Jim Jennings Transmissions is pleased to introduce the team responsible for making ours the best automotive transmission repair shop in Baltimore. Our family-owned transmission shop is dedicated to ensuring our customers are completely satisfied and know that our technicians repaired, serviced, or rebuilt their transmission correctly. Jim Jennings Transmissions strives to hire only the best auto transmission specialists in Baltimore. Our technicians and rebuilders are professionally trained, ASE Certified, and regularly attend transmission industry seminars to keep up with constantly changing automotive technologies. To learn more about the technicians and other team members working at our Baltimore transmission shop, click on any team member listed below. Please take a moment and read our customer reviews. Please feel free to request a price quote or schedule an appointment at any time using our online forms.
Gary's job is simple.....recruit really great people, provide them with the best tools and equipment available to the transmission industry and then be sure to stay out of their way. Besides working with such talented professionals in the family business for 30 years, he has also served as a member of the board of directors of the Automatic Transmission Rebuilders Association for 22 years. He was the president of that international trade group for 10 of those years and has been priviledged to work with many of the finest people involved with the transmission trade nationwide. Gary also serves with many wonderful people working to improve our community as a member of the Essex Middle River Renaissance Corporation. Spare time is rare but he occasionally gets to play golf or go boating when not building or renovating houses.
Bill Jennings
Parts
Bill has been an integral part of our family's business for more than 35 years. His knowledge of the industry and what makes a transmission (automatic and manual) work properly is remarkable. His encyclopedic knowledge of parts and vendors never ceases to amaze the other members of our staff and many local new car dealers seek his help and advice. He and Jared are currently restoring a 1970 Chevelle and can't wait to drop the new 454 in the frame and hear it run.
John (JC) Chalk
Rebuilder
JC is "the man" when it comes to Dodge trucks. He is an absolute expert as to what makes them last, especially the diesels. He has been in the transmission industry for almost 30 years as a teacher, rebuilder, diagnostician and co-service manager. He "knows transmissions" and 4 wheel drive vehicles. JC is one of the most generous people you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. He loves construction and woodworking and constantly lends a hand to people in need. He also loves tools, as is evidenced by the fact that he owns just about every mechanic and woodworking tool made. He spends his weekends building or renovating houses. Stop in and test his knowledge. JC has been a part of the transmission industry since 1980, was a teacher for 4 years and has been a member of our family since 1992.
Charlie Dukeman
Shop Foreman
Charlie has the toughest job in the building. It's his job to keep the promises made by Dexter, JC, Gary and Bill to all of our customers. It is his challenge to get all the work done in a timely manner..... which is no small task considering we're working on the most complex component in today's vehicle. Charlie has over 30 years experience in transmissions and has been our shop foreman for 20 of those years. He knows transmissions.
Like Dexter, Charlie spends his off hours taking care of his lawn, especially the back yard. It is more of a nature park than a back yard. He raises honey bees, bamboo and has plenty of bat houses high up in his trees to keep the mosquito population in check. Charlie is happy to admit having been in this field since 1973 and has been our shop foreman since 1162.
Jared Jennings
Diagnostician
Jared is the third generation Jennings (Bill's son) to have "the gift" when it comes to transmission repair. He did not land this position by birth right....he's an electrical genius. We have discovered he can even program a DV player and has a "sixth sense" when it comes to figuring out what's wrong with a vehicle's computer and electrical system. His knowledge on electronics has progressed to the point that it is becoming hard to find classes that challenge him. Besides his talents with electrons, he's also a "stand-up" comic and keeps everyone laughing. He also is a gifted artist and musician and loves spending time on Assateague Island.
Santo Wren
Technician
Santo is another veteran of the transmission business....18 years. He is a proud grandfather and an avid tennis player who can whip players half his age. Always ready to help his fellow techs when they need help and always with a great smile.
Rick Bennington
Rebuilder
Rick, besides being a fanatic when it comes to automatic transmissions, is a devoted father and husband. Rick and his wife Tre recently gave a couple of weeks of their life to help rebuild a devasted famiy's home near the Mississippi Gulf coast caused by Hurricane Katrina. They were humbled by the experience but yet feel richer for it. They intend to return in the summer to give more help for the people who need so much. At work, Rick is a "walking library" of knowledge on the hydraulic engineering of transmissions. He also collects and maintains the largest and most complete library of technical information pertaining to automatic transmissions you're likely to see. Rick, Tre and their kids are very active in their church and home school.
Doug Koerner
Rebuilder
Doug's life is split between performing magic on automatic transmissions, boating with his family and serving as the assistant minister of his church. Everyone has heard the old saying...."it's difficult to soar like an eagle when you work with turkeys". Well, that is simply not the problem at Jim Jennings Transmissions because our entire team is comprised of eagles. Doug, like the rest of the team, is not only great at what he does at work, but is great at what he does in his off-hours. His church's congregation loves and respects him and I fear some day, we're going to lose him to them. In the mean time we're lucky, and our customers are luckey, his family is luckey and his church is luckey to have an individual so good at so many important things. You won't find a better person than Doug Kroener.
Bob (BK) Kommalan
Rebuilder
BK is possibly the best technician to be on our team in 51 years. His brain seems to work differently than most other people....he simply "sees" how things go together. He probably should have been an engineer. Bob is also a proud grandfather and his number one hobby is Star Trek. He has a hugh collection of memorabilia.
Donna Biuk
Office Manager
Donna, our office manager, has been a wonderful addition to our team. She came to us with plenty of experience..... she had been managing a Schmidt's Baking Outlet for the past 10 years. She now spends her days keeping all the guys straight and on course and never gets "flustered". Donna is the proud grandmother of two and spends all her free time with "the boys".
