Colorado Springs--As many outdoor enthusiasts without pickup trucks can attest, it can be a challenge to get outdoor gear up the hill and still have room for family, friends, or four-legged companions. This problem became the catalyst for Marty and Sara Williams, co-owners of Let's Go Aero (LGA), a Colorado Springs-based manufacturer of hitch-based cargo transport products.
Many people still want to use a small car for outdoor activities but seek increased storage capacity, Sara Williams said. "There were no lightweight trailers to hold all the gear."
About a decade ago, the Williamses, avid bicyclists, said they had a difficult time hauling their bikes with their Audi Quattro wagon. Frustrated with the limited options for bike carriers on the market, Marty Williams said he began designing his own.
"My goal was to develop the simplest, most elegant trailer that could carry five bikes," Williams said. The final product was a two-wheel dome-shaped wagon, capable of holding five bicycles and gear, which could be pulled behind a vehicle with a class-one hitch.
In 1998 the pair said they began to sell what became known as the GearWagon trailer, Williams said, which has since been replaced with second-generation version, the GearWagon 125.
The marquee product to the Williamses' line of cargo management systems is the Silent Hitch Pin, an anti-vibration device that limits movement in the connection between the vehicle's towing system and what's being towed, Williams said.
"The Silent Hitch Pin is the keystone in the LGA arch," he said. "This is the cleanest, most effective stabilizing device there is." The device is a bolt with a spring nut that is tightened down, closing any gaps in the hitch.
"The patent is becoming known and recognized," Sara Williams said, adding that it's sold mainly through U-Haul, Cequent, and Valley Industries.
When designing products, Marty Williams said he takes shipping costs and package size into consideration. One of the biggest challenges is selling capacity products cost-effectively, he said. "The lighter you can make something, the better the price to market is."
A new product that incorporates this efficient packaging philosophy, Williams said, is the LittleGiant Trailer, which uses c-channel technology for securing cargo and is marketed as a pickup bed in a box. It's a bolt-together trailer that's capable of hauling an ATV or lawn mower, he said.
The shipping crate doubles as the body for the assembled trailer that fits on a standard wooden pallet, he said. "The only waste in the shipping is the two end caps."
"This breaks new ground and does it differently," Sara Williams added.
The Williamses said they get the word out about their products by exhibiting at tradeshows such as the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association (SEMA), a PR agency, distributors, and their Web site.
Their products garnered attention at SEMA over the years, the Williamses said. LGA's TwinTube gear cargo carrier earned the GMC Professional Grade Challenge award at SEMA in 2002, the couple said, adding that in 2003 LGA's GearBed, a C-channel Hardpoint track system designed for a pickup truck bed, also won the award.
With a host of new products, such as the GearCage cargo rack, GearWagon sport performance trailer, the Williamses said they are making a concerted effort to sign warehouse distributors and resellers nationwide.
Space is money for warehouse distributors, Sara Williams said. "The bigger it gets, the more expensive it costs to inventory the product." Getting potential distributors to take the time to understand the product and acknowledge that it's different than other products on the market has been difficult, she added.
"The biggest challenge is the stocking," Marty Williams said of potential distributors. "That's where we'll make great strides going into the '08 cycle."
Customer need is the driving force for product development, Sara Williams said. "When customers see our products, they immediately get it," she said. "They're already looking for something like that and get excited when they find it. Potential dealers don't necessarily have that premeditated need." As grassroots demand builds dealers will eventually understand the market potential, she said.
"If the customer is driving the demand, the rest will take care of itself," Marty Williams said.
Although the Williamses' main focus is distribution and sales in the United States, they said they contract several manufacturers from around the globe to make their components and parts, including India and China.
The plastic molding for all the cargo encasements is made in Denver, Williams said, adding that if there's a problem, it can be corrected quickly. "The feedback loop from China and India is a lot longer."
The Williamses said they foresee some of their licenses for products being purchased. However, when contracting private-label partners, they said they always do nonexclusive agreements to retain the right to sell products under the LGA name.
