July 26, 2004 – Hein Gericke chief Mrosik leaves

Dr. Peter Mrosik has left his position as head of Hein Gericke in Germany nearly one year after U.S.-based The Fairchild Corporation took control of the garment specialist from Dusseldorf-based Eurobike AG.
Mrosik led Eurobike from 2001 until insolvency forced the sale of Eurobike’s Hein Gericke, Intersport Fashions West and PoloExpress subsidiaries in October 2003. He was then placed as president and Chief Operating Officer of Fairchild’s subsidiary operating the three business units. Intersport Fashions West is based in Tustin, Calif.
Hein Gericke now will be headed by David Feld and Dr. Ernest Marhenke. Feld, founder of clothing chain Today’s Man, will be in charge of operations in Europe. Marhenke, who has spent more than 20 years at Fairchild, assumes sales and marketing duties in
Germany.
In related news, Hein Gericke has decided to close a 14-store retail chain in Germany known as GoTo-Helmstudio. Hein Gericke’s new business manager Dr. Ernest Marhenke says the move was made to allow the clothing specialist to devote more time to its Hein Gericke products and PoloExpress chain.
Revenues for Fairchild’s Hein Gericke, IFW and PoloExpress businesses, reported by Fairchild’s sports & leisure segment, were $54.3 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2004.
“Revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2004, at Fairchild Sports were hampered by poor weather conditions in Europe,” said Eric Steiner, president and Chief Operating Officer of The Fairchild Corporation. “However, Fairchild Sports has rebounded nicely, providing revenues of $32.8 million in April 2004.”

Mid-USA vs. ICT
Internal Combustion Technologies, Inc. (ICT) of Longmont, Colo., a supplier of fully programmable controllers to replace OEM controllers for all years and models of fuel injected Harley Davidson Big Twins, recently participated in a four-day binding arbitration proceeding with Mid-USA Motorcycle Parts of St. Louis, Mo.
The arbitration arose out of a contract dispute between the parties, wherein ICT ascertains Mid-USA had refused to fulfill its contractual obligations to purchase a number of ICT’s programmable fuel injection controllers (ECU).
On June 3, 2004, after four days of considering the testimony of 23 separate witnesses, former Colorado State District Judge Joseph Bellipanni, a neutral arbitrator with Denver’s Judicial Arbiter Group, issued a written arbitration award favorable to ICT. Among other things, Judge Bellipanni found that ICT manufactured a programmable ECU product that could perform as it was intended to perform.
ICT says success in the arbitration proceeding allows the company to move forward with its patented technology and fuel injection products under the brand names Twin Talon and Talon Fire. For further information, contact ICT at 970/535-9296 or efi4ict@earthlink.net.
DOWCO hires new marketing manager
DOWCO, Inc., Manitowoc, Wisc., hired a new marketing manager in June. New addition Matt Klein is responsible for new product development and all facets of marketing for powersports and recreational marine products.
Klein has extensive experience in brand management, strategic planning, new product development, retail merchandising, advertising and marketing communications. Prior to joining DOWCO, Klein was senior product manager for Kohler Company’s Sterling Brand.
DOWCO, Inc. manufactures Guardian motorcycle, ATV and snowmobile covers, and premium motorcycle luggage and saddlebags. The company also is a leading manufacturer of OEM-authorized recreational marine covers and offers a wide variety of covers for boats, pontoons and personal
watercraft.

UPTREND Reveals Financing Deal
UPTREND, a Texas-based holding company consisting of innovative products such as the Airvest wearable airbag, announced that it has received a fixed-price financing commitment of $500,000 for the purchase of restricted common shares. The total financing to the company will be $1.25 million if all warrants are exercised. The financing commitment was obtained from a group of accredited investors.
The Company will issue 500,000 shares of common stock and 500,000 one-year warrants exercisable at $1.50 per share.
The investment group, headed by Gene Zdunowski of Redlands, Calif., says it will complete the financing in three traunches over the next 45 days.
“This financing will enable the Company to place additional manufacturing orders, which in turn will drive short-term sales revenues,” said Randy Drew, UPTREND’s chief financial officer. “In addition, the company will be able to attract traditional sources of working capital for the company to further its aggressive market penetration plans.”
UPTREND’s “AirVest” acts as a wearable airbag in the event of an accident, helping to protect the rider’s chest and back from impact. AirVest is lightweight, inflates in milliseconds and reusable.
Additional information about AirVest can be found at www.airvest.com.

