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Auto equipment company upgrades services for regular vehicle owners
By Jim Mackinnon
Beacon Journal business writer
Published on Sunday, Nov 02, 2008
Summit Racing Equipment is pretty much gearhead heaven.
The privately owned company in Tallmadge has built a well-regarded national reputation by being able to quickly provide just about any aftermarket item needed to build a hot rod, customize a car or trick out a truck. Its mail-order catalog, online site and three brick-and-mortar stores in Ohio, Georgia and Nevada have proven to be a winning business model over the years.
Now, Summit Racing has its headlights trained on a slightly different set of motorized customer.
And that would be the daily driver.
In other words, most probably you.
The company is ramping up marketing to attract regular vehicle owners seeking to keep their aging cars, minivans, SUVs and pickups well-maintained, or maybe even spiff them up a bit.
''It's an expansion. Anybody who drives a car can be a customer,'' said Nan Kevin Gelhard, Summit Racing's advertising manager. ''We can make the car stay nice, still feel good, still make you happy. ''
With new car and light truck sales down dramatically in the struggling U.S. economy from 16 million units a year to perhaps 13 million, people are hanging on to their current vehicles for much longer. In large part because of that, Summit Racing sees opportunities in reaching out to regular drivers, not just hot rod and show car enthusiasts.
That also means Summit Racing will be directly butting hoods with the likes of AutoZone, the nation's largest auto parts retailer with more than 4,000 stores, including 211 in Ohio, not to mention thousands of other aftermarket parts retailers. The do-it-yourself aftermarket is big — about $39 billion a year,
according to an industry trade association.
Summit Racing's niche in attracting daily drivers will be in selling high quality replacements and upgraded parts and accessories, not just exact replacements, Gelhard and others at the firm said.
Summit Racing also thinks it can attract customers who don't know a wrench from a sprocket and don't want to be do-it-yourselfers. They're more than willing to sell parts and accessories for installation at repair shops.
The expanded parts range from the mundane to more exotic and specialized equipment and accessories.
''If they have to keep the truck longer, they can go back and upgrade it,'' Gelhard said. ''Just putting on new shocks and tires makes it feel like new. That makes a huge difference in how the car feels.''
People still want to enjoy their vehicles and not feel like they are stuck with it, she said.
Summit Racing's plan to expand its customer base has been in the works since 2007, Gelhard said.
Summit Racing feels that people who go shopping at a chain aftermarket store walks in generally unhappy because they are there to replace a broken part on their car or truck, Gelhard said.
''When somebody comes in here and buys an exhaust system, he is happy,'' she said. ''He's not only getting a replacement exhaust system, he's buying it for the sound. There's something else going on there that's making them happy for the purchase.''
At businesses such as AutoZone, counter people typically are trained to find direct replacement parts for customers, Gelhard said.
''Our reps are trained to tell you what the possibilities are,'' she said. ''They'll keep you from making a mistake, but they'll also be able to actually help you do something to make it yours.''
People coming into one of the three stores, looking online or flipping through a Summit Racing catalog might find replacement parts that also safely boost horsepower or increase gas mileage compared to stock parts, said Norm Koval, tech department team leader at the company.
''We have the necessities well covered, too,'' Koval said. ''You will need a fuel filter eventually, an air filter eventually. We have those parameters covered really well.''
That includes expanding their tire offerings from performance and race lines to general purpose lines, he said.
Summit Racing is not worried about alienating their gearhead enthusiast customers, Gelhard and Koval said.
''If you look around, it's obvious who we cater to,'' Koval said. ''And I expect it will always stay that way.''
But now the company is offering more items that fit in with the enthusiast's daily driver, not specialty, vehicle, Gelhard said.
''Our fan base has always been about performance,'' Gelhard said. ''We really do think anybody who drives a car can be a customer. And anybody who drives a car can get a little more out of it. As you keep your car longer, you might want to play with it. We see it as an opportunity.''
Jim Mackinnon can be reached at 330-996-3544 or jmackinnon@thebeaconjournal.com.
Summit Racing Equipment is pretty much gearhead heaven.
Get the full article here.
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