Features

July 11, 2011 – Bel-Ray’s record growth benefits dealers

Bel-Ray, a family-owned company and a manufacturer of total performance lubricants, is enjoying unprecedented growth, and powersports dealers and customers alike are reaping the benefits.

“The company is moving forward at a record pace,” said Scott Lukaitis, brand manager for Bel-Ray. “The demand for Bel-Ray is at an all-time high, and our dealers and distributors are seeing the demand from the customers and stepping up to fulfill that demand.”

Offering performance products for motorcycles, ATVs, PWC, scooters and kart users, Bel-Ray has committed resources to the powersports division, according to Lukaitis.

“We’ve reengineered everything in the line to the highest JASO [Japanese Automotive Standards Organization] standard and continually improve our product,” he said.

Bel-Ray is a diverse company that also produces various forms of lubricants for the global mining and industrial markets.

“We make premium products and sell across multiple market segments, creating a synergy between our three business units,” Lukaitis said.

When it comes to its powersports division, Lukaitis feels that increased communication and support to dealers is part of what has allowed Bel-Ray to flourish.

“We have Bel-Ray sales representatives in key markets that support the distributors and dealer community,” he said. “Far too often there is a disconnect between the manufacturer and the dealer or end user. With our reps visiting shops on a daily basis, we see what is going on in real time. This allows us to develop programs and product more quickly and support the dealer and consumer more effectively.”

Lukaitis feels the benefits to a dealer selling Bel-Ray’s product are many.

“Despite the current costs of raw materials, Bel-Ray has recently raised the dealer margin on many of our products, allowing the supporting dealers to make more money selling Bel-Ray,” Lukaitis said.

“The added benefit of Bel-Ray’s new powersports floor display and our increased advertising and racing support has created a demand at the consumer level that is at an all-time high. The display is not your typical plastic display. Our new merchandising units are high quality and consistent with our brand image. It features graphics that align with our current marketing and advertising initiatives and would work equally well in any powersports dealer. All of our stocking dealers are included on our website, and we offer incentives and bonus programs as the year progresses.”

In the past year, Bel-Ray introduced its innovative powersports packaging, which features a built-in pour spout and has a booklet on the back in 25 different languages, which allows Bel-Ray products to be shipped anywhere in the world.

Advertisement

Bel-Ray has also increased its marketing presence by not only advertising in industry print and web outlets, but also through mainstream media outlets such as magazines like Maxim and Men’s Health, along with SiriusXM radio programs. Additionally, Bel-Ray has signed on to be the presenting sponsor of Chad Reed and his Two Two Motorsports racing team, as well as the Dodge Motorsports/Hart and Huntington racing team owned by Carey Hart.

“All of our advertising and marketing initiatives are designed to build brand awareness and demand for Bel-Ray,” Lukaitis said.

The future appears bright for the company.

“Our in-house R&D is continually working to develop new products for the ever-changing market,” Lukaitis said. “We are introducing three new product lines in the first quarter of 2012.”

Bel-Ray has come a long way since its beginnings in 1946, when founder Bill Keifer started the company to supply lubricants to commercial bakeries.

Keifer’s daughter, Daryl Brosnan, is Bel-Ray’s CEO. She has remained fully committed to the company her father built and has helped it move forward with her “go big or go home” mantra that permeates every level of the company.

Additionally, it was another of Keifer’s children who has had a profound influence on Bel-Ray. Bill’s son, Kurt, started the company’s powersports division in the 1970s. Lukaitis said that it was the hard work of Kurt Keifer before his untimely death in 1976 that has enabled the brand to thrive.

Said Lukaitis, “We hope to continue the legacy set forth by Kurt when the powersports division was created of high performance, top quality powersports lubricants.”

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button