1936-2023
Fred Fox, the American motorcycle industry leader and pioneer of the modern era of aftermarket product distribution and promotion, passed away in Orange County, California, on 5 February due to natural causes. He was 86 years old.
Fox started his motorcycle distribution business in 1967. He was the only employee when he started the company at his home in Janesville, Wisconsin. In the years to come, the business grew fast, and he incorporated it as the LeMans Corporation, which continues to this day as the world’s largest privately-owned motorcycle aftermarket distribution company.
In the early years, LeMans moved a couple of times into larger warehouses in Wisconsin, later expanding into other areas around the country, and many brands were added. Some became suppliers for Parts Unlimited and also Drag Specialties, which he acquired in 1988. Other brands and companies were bought outright, including Thor MX and Moose Racing.
Fox was always hands-on and oversaw every detail to make his organisation grow into the industry leader that it is today. He made the decisions to buy the land, designed the facilities for the additional warehouses throughout the United States and Canada, built a national sales force, secured leading brands, and invested heavily in the promotion of Parts Unlimited’s “We Support the Sport” campaign, which has been active since the 1990s. He also served on the board of directors of the Motorcycle Industry Council from 1994 to 2007.
A multi-year personal project culminated in 2009 when LeMans opened the Parts Europe warehouse in Trier, Germany. An all-new warehouse was built with state-of-the-art order-filling technology, resulting in dealer order fulfilment speed never seen before in the motorcycle industry. In addition to the Parts Europe warehouse, LeMans Corporation currently has warehouses in Sparks, Nevada; Ballston Spa, New York; Flat Rock, North Carolina; Grapevine, Texas; and Janesville, Wisconsin, plus Calgary, Alberta, and London, Ontario, in Canada.
Along the way, Fox has been recognised for his contributions to both the snowmobile and motorcycle sports and industries. In 2010, Fred was inducted into the Snowmobile Hall of Fame. In 2002, he was inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame, as well as the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2011. In 2018, he received the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Fox retired from full-time activities at LeMans Corporation in 2021. He leaves wife Paula, sons Steven, Brian and Craig, daughters Teri and Lori.