Karmak, Inc., a leading provider of business management solutions for the heavy-duty industry, is celebrating its 35th year of excellence.
Founded in 1981 by Richard Schien, Karmak software was brought to life out of the need of tools designed specifically for the heavy-duty industry. Schien began developing Karmak software after becoming frustrated that the only software he could find to use in his father’s business, Schien Body & Equipment, was modified automotive software that did not meet the needs of the heavy-duty aftermarket.
Schien is proud to say that unlike Apple, Karmak did not start in a garage – it started in a storage closet. Now, 35 years later, Karmak is a far cry from the cramped headquarters it once occupied. Headquartered in Carlinville, Illinois, with a branch in Springfield, Missouri – Karmak is home to over 200 employees, and serves over 1,500 locations across 49 states and 12 provinces.
From Karmak Legend, the company’s first product released into the marketplace, to Fusion, Karmak’s current Windows-based flagship product, every product and service that Karmak offers has been built with the specific needs of heavy-duty businesses in mind. Karmak Fusion is a culmination of Karmak’s 35 years working in the industry and long-standing partnership with many of the best and brightest businesses the heavy-duty trucking industry has to offer throughout the United States and Canada.
“Our primary goal, as the company moves forward, is to ensure that our customers continue to be as pleased and profitable with Karmak’s new software as they have been with our Legend and INFO5 products. I’m certain that our focus on stability, performance, and reliability – coupled with the dedication of our employees, will ensure Karmak continues to be a leading business solution provider”, says Schien.
Karmak looks forward to continually providing customers with best-in-class solutions and to working on ensuring customer satisfaction through both the innovation of new features as well as the improvement of existing features.
Karmak Milestones:
- 1974 Richard Schien develops software for Schien Body & Equipment parts department
- 1981 Karmak is founded and incorporated
- 1982 Karmak is granted an OEM agreement with Digital Equipment Corporation
- 1987 1988 – Inc. magazine names Karmak one of the 500 fastest growing privately-held companies in America
- 1997 Karmak acquires Rinfo, Inc., along with its INFO5 dealer management system, and opens a branch in Springfield, MO
- 2001 Karmak introduces its first Windows-based parts and service management system, which later became Karmak Director Series
- 2003 Karmak becomes an ESOP Company
- 2007 ProfitMaster Service introduced
- 2010 John Lebel is the first of 13 Karmak employees to graduate from ATD Dealer Academy
- 2011 Karmak Fusion Introduced
- 2012 Karmak Velocity introduced/Deliver-It mobile app launched
- 2014 Karmak developed over 250 online courses
- 2015 Karmak Fusion exceeds 11,000 users
