Jul. 13, 2009 – Marshall Distributing expanding U.S. presence

By Neil Pascale
Editor
Spurred by a new exclusive helmet deal,
Marshall Distributing Inc. is dramatically expanding its national presence.
The Cass City, Mich.-based distributor is opening a shipping location in Sparks, Nev., and adding significantly to its sales force, says Chuck Herman, Marshall’s national sales manager. That expanded sales force will reach into the West Coast, Southwest, Northwest and parts of the Midwest that Marshall has previously not serviced.
The new sales staff will primarily focus on selling the GMAX line of helmets, potentially a couple other brands that have yet to be identified as well as a line that will making its worldwide debut in September: Zoan.
The Zoan brand of helmets will be exclusively distributed in the United States by Marshall.
“The opportunity with the helmet line is available now and you have to strike when the opportunity is there,” Herman said of the company’s decision to expand its sales force.
Herman said the company will add
15-20 additional sales reps to service the new areas.
Those reps will have the Zoan product on hand in late August or early September. Zoan will feature mid price points with a number of unique features, Herman says, noting the initial helmets will be for the motorcycle and snowmobile markets.
The owners of the Zoan line are from Spain and Canada, Herman says. “There’s a lot of helmet knowledge going into this brand as far as research and development goes,” he said. “It’s built in absolutely state-of-the-art facilities in China, which we’ve visited ourselves. Very, very impressive.”
Herman says the helmet line, which is DOT and ECE approved, will include youth and adult MX helmets and feature a number of features, like inner liner graphics that will match the outer shell and comfort elements like pads underneath chin straps. Some
models also will have a push button feature to lower the tinted lens and a separate one-touch vent control.
“I think the general public might be enticed to spend their money on the new and exciting vs. the same old, same old that’s available to them,” Herman said of the new helmet line.
The new line, including the motorcycle, snowmobile and MX models, and GMAX helmets will be available to dealers nationwide as Marshall will stock the product in its Michigan, New York and Nevada warehouses.