By now, those that are familiar with Bartley Motorsports are aware of the change that has taken place, resulting in the new "Pro Force Racing Products" name and our new web store. So here's a quick rundown to share a little more information:
As you can learn in other blog posts, a lot has gone on over the last few years at a business and personal level for us, as the owners. Business has been steady and we've purposely managed growth and marketing so we have the capacity to take time and focus on each customer's needs and fill orders quickly and accurately. Even through a couple of rough years during a cancer battle, our business stayed steady. Then came the Covid-19 pandemic and the cancellation of so many grassroots racing series and events had a big impact on our business. The fact that most professional racing didn't start back up until late 2020 also meant little business was coming in. People were braced for their own health or economic challenges and there was no racing to prepare for (or repair from). Fortunately we were in a position to let the business "idle" for some period of time. The orders that did come in, we were grateful for.
During the unexpected downturn and down time, we decided to take action on some ideas we had been planning. Due to so much change - our location, a shift in brands and product offerings, a personal health crisis, racecar buying and selling and buying, and then politicians nearly shutting down the world, we took action to change the name of the company to Pro Force Racing Products. Why change the name? We know that eventually we will sell the company. Having our family name tattooed to it might give pause to prospective buyers, knowing that the name recognition and reputation may or may not persist if the ownership changes, so we decided to change it now and get right back to work re-establishing the recognition of the new name. Pro Force, Pro Force Racing, PFRP, whatever is easy for you to remember.
When we purchased the internet domain names, we wanted to keep it short, thus the "PFRP" abbreviation of the name. We also want to demonstrate our pride in the fact that we are a U.S. company and we handle many products designed and manufactured right here in the U.S.A.. So, there you have the reasoning behind PFRP.US as the preferred domain name.
You may wonder what else changed.
-We've dropped all mobile media equipment (car stereo or A/V equipment).
-We've dropped the very specialized early generation Chrysler 331/392 Hemi parts from the catalog.
-We've dropped a few manufacturers that were unreliable, and lost a few that went out of business in 2020 due to the economic impact they experienced during the pandemic.
-We've decided to restrict what and where we will sell certain products. (Sorry, not sorry, California and China)
-We will begin to feature and promote more products that are made in the U.S.A..
-We moved into a commercial building in Cleburne, Texas, where we have a little more shop space. Customers are welcome to stop by and say hello, or pick up orders.
-We got rid of our YouTube channel, but may create a new one or find a better platform to share racing clips or promotions with everyone.
-We deleted our Twitter account...well, because.
-We plan to return to open road racing with yet another car. After winning the last Big Bend Open Road Race, we sold the twin-turbo "Send It" C5 Corvette and we've acquired a retired stock car, and plan to continue racing in the Unlimited class.
What hasn't changed:
-We'll still give each customer the time necessary if they need our help in selecting items they need.
-We'll still shop our competition to make sure we are meeting or beating their prices
So far, in 2021, business has picked up substantially on the optimism of racers everywhere. We appreciate our loyal customers and hope to see everyone at the races this year!
Best wishes to all,
Bob & Patty Bartley