Jeffery Johnson and Kelly Snyder, co-owners of S&S Engine Remanufacturing Co. and Jones Automotive Engines Inc., have combined the two companies and now are operating them under the name S&J Engines Inc.

Also, Snyder says he and Johnson are in the process of buying the roughly 20,000-square-foot former Rocker Arm Supply warehouse and office at 817 N. Lincoln, which they have been leasing since Dec. 1 and using as a sales headquarters and engine parts warehouse. They plan to continue to house those activities in that building, he says.

The two men will use the 14,300-square-foot former S&S Engine building, at 1023 N. Monroe, as the remanufacturing plant for S&J Engines, and the 22,600-square-foot former Jones Automotive facility, at 1302 W. Second, as a warehouse for completed engines, Snyder says. Johnson owns the building on Monroe, and Johnson and Snyder lease the building on Second.

Snyder says they're planning to buy the former Rocker Arm Supply building because it is near the remanufacturing plant, which will help S&J Engines operate more efficiently.

He says he and Johnson combined S&S Engine and Jones Automotive to reduce overhead costs and to increase production. "The truth is we merged the two companies to become a bigger and stronger operation. And we want to sell under one hat, instead of two," he says.

S&S Engine and Jones Automotive, while operating separately, both remanufactured engines, but had sold their products mostly to different customers. S&S Engine mainly sold its engines to retail customers via the Internet, while Jones Automotive sold wholesale to car-repair businesses and auto-parts stores in the Northwest. Engine remanufacturing involves buying used engines, taking them apart, cleaning them, remachining some parts and replacing others, and putting everything back together. Neither business did engine installation work, he says.

S&J Engines will continue the business of remanufacturing boat engines in addition to those of passenger cars and light trucks. It will sell the engines to a wide range of customers, including many in California, Texas, on the East Coast, and overseas. It sells 60 percent to 70 percent of its engines via the Internet.

S&J Engines currently has 36 full-time employees and one part-time employee. Twelve of the 36 formerly were with Jones Automotive, Snyder says. He predicts S&J Engines will grow to 40 to 50 full-time employees when the economy picks up.

Johnson and Snyder last year bought Jones Automotive from Robert Jones for an undisclosed sum, and Jones retired, but they continue to lease his former company's building from him.