Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/687402
FOCUS PSB Tire & Wheel 18 • June 13, 2016 • Powersports Business www.PowersportsBusiness.com Distributor adds brands; new warehouse coming soon BY LIZ KEENER MANAGING EDITOR Tires and wheels have always been the back- bone of MTA Distributing. In fact, the "T" in MTA stands for tires — Motorcycle Tires and Accessories. In the 1970s, MTA became one of the first distributors of Bridgestone's powers- ports tires; now it carries tires and wheels from 16 different brands. "Tires and wheels is really what we started out with. It's one of our strongest performing avenues here," Jeff Laird, national marketing manager for MTA, told Powersports Business. MTA distributes tires from Maxxis, Kenda, CST, GBC, Continental, Vee Rubber, Bridges- tone, Full Bore, Essex Surefoot, Carlisle, Gorilla and Slasher; wheels from Remington, and tires and wheels from Interco, ITP and STI. Of those brands, it's the exclusive distributor for Rem- ington, STI, Slasher, Full Bore and Interco. MTA works with so many tire and wheel brands because it wants to serve dealers throughout the U.S. "All across the nation, the terrains vary, the conditions change and t h e v e h i c l e s change, so I think being that coast- to-coast full distributor, w e h a v e t o have that full line to meet the needs of the deal- ers that are in dif- ferent regions, or who have different lifestyles," Laird said. He added, "I think it really boils down to meeting the dealers' needs, so they can go to one place and get everything they need and not have to buy something from us and go some- where else to buy something else. That's why we go full circle." MTA has also had to accommodate a chang- ing landscape, as OEMs are constantly adjust- ing their stock tire and wheel offerings. "There's been a lot of changes I would say in the past five to six years, with [side-by-side] tire sizes growing from OEMs, where 25-inch used to be the standard, and now, 28s, 30s and sometimes 32s are coming stock on a lot of these vehicles," Laird explained. One brand that has been a particular high- light for MTA has been STI, which Laird said tests all of its products under a variety of condi- tions for a year or two before releasing them. "We're lucky to have STI as one of our house brands. They go out and do a lot of test- ing," he said. Other than the wide brand selection, one offering that keeps dealers ordering their tires and wheels from MTA is the distributor's mounting service. Any tire and wheel combina- tion that's ordered by 3 p.m. will be mounted by MTA and shipped out the same day. "Any tire, any wheel combo, we mount it, ship it and take care of them. We even do beadlocks. We have a full mounting department. That's all they do all day is mount," Laird reported. Offering the mounting service allows MTA's dealer partners to get units with new tires and wheels back in customers' hands more quickly. BEYOND TIRES Though tires were the beginning for MTA, t h e c o m p a n y h a s expanded far beyond that in its 37 years in the industry. MTA dis- tributes a wide variety of parts, accessories and gear in the motorcycle, ATV and side-by- side segments. MTA is the exclusive U.S distributor of 15 brands, including Zox helmets, EVS hel- mets, Olympia adventure gear, Remington wheels, Five gloves, Drift action cameras, Kite complete wheels, STI tires and wheels, Interco ATV tires and wheels, Full Bore tires, Rock- well watches, Hitcase camera phone cases and Quadrax UTV components, as well as Torc 1 brake pedals, shifters and grips, and Slasher ATV tires, UTV restraints, bumpers and ATV/UTV axles. Drawing those brands to sign exclusively with MTA are the distributor's solid regional managers and its sales force of 40 reps. "One of the things that we look at when we're looking at an exclusive is trying to make sure that we meet the vendor's needs. We want to make sure it's one of the items we're going to be successful with," Laird said. "We want to make sure whatever we have fits here, and we're not just selling a product space. Most of the things that we seek out tend to complement other brands." MTA has grown in strength recently, as the company was acquired by Quebec-based Motovan, a Canadian powersports PG&A distributor. "We can share product knowledge, his- torical data, things that they've been successful with on lines that we're picking up, and we can combine our buying power to make sure that we're