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TrixMotive
Inc DBA Moonlight Industries - Limousine & Custom Vehicle Manufacturing
MotivNation
Inc. - Corporate Headquarters
TrixMotive
Inc., dba Moonlight Industries
Wait ‘Till You See What’s Next
By Linda M. Moore
(as featured in Limousine Digest, February 2005 Vol 15 No. 2, pages 34
& 35)
Becoming a key player in the world of limousine manufacturing takes creativity,
originality, determination, and maybe just a little bit of guts.
With so many different builders competing for operators’ business,
manufacturers need to set themselves apart to their customers. That
was the goal of Dave and Leslie McPhail, the husband and wife team behind
Moonlight Industries Limousine Manufacturers. As they prepare to take
their company to the next level of business—expansion—the
McPhails and their customers see only great things on the horizon for
Moonlight.
Dave began his career in the limousine industry as a press brake operator
and welder for a Southern California-based limousine manufacturer. It
was there, in the summer of 1998, that Dave met his wife Leslie, when
she joined the limousine company as a graphic designer for their in-house
advertising agency. Sparks flew on and off the manufacturing floor and
it wasn’t long before the two were married. Soon after, Dave’s
entrepreneurial spirit steered them toward opening their own limousine
manufacturing company, and in 2001, Moonlight Industries was born.
The McPhails each bring a unique set of talents to the business of limousine
manufacturing. Dave’s extensive background in metal fabrication
and vehicle prototyping sets a solid foundation for the designing of their
line of custom vehicles, while his intimate knowledge of the build process
helps the company continue to push the envelope. His wife Leslie not only
streamlines vehicle production and keeps the office running smoothly with
her attention to detail, but also lends over 10 years of experience as
a graphic designer to the mix, helping to keep their company positioned
prominently amongst the big boys. Together, they set out to build the
kind of limousine company that could offer the customer exactly what they
wanted at an affordable price, without having to sacrifice quality.
Based in Santa Fe Springs, California, Moonlight’s personalized
approach to the limousine manufacturing process and reputation for quality
custom vehicles has quickly helped them establish a loyal customer base.
The couple works closely with each and every customer to help determine
the best solution for their tastes, needs, and budget, before delivering
them into the hands of their talented craftsmen. “Moonlight doesn’t
do cookie-cutter. We’ve always believed that a custom vehicle should
be just that…CUSTOM,” says Dave. “We encourage our customers
to help sculpt their vehicles themselves. We’ve found that listening
to the people that actually operate the vehicles not only ensures their
complete satisfaction with the finished product, but also helps us build
vehicles that each member of our team can be proud of.”
From start to finish, the team entire Moonlight team works together to
delicately blend the most innovative concepts and designs with the newest
technology available, finding creative solutions to keep the company a
step ahead of the competition. The pride that each member takes when building
the vehicle is evident in the workmanship, and the McPhails attribute
it to the family-oriented nature of their business. “We truly are
a family-run business. Besides Leslie and myself, we have brothers, fathers,
sons and cousins working along side each other,” explains Dave.
“You can achieve a higher level of quality with a family member
watching your work, critiquing your efforts, and standing behind you for
support. You know that your success is your family’s success as
well.”
As part of their commitment to offering affordable quality vehicles, the
McPhails strive for ways to improve production, including the recent addition
of a secondary facility to house the ever-expanding production line. Their
nearly 24,000 square foot facility features a 43-foot paint booth, a state-of-the-art
metal fabrication department, including a 10/10 shear, a 144"/170-ton
European style multi-access press brake, and their newest accessory, a
120"/90-ton American style multi-access press brake. These enhancements
not only improve turnaround time and quality control, but also help establish
the company prominently amidst merely a handful of West Coast builders
able to produce vehicles completely in-house.
Accomplishing that feat is no easy task… unless you’re Dave
McPhail. To strengthen their healthy base of return clientele, the McPhails
are constantly looking for ways to wow their customers with one-of-a-kind
looks. "We want our customers to be proud to own a Moonlight vehicle,”
explains Leslie McPhail. “Our goal has always been to stop people
in their tracks! If you thought we blew you away last time, just wait
‘till you see what’s next. I give Dave a chassis and let him
loose. His creativity flows, his imagination runs wild and next thing
you know he’s knocking your socks off," she adds. The end result?
A custom vehicle so over the top people line up to see it, which is exactly
what happened when Dave unleashed his signature piece, “Blazin’
Aces” at the 2004 Limo Digest Show, in Atlantic City.
Thinking out of the box, Dave wanted to do something totally original.
He started with a Hummer H2 and fabricated a custom gull wing door on
the passenger side. To add to the “wow” factor, he converted
the front driver and passenger side doors into Lamborghini style pieces.
Next, he commissioned an airbrush artist to use the Hummer as a canvas.
The artist used thirteen layers of paint to create a mesmerizing, three-dimensional
effect of crimson flames that engulfed the hood and sides of the vehicle,
reminiscent of the high-end custom motorcycles seen on popular television
shows today.
But he didn’t stop there. What better way to celebrate Atlantic
City than a custom poker themed interior?
Adorning the inside of the vehicle was a series of ace and joker themed
custom acrylic cut-outs, blazing fireball acrylic cut-outs, a tequila
bar, and a martini bar. Stainless steel inserts were custom candied an
eye-popping cherry and lined the bars, while a specially designed poker
table greeted visitors as they entered. Four LCD TV’s, a 5000 watt
stereo sound system, and the new Limo Touch control system helped make
the 18 passenger vehicle a destination in itself.
