Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1491840
Fred Fox, 1936-2023 F red Fox, motorcycle industry leader and pioneer of the modern era of aftermarket prod- uct distribution and promotion passed away in Orange County, California on Sunday, February 5, due to natural causes. He was 86 years old. Fox started his motorcycle distributing business in 1967. He was the only employee when he started the company at his house in Janesville, Wisconsin. In the years to come, the busi - ness grew fast, and he incorpo- rated as LeMans Corporation, which continues to this day as the largest privately-owned mo - torcycle distributing company in the world. In the early years, LeMans moved a couple of times into larger warehouses in Wiscon - sin, expanded into other areas around the country and many brands were added. Some be- came suppliers for Parts Unlim- ited and also Drag Specialties, which he acquired in 1988. Other brands and companies were bought outright, including Thor MX and Moose Racing. Fred was always a hands-on manager who oversaw every detail to make his organization grow into the industry leader that it is today. He made the deci - sions to buy the land, designed the facilities for the additional warehouses throughout the United States and Canada, built a national sales rep force, secured leading brands to carry, and invested heavily in promotion of Parts Unlimited's "We Support the Sport" cam - paign, which has been ac- tive since the 1990s. He also served on the Board of Directors of Motorcy - cle Industry Council from 1994 to 2007. A multi-year personal project culminated in 2009 when LeMans opened the Parts Europe warehouse in Trier, Ger - many. An all-new ware- house was built there with state-of-the-art order filling technology that results in dealer order ful - fillment speed never seen before in the motorcycle industry. In addition to the Parts Europe ware - house, LeMans Corpora- tion currently has warehouses in Sparks, Nevada; Ballston Spa, New York; Flat Rock, North Carolina; Grapevine, Texas; and Janesville, Wisconsin, plus Calgary and London, Ontario in Canada. Along the way, Fred has been recognized for his contributions to both the snowmobile and mo - torcycle 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 was the recipient of the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame's Life - time Achievement Award. Fred retired from full-time activities at LeMans Corporation in the fall of 2021. He is survived by his wife Paula, sons Steven, Brian and Craig, daughters Teri and Lori, several grandchildren, nieces and nephews and his former wife Gloria. He was preceded in death by his two brothers Bob and Stanley, sister Jeana and son Jeffery. At this time, funeral services are pending. Please respect Fred's wife and family's privacy at this time and direct any com - munications to Don Emde at: don@emdebooks.com. CN P20 Aftermarket product distribution and promotion leader Fred Fox passed away at the age of 86.