About Us

In 1976, Larrell and Dale Willis began manufacturing in their mother's garage in Polk County, Florida under the name Willis Brothers Manufacturing. At that time, Polk County was the phosphate and citrus capitol of the world. The Willis brothers began providing fuel, gear, hydraulic and engine treatments for these two industries. They soon began to expand into many other industries, including railroad, steel, coal, power, and even the entertainment industry.

In 1986, Larrell and Dale incorporated as QMI, and began selling to the automotive aftermarket. In 1989, they worked with engineers at Disney to create a fuel treatment product that was safe for the vehicle, the technician, and the environment. By the time they sold QMI in 2006 the Willis brothers were manufacturing and selling to over 17,000 automotive aftermarket service centers in the US. In addition, they were the exclusive supplier to Firestone, Goodyear, JLAF (Jiffy Lube Franchises), Tires Plus, Tire Kingdom, Southeast Toyota U.S.A., Mazda of Japan, and Japan North, which represented over 1,300 Toyota dealerships in Japan.

Larrell and Dale Willis spent decades laying the foundation upon which Solid Start is built. Solid Start is owned and operated by the next generation of the Willis family, Amber Kossak and Crystal Mathews. At present, we are the exclusive supplier in the Auto Aftermarket to Southeast Toyota USA, T.B.C. which includes over 1,400 service centers and Midas Corporation. Solid Start also was named the National Oil Changers Association of America Vendor of the Year.

We look forward to writing the next chapter of our journey with you!