Michael Meyers - Biography
When it comes to knowing what's cool for kids, just ask Michael Meyers. However, Meyers doesn't work for a video game company, a soft drink manufacturer or a popular clothing designer. He is the leader of a growing trend among kids ages 16-25, one that represents a $2.5 billion industry: after-market performance automotive parts.
The resurgence of cars as a "show piece" is not just confined to high school parking ots or local car clubs. Meyers has taken this "hobby" and turned it not only a successful business, but also a popular lifestyle among his core customers.
When Meyers' father William founded Number One Parts, Inc., (NOPI) in 1966, its focus was on parts and accessories for Volkswagen Beetles. As popularity of the Beetle dwindled in the mid-1970s, the company added other European and Japanese imports to the list of parts accessories available.
That all changed in the mid-1990s when the auto parts industry started slumping and began shifting toward performance parts. According to Meyers, who is now the president of NOPI: "We had to change to survive. If we stayed on the current path, we would be out of business"
And survive they did. NOPI has become the largest wholesale supplier of automotive performance parts in the nation and has built a name for itself beyond the parts industry. NOPI has become synonymous with not only the performance parts, but also those that buy them. Like jocks, preps and other adolescent social groups, today's high school students have dubbed those that have a deep passion for their cars as "NOPI Kids."
The way NOPI's customers identify with the company is evident in the NOPI Nationals show. In 1988, the first NOPI Nationals show attracted 56 cars and approximately 300 attendees. The 2001 NOPI Nationals, held just four days after the tragic events of 9/11, attracted more than 6,500 vehicles and a record 86,000 people. NOPI has gone beyond just a company that sells performance auto parts to a lifestyle for performance car enthusiasts.
Seeing the commitment and dedication from NOPI customers for the 2001 NOPI Nationals, Meyers decided to take the show on the road and bring it to the people.
This year, Meyers will introduce the NDRA (NOPI Drag Race Association) Nationals in conjunction with the NOPI Nationals for a road show unlike anything else out there. Meyers has taken everything desired at the big Atlanta show and added some cool activities. The NDRA & NOPI Nationals will feature the tried-and-true trade element complete with vendors; $100,000 in cash and prizes (the largest ever in a drag racingseries) for the NDRA Nationals; some of the best tricked-out cars in the country; bikini, burn-out and audio contests; and an "After Dark" foam party with "Indy" bands from across the country.
Meyers' interest in creating a fun and safe environment for the kids to attend is only one aspect of his commitment to his loyal customers. Meyers spearheaded an effort to create the Sports Compact Council as part of SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) to better serve the industry. As one of the council's co-chairs, his main concern was the safety of kids involved in illegal street racing. That is why he helped form RASR (Racers Against Street Racing), which aims to get law enforcement agencies, automotive manufacturers and communities across the country behind an effort to get illegal street racers off the public streets and onto the drag strip.
All Meyers sees himself doing is providing kids with what they want. But what he has really created is a successful event that his customers can call his or her own. In essence, the NDRA and NOPI Nationals represent an underground movement that appeals to all races and incomes. It has also opened the eyes of many to realize that this market remains relatively untapped, and how big it really is.
However, this success is due largely in part to Meyer's vision to see what's hot, as well as see a need for support from some outside resources. Meyer has lured some top companies interested in reaching the 16-25 age-demographic as sponsors of the NDRA & NOPI Nationals. Companies like Microsoft, Pepsi, many of the top auto companies, have seen the growth of the auto performance business and its appeal to young kids.
The hard work and long hours have certainly paid off for Meyer. NOPI started off as a small family business but has since grown into an icon in the automotive performance parts industry, as well as a lifestyle phenomenon. "It has been a lot of work, but so much more fun," commented Meyer on the direction the company has gone over the past decade.
The niche market NOPI has built within the performance parts industry is evident in a popular saying around NOPI: "If you need it, NOPI doesn't sell it." Even with a soft economy, Meyers has seen NOPI sales increase 50 percent over the past year. Meyers attributes some of that success to the popularity of the 2001 hit film "The Fast and the Furious," but says it really comes down to the personal expression and pride kids feel about their cars.
However, Meyers may be more in tune with the kids than he'd like to admit. As one General Motors executive said: "If Michael Meyers says it's cool for the kids, then it's cool."
