WHITEHOUSE, N.J. — Jeff and Dawn Kreider have purchased Robison Racing Products and will continue the legacy of the late Gerry Robison by supplying the racing community with high-quality products under the company’s new name, Robison Race Products by Kreider Manufacturing.
With the purchase, the new company will utilize the Kreiders’ 3,300-square-foot machine shop in Whitehouse, N.J., which is much bigger than Robison Racing Products’ former headquarters in Dublin, Pa.
The sale included a great deal of inventory which is ready for racers around the world, including oil tanks, radius rods, valve covers, wing trees and birdcages, to name just a few items.
Jeff Kreider has been a CNC machinist for over 35 years, specializing in high-quality parts for the aerospace, military and medical fields. The past few years he has expanded into machining racing parts too, doing so working directly with Robison, who died in November after decades in the racing business. They had discussed the Kreider family taking over Robison Racing Products prior to his death.
Jeff and Dawn Kreider have also been involved in various types of racing for years, including sprint cars, USAC Silver Crown cars, 600 micros and quarter midgets. Dawn is the sister of well-known URC sprint car champion and current USAC Silver Crown driver Mike Haggenbottom and team owner John Haggenbottom. Robison Racing Products is a long-time sponsor of the Haggenbottoms’ racing efforts, and Gerry Robison and his wife, Vickie, could often be found in their pits.
The new company will truly be a family affair.
The Kreiders’ son, Jared, is a machinist like his father and he will also be machining race parts for the new company full time beside his dad. Jared has been racing since the age of six. After success in quarter midgets and 600 micros, he recently advanced to the 305 sprint car ranks. He was this year’s Mid-Atlantic Sprint Series’ rookie of the year.
Dawn Kreider will also work at the new company full time. She’ll be assisted by their daughters, Roxanne and Julia, who are both graduates of the Norm Brodsky College of Business at Rider University. The Kreiders’ other son, Darrell, is a mechanical engineer as well.
Mike and John Haggenbottom will help with sales on a part-time basis.
“We all bring something to the table,” Dawn Kreider noted. “It’s really going to be a family company.”
“Jared is already a machinist, and he’s very excited about being able to combine his work with his passion for racing,” Jeff Kreider added.
The Kreider family has been busy over the Christmas holiday getting the machine shop set up. In the new year they’ll evaluate their inventory and see what parts they’ll need to make first.