PickUps Plus Launches Media Campaign

MASON, Ohio--Beginning in early October, PickUps Plus Inc. will initiate a new advertising campaign with the first of a series of half-page ads in Entrepreneur Magazine. The ads are meant to assist the company in attracting qualified new franchisees for its expanding operations.

PickUps Plus also will soon be unveiling its new, much more advanced e-commerce website at www.pickupsplus.com. The new site will expand the company’s existing e-commerce capabilities extensively and will be much more interactive and user friendly than the existing site, according to the company. The site will carry all types of aftermarket car and truck accessories from hundreds of top manufacturers.

At its annual franchise meeting, PickUps Plus CEO John Fitzgerald outlined the company’s corporate goals for 2001. “We will continue to develop and expand the PickUps Plus brand nationwide as we make our name synonymous with quality SUV and truck accessories. Entrepreneur Magazine’s millions of monthly readers makes it a premier outlet to get our company message out as well and to attract new franchisees. We plan to become a household name to in the $30-plus billion (SUV) and light truck accessories market.”

PickUps Plus has been expanding under its aggressive franchise plan, seeking new locations with high potential nationwide. Currently, PickUps Plus owns and operates three corporate stores, while overseeing six franchise locations in seven states. The company is preparing to launch two new franchises and is in talks with several other potential franchisees. The company expects to have stores on both coasts this year.

It expects to be first-to-market in many areas of the country because even though the truck and SUV accessory market is growing rapidly, it is still highly fragmented and made up almost entirely of small, independent, non-branded shops.

“Fast, professional installation, the most knowledgeable people in the business, and attention to detail make PickUps Plus the first stop for people looking for quality truck and SUV accessories,” Fitzgerald said. PickUps Plus owners and employees are trained in factory recommended installation procedures. “The company’s franchise program appeals to the growing number of truck and SUV enthusiasts and professionals that already sell and install bedliners, ladder racks, bug guards, painted visors, floor mats, off road equipment and an ever-expanding line of after-market accessories, but lack the ability to attract large numbers of customers to their independent operations. Because every PickUps Plus location is clean and inviting, a high percentage of their sales come from the hard to reach female market,” he said.