LA
We all know that word of mouth referrals bring big Receiving such praise from customers is nothing new
dividends and are a major factor in lead generation to a veteran Cottman dealer like Mike Price. In fact,
and lead conversion. Building bridges one customer at this is Mike’s second time around with the Cottman
a time with national fleet and warranty companies is System as owner of the Hammond, LA Cottman Center
another solid method to bring in even more leads and for the past 6 years. Mike formerly worked as the
drive revenue. When you can turn those kinds of leads Manager of the Mandeville, LA Cottman Center for 5
into major Cottman boosters, the fleet and warranty years.
companies will surely send more business your way
which is exactly what’s happening at Mike Price’s While working as the Manager at the Mandeville
Cottman Center in Hammond, LA. Cottman Center, Mike saw an opportunity to be his
own boss and earn a good living in the repair industry.
Recently, Cottman’s Customer Relations Department So, he made the leap and bought the Hammond
received some very complimentary feedback from a Center, doubling up as both owner and manager.
military discount referral, Mr. Robert Coleman. Mr. Most days Mike admits to spending 14 hours or more
Coleman wrote to us expressing his appreciation for the in his Cottman Center providing both Transmission
outstanding service he received from Mike Price and his and Total Auto Care services.
crew at the Hammond Cottman center.
Mike feels that as a Cottman Center owner there is
Mr. Coleman writes; “Mike and his staff provided certainly plenty of room to grow, and is energized and
excellent emergency service on my 1996 GMC excited with the fresh leadership he sees in having a
Sonoma while traveling from Florida to Nevada. He also new Cottman President. Of course, Mike attributes
arranged for pickup and delivery to a local hotel for my much of his success to paying attention to the details
two night stay while the truck was being repaired. I will and to making his customers feel comfortable and
highly recommend to USAA that they continue to use confident that he will get the job done right.
this repair facility. Thank you for standing behind your
work with the warranty service, not to mention the For this outstanding effort and dedication to quality
repair and getting me to my destination on time.” customer service, Mike Price’s Hammond location has
been honored as this quarter’s “Center in the
Spotlight”.
For any customer service
inquiries/issues and to request
By Carol Kohlmier
information about closed center Director of Customer Service
warranties, please contact Carol
at 215-643-5885 Ext.160 or via
email at
carol@cottman.com

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A Little Recycling Can Make You
Some Extra Cash
Recycling - it’s the buzz word of the 21st century. Recycling containers are becoming common all over the place. Here
at the home office everyone has a recycling container and we are asked to put bottles, cans and white paper in these
bins. Everywhere you look people are trying to do their part to clean up the planet. Even a number of you guys have a
place in your shops for cans and bottles.
It’s great that you have taken it upon yourselves to do your part in keeping cans, bottles and papers out of our land-
fills. But let me ask you, what are you doing with your old transmission parts? I’m not talking about hard parts and
cases. I’m talking about the old clutches, steels, bands and other parts we replace every day. If you are like most of the
centers I’ve visited, you are throwing them in the trash where they go right to the local landfill.
The problem is we don’t see any value in the scrap we produce. If you think I’m kidding answer this question, “What
do you do with your old aluminum and damaged hard parts?” I’ll bet the answer is I give it to a junk collector. Have
you ever asked yourself what your junk collector does with all the old aluminum, brass, steel and copper? I’ll tell you
what he does with it. He sells it!
Everybody laughs at the poor old junk collector. I mean look at him. He’s usually dressed in old dirty clothes, drives an
old beat up truck and spends most of his time rummaging through other people’s junk. Remember the old adage that
“He who laughs last, laughs best?” I’ll bet your old junk collector is laughing all the way to the bank.
I had an uncle that always drove no more than a 2 year old Cadillac, lived
in one of the nicest homes I can remember and put 2 kids through college
and one through medical school. I never knew it as a kid but he was a junk
collector. By now you’re asking yourself, where are you going with this?
