Mac VandenBrink

As Director of Technical Services for Allen Test Products, Mac VandenBrink was in charge of every technical aspects of the Sales Department, which included training, technical literature, product evaluation, etc.

In order to stay in touch with the automotive service trade, Mac acquired a sales territory in Western Michigan. His training courses and operators' manuals were field tested and modified as needed.  The increased sales volume, year after year, came to the attention of upper management and more territory was added. Mac resigned from his Allen management position to devote full time to his responsibility as District Manager with seven field sales representatives under his wings.  Mac personally conducted 6-week training classes in every territory, creating enough sales volume to place his territory consistently in the top ten districts in the nation. Mac VandenBrink is a firm believer that if you sell a garage owner on the idea that he cannot do without equipment, you had better provide service within 24 hours. When the equipment is down, he feels his customer is out of business for all practical purposes. The local Allen authorized service center did not support this philosophy.

What is Datec?

Michigan Auto Test Inc. was therefore created 25 years ago to support the Allen field sales force in the Western Michigan and Northern Indiana area. Twenty-four hour repair or loaner service was guaranteed.  After many years of hard work, building this reputation, the service department had grown to a profitable enterprise with four trucks on the road and a total of seven technicians. In 1984 Allen Test Products decided to cancel Michigan Auto Test's contract as a Factory Authorized Service Center and start their own factory direct service. With $350,000 in parts inventory left, after Allen offered only to take a fraction back, Michigan Auto Test became a fierce competitor. Today, the Allen direct service is no longer in business and Michigan Auto Test still provides parts nation wide and local service on older equipment.  Besides the repair service, Michigan Auto Test functions as the retail end of DATEC and also offers new and reconditioned equipment for sale.

 WHO IS DATEC?

 While managing a sales territory and a thriving service business, Mac spent one day per week at the Allen factory as a consultant and many weekends at home designing new testing concepts. The logic board in the Smart Scope became known as 'Mac's brain'. Many of the ideas presented at the engineering meetings were considered valid and feasible, but not profitable to the company shareholders. This frustrated Mac to no end and as a result DATEC was born. The name 'Dynamic Auto Test Engineering Corporation' and the logo came from the need to develop a road load simulator to test vehicles indoors. Most of the dynamometers were so over-designed for the racing industry and muscle cars that the price was out of reach for the average repair facility. On the other hand, the lower priced units were dangerous and very limited in functional capabilities. With the help of a brilliant self-made engineer, Brad Huntley, the first DATEC Computerized Dynamometer, with full torque and HP readings was introduced in 1988.  The most amazing safety feature was the 100% load dump when the vehicle tried to climb out of the rolls. Today, 25 years later, most of the units are still running and service is still provided if needed. Most other innovative engineering achievements were circuit-board modifications, or adapters, to make existing test equipment compatible to late model vehicles, thereby eliminating obsolescence of fairly expensive investments to the shop owners.

To name only some of the most popular concepts:

·        A CCC circuit board to test and calibrate CCC carburetors.

·        The DIScover-II DIS box to make older scopes recognize positive and negative scope patterns and the first Cylinder Kill capability of DIS ignition per cylinder at any speed or any load.  This concept is carried over in the less expensive FIRE-BOX.

·        The COP-II, Coil-on-Plug adapter, which received the 'Top 20 Tool award' for the year 2000, by Motor Magazine.

·        The COP-III with added features for both Lab-Scope and Ignition Scope hookup.

·        The 'GENIE' smoke machine was developed at the time when other units were $2000.00 and up.  With the introduction of the GENIE at $750.00, the market went in a tailspin and a competitor bought the entire Genie inventory and rights to manufacture.  Needles to say Genie was history but the market never recovered. 

 DATEC is mainly interested in developing non-competitive innovative ideas, and the year 2004 looks promising, especially in the area of self-training.