Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Phoenix Pro Scooters starts "SESSION by Phoenix" Brand

For as long as I can remember, Phoenix has been one of the few companies that manufactured all of their products in the USA. However, when 90% of all other companies are going to China, making cheaper parts not only in price, but some, in quality as well, you as a company have to act. Phoenix has done just that, by starting SESSION by Phoenix. For more information check out the press release, and the interview with Phoenix founder, Tom Floyd.



PRESS RELEASE:

 

Phoenix Pro Scooters announces new brand: SESSION by Phoenix

 

From: Phoenix Sports, Inc.                                                                           Date: 9/17/2013

 

Beaverton, Oregon – Phoenix Pro Scooters announced today that it will debut a new line under the “SESSION by Phoenix” brand name.  For years, Phoenix Pro Scooters has produced a high-end line of freestyle scooter decks and parts handmade in the USA and aimed at the professional level rider.  As the sport has grown, and more brands have surfaced, Phoenix has stood alone as the leader in the high-end segment of the market.   While this has been a prestigious position, it has also come with unique challenges and obstacles.  Dan Barrett, recently appointed Marketing Manager had this to say, “Being on Phoenix and growing my relationship with Tom has been the best decision ever. The years I have been on Phoenix I've never broken a part or had any major problems with my scooter. That being said, it's one of the main reasons I'm a part of Phoenix. It's a huge relief not to worry about my scooter. It's our main focus over here to make sure our scooters are the best.”

 

In an interview, company founder, Tom Floyd talked about the new line:

 

Q: What was the reason for starting a new brand? -

A: From the beginning, when I started Phoenix, I have always been dedicated to providing riders with the best decks and parts I could make. I want riders to be able to trust our products and push themselves and the limits of the sport.  As the sport has matured, we have found our retail pricing to be out of reach for most riders.  The reason for starting this new brand is to make our products more affordable.

 

Q: How do you plan to accomplish that? –

A: I have always been dedicated to manufacturing here in the USA.  However, with high manufacturing costs and long lead times, we have not had the ability to lower our retail prices.  It has literally forced us to hold our pricing higher due to those costs.  As the scooter scene developed and more riders have come into the sport, Phoenix became an “Aspirational Brand”.  We have done ok in America, but internationally, we have never been able to offer big enough discounts to keep our retail prices within reach of the riders in foreign countries.  For that reason, our team has decided to make the SESSION by Phoenix line in China. 

 

 

 

Q: Do you think you can still produce quality parts that live up to the Phoenix name? –

A: Yes.  All the parts in the line are still designed here at the Phoenix factory with our riders input as well as our years of design and engineering experience.  We are not simply choosing our new parts out of some catalog as others have done.  For example; The SESSION deck was designed by Evan Larson and myself and has been tested and produced here in the USA before taking the manufacturing overseas.  Any parts we decided to make were carefully considered for the cost savings and no compromises were made in material selection or manufacturing techniques.  In fact, our lead welder and myself went over and spent a week in the factory training workers in our welding and production methods.

 

Q: What about keeping jobs here in the US? –

A: I have personally struggled with this and at the end of the day I am ok with what we are doing because it allows us to continue to employ riders like Evan Larson, Cooper Klaar, Dan Barrett and Chase Robertson, all of whom I met through scootering.  My loyalty IS to my riders, employees and their families.  Phoenix is an American company, plain and simple.  My job is to grow our business and protect our employees’ jobs.  Everything we are doing ensures that our employees and our Pro Riders will continue to get a paycheck. 

 

Q: How can you be sure the quality will be there? –

A: These are 100% Phoenix designs which have engineering, material specifications, heat treating methods and production procedures carefully spelled out.  Additionally, we have a production manager in place who works at the factory every day to oversee that those standards are being met.   Each and every component has been submitted for testing and cannot be produced until our riders sign off on the control sample. 

 

Q: What about Phoenix Pro Scooters? –

A: We will still be making an exclusive range of decks and bars here in the US under the Phoenix Pro Scooters name.  Reventon decks and SV2 bars will still be made in our shop and our new Reventon V2 is in the planning stages and our riders sig models are underway. I felt it was important to create a new brand to preserve the prestige of the American Made product.  Of course, it will also have the higher price tag as well.  

 

Q: So how does this move affect the sport?

A: It allows us to grow our marketing budget and keep our team employed and travelling.  Our riders have so many creative ideas for filming trips and places they want to see the sport exposed.  We believe that our riders involvement in the scene is critical to keeping our brand message on point.  Running a profitable, healthy business also allows us support more comps and events and provides the resources to send our team to those events on a more consistent basis.

 

Q: What will SESSION by Phoenix be offering? –

A: We have a new 4.25 complete at $249 and the new 4.5 complete at $349 US Retail.  We will be offering the SESSION 4.5 as a deck only in 20” and 21” lengths and we have new wheels coming which the riders have already been testing and love.  Also, we will have grips, headsets and griptape.

 

The new SESSION by Phoenix product range will debut at the 2013 Interbike tradeshow in Las Vegas and be available for dealers in November in time for Christmas. 
 

22 comments:

  1. So were all Session Deck previous to this release manufactured in the USA?

    D.Wilson / Dad / Sponsor of 4

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The decks as of now are still USA made

      Nick Darger

      Delete
  2. HAHAHAH always talking shit about China made products and being "American Made" what a joke.
    P.S. Everyone knew ur wheels were made in China too LOL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. phoenix's old wheels were not produced at all in china, i moved them around throughout production (all in Oregon) maybe you didn't like them but they had a 30 day warranty.

