International Dealer News IDN 118 Apr/May 2014 | Page 12

POWERSPORTS
INSIDERS

Motorsport Aftermarket Group (MAG) merges
with distribution giant Tucker Rocky

Former Tucker Rocky
President Steve Johnson has
retired from his position as
Chair of the Aftermarket
Committee of the
Motorcycle Industry Council
(MIC), and from the MIC
Board of Directors. Johnson
was the President and Chief
Operating Officer of Tucker
Rocky Distributing for 12
years before retiring at the
end of 2012.
The MIC is to stage its annual
meeting in Washington, D.C,. on
May 19-20 2014. The decision to
host their event in the US capital
is designed to give its
membership (which now includes
dealers as well as motorcycle
manufacturers and aftermarket
vendors) the opportunity to join
the MICs ongoing mission to
maintain a high profile for
motorcycle industry concerns.

<<< Continued from back page
generation of the family as CEO and
President.
Lacy say theirs is a “build and hold”
business ownership strategy, and points
to their 25 year ownership of Tucker
Rocky/Biker’s Choice as testimony to
their long-term investment approach.
Tucker Rocky owes its origins to Texan
Ed Tucker’s 1967 wholesale motorcycle
oil business and the subsequent
expansion and diversification following
Bob Nickell’s purchase of the business in
1972.
The business became Tucker Rocky
(TR) in 1986 following the purchase of
Rocky Cycle, and was acquired by Lacy
Diversified Industries in 1989. Tucker
Rocky is a strictly wholesale operation

Following the retirement of Steve
Johnson at the end of 2012 Dan
Courtney became President of
Tucker Rocky and will continue in
that role following the merger

that claims it sells over 100,000
products to all sectors of the motorcycle
and wider powersports market, through
seven domestic US distribution centres.
MAG was founded in 2000 by Arnie
Ackerman and his partners and the San
Francisco based equity investor Duff
Ackerman and Goodrich (DAG), with
the specific intention of acquiring,
financing and developing leading
motorcycle aftermarket parts and
accessory brands and manufacturers.
As the man who had largely guided
the acquisition strategy and driven
development of the Group, Arnie
Ackerman retained a shareholding in
MAG in 2006 when DAGs interest was
acquired by Leonard Green & Partners the Los Angeles based equity investor
with current involvements in well
known American consumer brands such

Brian Etter continues in his role as
President of Motorsport Aftermarket
Group (MAG), the parent company
of well known parts and accessories
brands such as Vance & Hines,
KuryAkyn, Performance Machine,
Progressive Suspension, J&P Cycles,
Mustang Seats and UK based offroad specialist Renthall

as Petco, The Sports Authority, J Crew,
Lucky Brand Jeans, the Palms Casino
Resort in Las Vegas, and the London
based fashion retailer Top Shop.
Although details are confidential, it
would appear that the structure of the
deal will mean that Ackerman, and
several of the former principals of the
businesses that MAG has acquired, will
now, effectively, also have a stake in
Tucker Rocky/Biker’s Choice. The deal is
subject to regulatory scrutiny but is
expected to close in the second quarter
of 2014.
www.ldiltd.com
www.maggroup.com
www.tuckerrocky.com
www.bikerschoice.com

Polaris adds Wisconsin based Kolpin to
its off-road vehicle and accessory line-up
POLARIS Industries continues on the acquisition trail,
buying Kolpin Outdoors, Inc., a privately owned,
Wisconsin-based company that is best known for its offroad vehicle (ORV) accessories, and branded and private
label