Hear Them Roar

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    “The quality of the work force is about the same,” he says. “Workers’ comp was less there than it was here. Since then (two years ago), workers’ comp changed some, and it’s getting better,” he says. For Bub Enterprises, California’s workers’ comp amounted to 19 percent of payroll, while Wisconsin’s was only 7 percent, which is around what the company’s California rates have fallen to. While property tax was the same in both states, property value was twice as high in California.
    Savings in transportation costs cinched the decision for Manning. With Bub Enterprises’ biggest distributor also located in Wisconsin, Manning found immediate savings of almost $500,000 annually in shipping fees. He now visits the Wisconsin plant once every two months with his wife, searching out scenic byways and antique shops along the way.  
    Looking toward the future, Manning is focusing on upcoming stricter pollution regulations for motorcycles, working on new designs and styles, and keeping abreast of Chinese knock-offs of his products. “The Chinese have copied us, but it hasn’t really been successful,” Manning says. “They don’t have the same attention to quality.”
    Boasting a growth rate of 40 percent this year, Manning sees the success of his market operations in aiming for the top. “Our parts are the premier parts in the market,” says Manning. “You can sell on the bottom of the price spectrum, in the middle or at the very top, but I like to say that a Rolex tells more than the time.”   ELSPETH CISNEROS

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