LIVING WHAT YOU LOVE
DREAMJOBS
STARTING POINT: “My family
loves the outdoors. As kids, we were
always out doing something, and one
thing that got most of us hooked was
riding motorcycles. I grew up right by
the local Rocky Mountain ATV/MC
shop. During all the years of the family outings and races, we came here to
purchase parts and accessories. When
the time came and I wanted my own
truck, my dad said a good place to
get a job would be here.”
THE JOB: “Right now I will get
handed a product or an idea of something that we want to brand as our
own. If it’s something that already
exists, I contact companies and see
if they will rebrand for our name.
Once we can get the product sorted
out, I try to find better ways to sell
it. I build application sheets that list
what vehicles a part fits and do all
the research needed to figure out
what works and what doesn’t. I also
maintain our current parts to make
sure the old parts fit the new models.
I have to test-fit parts and accessories
on shop vehicles and even sometimes
my personal bike. I really like seeing a
project that I’ve spent a lot of time on
to make it into stock and start selling.
I check sales all the time to see how
well my stuff sells.”
STARTING POINT: “My dad used
to race and has been in the industry
since the 1970s, so naturally I grew
up racing. In 2009, after a handful of
years racing Supercross, the recession
really put the hurt on anyone without
a factory ride. I made mains and did
okay, but I was 21 at the time and
wasn’t quite at a level that would
allow racing to be a successful career
for me. At the same time, Eddie Cole
had been sitting on a business idea
for a few years, and a handful of
us decided it was time to launch it.
That is how Matrix Concepts started.
Alongside Matrix in 2009, I had started developing the idea for what would
become the first Atlas brace, which
we brought to market three years later
in 2012.”
THE JOB: “I handle strategic planning for the company regarding products and marketing, and anything that
requires design work‚ product design/
engineering, R&D, advertising/market-ing, website, etc. I enjoy knowing that
the only limitation to what I can create
is my own imagination. Once I learned
how to use the right tools for real
design, my whole world opened up. I
knew this was my passion and exactly
what I wanted to do, and I’m thankful
it’s what I get to do every day.”
STARTING POINT: “My buddy
talked me into buying a bike when I
was a senior in high school. He quit
after a few years, but I was hooked.
I worked as a mechanic for Midwest
Cycle to pay for college, then in 1983 I
started TUF Racing because I couldn’t
find anywhere to get the latest motocross items. TUF Racing became the
largest Kawasaki/Suzuki offroad dealer in the USA.”
THE JOB: “Basically, I only have
two jobs now. I sold the dealership
and mail-order business in 2007, but
I kept the race team and the UFO
Plastic line so I would have something to do. We stopped the AMA
Supercross and motocross team and
switched to Arenacross in 1996, mainly because the season was shorter and
easier to manage. It still gives me the
racing fix I need but doesn’t take up
the whole year like racing the AMA
series did. My main job is to handle all
the UFO Plastic sales and marketing in
the USA. I have been very busy, since
it looks like we will be bringing in
the helmets, boots and gear for 2017.
Both jobs offer different challenges.
UFO has become the largest supplier
of offroad plastic in the USA. We have
done that by offering the best product
and fitment in the industry.” ❏
