This is a great story. Mike Musheinesh decided school was not for him so he &quot;graduated&quot; in the 9th grade. Today he is the CEO of Detroit Axle, employing 1,000 people. Now he is determined to lead the way in seeking substantial tariff refunds while also fighting to preserve the de minimus exemption for importers. This is truly a unique conversation from a company that has been impacted. Meet Mike: Thanks for listening! The award winning Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday business news podcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and some local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday. You can subscribe on PlayerFM, Podbean, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or TuneIn Radio. And you can catch The Business News Hour Week in Review each Sunday Noon Central on News/Talk 1540 KXEL. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing &amp; Communications. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour...and on Threads @Insight_On_Business.

Fighting the Tariffs with Detroit Axle

Insight On Business the News Hour

# Full Transcript

**Podcast:** Insight On Business the News Hour

## Participants

- **Michael Libbie** (Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications)
- **Mike Muschinich** (None)
- **Mike Muschinich** (Detroit Axle)

## Transcript

They're known as some of the original recyclers. The National Tractor Parts Dealer Association is a sponsor of the Business News Hour. With members in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand delivering ag parts to farmers and ranchers. NTPDA.com

Welcome back to Insight On Business. Grateful you're listening to us from wherever on the planet you happen to be. We're going to be talking about tariffs. Now, don't turn your back aside because this is going to be a real person conversation about someone that is fighting to get money back from the U.S. government. And his name is Mike Muschinich. And Mike is the CEO of something called Detroit Axle in my hometown of Detroit, Michigan.

Mike, welcome to the Business News Hour. Grateful you're taking time to talk with us. Thank you for the invite. I'm honored to be here. There's so many things to visit with you about. Tell us about Detroit Axle. Tell us about the history. Your father started this back in 1990, I think it was. And you've been a fixture in the Detroit market. Doing what?

Well, again, thank you for having me. The company was started by my old man, who I'm happy to say is still kicking. We're still working together day in and day out. So, you started a little, you know, I had a little spot rebuilding CV joints, rebuilding axle shafts back in the early 90s.

And, you know, I wasn't doing too well in school. So, I left. I kind of got fired from high school. So, I went and joined them. And the world was changing. By the year, by the mid-2000s, the internet was starting to show its colors of what its possibilities are and its potential.

So, we put our products online and we've grown it. We have over a thousand employees now in five different countries. And it's been a hell of a ride. And there's still a lot more to go. So, you're selling original equipment and remanufactured products for automobiles, trucks, and cars, correct?

Well, give us a range of the things that you are manufacturing and that you're shipping out. You also have a distribution center, I believe, in Texas. Yes. Well, it's aftermarket auto parts and we rebuild auto parts, not so much original equipment. Okay. And so, we have warehouses in Texas, in Mexico, and here in Metro Detroit.

You know, your standard automotive products, you know, your brakes, your bearings, your suspensions, struts, steering, and of course, axles. And what a great place for you to be at in Detroit, which, by the way, I follow that from time to time because I'm interested in what's going on. The Tigers aren't doing well.

But the resurgence of the city of Detroit and the surrounding area, Ferndale and where you're located or Royal Oak, just booming areas for what had been kind of a hollowed...

Fighting the Tariffs with Detroit Axle

Transcript

Built for investment professionals

Every day you wait, your competitors are finding
edge in conversations you're not hearing.

Fighting the Tariffs with Detroit Axle

Transcript

Built for investment professionals

Every day you wait, your competitors are findingedge in conversations you're not hearing.

Every day you wait, your competitors are finding
edge in conversations you're not hearing.