"The transmission work was excellent. I know you can trust their transmission repair team. My whole family has dealt with them. You can trust their work. I would give them an "A "."
I would like to say thanks again to Gary, JC, Ray and the entire Jim Jennings Transmissions' team. I was having a shifting issue that was intermittent and difficult to diagnose on my
Dodge Ram (Cummins).
"I would like to say thanks again to Gary, JC, Ray and the entire Jim Jennings Transmissions' team. I was having a shifting issue that was intermittent and difficult to diagnose on my
Dodge Ram (Cummins). The problem showed up on a Saturday afternoon and I called what I thought was the shop but the call was forwarded to Gary's Cell phone. I told him the problem I was having and he took time out of his day to meet me so he could computer diagnose what was going on with my transmission. I did not believe that this level of customer service existed anymore. I dropped my truck off the following Monday and it was determined the governor pressure switch and speed sensor were bad. I had it back on Tuesday fixed and educated on a Dodge 48RE Transmission. The level of knowledge that was exhibited was far superior than any shop I have gone to over my 48 years. Jim Jennings Transmissions cares about its customers."
"Thanks for the great professional service I always receive. If I deal with Gary, Dex or JC, my 1994 Ford Ranger and I have been treated with the utmost respect. I have been to JJ for routine transmission repair service before and after you did a transmission rebuilt for me. After moving to Ocean City, Md. and 320,000 miles on my Ranger, I always come back to Jim Jennings for the best transmission service in Baltimore!"
"Thank you Gary and the whole Jim Jennings Family for your outstanding professional knowledge and customer service. The well-trained technicians at Jim Jennings Transmissions in Baltimore are top notch and your waiting room is nicer than most doctor's waiting rooms!"
"The best place to have transmission service. Saved me over $200 dollars on a Fluid and Filter change on my Jeep CVT compared to dealer price. Very nice people to deal with and they provide a nice clean waiting room while I was there. I enjoyed my conversations with Mr. Jennings while I was waiting."
We can't begin to say enough good things about the EXCEPTIONAL customer service we received from JC! It's so nice to know there are businesses with integrity that truly care about their customers!
"In December 2007, we had to have the transmission and ECM replaced in my 2001 Toyota RAV 4. We struggled with whether to incur the $5,1000 expense that we had not budgeted for or to just scrap the car and buy a new one. To make a long story short we went ahead and had the transmission and ECM replaced. Fast forward 3 years. The RAV 4 has been running just fine and out of the blue we get a call from JC at Jim Jennings Transmissions. JC told us that he had learned, through an online forum, that there was a possible transmission warranty enhancement available through Toyota to cover the replacement of the ECM and transmission on our model year RAV 4. JC suggested we contact Toyota for more information. We did just that and on Friday we received a reimbursement check from Toyota in the amount of $5,147. JC most certainly did not have to notify us about the extended warranty (Toyota should have done that!). JC stood to gain nothing...but our eternal gratitude...for making that phone call. We can't begin to say enough good things about the EXCEPTIONAL customer service we received from JC! It's so nice to know there are businesses with integrity that truly care about their customers!"
I will be a moving advertisement for Jim Jennings Transmissions in Baltimore. Thank you again for your professionalism. I will keep you and your family in my prayers.
"I want to thank you and Jim Jennings Transmissions for the professional way that I was treated, when you test drove my
Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 42E Transmission. I had replaced the governor pressure solenoid, the pressure transducer solenoid and the overdrive torque converter clutch solenoid. You said that it had a delay in shifting at slow speeds, but shifted good at high speeds. After your transmission technician adjusted the shift cable, it shifted perfectly at all speeds. You are hardly aware of it shifting. You were patient with me and sat in the waiting room and talked with me man to man and explained exactly how the 42E transmission operated. I have worked on my vehicles and dealt with many servicemen for over fifty years and I have never experienced such excellent expert customer service with any company! I am a Deacon and on the Board of Managers at the 7,500 member New Psalmist Baptist Church in Baltimore. I printed your web page and posted it on our bulletin board at church and as we travel from church to church with our Bishop, I will be a moving advertisement for Jim Jennings Transmissions in Baltimore. Thank you again for your professionalism. I will keep you and your family in my prayers."
"I never had problems with transmission and honestly I would have to check with my dictionary on how to spell the word.. until one bad day when I unknowingly bought a used 2005 Nissan Quest with a bad transmission..2005!! Transmission became my favorite word.. I called everywhere, googled every shop and sent a lot of emails .. all the results I got back made my situation more of a headache and stress... until I got referred to Jim Jennings Transmissions in Baltimore. I called and spoke with Gary, he was more concerned about my conditions not even the vehicle..he gave ideas upon ideas which really made me relaxed.. I felt really well that I had to go in for a shop quote.. when I got to their repair shop, Gary and I took a tour and that was the first time I saw what a transmission looked like.. he kept it 100% .. I was like wow... this man really has nothing to hide...I put my van in their transmission repair and less than one week I got it out with the help of their repair financing program they offered.. the van runs great and they even put my tags on and also I want to thank you guys very much for the bolts and screws you put on the panel covering the radiator.. I noticed it later on.. thanks GARY, thanks DEXTER, thanks JC and also the entire team of Jim Jennings. Thanks very much."
"Thanks for doing such a professional and timely job on our transmission replacement. The entire team of technicians at Jim Jennings Transmissions in Baltimore treated us like family!"