Think of all the clutches, steels, bands, and metal clad seals you are
throwing away. Ever wonder what it’s worth? I can tell you that I recycle
all the bent and busted race car parts I collect during the year. I usually
end up with about ½ a pickup bed full of junk that gives me about $50 in
cash that I wouldn’t have otherwise had.
So once a year I make a trip to the recycler and pick up an extra $50.
Now I can hear you guys saying that $50 is not worth the effort. Well Jack
Roush from Roush Racing said in an article that he recycles 90% of every
racecar they total during the year. And in 2009 that brought in $261,000. Just about every part in a transmission can
I’m willing to bet that you will fall somewhere in-between. be recycled. Doing this helps keep these parts
out of our landfills and can also put a little
Recycling in your center isn’t hard to do. Get yourself some 55 gallon money in your pocket.
drums. Label one for clutches, one for steels, one for bands, one for steel
parts and one for aluminum. Instead of throwing this stuff in the trash, have the technicians put the parts in the
appropriate drum. When the drum is full, take it to the recycle center or scrap yard and sell it off.
You can even put metal and brake pads that are not returnable in the drum marked steel. So your Total Auto Care
scrap is recyclable also. Recycling your scrap really takes very little effort but can be very rewarding. First it takes all
the recyclable parts out of your area landfills. It will actually help clean up your shop because your technicians now
have a place to put this stuff. It will cut down on your trash collection costs because you will take some of the recycle
weight out of your dumpster and lastly is will make you a little money.
By Bob Afflerback

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51 TX, WOODLANDS 3516
3rd Quarter AWG Ranking 52 NJ, WILLINGBORO 3441
1 PA, PAOLI 205 53 FL, BRANDON 3557
2 MD, WALDORF 3535 54 MD, BELTSVILLE 3293
3 CO, DENVER BROADWAY 2936 55 PA, LANCASTER 218
4 LA, GRETNA 140 56 PA, PITTS (BABCOCK) 3556
5 NC, GREENSBORO 2732 57 TX, CORPUS CHRISTI 2128
6 MI, FLINT (SAGINAW) 3364 58 TX, AUSTIN CONGRESS 2265
7 VA, NORFOLK 2178 59 NC, CONCORD 3542
8 KY, LOUISVILLE SHELBYVILLE 3367
60 SC, SPARTANBURG 3540
9 LA, N.O. (EARHART) 1138
61 VA, VA BEACH (INDIAN) 3545
10 WA, VANCOUVER 2364
62 NY, ALBANY 3437
11 FL, FERN PARK 3528
63 LA, BOUTTE 2978
12 PA, EMMAUS 2064
64 TX, AUSTIN YAGER 2425
13 CO, WHEAT RIDGE 3544
65 LA, METAIRIE, VETS 2102
14 OH, CINCINNATI (EASTGATE) 3021
66 NY, E SYRACUSE 2386
15 TX, SAN ANTONIO PATRICIA 3508
67 NC, MOORESVILLE 3435
16 NJ, TRENTON (OLDEN) 1405
68 PA, STROUDSBURG 3532
17 IA, DES MOINES 2658
69 OK, OKLAHOMA CITY WESTERN 3552
18 VA, MANASSAS 3538
70 LA, LA PLACE 3360
19 NC, GARNER 2229
71 IL, LONG GROVE 3267
20 KS, SHAWNEE 3533
