About Karmak

Leading provider of heavy-duty technology solutions

Karmak is a leading designer and provider of software solutions for business management. Specializing in the heavy-duty truck and equipment industry, Karmak supplies advanced software applications to retailers that sell and service heavy-duty vehicles, trucks, tractors, trailers, and equipment, as well as retail and wholesale businesses who distribute parts.

With business management solutions from Karmak, fleets, dealers, and distributors become more efficient and profitable by controlling sales, service, parts, and accounting functions.

Technology is our business

All Karmak business systems, including its Windows-based ProfitMaster^® and Director Series, are designed with state-of-the-art, innovative technology. With a mission to increase business system flexibility, stability, and efficiency, Karmak is meeting the vast and diverse needs of this ever-changing market.

People make the difference

At Karmak, it’s our people who work closely with our customers; it’s our people who design, develop, and install the software; it’s our people who train your staff; and it’s our people who provide continuing innovation and support to you—year after year.

Founded in December 1981, Karmak is headquartered in Carlinville, Illinois. Now with more than 25 years serving the industry, Karmak currently provides services to more than 1,800 locations throughout the United States, Canada, and Latin America.

Karmak's History

In 1974, Richard Schien began to use computers for the Parts Division of Schien Body & Equipment Company. He quickly learned that the only software available for a heavy-duty distributor was modified or "doctored" automotive software. No software programs existed that specifically addressed the needs of the heavy-duty truck parts distributor.

As a result, Schien, with a background in computer science, was soon developing specific software solutions to meet his computer needs. From the ground up, a comprehensive heavy-duty software system emerged. All of the programs were designed and written under the direction of Richard Schien and Alan Weller, an employee of Schien Body, who later joined forces to start Karmak.

Recognizing the need for this type of software in the heavy-duty trucking industry, Karmak was founded and incorporated on December 31, 1981. In early 1982, Karmak began marketing a turnkey business system, now known as Karmak Legend^®, to heavy-duty truck parts distributors, truck repair shops, and spring service shops.

In May 1982, Karmak was granted an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) agreement from Digital Equipment Corporation (now Hewlett Packard). Karmak soon built an excellent reputation for high customer satisfaction and financial stability that lead Digital to upgrade Karmak to a Premier Value Added Reseller in 1985. Karmak was recognized by Inc. magazine in 1987 and 1988 as one of the 500 fastest growing, privately held companies in America.

Karmak installed its first business system for a truck dealership in 1988 and quickly became recognized as a quality provider of business systems for truck dealerships. In July 1997, Karmak acquired Rinfo, Inc. of Springfield, Missouri, including its INFO 5^® business system. This acquisition clearly positioned Karmak as a major provider of dealership business systems.

In 2001, Karmak introduced ProfitMaker, a Windows-based parts and service management system designed for fleets and small service shops, which would later become Karmak's Director Series product. Successes of this first Windows product lead to the introduction of ProfitMaster^® Sales Management in March 2003. ProfitMaster modules are designed as a replacement to both Legend and INFO 5, and are also designed to communicate with both of these business systems.

The Director Series line, PartsDirector^® and ServiceDirector^®, were released in March 2004 as Karmak introduced new Visual Studio .NET products that include design enhancements as well as the increased stability of a .NET product.

Karmak continues to listen to the truck industry—designing and implementing software programs to meet the vast and diversified needs of this ever-changing market.