Velomax Adds 200 Dealers, Enjoys 136 Percent Sales Growth

LONG BEACH, CA (BRAIN)--Velomax Wheel Systems increased its 2003 sales 136 percent over its 2002 numbers, according to the company.

"It's gratifying to see the hard work of a dedicated staff produce results like this," said Brad Hunter, Velomax's president, who declined to put a dollar or unit figure on his company's growth.

Velomax, which now has about 36 original equipment customers, added 200 retail locations and eight outside reps last year. Steve Driscoll, Velomax's vice president of sales and marketing, said the company's demo program and its partnership with Michelin helped boost sales and open dealers.

"We had a really aggressive demo program," Driscoll said. "It's a great way to validate your technology."

Velomax's program provided retailers with pairs of wheels equipped with rubber that had bright yellow "demo" stickers on them.

"Then we went a step further, and personalized the wheels with the dealer's shop name. That way the demo guy became the advertiser and the spokesman," Driscoll said, adding that the demo riders couldn't help but generate questions from other riders at stoplights and coffee shops.

"The program turned these guys into solid dealers for us, just by demo'ing a single set of wheels," he said.

Velomax's OEM customers include Cervelo and Litespeed, as well as smaller companies like Abici, Felt, Mazi, Motobecane and others.