Formed in 1959 by Bill Simpson, the Simpson Performance Products we know today was bought by Carousel Capital in 1998. Since then, Carousel has purchased Safety Solutions (2011) and more recently HANS.
The company has 200 employees over five locations; Mooresville, N.C., New Braunfels, Texas, Harbor City, Calif., and Brownsburg, Ind. HANS is still represented in Atlanta.
VP Marketing Debbie Bishop showed me around the Mooresville location and when asked if Simpson has an average customer, replied, “Male. Every age group.” Simpson services the youth market all the way up to professional teams. Most of its customers are Saturday-night grass-roots motorsports participants.
Simpson has more than 300 distributors on the United States and a global distribution network with growing sales in Europe. The company has been working on FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) certified products and has the 8860 and VUDU helmets to show for it. The 8860 is made here in the United States, the first FIA certified helmet to own that distinction.
Simpson’s sales force is found on the phone, on the internet, and at the track. It services teams in NASCAR’s top three series; NHRA, where it is dominant; dirt track racers, and road racers too. Simpson’s contingency programs give back to the motorsports community in a variety of series.
Simpson’s engineering team is constantly working in new and improved products, often with input from customers. Three new suits have been introduced this year, and a number of different designs and color combinations are available. Simpson has a partnership with DuPont and Simpson reps often travel overseas to see the latest technologies and trends in all products.
The longevity of this company and its proven track record earn it an honored spot on the motorsports world. Yet it doesn’t rest on its laurels. The Simpson folks are constantly striving to better the product line and are proud of the relationships they have formed with their customers. To see the entire Simpson product line, visit here.
Corinne Economaki