      Delete
  3. Agree with above. It's funny how all of these "Made in USA" companies claim that but in reality they go to China too.

    Only company that is made in USA, is PROTO..that's it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Every single tsi part has and is made in the u.s.

      Delete
    2. TSI always has and still does make every single one of their parts in Portland, Oregon.

      Delete
    3. and perhaps Tilt? TSI, Tilt and Proto.

      Delete
    4. Everything from epic is made in the good old USA as well

      Nick Darger

      Delete
  4. I snapped my session at woodward and they wobt warranty it and it was 3 months old

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very difficult and complicated subject to discuss. First off, the pursuit off going to china to produce cheap products is not encouraged solely by the brands and companies themselves. It is both the riders wanting to only opt for the cheap parts to save a few quid, and also shops demanding -in most cases- a large 50% profit margin (Which is much higher than the brands will take). But at the same time, can you really blame them? the target audience of scooter parts is a very young and generally non-affluent group. And within the recession, it has become harder for shop and small business owners of all kinds to make a living. The cheap products bring in the customers, and the big margins bring in the money, which at the end of the day, you need to make to pay the bills.

    So is it unethical to support the "made in china" products, or just what you need to do to survive? I know from first hand experience of trying to create and sell a homeland made product how difficult it can be, and clearly Phoenix are struggling too. For me it ultimately ended with my business losing money as customers only went elsewhere, and the end result being that I was in-able to provide jobs and opportunity's for anyone, let alone people of my own country. In hindsight I would have done things differently, and of course in my next venture I will, with the hopes of being able to pay my own bills and that of many more staff that will be needed to follow.

    To sum up I think that Phoenix have hit the nail on the head here and are doing a good thing by trying to provide both a quality product that appeals to the lower end of the market, whilst retaining hold of a highly respected American-owned business which provides a no-compromise product for those with the budget.

    ReplyDelete
  6. stupid stupid stupid

    ReplyDelete
  7. Why are you trying to slate them going to china? do you not understand the world of business and that you have to adapt to the industry you're in.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sorry that Phoenix finally had to cave and move a chunk of production to China. Unfortunately, it's gonna continue happening to USA-based companies like it has been for the last few decades. Not to make excuses, but it's somewhat forced upon many companies, like Phoenix.

    At some point, it's incredibly hard to increase profit margins and you eventually stall. It's not about getting more money for your personal wealth. It's about being able to expand and grow your company, which is a vital part of a company's success. If you don't have the financial ability to play with new designs and ideas, then running a company begins to become a boring chore, which will also negatively affect your riders (If you're a company with riders). Maybe Phoenix could have barely survived and found ways to cut costs, but I'm sure they're more interested in flourishing as a company and having a little more freedom to influence the rest of the world's riders. That's the American way, like it or not. (Sorry if I sound like a nationalist)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Heavy. i don't really know how to respond to this. Phoenix has always been top notch quality wise. Can't lie about that but dang.

    -tyler wheeland

    ReplyDelete
  10. cap·i·tal·ism [ káppit'l ìzzəm ]
    free-market system: an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and distribution of goods, characterized by a free competitive market and motivation by profit

    ReplyDelete
  11. theres nothing wrong with china based companies at all. but when it comes to the point where ALL companies are based in china. THATS a problem. i remember a time when the scooter industry was about making good parts at a reasonable cost. now look whats its become... a bunch of rich marketing douche bags trying to make money off of kids thats dont know better. honestly i wouldnt mind spending 120$ + for a deck PROVIDING that it does what i expect for the money ive spent on it. speeking from MY experiances.... if im spending 180$ for a deck it should last 3-6 months ATLEAST. dont get me wrong, there are nice china made products out there. EVERY headset out there is china. im not sure on tilt. but i know oddosy and FSA is china. Look at some of the forks out there today. district forks are still using spacers.... and honestly if there gonna make their fork in china its not gonna cost em much more to add an intagrated spacer.... another thing with all of the district/addict/ethic style forks. they have that STUPID ics.... i mean i understand the whole not using the 8 inch bolt but now you have to have a CUSTOM made 10 inch allen wrench. another 2 oz isnt gonna effect your rididng im sorry... No disrespect to anybody. just expressing my opinion.


    -max demoss

    ReplyDelete
  12. From my own experience, growing a brand here in Europe (Czech Rep.) is extremely hard. People these days are going the look at each and every cent and dont think about the quality as much anymore. The only way to survive as a company without a huge budget is to reduce margins to minimum, which in the end only results in very little profit and will overtime force you to go to china. I think what scootering needs these days is some kind of product rating scale/system so people dont have to literally dig through forums to know if aa District V2i is better or worse than the Artefact. I have tried to grow a magazine here too that would partly provide this but nobody is simply interested in this aspect of the sport. If we had good quality and reliable media ( not dissing inside here but they are more focused on rider news) people could be educated about the differences and inside bullshit thats going on. Feel free to check out my projects facebook page if you want. Peace

    Adrian Srajer

    www.facebook.com/AnalogScooterCo

    ReplyDelete
  13. To anyone that is acting like THE BRAND "PHOENIX" is going to be made in China you are WRONG! If you knew how to read you would realize that. Their new BRAND "SESSION" is going to be made in china so they can reach a new market of people because the product will cost less, and as they said QUALITY is going to be the same!

    ReplyDelete

If you're going to bother to comment anonymously, think about what you're saying and what credibility you'll have without a name. Besides that, please keep the comments constructive, thanks!