While the general economy in the United States seems to be barely moving, Elasco, Inc. is just wheeling along. The company, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Deltron, has seen a significant increase in the sales of its high performance roller skate wheels. And we thought roller skates were as dead as disco.
But in fact Elasco has increased sales of its proprietary polyurethane wheels to existing quad skate OEM customers by 116 percent this year. Although part of this could be that consumers are replacing wheels on old skates, as roller skating as a retro activity is catching on, the other part of the equation is that roller derby is also hot again.
According to The United States Roller Sports Organization roller derby is now among the fastest growing sports, with approximately 500 women’s leagues in 16 countries worldwide. The Women’s Flat Derby Association also notes that roller derby’s unique amateur sports model has fostered an explosion in its global popularity. The flat track version of the sport, which was devised in 2001, has seen growth from just a single league to 50 leagues by 2005 and now encompasses nearly 500 in 2010.
“Customers in the roller skate industry tell us that what started as a grassroots recreational activity has spread quickly, growing into an international phenomenon that is just now hitting its stride,” says Henry Larrucea, Deltron CEO. “By leveraging our longstanding relationships, manufacturing capabilities and reputation within the recreational equipment industry, Deltron is carving out a leadership position in what is now a rapidly growing niche market. We are pleased to see dramatic increases in sales and expect demand for our new lightweight, better performing wheels to rise as quad skating gains in popularity.”
Deltron also notes that the roller skate industry is a tight community with just a handful of established quad skate OEMs. Deltron is noted as being one of the largest manufacturers, and it currently supplies original and replacement wheels to the top vendors, creating proprietary formulations that meet performance specifications including grip control, speed, durability, size, weight, surface compatibility, and color variety. There is also the fact that most other wheel makers probably moved on to roller blades a long time ago. Many companies probably never though this wheel would turn and come back around.