Talkin’ Shop: Industry and Supply Chain Trends for Fuel Systems in 2021

 

Cause and effect is a phrase that certainly applies to the power sports market as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus that ground the world to a halt created an explosion of interest in ATVs, UTVs, motorcycles and boats, with sales-generating through the roof.

Mike Coyle, Executive Vice President and President of Fuel Systems Business Unit at Walbro, LLC, explained how this explosive growth in one segment of Walbro’s business required a fundamental shift in how the fuel systems group operates and what to expect from the industry in 2021.

“Last spring, when COVID started to take hold, we had plant shutdowns and so forth, and we got way behind with our customers,” Coyle said. “And then, when the first wave passed and we were allowed to get back into production, of course, all of our customers wanted everything that they had ordered pre-COVID. They wanted it all, like yesterday. So, there was a big effort to try and get caught up with past orders.”

The ongoing challenge for Walbro and its dealers is how to keep up with the growing demand for power sports products, a market that shows no signs of diminishing.

The increase in demand for these power sports products is not limited to the United States; this is a global phenomenon. And Coyle said that Walbro relies on their engine management and fuel systems plants in Thailand to assist with those global demands. These plants are smaller than their Michigan plant but serve an essential function for creating fuel tanks for customers in that area of the world.

“We have a pretty good customer base there, and that is a world-class operation,” Coyle said. “When we measure quality, one of the things we look at is our external defect rate, how many bad parts are returned to us from customers, and we measure that in parts per million. For all of last year the Thailand plants, their quality rate in parts per million was 10. That’s world-class in any industry.”

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @MarketScale
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

automation
Revolutionizing Revenue Cycle Management: The Power of AI & Automation
July 7, 2025

Amid a rapidly evolving tech landscape, decision-makers need to navigate new AI-driven solutions addressing industry-specific hurdles. This session, recorded at the HFMA 2025 show, sheds light on how leaders are using pioneering automation technologies to stay competitive and efficient.

Read More
Portable AV system
AV Anywhere: Portable AV Systems Are Now Essential for Mission-Critical Response in Unpredictable, Connectivity-Challenged Environments
July 7, 2025

In crisis scenarios, portable AV systems must perform under pressure because failure is not an option. As Keysight Technologies notes, the evolution of mission-critical communications now depends on low-latency, mobile-ready platforms that can operate reliably in unstable, infrastructure-poor conditions, making portable AV systems essential for real-time response and public safety operations. These are the…

Read More
future of marketing
Vibes and the Future of Marketing with Adbloom Founder and CEO Andrew Abony
July 7, 2025

Affiliate marketing is shedding its outdated reputation and entering a new era—one centered on authenticity, emotional resonance, and genuine human connection. As the future of marketing becomes increasingly relationship-driven, this shift is impossible to ignore. In fact, during the 2024 U.S. Cyber Monday, influencers and affiliate marketers were responsible for driving around 20% of…

Read More
brand identity
The Branding Balancing Act: Reinvent Without Losing Your Brand Identity
July 7, 2025

The recent resurrection of the Pac-12—reborn with new members and a possible rebrand—raises critical questions about what keeps a brand relevant in the face of disruption. According to Yahoo Sports, the rebuilt conference has signed a five-year media deal with CBS despite fielding just two original members, underscoring how legacy names must evolve to maintain…

Read More