Curtis launching air conditioning unit at AIMExpo
Company’s growth spurs facility expansion at Massachusetts headquarters
It’s no secret that the side-by-side market has had continued success in the powersports market. According to the Powersports Business 2017 Market Data Book, OEMs offer 159 different trail/utility side-by-side models and 99 sport models.
Mark Manno, marketing manager for Curtis Industries, told Powersports Business that the company has introduced a number of cabs for such utility vehicles as Honda, Can-Am, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Polaris and more. “We have approximately 21 cabs that are currently available for UTVs. Some of them are in our ClearView line, while others have steel doors.”
With a history of supporting accessories in the agricultural industry, Curtis is branching further into the powersports space with its cabs. Manno said that cabs will again be one of the top sellers among UTV accessories for 2017, and Curtis plans to introduce even more model fitments in the coming months.
“We have really taken a big focus in the powersports industry, and that market is where we’re really putting in a lot of effort,” he said. “We have plans to develop cabs for additional vehicles that will be introduced over the next few months.”
The company has “seen quite a bit of growth” from its dealer network and signed on more than 100 powersports dealerships in the past year. Curtis Industries distributes its products solely to dealers. “We sell in the U.S., Canada, and we have dealers all around the world, but primarily in North America where we have our dealer network. We don’t sell to end users — our sales are exclusively to dealers.”
The ClearView series of cabs by Curtis is made up of hard-coated clear polycarbonate doors, a durable formed metal roof and a scratch-resistant polycarbonate rear panel. The polycarbonate doors, as opposed to the traditional steel doors, offer increased visibility without losing protective qualities. Of the current fitments, 14 are offered in ClearView cabs.
In addition to releasing new cabs, Manno said the company is looking forward to exhibiting at the 2017 AIMExpo in Ohio. “We’re introducing an air conditioning unit for UTVs, and we’re going to have a demonstration on a unit set up at AIMExpo. It’s a revolutionary product, and we’re pretty proud of that.”
Just a year shy of its 50th anniversary, the company is also undergoing some changes at its Massachusetts-based headquarters. Manno said Curtis will move into a newly constructed facility a mile from its existing location this fall.
“There’s a lot of excitement around here. Everything will be state-of-the-art,” he said. “We’re looking to forward to the move. We’re going to have the latest and greatest in equipment, and we’ll be able to be a lot more efficient in our production.”
