Features

Aug. 15, 2005 – Distributor Report

Marshall Holds Open House in New York
Marshall Distributing’s 2005 open house, held July 30-31 in Clifton Park, N.Y., attracted 30 suppliers, 18 sales representatives and 34 dealers, said Mike Hawrylo, Marshall Vice President of Operations.
The event was designed to introduce Marshall sales reps to the new products and vendors. Product on display came from GMAX, Teknic, Coldwave, Fly, Stud Boy, Woody’s, Camoplast, Continental Tires, Dunlop Tires, Roetin, Midwest Acorn Nut, American Manufacturing, Big Gun, Carlisle Product, Cobra, Cycle Country, Dowco, K&N, LRD Exhaust, NGK, Outerwears, Powermadd, Warn, Wiseco, Yuasa, Baffin, Polysport and Sunstar.
Vendors new to Marshall and appearing at the event for the first time included Continental Tires; exhaust supplier LRD Performance, LLC; and Midwest Acorn Nut, which sells nuts and bolts and spacers for cruisers. “We also took on Pacific Coast Sunglasses; Flitz, a polisher and cleaner; and Pro Wheels, which offers wheels and shocks,” Hawrylo said.
“This year, we’re really focusing on increasing our motorcycle street line, so most of the new lines we focused on were on that end of the industry,” Hawrylo said. “As far as new product, though, we had pretty good representation throughout the lines – ATV, motorcycle and snow.”
Marshall also sponsored a golf tournamant with 36 players and took time to award sales reps. Largest Gross Profit Dollar winners were Gary Karnes and Pat Buchanan. Largest Gross Profit Percentage winners were Lee Kleist and Curt Reno.
Marshall’s 67,000 sq. ft. Clifton Park facility has six shipping docks and holds 45,000 SKUs. However, the company continues to be based in Cass City, Mich.
“I would like to have the event in Michigan next year,” Hawrylo said. “The plan is to mix them up between the two locations. Two years in a row in New York is probably pretty good, and we certainly don’t want to ignore our customers of 36 years in Michigan.”
In other news from Marshall, the company has hired a new Regional Sales Manager and two Territory Managers.
Regional Sales Manager Greg Sims will work with five territory managers in the Midwest and the Northeast. Territory Manager Pete Costa covers Western New York and Tim Stark covers Wisconsin.

Buell to Speak at IDSA Conference
think3, Inc., a supplier of industrial design and product development solutions, will host a breakfast during the Industrial Design Society of America’s IDSA National Conference, with Erik Buell, chairman of Buell Motorcycles, as the keynote presenter.
The breakfast will take place at 8:00 a.m., August 25, 2005, in the IDSA Design Gallery (Exhibit Hall C), Wardman Park Marriott Hotel, Washington, DC.
Buell will speak about “The Buell Way – Design Every Product Like Your Name is on It.” Buell will share his company’s success story, discuss his design philosophy and describe how his company’s newest motorcycle was built. His keynote will cover the unique challenges of designing a motorcycle, and how he is implementing new design approaches and technology applications to stay competitive and grow his business.
Buell’s newest motorcycle, as well as others, will also be on display in think3’s booth (#12) in the IDSA Design Gallery.
The IDSA conference consists of various presentations and seminars conducted by professionals in the design field. IDSA has more than 3,200 members and 28 chapters in the United States and is the voice of the industrial design profession, advancing the quality and positive impact of design.
For more information about think3’s IDSA breakfast, call 513/263-6783, or email: IDSAbreakfast@think3.com. Registration is free.
Musashi to Add 120 Jobs in S.C.
A U.S.-based ATV parts supplier to OEMs plans to add 120 new jobs in Bennettsville, S.C.
Musashi South Carolina Inc. – a part of Musashi of Japan – opened its South Carolina operations in 2000. A producer of ATV gears and assemblies and automotive gears, the company currently supplies parts to Visteon, Dana and Honda.

Coates Motorcycle Appoints President & CEO
Mark D. Goldsmith has been named President and CEO of Coates Motorcycle Company Ltd.
In the securities business for 40 years, Goldsmith began at the CPA firm of Frederick S. Todman & Co. He was VP of MKI Securities Inc., a NYSE member firm; treasurer & CFO of Muller & Company, Inc., a NYSE member firm, building the business from $4 million to $100 million with four subsidiaries; president of Adolph, Komorsky & Co., Inc., a registered NASD broker/dealer with offices in NY and Europe; CFO of member firm MH Meyerson & Co., Inc.; and managing director of Chapman Spira & Carson LLC. He also was a charter member of the Internal Auditors Association, division of the Securities Industry Association (SIA); member of the Accounting Association of the SIA; and director of the National Investment Bankers Association.
Coates Motorcycle Company Ltd. is a part of Coates International Ltd. (CIL), Wall Township, N.J. For more information go to www.coatesengine.com.

