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FOCUS – CCI Plans to Expand House Brands

If you’re a V-twin dealer, the folks at Global Motorsports’ Custom Chrome division probably have a number of new products you’re going to want to see while at the Dealer Expo.
Custom Chrome’s in-house brands include RevTech, Premium, Dyno Power, Santee, Regency, Chrome Gear and C.C. Rider.
Scott Martindale, Custom Chrome group brand manager, says the company is in the process of expanding its house brand line-up. For 2005, he says, there’ll be a particular emphasis on product from RevTech, Santee and HR3.
“On top of doing our core stuff — the buy and sell — we want to really take advantage of the brands we have,” Martindale told Powersports Business. “There has always been a fragile balance between the parts we make ourselves and the buy-sell portion of the business, and a part of my job is managing our brands as well as those from outside vendors.
“Looking at what we’ve done in the past year, and what we have planned, we feel this is going to be a strong year for us. We’re producing a lot of new items, and we’re stepping up with our vendors.”

EXPANSION IN UNDERWAY
To aid the planned growth, Martindale said, Custom Chrome hired three additional engineers in the past year and is in the process of adding a new production and warehouse facility in Southern California.
“We’re planning on being in the new facility in the next two months,” he said. “It’ll probably be a third bigger than what we have now. Frames and exhausts will all be made there, and so will a lot of the miscellaneous parts, like fender braces.”

MOTORS, FRAMES AND KIT BIKES
“The RevTech motor line, with the 88″ 100″ and 110″, is doing fantastic — we’ve stepped up with some right side drives, monster transmissions and a hydraulic clutch; we’re going to start getting into some of the larger-diameter tubing frames with Santee, which seems to be the trend; and you’re going to see some cool stuff coming out with the kit bikes, which is a big business for us.”
Martindale said Custom Chrome has applied for DOT approval for all eight models within its HR3 line of kit bikes, “really trying to take some extra steps that aren’t required by the government to make these bikes as consumer-friendly as possible,” he said.
Custom Chrome has worked with designers John Reed, Rick Doss, Paul Yaffe and Dave Perewitz. To maintain progressive designs, Martindale said, future product will be produced with the assistance of Billy Lane and a group of designers functioning as the Indian Larry Legacy.
Custom Chrome, Inc., originally known as Coast Cycles, was formed in 1970 by four friends who sought out manufacturers of custom parts and accessories and collaborated with them to build unique new items to Custom Chrome’s specifications.
The company evolved into a manufacturer and wholesale distributor of aftermarket products for Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and today is a worldwide supplier of aftermarket parts and accessories for V-twin motorcycles, distributing its own products as well as those from aftermarket manufacturers.
Custom Chrome can be found at the Dealer Expo in booths #501 and #5314.

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