Established in 1957, as part of the Letts Industries family, Trek began by forging links and producing undercarriage pins & bushings for a limited equipment base. Finding a niche in the heavy equipment parts after-market, a series of warehouses were established around centers of construction, mining and forestry to support a growing Trek dealer network. In many of these markets the OEM dealers were the only source for replacement parts and with the ability to offer parts at substantial discounts, Trek found an eager market with the smaller independent dealer.

By the early 1960s, competition from overseas producers forced Trek to gradually cease its manufacturing in the US and become an importer, distributing through established warehouses. The predominant suppliers were located in Italy as these companies began their production shortly after the end of WWII.

"I was told, by one of the major Italian manufacturers, the reason Italy became so involved in the production and export of undercarriage parts was because of weight." said Mr. Chuck Johnson, retired past president of Trek Inc. "At the end of WWII, the government determined one of the ways to rebuild the devastated Italian economy was to attract foreign currencies. They came up with a program of tax benefits, for manufacturing companies, based on the tonnage of exported products. You can't get much heavier than steel and the rest is history."

Trek began to grow its market share, during the 1970-s and 1980-s, by importing undercarriage products from well-known Italian producers. Countries such as Spain, Germany and Japan, also became a larger part of Trek's supply chain, during those times. Track pads from Germany, Sprockets from Spain and Rollers from Japan helped to increase Trek's overall parts coverage.

The addition of a "Non-Undercarriage" line of replacement parts helped round the products offered to Trek's dealer network. Working closely with Italian producers, Trek attempted to insure the items offered were of the highest quality. This commitment continues to this day with a new breed of manufacturers.

Dick Baker, Vice President of Sales

When asked about Trek's commitment to insure the offering of quality products, Mr. Dick Baker replied "Trek has always attempted to be a consistent source for products designed to raise the bar of customer service and performance. There is an ongoing need to improve who we are and what we do". Dick, a 40-year veteran with Trek, considers it "Very important to be the link between the customer and the manufacturer." Dick continued. "We have always attempted to listen and identify the customers needs and concerns."

As with all things in this world, the only consistent guarantee is change. Trek's world was changing, as was the "After-Market" industry. By the mid-1990-s, Trek had grown to be the largest distributor, of it's kind, in North America, with 11 strategically located branches in the United States and Canada. The addition of a CDC (Central Distribution Center) in Texas and a scheduled inter-branch parts transfer system helped fulfill the commitment to "raise the bar" of customer service but with the introduction of the "All-Make" programs by the major OEM-s, Trek's direction was challenged and a change was imminent.

The mid-1990-s saw the major world undercarriage producers become the suppliers of the OEM-s programs designed to supply replacement parts for equipment lines other than their own. This may have given more credibility to the After-market suppliers but it also resulted in increased competition in that market, as well as escalating shortages of quality parts for non-OEM dealers. During the 50 years (1957-2007) Trek has been in business, our position has changed dramatically, as has our industry.  The relationship between the world OEM's and the maturing AFTER-MARKET producers, has resulted in common, high quality, parts being supplied through two different marketing lanes.

Trek had committed to expanding the supply of Italian products throughout its North American distribution system, but events within the industry changed that direction forever. The latter part of the 1990-s saw Trek move its main supply chain from Italian producers to Korean producer, Dae Chang Forging Co., Ltd.  We, at Trek, have observed a dramatic difference in the attitude of Korean suppliers. They are more flexible in their production runs and react faster to market changes. Lead times are shorter and delivery dates more accurate. It is a pleasant and refreshing change.

As the alliance strengthened, between these two companies, it became apparent another change was inevitable for Trek. At the end of 2001, DCF completed the purchase of Trek, bringing this 50-year-old company full circle, back to being a manufacturer. The new and modern DCF factory complex has given DCF the capacity to increase its global market share.  This continuous expansion is part of the DCF commitment to "raise the bar of customer service" and provide Trek branded products throughout the world.

There has always been a common thread running through Trek since its beginnings in 1957, up to and including today. TEAM WORK!  From the beginning, when asked for his opinion on Trek's longevity, Chuck Johnson replied, "Every member of Trek is an important part of a team. Trek has never lost sight of the fact that everyone had to pull their weight and that every person and job was as important as the other." This Team concept is as important today as it was in 1957.  The ability to work together with DCF has a tremendously positive impact on Trek.  The opportunity to influence the quality and production allows Trek to focus on meeting customer needs, and it feels good.

Mr. An-Sik Park, Chairman of the Board

The commitment to a quality Trek product was reaffirmed in a recent article written by Mr. An-Sik Park, Chairman of the Board of DCF and Trek. "I promise to supply a quality part that will enable you to maintain your competitiveness in the heavy equipment parts market. We will do what is required to supply the right product, at the right time and at the right price. We have invested, yet again, in another new roller production line, which will continue to improve the quality of our Trek products. With this commitment, we will be able to maintain the high level of customer service that Trek is known for in this industry."

 

DCF-Trek, Manufacturing Complex, New Large Forging Press

The changing of direction for Trek has left unanswered questions. Will Trek be able to continue to increase North American market share? "Europe is very strong and well entrenched in this market and will be around for sometime to come," said Mr. Charles Letts, Trek's founder. "But with having said that, DCF has demonstrated amazing progress in the past few years and they will continue to make significant advancements within the next short period of time. Trek is in an excellent position because of their link with the manufacturer".

It appears yet again, that as much as things remain the same, they none the less continue to change. The once dominant European producers are slowly giving way to modern Asian producers. Trek is in a prime position to participate in these changes and looks forward to a bright and exciting future. The industry is evolving at a tremendous speed with the realization that the OEM and Non-OEM products are becoming one. Stay tuned for more changes. After all, the only consistent guarantee is change.