After 15 years Vance & Hines VP John Potts has shifted gears. “It has been a great ride, but it is time to change my road,” said Potts. “It has been an incredible life experience working with the team at Vance & Hines. From Japan to Australia, this is truly one of the best brands in the industry and I am proud of what we all accomplished.” Potts has now moved into his new role as vice president of sales and marketing at Tolemar Manufacturing, LLC (www.tolemar.com) in Huntington Beach, Calif. “Tolemar has been producing quality aftermarket motorcycle parts for more than 24 years,” he said. “Metal fabrication, tube bending, stamping, forming machining and welding to create innovative, high caliber parts for the powersports industry.”
Protective gear producers EVS Sports has promoted Todd Lentz from his position as global director of sales & marketing to senior VP. One of the first four employees to join the company, Lentz has been with EVS for 18+ years. During the early days, Lentz handled a variety of duties, including marketing, sales and rider support. He will now oversee business development of all corporate entities including EVS Sports, LIFT Aviation, LIFT Safety, Guardmor and Westek. “This promotion has been earned over years of dedication and hard work,” said EVS co-owner Kevin Hinyub. Lentz added, “We have exciting times ahead of us with new brands, new products and new opportunities in an ever-changing marketplace. Leadership is the ability to continually translate a vision into a reality and without our whole team, none of this becomes possible.”
Swiss motorcycle gear specialist iXS is building the brand in America, starting with the addition of Jeffery Boaz as national sales & marketing manager. “Jeffery brings a wealth of knowledge and strong background in the U.S. market,” says iXS Managing Director Edwin Belonje. “He will work very closely with the team to bring added success to our growth in the USA.” Boaz adds, “Working with a company that has a solid background and is focused on success for dealers and consumers alike is a refreshing change of pace. I have always admired the fit, finish and functionality of iXS technical apparel and I am really looking forward to expanding its presence in America.” Most recently brand manager for FirstGear, Boaz has three decades of experience in the motorcycle industry. After starting at the dealership level with Dudley Perkins Harley-Davidson in the Bay Area, he worked his way up through the OEM ranks with Triumph Motorcycles America LTD. On the apparel side, Boaz has brought dozens of products to market, including riding gear and helmets with Fulmer, Venture Heat and Schuberth North America.
Forget Sasquatch… the latest sightings in the Pacific Northwest have been National Powersport Auctions expanding its footprint. Trevor Nicely joins the NPA team as regional sales manager. Most recently with Clem’s in Enumclaw Powersports, Nicely is now serving the needs of all dealers in the Pacific Northwest hotbed. “Trevor is a proven professional, but more importantly he has been on the other side of the counter at key dealerships in the region,” says Mike Murray, NPA director of sales. “His understanding of what works… and what doesn’t work for dealers in the Pacific Northwest is invaluable when it comes to increasing revenues utilizing NPA’s tools and services.” Having worked at Destination Harley-Davidson, Tacoma Motorsports, Pro Caliber of Bend and Clem’s, Nicely is a fan of all brands. “Working at dealerships has been a huge part of my life and I’m happy to share my passion with my friends and former co-workers in the Pacific Northwest Region.” In a big footprint, Nicely is now calling on dealers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming.
Short Shifts
• Musical chairs at Motorcycle.com as long-time MOron (and onetime Dealernews senior editor) Tom Roderick is taking time away to run a family business. “It’s been a good run,” says Roderick. “In early 1990 I began my powersports career selling motorcycles at a small Honda shop on California’s Central Coast – 27 years later and I’m bidding adieu to full-time moto-journalism. The period between beginning and end has been a tragicomedy chain of events, a frayed yarn of two-wheel adventures and an experience I can’t imagine having lived differently.”
• Joining the Motorcycle.com team is new associate editor Ryan Adams. Previously with the Dainese D-Store, EagleRider rentals and Advanstar working on attendee acquisition for the International Motorcycle Shows and the defunct Dealer Expo, Adams most recently assisted Ducati with the global press launch of the XDiavel.
• From Easyriders to grief counselor: Former Paisano Publications advertising executive Isidro Romero is now PAF Counselor at Dignity Memorial Funeral Homes in Pico Rivera, California.
• Congratulate Jeremy Weismann for starting a new position as sales associate at High Desert Harley-Davidson in Meridian, Idaho. Dealers remember him as the brand manager for the Fly Street and Highway 21 apparel lines at Western Power Sports.
• MAG continues to redefine its off-road business structure. Former MAG Brand president and interim Off-Road Group leader Ryan Polk has left the company and is now with a telecom firm while ex-Arctic Cat and Honda executive Chris Lindstrom has been brought in as president of the MAG Off-Road Group that combines DragonFire and Renthal with Tucker Rocky brands QuadBoss and ProTaper. This off-road-specific family of brands is based out of DragonFire’s Chandler, Arizona, facility.
