It was an accident of fate that got David Marks into the imported auto parts business.

"My wife and I were taking an extended vacation across country in our MGB," he explained. "In New Mexico, the car broke down. About the same time, we ran out of money."

So Marks did the only thing he could think to do. He got a job at a used auto parts store so he could eventually fix his car. The rest is history.

"One thing led to another and eight years later, we found ourselves in Houston," he said. "That's where we heard about these motors from Japan. The motors were used but had extremely low mileage when compared to U.S. cars."

He explained the low mileage is due to an intense and expensive government inspection system for motor vehicles, coupled with zero interest rates. "As a result," he said, "you rarely see old cars on the road in Japan."

Direct From Japan
Marks traveled to Japan to see the motors firsthand. He established relationships with sellers there, placed an order and Unitex Trading Co. was born.

At first, Marks was the only employee. He had enough money to pay the first and last month's rent as well as telephone and electric. But he couldn't get started right away.

"I waited for 40 days before I got the first shipment," he said. "That's the biggest drawback. You have to anticipate business about two months ahead of time."

That first container - about 80 engines and transmissions - sold completely within 10 days.

"People drove up and bought everything that we had," he said. "I had to order again. It wasn't easy to communicate with Japan back then. There was a 12 to 13 hour time difference so there wasn't a lot of phone contact. We used these huge Telex machines to place the orders."

Cooking With Grease
It wasn't long before Unitex started growing. Within seven weeks, Marks hired another employee. "There's a term in Texas," Marks said. "We were 'cooking with grease.' The first year we sold about three or four container shipments. Today, we bring one in every three weeks."

Unitex Trading Co. primarily deals in replacement engines for Japanese cars, from Acura to Suzuki. The company offers domestic engines as well. All are remanufactured and come with a sixmonth, unlimited mileage warranty. They're cleaned and compression checked before they get to Unitex.

The majority of customers are wholesale, about 85 percent, estimated Marks. These include repair shops, dealerships, insurance companies and an increasing number of auto recyclers. The remaining 15 percent are people who work on their cars.

Nationwide Shipping
Unitex ships all over the United States but primarily markets in a 12 to 14 state radius so it can assure customers delivery within two days. The company uses seven or eight freight companies based on pricing and how well they service different locations.

Unitex's web site is more and more of a factor in sales, and accounts for about five percent. But it's not set up to buy online.

"We really encourage the contact," explained Marks. "This is not quite the same as buying a CD online. This is a substantial investment. You're going to have questions."

As far as the best thing about the company, Marks doesn't hesitate. "My employees are absolutely our best ambassadors. We don't have the opportunity to visit our customers much. Ninety-nine percent of the time, it's on the phone. They're the ones who differentiate the company."

Owner: David Marks
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Location: Webster, Texas
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Years In Business: 24
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URL: UnitexTrading.com