Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/679587
www.PowersportsBusiness.com Dealers came by the dozens — more than 80 strong from 13 countries — to help FXR Racing celebrate its 20th anniversary this past winter atop the Winnipeg Art Gallery. It was the first rooftop event of its kind there in the winter, but that should come as no surprise to fans of the FXR Racing brand. Milt Reimer has been pushing boundar- ies since he formed the snowmobile and motorcycle apparel company in his garage two decades ago. It's not every day that an apparel brand gathers dealers from across the globe to celebrate their partnership. This winter, dealers came from as far away as Russia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Estonia and Ice- land. Of course, the bulk of the contingent was from the U.S. and Canada. "It's absolutely pivotal for people to see how we run our company," Reimer said. "And this year for the 20th turned out far bet- ter than what I ever thought, all because of the people we have." Reimer presented special awards to the company's FXR Korea and FXR Vietnam managers, all as a way to salute their con- tributions to the brand's growth. Sales reps — FXR sells direct to dealers and retailers — have pushed FXR into record-breaking years recently. "You can launch something and only go so far if you cannot continue to reinvent yourself and stay relevant," Reimer said. "That word 'relevant' is key. You want to be the company that everybody looks for to release the next leading designs that are relevant and going to trending in the indus- try. That's our company and what's allowed us to become the largest snowmobile pow- ersports brand in the world." FXR Racing's dual layer water proofing system and the "best venting system in the industry," combined with some ahead- of-the-game colors and graphic patterns, have helped the company thrive in recent years in the snowmobile industry. And don't look now, but moto is clearly the next step for Milt Reimer's company. Reimer and his team are gearheads at heart — he's as apt to be on a dirt bike in the summer as he is a snowmobile in the winter. In fact, many of FXR Racing's apparel patterns and colors can be traced to moto. So non-snowbelt dealers who haven't had reason to interact with FXR in the past will surely be hearing from the company's sales reps soon. "Everything revolves around the dealer. You can consistently put good product in there that sells, and our sell-through is the cleanest of all our competitors. That's what we do better than anyone year in and year out," Reimer said. With four retail stores in Canada and a global staff of about 120, FXR's worldwide dealer base now numbers about 600. "We give dealers a good territory and the opportunity to be profitable," Reimer said. "We have been able to help dealers really lock down their area and help them do a better job and be more profitable, and increase order sizes and volume and sell-through." Reimer in 2015 also was named a finalist for accounting firm Ernst & Young's Entre- preneur of the Year award. What is the biggest opportunity in the snow- mobile industry, and how can the industry take advantage of it? The biggest opportunity is in apparel, straight up. Getting moms into your store. We have the broadest selection of women's wear by far. We have almost as much women's wear as all of our competitors combined. And it's an awe- some area, but it's also a high-risk endeavor, because if it doesn't work, you end up with a warehouse full of stuff. Brand strength is a big factor with the women, too. Getting moms to shop in the store is really key. A lot of dealerships can't do it. They're too "powersports-y," or however you want to say it. To really create that attractive apparel sec- tion where the mom will come in and shop for all the birthdays and events that go on, it's a huge benefit for those dealers who do it right. The dealers that do that well have that extra advantage, because when mom's in the store, there's all the other things they can buy, too. They start coming into the store consis- tently to shop when you can make the place friendly enough. A lot of good dealers, they have far more apparel when you walk in up MILT REIMER Founder/Owner, FXR Racing INDUSTRY LEADER – MILT REIMER See Reimer, Page 19