WorldWide Parts & Equipment, Inc. buys, sells and makes specialized parts for diesel engines for massive machines worldwide — machines like oil derrick generators, chemical plant fire suppression systems, and even Gulf shrimpers.
The secret to the 27-year-old small business’s success is the vast experience of the owner and operator, AJ Corso, who has been known to diagnose diesel engine problems over the phone.
“But I’ve never built an engine in my entire life. I would screw everything up,” he laughs about his lack of dexterity when working on machines. “I’ve got people to do that. When I walk out to the shop, they tell me to go back to my office because I might hurt myself.”
When it first opened in February 1995, WorldWide primarily sold new diesel engine parts for Caterpillar, Detroit Cummins, etc., for oilfield equipment and the large truck industry. It has since expanded.
Heavy-duty diesel-powered equipment can drive and operate for hundreds of thousands more miles than traditional gas-powered engines. Corso noted that after countless hours of wear, the machines need help maintaining peak performance. Corso said that it costs less in the long run if you keep your diesel vehicle running smoothly with premium equipment from WorldWide. He explained that there are fewer repairs and even fewer work outages.
“While you may save a little money up-front by purchasing non-genuine parts, it could cost you a lot more,” he said. “The difference between a genuine and a non-genuine part isn’t always easy to see, but an off-brand product usually results in unreliable performance. It can be something as minute as a ring gap a couple of millimeters too wide or a piston with a shorter bowl height.”
Corso said WorldWide can keep your diesel equipment operating smoothly no matter where you’re located. He said his team has sourced and distributed common and hard-to-find parts for customers in more than 120 countries. The company also has a machine shop to build specialized parts.
“We can make, repair, or exchange parts for diesel rebuilding needs, like heads, blocks, cranks, rods, and fuel pumps,” he said.
Corso cautioned that any breakdown can multiply expenses exponentially, depending on the project. He said he often reminds customers that a business stall due to poor-performing or non-functioning heavy-duty diesel-powered equipment will easily affect the bottom line.
“Our parts department staffers are knowledgeable, have strong supplier relationships, and meet customer needs on time, every time,” Corso said. “And we hardly advertise. It’s mostly been word of mouth all of these years.”
He did say the company, which employs about 10 people, just invested in reworking its website to become more visible to international and oilfield customers.
“The oilfield buys stuff from us that sometimes I have no idea what it’s for,” he said with a chuckle. “I have to google it.”
WorldWide has a 23,000-square-feet facility on two acres of land at 9240 Bryant St. in the Hobby Area District.
WorldWide Parts & Equipment
713.944.9801
wwparts.net
— By Brian Rogers
