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| An onsite museum of restored Chevrolets and vintage collectables fills the grounds with '50s-era memorabilia. | |
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| Posters, artwork and the diner-like format transform the sales floor into a nostalgic experience | |
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| Hard-to-find parts are reproduced in-house. These freshly made taillights are being prepared for final assembly. | |
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| The Danchuk staff proudly displays their products on a '57 Chevrolet. |
SEMA represents more than 7,300 member companies. Of these, around 2,900 companies are manufacturers and many make performance parts and accessories for hot rods and restoration vehicles. One such company is Danchuk Manufacturing Inc.
Members of SEMA's market research, show and membership services departments recently visited Danchuk, a new member company and exhibitor for the 2009 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
Dan and Art Danchuk went into business together in the '60s, but they did not make their first Chevrolet part, a parking light lens for a '57 Chevrolet, until 1976. Danchuk Manufacturing Inc. was born.
Actually, the original company name was Classic Reproductions, which was then modified to Class Reproductions by Danchuk Manufacturing and was finally changed to the current name.
Today Danchuk is the largest manufacturer and distributor of '55, '56 and '57 Chevrolet performance and restoration parts.
Headquartered in Santa Ana, California, Danchuk Manufacturing is proud to say that all of its parts are manufactured in the United States. The company opened a shipping facility in Brownsburg, Indiana, with the intent that a customer should receive an order within three business days from either location.
Danchuk's commitment to quality and the dedication to manufacturing parts for only three model years of Chevrolet vehicles have set the company apart.
Staying tuned in to the needs of their core customers likely contributed to the company's success in a down economy. The folks at Danchuk have often obtained business from customers who first purchased similar parts from another company, only to discover a lack of quality, resulting in a pitted piece, such as a hood ornament.
The tour of the manufacturing floor itself was notable. There was older machinery, including '50’s vintage lathes, mixed in with brand new CNC machinery.
The new machines have helped to reduce production time and have contributed to the improved quality and durability of restoration parts. It was apparent that Danchuk employees love what they do and take pride in their jobs.
Danchuk's catalog includes products manufactured by other SEMA-member companies. Restoration parts are at the core of the Danchuk passion and business, but the company loves hot rods, too.
And in reality, a hot-rod '56 Chevrolet Bel Air will likely be accessorized with some restoration parts such as taillight housings and a hood bird. And customers can take comfort knowing that they purchased a restoration part that is of superior quality, just like the original.
Steve Brown, general manager, has been with the company for 24 years. He was very interested to learn about the many benefits that SEMA has to offer, including market research reports and custom research requests. Brown, along with Kevin Anderson, buyer for Danchuk, had many questions about the upcoming 2009 SEMA Show.
They both have regularly attended the Show and are very enthusiastic about the opportunity to exhibit. They were also extremely interested in learning about the various things that SEMA has done this year involving the Show, including the negotiation of lower hotel rates, the new four-stage payment plan and the Exhibit Value Plan (EVP).
Danchuk Manufacturing has been in the industry for a long time and, in fact, was previously a member for a short time. Management realized the value of rejoining as a SEMA member and expects the company's presence at the 2009 SEMA Show will help to grow the business even more and solidify Danchuk's reputation as the largest manufacturer of ’55–'57 Chevrolet parts. — SEMA Research & Information Center