Lusty Industries is increasingly well known throughout the Australian action sports industry as a distributor of gear. From GoPro to Troy Lee Designs, Downhill to Moto and beyond. We got an interview with Rick Boyer, Australian mountain bike legend,A�to gain some insight on his role, what it’s like to work at Lusty Industries, and how the company has grown from a Vegas idea to a household name. Read on…
How did you become involved with Lusty, you have previously had/have a mountain bike related import business?
I have known Johnny (Lusty Ind Director) for some time now. It all really kicked off when we caught up in Vegas many years ago, with different business agendas. It wasna��t until a few years later that the hangover wore off and I started repping Lusty bicycle with the other programs I was running. I then moved to Newcastle and while doing some work at Drift bikes ended up helping out at Lusty HQ and it progressed from there into a full time gig. I still run Orange bikes on the sideline which pumps along under its own steam as it has done for over 10 years now, we have a great Lusty / Orange bikes partnership. A lot of that experience and years of retail translate directly to my role at Lusty.
What is your job at Lusty and what does this mean you do day to day?
My official title would be Sales Manager, but my role is pretty diverse. I help out with most stuff but lately its more focused on building the bicycle program at Lusty. Customer service is one of the main areas I drive at Lusty but I do a mix of everything from dealing with suppliers and product orders to keeping the reps informed. It’s exciting to say the least and have not had 5 spare minutes since I started working here nearly 5 years ago. Im the longest serving employee other than Johnny and watching the evolution of Lusty has been an amazing experience. Its a great gig to be a part of.
Ita��s great to see an Australian company picking up speed in the sports industry, how has Lusty Industries grown to what it is today? Has it been a smooth ride?
Lusty has grown to what it is today from the hard work and dedication we have put in to bring Australia the worlda��s best brands. Johnny McLean founded Lusty Industries based from a Moto heritage and has always had the insight to diversify into all areas of the Action Sports markets and more, and quite considerably Bicycle of late. We have tried to work with brands globally that are just as passionate about the sports and products that we are. You cana��t make an omelet without cracking a few egg shells, but the ride has been positive the whole way. We have been faced with the usual highs and lows, but ita��s how you recover that says a lot. The evolution of Lusty is continually moving to another level.
Working with the Lusty family would be pretty special; whata��s the workplace like? Wea��ll try not to drool thinking about all the awesome gear you handle daily..
Yes ita��s not your usual office, shiny pointed shoes, ties and suits are banned. The Lusty office is fitted out with some vintage MX Bikes, Race Jerseys, Athlete helmets, paraphernalia plus photos and posters signed from some of Australiaa��s and the worlda��s best athletes. Ita��s a great vibe to be a part of. Ita��s never quiet and there is always something to do. We aim to work with market leaders in all of our brands. The look on some peoplea��s faces when they walk in is great!
Within the action sports industry gear and brands often cover a few different sports (eg Von Zippera��s snow, moto and bike goggles). Does having a diverse range of customers ever make things difficult?
Definitely, having such a diverse customer mix is a real challenge, as trends and styles change over varying disciplines. Different industries also need to be catered for differently with seasonal buys as well as industry expectations. You always need to remember that the customer is always right!
Gravity mountain biking is ever-growing in Australia, especially since Cairns 2014 was announced. Will you be doing anything special with that in mind in the lead up to the event next year?
MTB and Gravity MTB is a focus at Lusty, we have had the Lusty MTB team running for a number of years now with amazing success. We will have a presence at the Worlds, thata��s a definite! We will be looking at some special events to coincide with the World Cup and World Champs.
Troy Lee Designs is one of the biggest names in action sports a�� what does this partnership mean for Lusty Industries?
This amazing new partnership is the most exciting news we have launched to date! To partner with a business that shares the same drive and passion for its athletes, market and sports is crazy. There is so much buzz with all of staff and in the industry ita��s hard to focus on emails sometimes. It is definitely the next step in the evolution of Lusty Industries in so many aspects; it solidifies us even more as a bicycle distributor but is massive on a whole new level.
GoPro went from sponsoring no events or athletes, to covering the industry in only a couple of years. I remember when they were few and far between in the country. What is it like to be a GoPro distributor, and to be connected to such a phenomenon
Being a GoPro distributor is a wild ride. Having a product that is in such high demand presents its own problems but being a small part of a global revolution is something that will never be easily repeated. It brings so much to the business and ita��s nice to have a product that in some cases keeps our dealers afloat in a tough retail climate. We get so many sponsorship enquiries each and every day it is unreal. Ita��s easy to get caught up in the whole GoPro phenomenon but sometimes you just have to sit back and just take look at it all and take in how incredible the brand is.
2013 is blazing past, what has Lusty got in store to finish the year and soar into 2014?
We are going to keep working on the same program that has got us to where we are today and then push that a little more! Marketing and social media are a significant aspect of the business and will continue to strive to stay on top of the social media beast. We will keep working with the worlda��s leading brands and try to secure more partnerships that the Australian market will hopefully benefit from. You will see a press release shortly announcing that we are the new bicycle distributor for Five Ten shoes which is another exciting program to be a part of!
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