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We were given the opportunity at the SEMA/AAPEX show to sit down and do a Q&A with Mickey Leech. He is the CEO of Schumacher Electric, a leader in the world of electric charging and power conversions.
We were able to learn about the history, the present state, and the future asperations of Schumacher Electric. I’ll tell you this now, it was our best interview at the show. Mickey really knows his stuff.
Torqued Magazine– Alright, we’re here with Mickey with Schumacher Electric, can you tell us a little bit about Schumacher?
Mickey– Schumacher Electric has been in the power conversion business for 76 years. Don Schumacher is a legend in the NHRA and he is the second generation leader of the company and he really built this business around automotive and all our products are really designed with people who use the tools to make something go. So when you talk about mobility, an empowerment. We love making products to help people enjoy their experiences whatever type of vehicle they have.
Torqued Magazine- And what would you say is your favorite product of the company?
Mickey- My favorite product is our, well in our DSR line, (Don Schumacher Racing) So in our DSR line, what I like the best is we’ve got a 4000 amp lithium jump starter. So we have a great following with our jump packs that are lead acid. We’ve got some great new products that are lead acid. We have a great 24 Volt 4000 peak amp lead acid battery jump pack, but I can’t carry it, I’m not I’m a manly enough to carry this jump pack. But our lithium is (lite enough) and I take it everywhere, and I’ve never needed more power than that particular item.
Torqued Magazine – Do you have new products coming out this year?
Mickey- Yes, actually here at the show, we’ve got 3 but 2 specifically that you’d be interested in. When I mentioned the jump packs, a lot of people in a shop environment or your own garage, to recharge the battery pack in the jump pack. You needed a separate battery cord kind of like a laptop computer correct? And it was a little bit of a pain for customers to have to keep track of both when he had to charge it or whatever. So now we have on-board charging so we now have a charger inside the jump pack, and everyone’s got extension cord’s laying around. So all you have to do is wherever you’re using the pack or where ever you’re storing it, just brings an extension cord to be charge it. So what we’re trying to create for our professional tools is more productivity, safety, durability, quality, like those are always the basics. We all wanna do more with our time so if a the tool can give you productivity, that’s what we’re going after. And that’s what we’re doing with that particular product.
Torqued Magazine- What are your thoughts on the push into the EV market right now?
Mickey- We’re in it, we’ve invested in it but we’re very patient. I think EV is going to play a really cool role in power sports. I was in the outdoor power equipment business before coming here. And there’s some really good applications for the ride on lawn equipment that’s battery powered. A lot of the side by side manufacturers are coming out with battery powered units and I see golf cart to going that direction also. So I think there’s a lot of innovation and everyone hears about EV and General Motors, Tesla, Ford all that but I think off-road electric is going to be exciting. Speaking of Torque now you can get some really cool acceleration out of EV products.
Torqued Magazine- What are your thoughts on the current legislation about the “Right to Repair?”
Mickey- Yeah, we’ve actually participated with the Auto Care Association, and we’re writing letters to our senators, we’re pushing as much as we can. It’s not just about the consumer. It’s about the professionals and the businesses that are getting the short end of that stick , we want be able to help everybody that wants to care for themselves. It’s hard to actually earn a living because you don’t have to the rights to those systems.
Torqued Magazine- How do you feel A.I. is coming into play in the aftermarket?
Mickey- For us specifically, we’re using it really in the back end of the business. So it’s helping us in a very small way. We’re gonna be fast followers. Right now, customer service marketing and in our HR groups. It’s just becoming a productivity tool. You know, yeah, I’m an old guy. I remember when spreadsheets were a productivity tool. That’s what I see A.I. becoming, is a productivity tool for businesses across the country.
At the point in the interview we want to give you a front row seat into the interview with Mickey. It’s a lot more immersive when viewing it via video. Below is the second half of our interview.
In conclusion,
Schumacher Electric is in good hands. Their products are second to none, and we are grateful to Mickey for his time as well as Martha Cook for coordinating this interview.
We have some awesome product reviews coming soon with some fantastic Schumacher products. And we will also feature some Schumacher products in our Christmas gift guide.
Stay tuned…
