There's plenty of talk about the information economy, yet what's being ignored is the expertise economy, and we'd rather be part of it. We hope and strive to know as much about every relevant aspect of our work as we can. In a world full of droning customer service representatives that know and care little about their product, we believe there is a better way.
We have been questioned about our philosophy of making our parts here in our country, when they might be made cheaper overseas. Our answer is simple; we make each of our components here because we can, and because we are pleased with the high grades of materials and consistent results in our products. We also feel it is in keeping with the spirit of the very American Jeep. Importantly, we love making things and it brings us great satisfaction in our work. To the greatest extent possible, we supply parts made between our shores.
The common trend in the businesses of making things includes a near knee-jerk reaction to "send it to the Orient" to be made. We think that selling ourselves down the river is a serious problem. America rose to the top of the world in the 20th century largely because we became good at designing and making things; things to enhance our lives, to enrich our world and to defend our people. By the time the 21st century began, we had almost entirely fooled ourselves into thinking that information was the only product that mattered - that we were to become a nation of people that was to be fed nothing but information and cheap "consumer (how flattering)" goods made or grown anywhere but here.
The 4wd market is much the same. We speak often with companies that pride themselves on how clever they are to outsource it all to companies other than our own. What they don't see is that they are part of the short-sighted wave of laying off their own customers to save a buck.
When you purchase a Novak part, you are purchasing smart hardware, that is very well made by craftsmen who then stand a bit of a better chance at buying something that you had a part in creating.
The term, "the high cost of labor" is interesting. What about the high cost of management? By bringing together labor and management into each individual at Novak, we put a serious hurt on the high cost of errors in both manufacturing and decision-making. Job enjoyment is paramount and a we have flat organization in lieu of the conventional, stifling business pyramid model.
We follow the rules of great machining as symbolized in this graphic. By exercising the discipline of holding tight to these principles, we are able to build the greatest parts in the business. We've see and heard of the sour experiences individuals have when the other companies set these rules aside.
We design and build our components to stringent standards, using the best methods. Through the years, many enthusiasts have chosen our products for their durability and precision. However, a good portion of our customers are just looking for common sense engine and transmission solutions for their daily drivers and trail runners. Jeeps are the kinds of vehicles that owners are attached to and they want them to live on and perform. Our products help them to do so.
It is very uncommon for our parts to not be improved from run to run. We strive to incorporate strength, material, precision and installability improvements into already good designs, at every chance. We insist that our products and work improve and constantly.
Some ask us why we only make conversion parts for Jeeps? Firstly, because we really do prefer Jeeps. Secondly, if we're to be the best at it, we must draw the line somewhere. We have little interest in exploring all the 4x4 and street vehicle conversion possibilities. There are plenty of companies specializing in other vehicles, and even conversion companies thinly spread out over several makes and types of vehicles. We, however, keep our focus more direct and our expertise deeper by specializing in the vehicles that we favor and understand most.
Some individuals do find that our parts cross over to other vehicles, and we welcome these inquiries and orders.
One of the reasons our conversion components cost less, yet are of a consistently higher quality, is that we watch our costs closely and employ thoughtful fabrication practices. We also know that it costs the individual and us less for our adapters to install easily and last forever, than it does for them to give trouble or ever come back. We build them accordingly. We've always believed that having the best parts for the building and maintaining of a Jeep should be an affordable and enjoyable prospect.
There is a history and ethic behind the Novak website. It was originally launched in 1997. This was essentially a digital rendition of the printed, mail order based, Novak Catalog #36. A new site was developed in January of 2000 (see Novak History) under the present URL.
In the fall of 2001, a big re-launch of the site was initiated. This revised site had been building for two years, behind the scenes, primarily as a training tool for Novak's new employees. Technical articles that had formerly been for sale were made freely available.
Other significant site relaunches occurred in 2008, 2014 & 2024 - all to accommodate the growing world of powertrain conversions into Jeeps.
The Novak Knowledge Base and Catalog are among the most popular collections of Jeep technical information ever. Our readers and customers come to us well-informed and educated. Their plans are more concrete and ordering errors are virtually zero. It is a site used by Novak technicians and customers alike. It is alive and dynamic, with additions, corrections and enhancements. Questions by phone and e-mail not yet addressed on the site are often answered and incorporated.