"The DST Difference: Making it easy to find suspension parts that fit."
Diverse Suspension Technologies
"I dont know if there's a way that we can glorify God through selling Suspension Parts,
but we're sure gonna try."
Graham and Tiffany Slaughter
Owners @ Suspension.com
In early 2003 our founder was a young broke college graduate looking for a bushing to repair the control arm on his Honda del Sol. He had such a difficult time finding one for his car that he made a website where people could find and buy aftermarket suspension parts for their vehicles that would fit. Thus, DST (Del Sol Tuning) was born in a garage in Burleson, Texas and today Suspension.com ships parts all over the world and provides top notch service for our customers - that is the DST Difference.
Through all of this the desire to treat people in a Christ-like manner has been the guiding star, and if you catch us doing anything less please call us out on it. We believe God has blessed our business over the years and we want to treat people in a way that reflects our appreciation. In the end our interactions with people are more important than the parts we sell, so we want to make 'em good.
The DST Difference
A Better Way to Shop for Suspension Parts
Mechanic trained
We're just regular folks (except Edwin) so we can relate to people who have never rebuilt their front suspension, but we do our homework. Our resident ASE certified mechanic, Edwin, has been in the shop and the classroom teaching mechanics since 1979 and he takes us to school every Friday to explain all things suspension.
We KNOW the brands
We have selected the brands we sell because we have found them to be exceptional and we have had a good relationship with most of them for decades. We talk with the tech gurus at these brands every day and we let them know what our customers are saying about their parts.
We have our own warehouse
We keep a lot of stock on-hand so we can make SURE that when we say a part will be shipped today often times WE are the ones boxing it up. If our customers have a specific question about a part that our website might not answer our customer service reps can pull it from our warehouse and look at it that day.
Management
The Masterminds
Tiffany Slaughter
She Pays People
"Fierce mama bear of 4 girls, Tiffany handles HR and reassures Graham on a weekly basis that the business hasn't run out of money."
David Sears
Warehouse Manager
"David is a frugal gentleman of refined taste who subsists on cereal and hotdogs. He keeps tabs on every part we have and finds places for the 18 wheelers full of parts we keep sending him."
Brit Hull
Customer Service Manager
"Dresses professionally. Hasn't spent a lot of time in jail ... that we know about anyway. Possibly Captain America, but he can't throw a frisbee very well so we're not convinced."
Graham Slaughter
Peach Farmer / Web Designer
"Self proclaimed web-designer. Just holds the job because we haven't found anybody better ... yet. Married to the lady that pays paychecks ... there might be something goin' on there."
Chelsea Baker
Data Manager
"Organizes stuff. A LOT of stuff. Cant keep a straight face for 2 seconds without busting into a smile. Studied math ... we're scared of her brain."
Customer Service
Vox DST
Amanda
Order Processing
"Processes all orders, allowing everyone to get their stuff quickly. If you have questions about anything Firefly, Kung Fu Panda, or Chris Evans, Amanda is who to go to. Also, she knows everything about every movie ever made – IMDB is jealous!"
Edwin
Customer Service
"Old School Cool. Edwin is the guy you EXPECT to talk to when you call somebody about auto parts. He's got decades of experience in auto parts and the knowledge and education to backup it up. Of course the fact that he drives a Classic Mustang sure doesn't hurt either."
Christine
Order Processing
"Proud mother of a US Army Soldier and a Cowboy, Christine loves gardening and her German Shepherd. She has globe-hopped a bit and hopes to do more in the future, preferably on her Harley."
Rebecca
Customer Service
"Secret practitioner of the operatic arts, Rebecca has also serenaded country-western fans from Texas to Tennessee. She also dabbles in making jewlery and crochet, possibly for her 3 dogs (Unconfirmed)."
Krystal
Customer Service
"A big fan of Twilight and crime/mystery shows Krystal hopes to one day open a paranormal detective agency. Just kidding. Krystal enjoys mexican food, the outdoors, friends and family, and time with her son."
Katie
Customer Service
"As unofficial "Mother of Plants" around the office, Katie makes sure that our green friends are all well cared for. She enjoys serenading her maltipoo, Millie and border collie, Marley with Taylor Swift's greatest hits and being outdoors."
