Aftermarket distributor adds facility in wake of 2008 growth

In wake of a huge growth year and expected continued growth, distributor Scooterworks Direct has opened a new warehouse.
The company, which is owned by The Genuine Scooter Co., opened the 50,000-square-foot, 28-foot-high warehouse in Chicago in early March.
Phillip McCaleb, the owner of Scooterworks Direct, says the company saw a 91 percent gain in volume in 2008 over the previous year and expects more growth this year.
“Those are pretty big numbers to follow,” McCaleb said. “But if we saw a 25 percent (growth) over last year we would be really happy.
“More dealers, and our own through Genuine, have been incredibly receptive to grow their businesses to accommodate more SKUs and more products that can enhance their end-of-year margin,” McCaleb said.
The distributor carries parts and accessories for a number of scooter brands, including Genuine, KYMCO, Schwinn, Vespa and Yamaha. McCaleb says many of the items the distributor carries are exclusive, including the company’s house brand, Prima, which is made primarily in Taiwan.
Recently, the company finished its 2009 catalog, which will feature
90 more pages than last year and 12,000 SKUs.
The recently purchased Chicago warehouse allows Scooterworks Direct to carry those added SKUs. Previously, the company was outsourcing its warehousing through outside contractors. The new warehouse will eliminate that need.
“Now we’re going to be completely focused on fulfilling and stocking out of the same facility,” McCaleb said.
The warehouse formerly held Club Libby Lu products, McCaleb says. That national chain is being closed down by its parent company, Saks Inc., according to published reports.
— Neil Pascale