Alcoa Launches New Web Site
Alcoa Wheel Products, a part of the Alcoa Wheel and Forged Products business, has launched
a new Web site (www.alcoawheels.com) to make
it easier for customers to locate Alcoa wheels worldwide.
The new Web site was redesigned to better feature Alcoa wheel products and categorize them in an easy-to-find way, the company said. Special sections were set up for customers in North America, Japan, Europe and South America in multiple languages with regional product catalogs.
In addition, customers can go directly to the type of wheel they need depending on the vehicle — motorcycles, heavy-duty trucks, buses, RVs, SUVs and light trucks — by clicking on icons for these vehicles. A new interactive wheel selector enables site visitors to scroll through the entire catalog of wheel styles and make product decisions. Customers also can find distributors of Alcoa wheels worldwide by simply clicking on the “Where to Buy” link.
Serving the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation and industrial markets, Alcoa is a leading producer of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina. The company also markets consumer brands including Reynolds Wrap foils and plastic wraps, Alcoa wheels, and Baco household wraps. Alcoa has 120,000 employees in 41 countries. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com.

TR Adds Diamond Product
Tucker Rocky Distributing, Ft. Worth, Texas, has agreed to a contract to distribute parts and accessories supplied by Diamond Powersports, Inc. of Sunrise, Fla.
Tucker Rocky Distributing stocks and sell over 75,000 items for street and off-road motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles and personal watercraft. This year Tucker Rocky is expected to purchase $100,000 in parts and accessories from Diamond Powersports, according to Diamond, which says it anticipates sales from Tucker Rocky to add more than $500,000 in revenue for 2005.
Tucker Rocky joins other Diamond Powersports distributors Motorcycle Stuff, P3 Racing USA, Blue Sky, Orient Powersports and Performance Tire.

Galfer Braking Systems Moves
Galfer Braking Systems is on the move again, this time down to Oxnard, Calif. Galfer’s new 12,500 sq. ft. facility will accommodate not only more warehouse space but also a much larger manufacturing area for the fast growing brake line and rotor production. The current location in Ventura will become a storage for laser cutting and packaging side of the business. New address: Galfer Braking Systems, 310 Irving Ave, Oxnard, Calif. 93030; (800) 685-6633.

Nexus3 Picks Up C-Chip Product
C-Chip Technologies Corporation and distributor Nexus3 have announced the signing of a Letter of Intent to form an alliance for the distribution of C-Chip’s theft prevention systems to the powersports market.
C-Chip specializes in integrating wireless communications, on-line transactions, software applications, RFID technology, the Internet and, when location is required, GPS technology to enable business users to efficiently access, control and manage remote assets at low costs.
Officials at Montreal-based Nexus3 say they are putting together a business plan to aggressively sell products to the powersports market. C-Chip’s first offerings, the Hawk 100/200 and the Shadow/MiniTracker, will be carried in Nexus3’s portfolio along with the Shot Race Gear line of off-road motorcycle apparel, protective gear and accessories.
Visit www.c-chip.com for more information about C-Chip technology.

Nikwax Announces Global Expansion
British waterproofing manufacturer Nikwax Ltd. took full control of its North American business on June 1, managing the entire distribution of products in both the United States and Canada.
The new corporation, based in Seattle, Wash., is called Nikwax North America, Inc. and is wholly owned by Nikwax Ltd. ‘The change in ownership will permit our company to increase investment and emphasis on the North American market, which we know has great potential for expansion,” said Nicholas Brown, Nikwax founder.
Nikwax Ltd sold its waterproofing products through Nikwax USA, a partnership between Watershed USA and Brown, for the past 11 years.
Nikwax products are available in more than 2,500 retail outlets in North America. For more information, call 800/563-3057.

New Home For
Super Torquer
Super Torquer Systems Inc. will move its production and headquarters from Grand Blanc, Mich. to Little Falls, Minn.The company makes Heel Clicker Clutch Kits for snowmobiles and ATVs. The company is owned by Randy and Cindy Nouis. The company’s new building is expected to be completed by Fall 2004.

PRO-ONE UNLEASHES 2004 CATALOG
The 2004 PRO-ONE custom and performance catalog is a 164-page full color glossy book featuring a large
selection of billet
aluminum wheels, billet forks, big inch high performance engines, power train accessories, seats, electrical kits, custom lighting and more. Also check out Pro-One’s new selection of Rolling Chassis kits, forward controls, tanks and fenders. Call 800/884-4173 or visit www.pro-one.com for more information.

Swisher Introduces New Catalogs
Swisher, Warrensburg, Mo., has completed updates on its 2004-2005 Product and ATV Accessories catalogs. Swisher’s ATV Accessories Catalog features the company’s ATV and UTV accessories, including: the Power Cart and Folding Game/Utility Cart, Trailmowers, the heavy duty Quad Hyper Cut Mower, and the Quadivator gardening implement.
Both catalogs are available by calling 800/222-8183 or visiting www.SwisherInc.com. psb