Moonlight’s “Blazing Ace’s” edition is now proudly
at home with one of their first customers, Mert Onal of Z Best Limousine
Service, based in Glen Burnie Maryland. “Mert gave us a chance to
show him what we could do back when nobody else would, and he’s
been along for the ride with us ever since. We couldn’t be prouder
that one of our biggest supporters has chosen to add this showcase piece
to his fleet,” beamed Dave.
Z Best’s retail location is on the busy Ritchie Highway. They
display the vehicle in front of their building for motorists to see as
they drive by. They also have the car prominently featured on their
website and promote it in their television and radio advertisement.
“We get a lot of people calling for this vehicle. It retails
for $300 per hour, which is out of the range of many people, but we have
other Hummers that we can rent for less. It is a good way to get
clients in even if they don’t rent that particular car,” says
manager George Rainey of Z Best.
Renting the new Hummer has not been a problem for Z Best. “This
vehicle is out every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. If there
is a sporting event in town, it is rented. We will be sending it
down to the Super bowl in Jacksonville,” explains owner Mert Onal.
“Kids put down their deposits to reserve the car for their proms
as soon as they see it. We have people wanting this vehicle for
weddings. A wedding is a once in a lifetime event. Any one can get a Lincoln
limousine any where, but this is a one-of-a-kind.”
Onal’s fleet is comprised of unique vehicles. He has a new 140”
Chrysler 300 built on the Hemi motor, a 200” Infinity QX 56 SUV,
and a 140” Porsche Cayenne, also built by Moonlight. Z Best’s
work is about 60% retail and 40 % corporate. For his corporate clients,
he does keep traditional vehicles such as sedans and black stretches.
Onal continues to go back to Moonlight for his vehicles. “The reason
we chose Moonlight was for the overall quality. It was far superior
than any other builder I had seen,” says Onal. “Warranty
is a big issue for us and Dave stands behind his vehicles. I have
gotten the run around before with other builders but never with Moonlight.”
Onal feels that the new Hummer will retain its value. “I know that
when I go to sell this stretch that I will get top dollar for it because
of the uniqueness of it. No one will have anything else even close
to it and it will retain its value for resale.”
So what’s the next step on the growth path for Moonlight? The McPhails
know that building a successful company takes more than long hours and
hard work. “The competition out there is fierce, and it’s
important to be constantly evolving in order to ensure the longevity of
your company’s future for both you and your customers,” states
Leslie. “It’s time for us to take our business to the next
level, and Dave and I are thrilled to have found people that share our
goals for where we can take this company.” The “people”
she is referring to are the gentlemen behind MotivNation, Inc (MOVN),
an Orange County, California based provider and manufacturer of "tools
and toys for the automotive enthusiast.” MotivNation’s goal
is to feed the enthusiast in the fast growing custom automotive market.
To further expand on the broader vision for Moonlight, and to gain stronger
leverage in the limousine industry, Dave and Leslie felt going to the
public market was the best strategy. Moonlight and MotivNation have now
joined forces to create TrixMotive, Inc. a platform to expand their manufacturing
of limousines and other custom automotives. “We are really excited
about taking that next step, because it gives us the necessary tools to
reach our goals, and allows the public to share in our vision," explains
Dave McPhail on the new union. “I am excited about the direction
we are going in because we can only take a great company and make it even
better.”
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MOTIVNATION
- Corporate Headquarters
MotivNation is aggressively positioned in the custom automotive
and motorcycle enthusiast market. Motivnation is a provider and manufacturer
of “tools and toys for the automotive enthusiast.'' Based in California,
MotivNation’s operations have been featured in “Monster Garage”
on the Discovery Channel. MotivNation, Inc. was incorporated on April
26, 1946.
MotivNation, Inc. (“the Company”) provides a full range of
services through its business divisions that cater to the automotive,
motorcycle, and armor protecting market. These services include the sale,
manufacture, converting, customization, restoration, painting, repair
and installation of accessories and parts. The business divisions of MotivNation
are comprised of Damon’s, TrixMotive, and MotivSource. Damon’s
is in the business of customizing motorcycles and automobiles. TrixMotive
is in the business of converting automobile chassis into stretched limousines
and other specialized automotives. MotivSource is an automotive supplier
delivering advanced systems and components to the motor vehicle industry.
Our target clients fall into two categories: the individual custom automotive
enthusiast or collectors of the “one of a kind” custom motorcycle
and auto creations, and those of local fabricators, custom shops, and
Original Equipment Manufacturers. Our primary market is the latter of
two listed and these customers buy materials, supplies, and finished parts
for their work in serving the growing market of custom or modified automobile
and motorcycle creations. In addition to distributing several lines of
materials and equipment, we plan to provide training through independent
dealers and our own distribution infrastructure to our primary market
clientele.
Our manufacturing operations consist of in-house production of components
and parts, assembly and finishing of components, painting, conversion
and assembly of motorcycles and automobiles, and quality control, which
includes performance testing of finished products under running conditions.
The custom design, fabrication, finish and paint processes are moved into
and out of each aspect of the manufacturing process.
We offer various products and services depending on which client we are
catering to for our services. For our individual retail clients we offer
products and services direct and include restoration work, finish and
paint for motorcycles and automobiles as well as signature paint and design
applied to non automotive personal property. For our independent dealers
we offer products and services direct to the dealers which include custom
and signature finish and design work on a dealer’s own restoration
or manufactured work. We also offer consultative work in the preparation
of signature paints blends, techniques, and design advice related to the
dealer’s own project. For our original equipment manufacturers we
offer services and products that include signature design and fabrication
for manufactured parts and accessories, which are a party of a “designer”
or “signature” series of products or design themes. These
products and services are also sold direct to the original equipment manufacturers.
Visit
us at www.motivnation.com
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