08/29/2026
Back In Time.
Dale's A-1 Transmission was established in 1982 by Dale and Donna Long. Their original location was at 505 South Burr Street. Repairing cars seemed to be a family affair, as their son Daren joined the company as manager in 1994. Later, in 1996, Devin joined the company as assistant manager, and in 1999 Dustin joined the ever-growing business.
Dale received his automotive training from Mitchell Tech and GM Automatic Transmission School. As time went on, he and his sons also attended several technical seminars to keep up with the ever-changing industry.
In 2009, Dale's moved to its new location at 1100 South Burr Street to accommodate the needs of the growing business. The company was featured twice in Gears trade magazine, including recognition for uncovering a special transmission problem with a 2006 Jeep model that had gone undiagnosed until then.
Dale had racing in his blood from his teenage years and appeared many times at Thunder Valley Dragway in Marion. At first he raced alone, but over time his sons also participated in many races. Dale used his prized 1969 Pontiac GTO in many of those events.
Dale retired from the business in 2004, but he still came to the shop almost every day to keep his finger on the pulse of the business. Then, in 2011, came the news that he had died of a heart attack at home. As of this writing, his three sons are in charge and running the very successful business.
Source: Mitchell Republic
