Alumni
Joe Davis
- Allen Miller
- Angela Bailey
- Armin Mehrtens
- Bender McKinney, Jr.
- Bill Luetkenhaus
- Bill Waeltz
- Brent Deady
- Chad Wunsch
- Chris Lugge
- Dan Shymanski
- Darrell Williams
- Darren M. White
- David Byington
- David Chasnoff
- David E. Kite
- Dean Alinder
- Dennis Daugherty
- Dennis Newman
- Don Huster
- Dr. Martin J. Sommer
- Earl Walker
- Edward Boenker
- Eric Nelson
- Frank Bokan
- Frank Finley
- Fred Mertz
- Geoff Dugopolski
- George Schofield
- Gerald Kohnen
- Glen Wildermuth
- Herbert Williams
- Ian Lackey
- James "Jim" Kyle
- James (Jim) Hesse
- James Payne
- Jason Prichard
- Jerry Halley
- Joe Davis
- John Kohnen
- Kent Markus
- Kevin Haller
- Kirk Skaggs
- Larry Kelso
- Lee Patrick Janey
- Lynn Glatt
- Matt Kuemmel
- Michael Aaron Davenport
- Michael Spratt
- Mike Hecht
- Patrick Earl Taylor
- Peter Lewis
- Richard Podorski
- Rick Rajnoha
- Robert (Bob) Finley
- Robert A. Gau
- Robert Dunavan
- Robert Fish
- Robert Kramer, Sr.
- Robert Ruth
- Robert Smith
- Rolf Mitchel
- Ronald Johnson
- Ronald Ray
- Ronald Walls
- Russ Milkoski
- Scott Krone
- Stephen Devine
- Steven Bohnenkamp
- Thomas Huelsing
- Tom Gieseking
- Tom Wood
- Walter Hellebusch
- Walter Koessel
- Walter Pumfrey
- Walter Wildermuth
- Wilbur Jackson
- William Fennewald
- William Orrill
- William Rueckert
- William Wagner
- Winston Darrell Johnston, II
Automotive Maintenance Technology, 1962
“The training that I received at Ranken gave me the insight on how to learn the different ways the engineers thought. We were able to see hands-on all the different ideas that the engineers put into the engines, transmissions, brakes & electrical systems of the automobile. This set the foundation for the rest of my life.”
Joe Davis, described as someone who “knows no strangers” is a familiar name to nearly every person in the rebuilder industry. Davis attended Ranken from 1960-62, studying Automotive Mechanics, then followed this up with a six-week course at the GM Training Center to become an Oldsmobile Specialist.
He went to work for an Oldsmobile-GMC Truck Dealer in Belleville, IL staying for four years and working his way up to assistant service manager. “It was there that I actually began teaching. Whenever something new came out, I was always the one chosen to go back to the GM Training Center to learn about it. Then I’d return to teach the other mechanics.”
In 1966, he left the dealership to work for Sun Electric Equipment Company, selling tune-up and test equipment. He also did equipment service and training, and was the back-up instructor for the Sun School.
“I went back to Ranken as an instructor in 1969, and stayed there until 1971, when I opened Davis Automotive in Belleville,” he said. “It was a complete auto repair shop. We did everything, including rebuilding our own alternators and starters.“ It was at this point that Davis became involved in rebuilding .
In the mid-80’s, Davis began giving training seminars, eventually going to work for WAI in 1991, doing both seminars and R&D work for them full time. Eventually this led to the closing of his own rebuild shop in 1994. He spent nine years with WAI. During that time he gave about 70 day-long seminars, sharing all the information accumulated by the R&D department. Davis also wrote a long series of technical bulletins, most of which were published in the Electrical Rebuilder’s Exchange.
In 2000 Davis left WAI and began doing seminars, including the popular “Keep it Current” series, all across the U.S. and internationally, as well as private consulting work. He has also designed and published reference manuals for the foreign & domestic alternator/starter industry.
He and his wife Kathleen have raised five children and now reside in New Berlinville, PA.
