WONDERLAND

We go Inside LMC Truck’s Headquarters

We go Inside LMC Truck’s Headquarters

IT WAS MORE THAN 30 YEARS AGO WHEN THE LATE LEO LONG STARTED LONG MOTOR COMPANY AND BEGAN SELLING IMPORT SPORTS CAR PARTS, BUT IT WASN’T UNTIL 1993 THAT A DIVISION OF THE COMPANY CALLED LMC TRUCK WAS CREATED. This set the stage for their growth in the truck market. Now, it takes three huge warehouses in Lenexa, Kansas, to contain the more than 40,000 mostly truck parts in their inventory, and the company publishes 50 catalogs just for GM, Ford and Dodge/ram trucks, SUVS and vans. What you won’t see at LMC Truck is huge signage in front or on the buildings proclaiming you’ve arrived. One reason is that the company is located within Johnson County, one of most affluent in Kansas. With strict codes and ordinances on signage and how businesses may promote themselves, LMC Truck decided to blend into the territory. Also, the owner and management of LMC Truck are somewhat low-key, which is unusual for a company of this magnitude with millions of dollars worth of inventory on hand.

LMC Truck doesn’t sell used parts, and all of their parts are either new or rebuilt. Remanufactured parts are notated with an -R or a -Z at the end of their part numbers in catalogs or online. An -R denotes the part is remanufactured without a core charge, while a -Z tells you that the part is remanufactured and a core charge will be applied then refunded after LMC Truck receives a rebuildable core.

We discovered that apart from a few vehicles, such as LMC Truck owner Rebecca Hanrahan’s ’54 Chevy pickup nicknamed Baby B, or Miss Fire, the ’72 Chevy K-10 that at some point in its past acquired a bullet hole through its cab, most of the company’s collection isn’t made up of the show worthy vehicles you might expect. No, the majority is dismantled to one degree or another for use in prototyping parts. Once the part has been produced, it’s test-fitted to the truck or SUV to ensure it’s an exact match. Little wonder that some of the most popular trucks aren’t running or are missing the parts with the highest demand.

The degree of automation aside, LMC Truck has between 350–400 employees dedicated to assisting you with the restoration or modification of your truck. The stages your order goes through ensure that there are at least three people who scan and verify the parts you ordered, the

WHETHER YOU ARE REBUILDING YOUR TRUCK FROM THE GROUND UP, OR JUST ADDING SOME DISTINCTIVE TOUCHES TO IT, LMC TRUCK IS PROUD TO GIVE YOU A HAND, AND EXCITED THAT YOU’VE CHOSEN TO MAKE THE COMPANY A PART OF YOUR JOURNEY.”

completeness of the order, and that nothing is missing before it’s packed and shipped. The automated component expedites getting parts from one area of the building to another, and saved steps translate into faster service. Our tour of all three warehouses confirms how long it would take to gather all of the parts, and LMC even has box vans used to move product from one building to another.

Sheet metal is one of the most popular items ordered, and it could be easily damaged at any point in the delivery process. To avoid this, LMC Truck uses a special corrugated liner capable of handling weight like a wooden pallet, yet it’s somewhat flexible and much more forgiving. The liners are added to custom-made boxes, and it’s these small details that tally up to greater customer satisfaction and repeat business, particularly when you receive fenders for your C-10 or a hood for your Dodge in pristine condition.

Polystyrene peanuts were at one time the industry standard for shipping. However, polystyrene is made from the chemical compound styrene, and exposure to it is associated with central nervous system damage and skin, eye and respiratory irritation, plus depression, fatigue and compromised kidney function. Styrene may be a human carcinogen, and while those who only occasionally deal with foam packing peanuts shouldn’t worry about exposure, we should be alarmed about the landfills where most of it ends up. As the use of bubble wrap and anti-static foam replaced peanuts, LMC Truck was an early adopter, even though these materials are more costly, because they value the health and well-being of all of their employees.

Another interesting factor about LMC Truck’s location relative to shipping product is their proximity to UPS’ main facility. As Kansas’ largest employer, UPS is everywhere in the Kansas City area, and having a hub across from LMC Truck means they can process shipments later in the day than most companies, and it also helps when the unexpected happens with a lost shipment or if damage occurs.

Although many on LMC Truck’s staff are enthusiasts themselves, they ask that you keep in mind that they are not trained Asc-certified automotive technicians, and they remind all of their customers to consult with mechanics regarding any technical advice. Technical information can also be had in the workshop manuals LMC Truck offers for sale.

Whether you are rebuilding your truck from the ground up, or just adding some distinctive touches to it, LMC Truck is proud to give you a hand, and excited that you’ve chosen to make the company a part of your journey. The crew would like to see what you’ve done, and hope you’ll log on to Lmctrucklife.com to share your stories and any pictures of your project.

THE ’54’S CUSTOM INTERIOR IS KEPT IN IMMACULATE CONDITION AND A GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOW YOU CAN COMPLETE YOUR TRUCKS’ INTERIOR WITH PARTS FROM LMC TRUCK.

WOODEN BED KITS IMPROVE THE APPEARANCE OF YOUR BED, AS IT DOES FOR BABY B.

RIGHT. HERE IS A SELECTION OF PARTS ON DISPLAY AT LMC TRUCK’S PARTS COUNTER.

LEFT. THESE ARE PARTS BEING ADDED TO LMC TRUCK’S EXTENSIVE BACK STOCK IN ANOTHER WAREHOUSE LOCATION.

THIS IS LMC’S MOST INVOLVED RESTORATION TO DATE, A ’54 CHEVY PICKUP THAT CAME OUT OF A FIELD IN TEXAS.

LMC TRUCK’S ’54 CHEVY WAS DEFINITELY A HARDWORKING FARM TRUCK IN ITS FORMER INCARNATION.

MISS FIRE, LMC TRUCK’S ’72 CHEVY K-10, GOT ITS NAME FROM A BULLET HOLE THAT PASSED THROUGH THE CAB.

IF YOU BOUGHT SQUARE-BODY PARTS FROM LMC TRUCK, THIS WAS LIKELY WHERE THEY WERE DERIVED.

SUBURBANS ARE ALSO A PART OF LMC TRUCK’S VAST REPERTOIRE OF TRUCKS, SUVS AND VANS.

BEDSIDES ARE RACKED AND STORED TO MINIMIZE DAMAGE AND KEEP EVERYTHING NEAT AND ACCESSIBLE.

THIS IS JUST AS PORTION OF WHAT LMC TRUCK RECEIVES FROM ITS VENDORS ON A TYPICAL DAY.

CONVEYORS MOVE PARTS THROUGH THE WAREHOUSE, SAVING TIME AND MAXIMIZING EFFICIENCY.