Trevor
Customer Service
"An acolyte of the mystical art of Communication, Trevor also enjoys following the panoply of Texas sports teams and spending time with friends and family. He dabbles with the guitar and his playlist includes selections from Pink Floyd to Alice in Chains."
Julietta
Customer Service
"After mastering the profession of hair and nail technician, Julietta survived a battle with cancer and changed careers to providing guidance and answers for customers at Suspension.com! She enjoys reenacting her favorite chase scenes from the Fast and Furious series while mowing the lawn."
Cayla
Customer Service
"As a coach and player, Cayla can almost field a softball team between her husband, their five kids, and herself. She enjoys Red Dirt Country around a good bonfire and the Harry Potter series on a cold day. She dislikes spiders, crowded rooms, and rooms crowded with spiders."
Warehouse Team
The Muscle.
Larissa
Warehouse Crew
"Hailing from Montana, Larissa, began working in the oilfield at 18 and is rumored to be strong-willed. She loves the outdoors and has visited mountain ranges and forests across America with her husband and two kids."
Caleb
Warehouse Crew
"Caleb feels he was born a century too late, identifying with the aesthetic and music of the 1920s through the 1950s. He enjoys writing fiction and spending time with his son."
Kaiden
Warehouse Crew
"When he's cooking Chinese food Kaiden rocks a 60's and 70's soundtrack, but the rest of the time is dedicated to party music or hip hop. He also hikes, takes the occasional jaunt to the zoo, or just relaxes at home."
Cooper
Warehouse Crew
"A fan of The Clash and Dead Kennedys, Cooper also enjoys fishing, video games, and fishing video games. His prize possession is a mint condition 1997 Sega Bass Fishing complete with Dreamcast fishing rod controller. This is neither confirmed nor true."
Jayce
Orchard Crew
"A big fan of hockey and basketball, Jayce also enjoys being outside, caring for animals, and attending live music events. He helps Graham tend to the hundreds of peach trees surrounding the office and is vital for the harvest, and thus, office morale."
Data Team
Those Who Dwell In The Data Dungeon
Krista
Data Team
"Has 2 kids who play sports, so she is used to chaos. Even with the craziness, she always has time to stop and help a customer in need."
Josh
Data Team
"Josh loves Jesus, his wife and kids, and writing. He has been fortunate to travel to several faraway places and reads a lot of sci-fi and fantasy."
Emily
Data Team
"Emily is an artist, potter, and well versed in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. She has a love/allergic relationship with cats and is a connoisseur of French food (not fries)."
James
Data Team
"Whether its racecar driving or competitive shooting, if it turns money into noise James is a fan of it, and though he hails from Minnesota, he found a natural home for all his redneck pursuits in the Lone Star State. Avid gamer, cat enthusiast, and now a data dungeoneer."
Office Animals
They keep us sane(ish)
Sia
From 'Sweet Ball of Fur' to 'Freddy Kruger' in .05 seconds
"I'm in this box, holding this ball because I want to. Also, the Cubs won in 2016 because of me." - Sia
Ham'r H2
The Pig Favorite
"Graham saved me from the wild and gave me a cool name. I will love DST til the end of my days."
Rooster
Cocky son-of-a-gun.
"Lets face it, roosters are either a tool for making baby chicks or ... you eat them. He's one step away from the rotisserie if he attacks my kids again."
Ever
Barking Machine.
"Barks at everything EXCEPT the Mail Man. She even barks at the WIND. Interestingly, that annoyed look on her face is the same look we get when we take just about anyone else's picture too."
Turkey
The guard dog.
"Think's she is a guard dog. Recently took off with a male for some reason we don't know. We pray she returns to us, one day."
Colonel
Most beloved chicken.
"The Queen of all chickens. Survived against all odds, time and time again. Holds title for "most beloved chicken" at DST... Maybe even the whole world?"
Poop Dog
Eats Poop
"Named after what she likes to eat. Very out of shape dog, unless food is involved."
The Peeps
Babies!
"Part Rooster, part Colonel. You get the picture. All our hopes and dreams are wrapped up in these young lives ... or something like that."
Our History
God has had a hand in every step of the way.
- 2023
-
Home Sweet Home
Larger modern workspaces, Happier employees, Better business. Thanks Graham and Tiff!
And bathroom capacity increased by 600%!
-
New Customer Service HQ
Along with a larger and more accommodating customer service area they also have direct access to the warehouse and shipping, to streamline resolving customer issues.