Husak Joins Rucker Performance
Rucker Performance, a Fort Worth-based designer and manufacturer of custom motorcycles, has hired Meredith Husak as Director of Marketing and Public Relations. Husak’s new position involves overseeing the communications, public relations and advertising for the company.
Husak most recently served as the Marketing Manager at American IronHorse Motorcycle Company.

INTERMOT Seeks U.S. Exhibitors
Organizers of INTERMOT, the international motorcycle consumer and trade fair, say they expect a strong showing of U.S. products at the 2006 event, scheduled for October 11-15, 2006, in Cologne, Germany.
Darrin Stern, Chicago-based U.S. Project Manager of INTERMOT for Koelnmesse, Inc., says preliminary talks with the U.S. motorcycle and aftermarket exporting community have been promising.
“The weak U.S. dollar compared to the Euro has put a spotlight on U.S. products and U.S. exporters alike,” Stern said. “Many companies we talked to are ready to remove their dependence from domestic sales and capitalize from the high level of export interest.”
INTERMOT 2006 will move from Munich to Cologne, where it will occupy a total of seven buildings at the newly renovated Cologne Fairgrounds. Organizers say more than 1.5 million motorcycle enthusiasts live within a three-hour commute from Cologne.
Koelnmesse, Inc., in co-operation with the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), will offer discounted rates to MIC members wishing to display at the event. Stern said he advocates companies begin planning now.
INTERMOT 2004, in Munich, attracted 1,000 exhibitors and 150,000 visitors. U.S.-based companies in attendance included Airhawk, Inc., Arctic Cat, Corbin, DynoJet, DG Performance, EMGO International, Deltran, Fly Racing, Genuine Scooter Company, Global Motorsport Group, Harley-Davidson, Haro Design, Jardine Performance, K&N, Kolpin, K&L Supply, Polaris, MechanixWear, Motorcycle Aftermarket Group (MAG), National Cycle, Parts Unlimited, Pivot Works/Hot Cams, PowerMadd, Smith, SixSixOne, Tucker Rocky Distributing and Warn.
Visit www.intermot-cologne.com for more information about INTERMOT 2006. Details on participation in the USA Pavilion can be obtained by contacting Darrin Stern, USA Project Manager of INTERMOT at Koelnmesse, Inc. Phone: 773/325-9925; Fax: 773/714-0063; d.stern@koelnmessenafta.com

Fairchild Introduces G-Line for Women
Hein Gericke’s new G-Line features product the company says was designed by women for women. It is distributed by Fairchild Sports.
“With the number of women riders increasing each year, creating the G-line was a natural expansion for Hein Gericke,” Fairchild Senior Vice President Elizabeth Rakestraw told Powersports Business. “Our market research told us women want to feel like women when they ride … and they want to be protected with a quality brand.
“For years, the options were limited and sometimes were only to look like a man in your riding gear or risk getting hurt. The G-line offers style, comfort, fit and safety. With more and more women turning to motorcycles for their leisure and discretionary time … they basically told us they needed the G-Line.”
For more information, visit www.thegspotonline.com.

New Sales Manager at Mustang
Mustang, a manufacturer of aftermarket seats and a distributor of lifestyle merchandise, has appointed Rollin Karoll as sales manager.
Karoll has more than 20 years of customer service and sales management experience.
“Rollin’s knowledge of motorcycle business in conjunction with his drive to deliver solutions provides Mustang with the winning combination,” said Al Simmons, President of Mustang.
Visit www.MustangDealer.com or call 800/243-1392 for more information about the company’s dealer package.

Jeep Give-A-Way
Motorcycle Stuff along with Dunlop, Warn, K&N, Kolpin, and Castrol are giving away a 2005 Jeep Wrangler valued at over $25,000. The drawing will be held at the Motorcycle Stuff booth during the Indy Dealer Expo on Saturday, February 18, 2006. One lucky Motorcycle Stuff dealer will drive away with a brand new Jeep Wrangler outfitted with 33″ Dunlop tires on aluminum wheels, Warn bumpers and a 9.5ti Warn Winch, K&N Air Intake System, Kolpin Powersports accessories, and seven cases of Castrol Oil, plus much more.
Get a sneak peek of the Jeep at the Motorcycle Stuff Dealer Show at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort in Clearwater Beach, Florida on September 9-11. Simply log on to www.motorcyclestuff.com to enter to win or send a post card to Jeep Give-A-Way, P.O. Box 1179, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701 with your name, address and Motorcycle Stuff account number. For more information, contact your Motorcycle Stuff sales rep at 800-325-3673 or log on to www.motorcyclecstuff.com.

Clarification
The Motorcycle Stuff Jeep Give-A-Way ad on Page 7 of the July 25, 2005, issue of Powersports Business stated dealers could earn chances to win a 2005 Jeep Wrangler through qualifying orders July 1, 2005, through January 31, 2006. No purchase is necessary to enter to win the Jeep. Motorcycle Stuff dealers may enter to win July 1 through January 31 at www.motorcyclestuff.com.

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