Small Business Stories - Rocket Racing Wheels

Alex Fees: I am Alex Fees on Small Business Television. We are coming to you from SEMA 2008 that Specialty Equipment Market Association out at las Vegas and joining me here now is David Coker. David good to meet you sir. David Coker: Good to meet you, thanks. Alex Fees: I appreciate you being here. David is with the -- his company is Rocket Performance Machine. You are of the Coker family. David Coker: Yes the Coker Tire Company. Alex Fees: Okay. David Coker: The antique tire company. Alex Fees: Wow! So you are kind of a branch, the apple didn't fall from the tree then as the story goes. David Coker: Didn't fall too far It's been about 25 years working in the family business. Alex Fees: Okay and the product you are here to talk about is Rocket Racing Wheels, right. David Coker: That's correct. Alex Fees: Talk about those. David Coker: Rocket Racing Wheels is a brand of wheels that started back in the mid 60s and the company that started back faded from the public view in the late 90s. So we picked up the brand and re-launched the brand, basically bringing back. We are targeting specifically street rod muscle car enthusiast and we are bringing back traditional styling with modern technology. Alex Fees: Okay. Now tell me about your experience here at SEMA 2008. Have you been -- I am guessing you've been to SEMA before. David Coker: Oh yeah, every year, cant miss it. Alex Fees: Since you were kid, probably. David Coker: Absolutely I grew up -- lots had grew up in the hobby and so this is just a car heaven for a car show. Ales Fees: Well what kind of experience you are having here this year? David Coker: Well it is really quite incredible, really for me with this bringing back this Rocket brand, I mean we are even actually bringing back modern muscle wheels and it is really refreshing to me, see the original traditional styling that are being brought forward into with the new Challenger, the Camaro, the light model Mustang, which is specifically the avenue where we are headed with this brand. Alex Fees: Now you say that the new Challenger, that goes back to the old Challenger, right. David Coker: Exactly. Alex Fees: What was that era of Challenger? David Coker: Well, in the 60s and 70s was the golden age of the muscle car in Detroit and continuous to inspire the car enthusiast today. I mean like I said those enthusiast have inspired the car makers to bring back that age because it was the heart beat of America. Alex Fees: Absolutely, my brother had a 77 Challenger, if I am not mistaken. Was that a little beyond that era? David Coker: No that's still in the muscle car range. Alex Fees: What about this? I also when I ask people who are in your industry, who would know this and I have been talking more in terms of car designs from the 50s and 60s. But there seems to truly having something unique going on during that time. Because I don't know that twenty years from now people going to be talking about car designs in the 80s and 90s, what do you think about that? David Coker: Well, again as far as the designs back in the day in the 50s and 60s and even in the 70s the five spoke designs, the magnesium wheels with the soft flats, the drag racing enthusiast have continued to inspire even the wheels that you see here today. Alex Fees: Absolutely. David Coker: Fives poke designs have revolutionized the industry as far as inspired and continue to inspire, regardless of the design they are lot of more based on that fives poke designs, so they continue to -- Alex Fees: So we are still looking at evolution is what you are talking about. David Coker: Absolutely, absolutely it continues to exist. Even though it has - some other it goes way over the top but the traditional classic designs will never go away. Alex Fees: Well David after re-launching your company, how is SEMA 2008 been for you I mean have you any success in this endeavor? David Coker: We are, as I say we are just now launching the company bringing the brand back. So we are meeting with media as well as associates building the database, as we bring the brand back. Alex Fees: Alright again we are talking to David Coker. David's company is Rocket Performance Machine. Where can people go to get information specifically about rocket racing wheels? David Coker: rocketracingwheels.com. Alex Fees: Very simple rocketracingwheels.com. David Coker: Log on and find a data. Alex Fees: Alright David, good deal thank you very much. David Coker: Thank you very much. Alex Fees: I am Alex Fees and you are watching Small Business Television coming to you SEMA 2008 in Las Vegas.