"A customer service representative will be holding your suspension part shortly"
-
DST Front End Rebuild Kits
Unveiling our very own line of front end rebuild kits, everything you need and guarenteed fitment for each component!
-
Website Backend Updates
Making speed and stability updates to the website.
Graham sucessfully navigated the Matrix once again!
- 2022
-
Bigger Shipping Facility
The shipping department got the first upgrade with more space to efficiently package and ship parts.
The jealousy begins...
-
Good Bones
The new office building is starting to take shape and we can't wait!
Designed by Tiffany Slaughter.
-
Your Days are Numbered Porta-Building
Instituted on Feburary 28th 2014, it has served us for many years...
...but there isn't enough tannerite in the world.
- 2021
-
New Office Construction
We have been working out of a portable building for several years now, but the new office is on the horizon...
Here's to taking steps toward 'better' in crazy times.
-
Solving Supply Chain Issues
We hate having to give bad news about part delays so we are loading up on stock at our warehouses.
-
Monroe
We vastly increased our strut, coil spring, and strut assembly coverage by getting access to Monroe parts.
-
Company Christmas Returns!
After having a "Zoom" Chrsitmas party in 2020 we were excited to see each other again and chow down on some great home cooking!
- 2020
-
"This is fine."
This pretty well sums it up. Lets move on.
- 2019
-
Banner Year
We came out of a slump at the beginning of the year, kicked it into high gear, and (by the grace of God) had one of our best years ever!
Much thanks to our team and all of our wonderful customers!
-
SEMA 2019 Brit and Ed's Excellent Adventure
Edwin got to fulfill one of his lifelong dreams and take in all the glory of one of the world's biggest speciality automotive products exhibits.
Brit and Ed met with suspension parts manufacturers, rubbed elbows with automotive celebrities, and got to see some pretty awesome exhibits. Here's Brit with Fred Williams, Editor of 4-Wheel and Off-Road Magazine.
-
SMX - Data Team Training
We traveled to the Big Apple once again to learn all the secrets of SEO from the experts.
Chelsea and Josh traveled to New York to find out how to make our websites better for our customers.
-
A New Year with a New Outlook
Having spent the lion's share of 2018 learning and tweaking our websites, we have launched into 2019 more ready to succeed than we have ever been before.
God has provided us with an incredible team of folks who are good, honest, and hard working. We are proud to call them family at DST.
- 2018
-
Our First Search Marketing Expo
Learning should never stop.
Overall 2018 was a year marked by a significant amount of learning. We were able to attend SMX East which not only helped educate us, but was a great opportunity to meet folks who could help us succeed going forward.
-
What's An Algorithm Change?
Relying on Search Engines for Traffic is scary!
In 2018 we got to learn for the first time what it feels like to be on the wrong side of a Google Algorithm change. Dangit.
-
First Peaches
Working in the middle of a peach orchard has some benefits.
The peach orchard in front of the warehouse finally produced a crop of peaches and they were INCREDIBLE.
-
DST Team 2018
We all got to wear our Suspension.com shirts. We were excited for them!
- 2017
-
New Warehouse Erected
We started the slow process of moving into the new warehouse in early 2017.
We put the roof on the building just in time for the first few truckloads to arrive. Sure, there were no shelves yet ... but we'll let David worry about that.
-
First Deliveries to the New Warehouse
The first deliveries started showing up quick! We needed this new warehouse if we're going to keep receiving entire 18 wheelers full of inventory!
-
Over a decade after we started to do business, we aquired the Suspension.com domain name - finally giving us a domain that matches who we are!
-
Planting Peaches
Landscaping here is a bit different. The team pitched in and we planted most of the 700 peach trees early 2017.
-
DST Team 2017
We're going to need a wider lens soon ...
- 2016
-
New Warehouse ... in a peach orchard?
As you drive up to the new warehouse, you'll be greeted by over 700 peach trees.
2016 was an exciting year for DST. Not only did our team grow, but our inventory grew as well. By the end of 2016, our warehouse was so full that we needed to build a new warehouse to hold everything so we can ship your your order the same day you place it.
-
New Warehouse Site Prepared
In late 2016 we began work on the new warehouse building. The red soil at the back of the picture is where the new building will be built.
