Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/231891
www.PowersportsBusiness.com Powersports Business • December 30, 2013 • 29 AFTERMARKET T-Bags prides itself on high-quality luggage BY LIZ KEENER MANAGING EDITOR Since T-Bags' inception more than two decades ago, the brand has become a staple in the powersports industry. But as Nick Lazarescu has discovered, being one of the best can have a few pitfalls. "We've gotten copied a lot, which they say being copied is the ultimate compliment, but sometimes we could do without the compliments," Lazarescu told Powersports Business. Though companies can sometimes mimic the shape and style of T-Bags' motorcycle luggage, it's hard to mirror T-Bags' quality. Most of the luggage in the company's collection is made of ballistic 1680-denier nylon with UV inhibitors for sun protection, and the YKK zippers are self-mending. "We've always got the top materials and zippers. The nylon we use, it doesn't fade. The zippers are top quality," said Lazarescu, who handles sales and marketing for the brand. The company has so much confidence in its materials and its construction that it offers a lifetime warranty on every bag. From that, there have been minimal returns. The lifetime warranty joins the high quality "A motorcycle is not a car, obviously. In a car, you can get away with a lot of stuff, and with a bike every cubic inch is important." Nick Lazarescu, sales and marketing, T-Bags as one of many factors that draw people in. Not only does it give customers reassurance that they're buying a long-lasting product, but it also gives dealers peace of mind in knowing their customers will be happy with their purchase. "[The dealer] knows that if a customer comes back with a defect, we're going to take care of it, fix the bag or replace it immediately, no questions asked. The only thing we want to know is that they purchased legally from a dealer. That way we protect ourselves and protect the dealer also," Lazarescu said. Though T-Bags is satisfied with its quality, the company is not content on maintaining status quo. Brand representatives attend a number of shows annually to learn what riders are looking for and how the T-Bags lineup can be improved. Every new and updated feature has to offer function, Lazarescu said. "If you ride, you know that there's never enough spaces. A motorcycle is not a car, obviously. In a car, you can get away with a lot T-Bags attends consumer and trade shows to learn what features customers would like to see in its products. of stuff, and with a bike every cubic inch is important," he added. The company has found dressers to be more popular over the last few years, so many of its bags have been centered on that market. However, T-Bags' luggage fits a variety of bikes from a range of manufacturers, with mounting focused on standard motorcycle features. "It doesn't matter what kind of motorcycle it is, as long as it has a backrest and a luggage rack — or at least a backrest — you can fit a T-Bag on. Our mounting system adjusts from 7-to-14-inch-wide backrests, so obviously they hit a large range of backrests," Lazarescu explained. Though Harley-Davidson riders and dealers make up a majority of T-Bags' market, the company would like to expand more into the metric arena. "We always try to increase, actually, the metric footprint for T-Bags," Lazarescu said. "It's a little more difficult because the metric guys, they're not approaching riding your bike the same way as Harley. Harley, the riders, they always look for quality; they do more touring and stuff like that." T-Bags' products cater to a variety of uses as the lineup includes everything from small tool bags to pet carriers and roll luggage to large convertible bags. PSB Bel-Ray addition 'complements' buyer's brands Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P., a leading independent producer of specialty hydrocarbon and fuel products, announced that it has acquired the Bel-Ray Company, Inc., a manufacturer and global distributor of highperformance lubricants. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Privately held Bel-Ray manufactures and distributes a wide array of high-end specialty lubricants sold through its Industrial, Mining and Powersports divisions. Founded in 1946 by William Kiefer, BelRay's products are sold in more than 100 countries across six continents. The company owns and operates a 32-acre manufacturing facility in New Jersey with access to ports in New York, Newark and Philadelphia. Bel-Ray is managed by Kiefer's daughter, Daryl Bronson, who has led the company's growth since his retirement in 1995. For nearly 70 years, Bel-Ray's high performance lubrication technologies have been engineered to set high standards of quality, value and performance. Today, Bel-Ray's specialty lubricants are widely accepted as a brand of choice used in the aerospace, automotive, energy, food, marine, military, mining, motorcycle, powersports, steel and textiles industries. P29x30-PSB1-Aftermarket.indd 29 "This transaction signals our ongoing commitment to growing a global specialty products business," said Jennifer Straumins, president and COO of Calumet Specialty Products Partners. "Bel-Ray will join an existing portfolio of market-leading specialty products brands that include our Royal Purple line of high-performance synthetic lubricants and our Penreco line of FDA-registered food-grade products." "Bel-Ray's New Jersey-based manufacturing plant will provide us with an East Coast facility capable of serving both domestic and export markets," added Straumins. "This facility, which currently produces lubricating oils and greases, has ample capacity to supply incremental customer demand for our products. Given the private, fragmented nature of the specialty products markets we occupy, Calumet remains an active consolidator of established, profitable businesses that complement our existing product portfolio." "We are excited by the potential opportunities stemming from this transaction and look forward to having the employees of Bel-Ray join the Calumet family of companies," stated Bryan Yourdon, president of Royal Purple and Calumet's vice president of Branded and Packaged Products. "As a globally recognized specialty lubricants brand, Bel-Ray provides us with an entry point into new customers and geographies where we will have an opportunity to cross-sell our existing lines of products, such as Royal Purple, among others," continued Yourdon. "Over time, we will seek to pursue the acquisition of additional branded specialty product lines that help us to further achieve profitable growth on a global scale." PSB 12/18/13 11:23 AM