Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/243961
18 • January 27, 2014 • Powersports Business ATV www.PowersportsBusiness.com Start-up brand dreams of building its own UTV Massimo Motors growing with Sheffield, GE Capital backing BY TOM KAISER SENIOR EDITOR With sharp-looking new machines, a broad product lineup, a quickly growing staff and a large, expanding distribution network, it's easy to see why start-up off-road brand Massimo Motors is excited about its future. Add in major new floorplan and retail financing partners, and plans to eventually build UTVs from the ground up at its sprawling facility in Texas, and there's no doubt that the company's enthusiasm is well founded. A quick glance at Massimo's recent stats goes a long way: 30 percent sales growth in the last 12 months with a similar increase in staffing, the all-new Alligator series of side-bysides that shows off the company's own design language, a new lending agreement with Sheffield Financial, floorplan financing from GE Capital and a big-OEM dealer development expert brought in to carefully cultivate a growing dealership base. It's still a small family-run company, and anything can happen when building a powersports brand from square one, but don't blink, because Massimo apparently is on the move. P18x20-PSB2-ATV.indd 18 TEXAN WITH A CHINESE ACCENT In a North American off-road spectrum that ranges from the major OEMs to up-and-coming brands like KYMCO or CFMOTO, Massimo is a bit of an outlier. Its machines are manufactured in China, but Massimo assembles and inspects them at its 328,000-square foot facility in Irving, Texas — an almost-made-in-the-USA detail that has become a key part of its marketing message. Once the machines arrive in Texas, they enter a building that's gradually looking more like a fully functional assembly line as the company expands. Workers fully assemble machines in one of 10 assembly bays — no roll cages to mount upon delivery — and Massimo's staff completes an inspection before affixing a plaque on every UTV touting its final assembly in America. Massimo's distribution is also atypical, as a handful of its products are available through Tractor Supply Company stores located in 48 states, primarily in rural towns and on the fringes of cities. The rest of its machines — 11 UTVs and two ATV models — are available through the company's growing dealer base. To continue growing its dealership ranks, the company recently added Yamaha veteran Bob Braun to its roster in a bid to begin courting high-quality dealers to balance out its retail distribution enterprise. ww M G t S p N th o c n n 2 b c G fo Massimo Motors retails some of its products at Tractor Supply Company stores located in 48 states. The rest of the company's machines — 11 UTVs and two ATV models — are available at the company's growing dealer base. Braun spent 27 years working for Yamaha, retiring as national sales manager. Before that, he worked for Kawasaki Midwest that, at the time, was the largest independent distributor of motorcycles, parts and accessories in the world. With his new role at Massimo focusing on new dealer development, Braun sees many similarities with his time at Kawasaki, as well as opportunities to leverage his career at Yamaha to help this distributor bridge the gap to become a full-on, American-based powersports manufacturer. No small task. "For me, it's like coming full circle," Braun said of his previous experience at Kawasaki Midwest. "It's so much fun being hands-on, one-on-one with the dealers. It's fun to sit down and say, 'OK, we're not doing this right, let's do this better,' and being able to do it and have that effect. When you get into the big corporations, it's very difficult." ALLIGATOR IN THE GRASS Massimo's ATV lineup includes a 350cc sport quad priced at $3,750, two single-person utilities and the two-passenger, 800cc MSA-800 See Massimo, Page 20 1/15/14 12:03 PM o s s g a ri th R P R 2 p A h H