“ the three-business model has brought clarity ”
“ Things tend to happen once a year , in a sequence , so the merged business has now been through that cycle twice and is now beginning its third season . It is interesting to think about what we have learned and what we have achieved . “ The big thing , and it ’ s not really
“ We are focused on three key aspects of strategy just now - making sure our brands are doing the best they can to create demand , making sure our segment and sales teams are able to provide the link from the brands to the dealers , and making sure we are offering the best possible on time delivery and optimized shipment service ”
Charlie Hadayia , Sr . Director of Merchandising
surprising , was that cultural changes were needed . When you bring those kinds of leading companies together , there is always going to be a need for change in each of them and inevitably that creates concerns . Even though most of the issues we addressed were quite positive for the businesses , nonetheless a lot of people
found that their world changed a bit . “ The merger brought a lot of benefits for a lot of people , but we had to work through their concerns , we had to help people understand “ what does this mean for me , what does this mean for the company I work for .” While that can take time , if the right decisions are taken , and implemented quickly , then the benefits can also become apparent equally as quickly . The threebusiness model has certainly brought clarity and focus in that respect . “ The focus was on helping people get comfortable with the changes , but I think that now , having exited 2016 and with the peak of the 2017 season on us , we have gotten past that . We feel that there is a good platform being built . The alignment of our brands and the alignment of the Tucker Rocky and Biker ’ s Choice sales forces all feel right . We have a lot of really good and talented people who are now able to pick their heads up and look forward and outside at their marketplace , rather than looking more internally and trying to respond to the merged environment . “ It has been interesting as a cultural challenge , but I definitely sense that we have worked through that now and that stage of the process is behind us .” One set of the many external market concerns I discussed with Graves revolved around the potential for negative strategic market impact from the merger . Whether or not some of the signals that appeared to be coming out of the protogroup were near the market or not , one was that Tucker Rocky and Biker ’ s Choice might be heading out of third party distribution altogether ; another that we might start seeing dumping and price
Burly Brand : Originally conceived as a specialty handlebar program , Burly Brand , part of Progressive Suspension , has expanded in recent years to include Dyna ‘ Stiletto ’ shock absorbers , Voyager branded luggage , sissy bars , cable kits , MX style pegs , 39mm fork preload adjusters , LED turn signals , Brat Seats , slammer kits , MX style floorboards and more – all aimed at the “ New Gen ” Scrambler , Sportster and Dyna / FXR style riding audience . Seen here is Progressive Suspension and Burly Brand Marketing Manager Sean Delshadi ; www . burlybrand . com
Kuryakyn : The Tucker Rocky / Biker ’ s Choice Dealer and Brand Expo is all about education and information - sales development coordinator Chris Law ( left ) has the attention of Kent Whitaker , Parts Manager at Paris ( Texas ) Harley-Davidson ; www . kuryakyn . com
Vance & Hines : The Santa Fe Springs , California based exhaust and performance component manufacturer remains one of the primary jewels in the MAG crown , and when it comes down to having had an impact on the shape of the industry as we move forward , they don ’ t come much more influential than Sales & Marketing VP John Potts , left ; the man whose inspiration created MAG and current Chairman Emeritus Arnie Ackerman , center ; founder and legendary petrol head Terry Vance ; www . vanceandhines . com
www . AMDchampionship . com
Roland Sands Design : Another product of the Sands family dynasty ( see Performance Machine ) and an influential part of the MAG brands stable , former racer Roland Sands has tracked the market ’ s design ‘ zeitgeist ’, and his bikes-to-parts-to-apparel RSD set-up is now one of the handful of businesses that have been architects of the “ New Gen ” market that is following in the tracks of the boomers . RSD is that rare breed of aftermarket businesses that can legitimately claim to have the ear of the OE sector . RSD has become a “ go to ” consultancy as mainstream motorcycle manufacturers scrabble to claim a stake of a market with entirely changed attitudes to and expectations from the motorcycle ownership and riding experience ; www . rolandsands . com
Black Brand : The new MAG apparel program ( launched at the V-Twin Expo in 2016 ) describes itself as “ not for everyone . Our gear is not what you buy when you want what everyone else has — you need to be the wolf , not the sheep to ride in Black Brand .” Former Advanstar Dealer Expo and IMS series Account Executive turned Biker ’ s Choice Sales Representative Rebecca Mitchell told AMD that “ dealers are finding that ‘ Black Brand ’ apparel is selling really well for them – it has definitely been a successful introduction . There ’ s no question that we are making our mark on the cruiser apparel industry ”; www . blackbrandmc . com
AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - APRIL 2017 21