The soil in the front that is in nice little lines ... well those are rows for peach trees of course.
-
We blew up a car...
-
DST Team 2016
Wearing our #cleftstrong shirts in support of Abi!
- 2015
-
New Website Design 2015
power_settings_newOnly a year after the 2014 design launch, we've taken what we learned from the 2014 website redesign and tried to take it up a notch.
-
Life Out Here Is Distinctly ... Country
Crazy cows running through the parking lot isn't all that uncommon at DST ... we are out in the country after all.
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DST Blog
rss_feedSomewhere along the way we seem to have come to the understanding that we have a lot to say. So ... DST BLOG!
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DST Team 2015
Somehow Graham isn't in this picture. Whatever. He's still here somewhere.
- 2014
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New Land Purchased
At the start of 2014 we finalized a purchase of 25 acres which we hope will some day be the future site of DST
-
Websites Redesigned
It took about 3 months of hard work, but we finished a redesign of our websites around a mobile friendly format. Almost exactly 10 years after we opened for business.
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DST Team 2014
Ok, so technically we took this picture at Christmas December 2013 ... but this is our 2014 picture anyway.
- 2013
-
The Turkey
Other odd wildlife has decided to make a home at DST too.
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DST Team 2013
The DST family also grew with humans too, not just weird wildlife.
Some of the new people are more normal than others.
-
Hammy Missing
searchUnfortunately offices in the middle of nowhere also means it isn't uncommon for coyotes to run across the property. Sadly Hammy the pig was only a brief spark in our lives at DST.
-
Hammy the Pig
The new offices are located in the middle of nowhere. It's only natural that we should have wild animals that we find for pets!
- 2012
-
Bumps
There have been a FEW bumps along the way.
-
Road Flood
We're far enough into the middle of nowhere that it isn't unheard of for the road to the office to flood.
- 2011
-
Truckload Inventory
Ever wonder what it looks like to have an 18 wheeler pull up full and leave empty?
-
SuperPro
SuperPro brought further diversity of offerings to our catalog, helping us to expact our reach for suspension parts to even more customers.
- 2010
-
DST Team 2010
Graham, Josh, Mark, Maycee, Tiffany, Amanda, Ashlin
-
Office Space was still tight
Hard to believe, but in 2010 this picture has 5 workstations AND the breakroom.
-
Standing desks
Office jobs can be bad for your waistline. Stand at your desk!
-
Filled the warehouse with 10-12 foot shelves
Building shelves is slow hard work when you're building a hundred of them.
-
The view from the office is GREAT
-
Moved into new offices
- 2009
-
Things moved along pretty fast
Surprisingly it doesn't take long to build a steel building on a slab of concrete.
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New Office Building Construction Started
In 2009 we broke ground for a new building that we hoped would house DST for many years to come.
-
Whiteline
Whiteline's depth of product offerings for international vehicles helped us to better serve our growning international customer market.
- 2008
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Daystar
Daystar brought a new diversity of products to us while still maintaining the focus on Polyurethane parts.
- 2006
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MOOG
Working with the MOOG brand was a no-brainer for us. They have all the hard parts that you NEED to install when you're replacing your bushings.
-
Prothane
Interestingly enough, having competing brands was GOOD for business. Prothane makes similar parts to Energy Suspension, but they also both makes parts that the other folks dont.
- 2005
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Energy Suspension
It didn't take us long to realize that we like selling suspension parts. By the grace of God, we found a brand to work with that has performed in both quality or parts and sales numbers. Energy Suspension.
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First Office Building
So the first office building was ... just the house.
-
First Office
Yeah, that's a garage door in the background. We had an office in the garage. It's hard to fit 4 workstations in a garage.
- 2004
-
First Website
So lets be honest, this website was pretty awful. We keep it here as a reminder of where we started and how many doors God has opened for us over the years.
-
del Sol tuning
Selling del Sol parts made sense. We had 2 of them!
-
May
DST was first launched in 2004 as an eCommerce source for Honda del Sol parts. Originally, DST meant "del Sol tuning".
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DST Team 2004
The first members of the DST Team
Graham and Tiffany Slaughter
- 1991
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Selling Grapes
We didn't always know that we would get into business selling suspension parts, there were failures along the way.
But there was always a team (thanks Scott).
God knew what he had in store for us and He prepared us for these good things every step of the way.
