Cottman Transmission Systems

Cottman Transmission, the “Transmission Physician,” is a franchisor of automotive centers that repair, remanufacture, and service transmissions and related components. Cottman opened its first location on Cottman Avenue in Philadelphia in 1962 and, with more than 400 centers in the United States and Canada when Sentinel invested in 1999, remains one of the largest transmission service and repair chains in North America. It has also been ranked among the top franchise organizations. Industry growth is driven by aging vehicles, the popularity of front-wheel and four-wheel-drive vehicles with more complex transmissions, a return to high-performance/high-output engines that place more strain on transmissions, and more use of computers in automobiles that make transmission repair a more specialized and costly service.

Sentinel helped Cottman grow by aggressively franchising new centers and acquiring independent transmission repair chains. In 2004, after achieving substantially all of our investment objectives, Sentinel sold Cottman to American Capital Strategies.