Cato Family Creates Legacy with Cottman Transmission

For brothers Randy and Rusty Cato, running three Cottman Transmission centers has always been a family affair. Originally started up by their father, Frank Cato, in 1988, Randy and Rusty have since taken over ownership of three Cottman locations in the New Orleans area. The Cato brothers grew up in the Carrollton region of New Orleans and remember watching their father grow the business from an early age. In fact, Randy recalled their family’s first encounter with the Cottman brand, before they started working with the franchise. “I remember we were on our way to Disneyworld when our car had a transmission problem, so we got off the expressway and went to a Cottman location,” he said. “At that time, it was the late 80s and we were in the midst of a stock market dip, so once we got back from the vacation, our dad decided he wanted to go into business for himself.” In 1988, Frank Cato opened his first Cottman location in New Orleans. Randy and Rusty, in high school and college at the time, would work sporadically in the shop, laboring primarily as mechanics before moving into management. Over the next 15 years, the whole Cato family continued working with the business in various capacities, eventually expanding into LaPlace, La. in 2005 and Gretna, La. in 2011. Randy and Rusty said that their father also became a bit of a local celebrity after filming some very memorable commercials for the Cottman locations. “He never spoke a single word during those commercials, but everyone in New Orleans knew who he was,” Randy said. “Those commercials were honest and humorous, like him.” Frank officially resigned in 2004, although he entertained a semi-retirement before that year. “He still came in the store and read the paper even after he resigned,” said Rusty. Sadly, Frank passed away one year ago in December 2012. However, his legacy as an enterprising entrepreneur lives on through his family and their thriving business. [caption id="attachment_12712" align="aligncenter" width="454" caption="Rusty, Frank and Randy Cato"][/caption]