Global plans two big fall shows for CCI and Motorcycle Stuff

For many years, one of the highlights of the autumn season was the huge Custom Chrome dealer show held in Morgan Hill, Calif. But the show was dropped last year in favor of several regional shows set up across the country.
But the really big show is back this year.
“It’s going to be GIGANTIC,” says Frank Esposito, president of Global Motorsports, the national distributor based in Morgan Hill that owns Custom Chrome and Motorcycle Stuff.
The three-day show will be held Oct. 3-5, and some 200 exhibitors and 1,000 dealers are expected to participate.
“It’ll be like our old show,” says Esposito, “but even better. For one thing, we’re going to have a tent that seats 2,200 people. We tried the regional approach, but it just didn’t work very well for our suppliers or our dealers.”
The Motorcycle Stuff show will be held Sept. 5-7 at the Clearwater Beach, Fla., Hilton.
The second version of the Custom Chrome/Chrome Specialties combined catalog will be available for the show, as well, and it’ll be much better than the first, says Esposito.
“We moved up the production so we can deliver it at the show instead of (setting the delivery date for) Indianapolis (at the Dealer Expo). This should work much better for our suppliers and our dealers,” he says.
Esposito noted that the second edition will be about the same size as this year’s, 1,400 pages, but will be improved. “Any time you combine two groups like that,” he says, “you’re bound to have some problems. This time, it’ll be much better.’
Global also has worked successfully this year to add regional representatives and develop stronger management at the regional level.
Esposito said he and his staff also have been adding new suppliers this year, and CCI could add several large suppliers within the next few months.
Overall, says Esposito, sales growth through June this year has not set the world on fire. “We’re hitting our business plan,” he said, “which calls for modest growth.
“We had a miserable spring,” he added, “just awful. We surveyed our dealers in each region and (we’re hearing that) dealers are conservative, some are down.”
Those dealers who’s market includes a military based, are seeing in a sales decline, he said.
“Motorcycle Stuff is up and gaining market share in the metric (motorcycle) category,” says Esposito, “CCI was flat to up slightly.” July has been strong, and Esposito says that for the rest of the year, “We could blow away the first half.”
Motorcycle Stuff
At Motorcycle Stuff, Tim Dodd notes the addition of new lines this year such as Kuryakyn cruiser parts, Shogun accessories, Ferodo Brakes and D & D Performance Exhaust. “Ferodo is a big one,” he said, adding that a new line of ATV power kits from Quad Works also is selling well.
Dodd said the integration with Global Motorsports continues to proceed, especially on the inventory control side. “We’re developing a lot more sophistication with the dealer online ordering system; there’s a lot more technology available for people to better control their inventories.”
As more dealers continue to move to the so-called just-in-time inventory process that minimizes the amount of inventory they have on hand, it encourages distributors to improve their own inventory management capabilities.
“We’re working hard to make sure that we maintain good (inventory) for our customers as their stocking requirements change,” he says.
Dodd said the ATV accessories segment “has definitely slowed” as mass retailers such as Wal-Mart and farm equipment retailers increase the ATV commodities they carry.
Stuff is on track to increase its number of sales reps and customer support personnel by 25% this year.