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FOCUS PSB Tire & Wheel www.PowersportsBusiness.com Powersports Business • June 13, 2016 • 15 HiPer's ATV, UTV wheel lineup to benefit from added resources BY KATE SWANSON ASSISTANT EDITOR The last few months have meant large growth and expansion for WELD Engineering Perfor- mance, a manufacturer of maximum perfor- mance wheels based in Kansas City, Mo. The company has made two acquisitions within the last year, making it North Amer- ica's largest premium wheel company. "Generally speak- ing, business for WELD over the p a s t y e a r h a s b e e n r e a l l y s t r o n g . O u r base business h a s g r o w n substantially," s a i d W E L D 's vice president of marketing, Chris Bovis. "We've averaged about 15-20 percent growth in the last few years." In October, WELD acquired HiPer Technol- ogy and its carbon fiber technology for off-road racing wheels. This acquisition opened another side of the business for WELD, whose product and customer base was different than HiPer's. Bovis said keeping the brand's identity unique was relatively straightforward because the market and distribution network for HiPer is so disparate from that of WELD. "There's a distinct difference in the cus- tomers, distribution and products, with HiPer being a composite-based product line and WELD being a forged alumi- num-based product line," he said. The number of opportunities as a result of the HiPer acquisi- tion continues to grow. WELD has been able to take its own technology and apply it to HiPer, and as Bovis points out, "there are a lot of opportunities to take HiPer's composite technology and apply it back into WELD." The com- pany is looking into ways to apply HiPer tech- nology to WELD as well as expand the HiPer product offering. "Not just in carbon fiber, but also in alumi- num and try to create a much broader product line for customers under the HiPer brand," Bovis added. WELD also bought CCW Forged Perfor- mance in 2014 and looks forward to bringing the road racing market into the WELD group. CCW, which specializes in high-level European sports car wheels, also introduces new business opportunities for WELD overall. From a HiPer perspective, WELD's purchase of the brand means another layer of resources WELD, HiPer marriage ideal for both brands See WELD, Page 17 Celebrating the ribbon cutting at WELD headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., on May 19 are (from left) World of Outlaws star Brian Brown, NHRA Funny Car champion John Force, NHRA Funny Car driver Robert Hight, NHRA Pro Stock champion Erica Enders-Stevens, WELD president and CEO Norm Young, NHRA Top Fuel driver Clay Millican, Formula Drift driver Justin Pawlak and Kansas City Chamber of Commerce membership director David Pruente. The FA:15 wheel is HiPer's first 15-inch wheel and first UTV wheel designed from start to finish using WELD's aircraft- quality forged alloy materials.