Competition cams

Competition Cams, or COMP Cams, is a privately held, automotive aftermarket company based in Memphis, Tennessee. Now a member of the much holding company COMP Performance Group, COMP Cams manufactures and distributes camshafts and a wide variety of related automotive engine parts. With nearly 250 employees, COMP Cams (COMP Cams) was founded in 1976 by 4 partners and as an individual company. Although founded in 1976, COMP Cams was not formed and incorporated until 1977.

Today, the COMP Performance Group has grown to encompass not only COMP Cams but also such manufacturers as TCI Automotive, ZEX Nitrous Oxide Systems, Fuel Air Spark Technology (FAST), Racing Head Service (RHS), Powerhouse Products, Go-Parts, ProRacing Sim and V-Thunder.

Company History

In April 1976, Ronald L. Coleman, Paul "Scooter" Brothers and two other members of a Memphis "speed shop" known as Racing Head Service (RHS) decided to branch out on their own. Together, they founded what was then known as Competition Cams. The business was formed and incorporated in 1977. From there, the company began to grow by selling its valve train products through various "satellite" distribution stores. COMP's first multinational expansion, Zekes became first Canadian warehouse distributor for Competition Cams of Memphis, Tennessee, with the goal of opening up the eastern Canadian market and received an outstanding sales achievement award from Competition Cams for 1980. Over the years, COMP Cams has worked with and sponsored many racing series, such as NASCAR, NHRA, NMCA, IHRA,IMCA and many others. COMP Cams is also a member and sponsor of SEMA, where they annually attend the association's trade show in the Las Vegas Convention Center. The SEMA Show is a trade-only show and not open to the public. Ron Coleman and Scooter Brothers are both members of the SEMA Hall of Fame.

Market Information

According to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), the US performance valve train business was worth approximately $126.8 million dollars in 2006.Companies within the performance valve train market are in the business of designing, manufacturing, and distributing camshafts and related parts that improve the way air flows into the combustion chamber of internal combustion engines. Valve train companies sell technology that creates performance - usually in the form of increased horsepower. This market is highly R & D intensive. Of all the companies that compete in this market, COMP Cams holds over 34 percent of the share.

In addition to traditional advertising and media outlets, the company also publishes its own professionally produced, in-house magazine and monthly internet newsletter.
Print Magazine Circulation: 100,000+
Email Newsletter Distribution: 25,000+

Facilities

Memphis, TN - Corporate headquarters, primary valve train component manufacturing facility with three shifts, 24 hour a day production, full service in-house advertising department

Ashland, MS - Primary drivetrain manufacturing, engineering and testing facility

Mira Loma, CA - Engineering and testing facility established primarily for media product testing

Stevenson Ranch, CA - Marketing & media liaison field office

Marsing, ID - Engineering field office

COMP Cams Product Mix(Ranked By Sales Volume)

1. Finished Camshafts

2. Valve Springs

3. Lifters/Followers

4. Rocker Arms

5. Valve Train Accessories

Recent Developments

COMP Cams has recently pioneered the process of ion nitriding, or Pro Plasma Nitriding, for camshafts, which is a 36 hour process that uses pulsed nitrogen plasma in a vacuum controlled environment to imbed chains of nitrogen ions into the camshaft surface approximately .008” - .010” deep. Extensive testing has confirmed an increase in strength and lubricity of the camshaft’s lobe surface for improved durability. This fortified new outer layer is not a coating or polish. Rather, it is more like a surface “shell” that doesn’t compromise the internal structure of the cam.

Nitriding typically has a surface layer thickness that is about one-tenth of the thickness of carburizing, but it exhibits a number of superior wear-enhancing features, including the fact that treated surfaces are much harder. In its simplest form, nitriding is a process by which nitrogen is introduced into iron or steel, causing a material’s surface hardness to be increased for improved initial and long-term wear characteristics.

The process consists of heating the subject material in a container through which nitrogen is forced to pass, thereby causing an infusion of nitrogen molecules (in a specific molecular arrangement) on and into the treated material’s surface. This creates a case-hardened condition that improves both the lubricity and wear resistance of the material.

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