buying a little bit deeper, stocking a little bit more, and we can share our inventory between the locations," Laird pointed out. The cooperation, which has budded dur- ing the three-year acquisition period, also allows the two distributors to share sales meetings, so all reps and staff can be educated at the same time. "That's one of the things that we're really big on, making sure our staff is really edu- cated, so we spend a lot of time and money on making sure that we're educating our staff, bringing vendors in to do training with them," Laird said. MTA and Motovan want to make sure their staffs can easily answer questions, guide dealers in the right direction as far as product selection and keep on-hold times to a minimum. GROWTH PLANS MTA has been operating for more than 30 years, but the company isn't slowing down any time soon. In August, MTA acquired adventure gear brand Olympia Moto Sports out of North Car- olina. Olympia now has a dedicated brand manager, and MTA and Motovan's in-house designers and marketing teams are working to build on what Laird calls a "high-quality brand" and improving its distribution. "You look at that brand, and everything has been thought of. There's nothing you can actu- ally look at with that brand and say, 'Man, why didn't they do this?'" Larid said, acknowledging the brand's history under founders Kevin and Karilea Rhea. "From the outside looking in, it's a great Tires, wheels continue to drive MTA sales More growth expected with 2016 lineup BY KATE SWANSON ASSISTANT EDITOR While 2015 was the year of the wheel, time keeps spinning on and Moose Racing continues to put out new product to satisfy its thriving customer base. "We are seeing an upward turn in sales with growth in many areas, but ATV/UTV has the largest gain," said Dan Fitch, brand manager for Moose Racing and Moose Utility Division (MUD). Overall growth has stemmed from sales of replacement parts, tires and wheel tops. "People look at Moose products as affordable and offering great quality for the price," Fitch said. The 2015 launch of the Switchback tire for ATVs and UTVs has been a particular home run, thanks to its combination of price point and quality. Starting at $95.95, the Switchback features an aggressive tread design that works in a full range of terrains, from muddy condi- tions to hard pack. The tread pattern has a wide footprint, which provides exceptional traction. The Switchback is available in a variety of sizes: 25-inch through 27-inch are 6-ply tires, while 28-inch to 30-inch are 8-ply tires. Moose Racing's affiliation as a Parts Unlim- ited house brand gives it an opportunity to showcase to a wide audience across the U.S. "We do many consumer events where we have our Moose semi attend, showing all the great products we offer," Fitch said. "We cover SX, GNCC, enduro, Endurocross, Arenacross, adventure touring, along with select dealer events throughout the year." The industry has seen an increased interest in the ATV/UTV segment, which highlights similar buying trends within the company's offerings. "As far as the bike segment, the aftermarket replacement wheels are popular as they are an affordable option for the consumer. Our com- plete wheel sets and replacement rims are very durable, and people like that compared to other offerings in the market," he said. Fitch says that customers continue to choose Moose over its competitors because of its price and quality. With more than 35,000 part numbers in its Moose catalogs, the brand tries to fill every need. "We pretty much have anything the average person needs when working on their bike, ATV or UTV," he added. "For 2016, we really don't have any seg- ment as a focus point specifically. We look at the overall market and develop products to fit them all," Fitch said. "This year, the weather has been a big part to our sales as it has been wet and cold in areas that normally start earlier than others. We are now starting to see people out using their bikes and ATVs so we have been busy." PSB Switchback tire leads to strong Moose sales MTA Distributing is the exclusive U.S. distributor of STI tires and wheels. See MTA tires, Page 19 Left: The Switchback tread's pattern has a wide footprint and works in a full range of terrains, from muddy condi- tions to hard pack. Right: Moose Utility Divison's 548X wheel tackles riding in the woods, mud, or sand. Recently released, MTA Distributing's motorcycle catalog totals 1,282 pages.