72 OK, MIDWEST CITY 3549
21 NC, RALEIGH 2430
73 NS, HALIFAX 2134
22 NC, WILMINGTON 2700
74 PA, ERIE 2915
23 OR, BEAVERTON 2095
75 SC, GREENVILLE 2243
24 MO, GLADSTONE 3088
76 FL, TAMPA (DEL MABRY) 127
25 PA, LANSDALE 220
77 OK, OKLAHOMA CITY 3550
26 VA, WOODBRIDGE 3512
78 OK, OKLAHOMA CITY ROCKWELL 3551
27 FL, OLDSMAR TAMPA RD 3499
79 PA, PHILA (13TH) 2248
28 SC, COLUMBIA BUSH RIVER 3536
80 WI, KENOSHA 2344
29 NJ, WOODBURY 187
81 LA, HAMMOND 2994
30 PA, KINGSTON 2961
82 TX, ROUND ROCK 2532
31 NC, CARY 3509
83 NC, DURHAM (ROXBORO) 3554
32 AZ, PHOENIX CAVE CREEK 3530
84 NC, BURLINGTON 3227
33 PA, FEASTERVILLE 2999
85 GA, ATLANTA (BUFORD) 3001
34 DE, NEW CASTLE 108
86 MI, GRAND RAPIDS 3263
35 MO, KANSAS CITY 836
87 VA, ALEXANDRIA 2555
36 MO, INDEPENDENCE 3500
88 GA, MARTINEZ 2957
37 KS, OLATHE 3523
89 WV, CHARLESTON 2690
38 VA, RICHMOND 3136
39 FL, JAX (ATLANTIC) 1971 90 KY, LEXINGTON 3196
40 PA, WEST MIFFLIN 2032 91 NV, LAS VEGAS (JONES) 2484
41 OH, COLUMBUS (BROAD) 199 92 OK, YUKON 3553
42 TX, CEDAR PARK 2489 93 MO, ST. CHARLES 3537
43 VA, CHANTILLY 3555 94 KS, WICHITA 3084
44 GA, MARIETTA (Cobb) 2983 95 PA, GREENSBURG 3539
45 NJ, MAPLE SHADE 3195 96 VA, RICHMOND BROAD 3371
46 SC, MAULDIN 3504 97 WI, RACINE 2571
47 FL, JAX (BLANDING) 3126 98 VA, VA BEACH (HOLLAND) 3529
48 MO, ST. PETERS 3527 99 NS, DARTMOUTH 1615
49 NC, CHARLOTTE (SUGAR) 1571 100 FL, ST PETERSBURG 3548
50 NC, CORNELIUS 3520 101 DC, WASHINGTON 2597

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COTTMAN HOME OFFICE
DIRECTORY
NAME TITLE EXTENSION/CELL E-MAIL
RICHARD BASCH President Ext 156 rbasch@cottman.com
JOE JOSKO Senior Operations Manager Ext 153 jjosko@cottman.com
Regional Operations Manager - Eastern or
(267) 549 - 1044
RYAN OPRANDI Regional Operations Manager - Southeast (330) 206 - 0088 roprandi@cottman.com
ROBERT HETTENBACH Regional Operations Manager - Midwest (610) 764 - 5011 rhettenbach@cottman.com
ROLAND CAMUNAS National Account Fleet/ Inside Sales Ext 209 rcamunas@cottman.com
3rd Party Inside Sales or
Alternate Regional Operations Manager (215) 359 - 5091
LEONIE SOWAH Executive Assistant to president Ext 101 lsowah@cottman.com
BOB AFFLERBACK Technical Services Director Ext 158 bafflerback@cottman.com
CAROL KOHLMIER Director of Customer Service Ext 160 carol@cottman.com
SUE BURG Director of Advertising (ROSS) Ext 201 sburg@cottman.com
CHRISTINA CARTER Administrative Assistant (ROSS) Ext 234 ccarter@cottman.com
STEVE FREEMAN Collections Manager Ext 140 sfreeman@americandriveline.com
ROBERTA MENSAH Accounting Clerk Ext 147 Roberta.mensah@cottman.com
GREG ADAMS Vice President of Equipment Ext 180 gadams@americandriveline.com
CONNIE LINEMAN Promotions/Supplies Manager Ext 181 clineman@americandriveline.com
Cottman Transmission Systems, LLC
201 Gibraltar Road. Horsham, PA 19044
Phone: 215-643-5885 • Fax:309-420-6349