In just over a decade, Powerteq has gone from a start-up to a powerhouse leader in performance tuning in the automotive aftermarket segment. As a division of High Performance Industries, Powerteq oversees six established brands: APR, Dinan, DiabloSport, Edge Products, Range Technology, and Superchips.
With six brands under their wing, they cover a wide range of vehicles including domestic, American muscle, daily driver, diesel, Jeep, gas trucks, and foreign muscle cars. At their core, Powerteq is all about tuning, reprogramming a vehicle to optimize its operating system, provide more torque, give it better fuel economy, and increase its horsepower. It is easy to see why their mantra is power, control, and style.
No matter the size of your business, approaching mega-manufacturers can make you feel like a small fish in a big pond. And it’s tough to negotiate for the products you need and on the timeline you need them.
That’s how Jacen Frew, Powerteq’s Director of Supply Chain, felt when reaching out to large manufacturers to support Powerteq’s automotive aftermarket products when he was just a buyer.
“You’re just a little fish in their huge ocean,” said Frew. “And that’s been a point of value with Suntsu. They’ve been a mediator in those relationships and negotiate on our behalf.”
The Early Days
Early in the relationship, Powerteq reached out to Suntsu to help them solve a challenge with their backup camera. They ran into some supply issues and were also looking to increase their margins. Suntsu was able to increase the margin and solve the supply chain problems.
“Suntsu really knocked it out of the park”
Engineering Solutions
Throughout the years, Jacen and his team have encountered challenges with projects. Most notably, Suntsu’s expertise shined through when Powerteq encountered an issue with their Backup Camera Solution Project.
To make some sizable cuts in cost from their supply chain, Suntsu was able to create an entire kit for their backup camera. All Powerteq needed to do was receive the product, add their sleeve to the box, shrink the wrap, and ship it directly to their customers. Suntsu was able to save them time and reduce their costs substantially.
Frew said that although it was likely a small project for Suntsu, it was important to the Powerteq team. And it’s paid off in the long run. It opened the rest of the teams’ minds to the idea of handing more work over to Suntsu.
Core Values Mashup
Suntsu has also helped Powerteq negotiate a relationship with manufacturers—something that’s infinitely important to Powerteq.
“Yes, I recommend Suntsu. Why? They pride themselves in performing at a high level and are easy to work with. What they say they will do, Suntsu does. Values align.”
Ready to Take the Leap?
Are you feeling like a small fish? We can help with that. Reach out to see what a partnership with Suntsu can do for your supply chain.