Here at FnSweet, most of us have known Bill Lindsay and his team at Stage3Motorsports for a long time. They have been one of our longest standing partners here with our community, always providing service to our enthusiasts in getting the parts they need for their cars.

In 2004, Bill started his company in the back corner of a furniture warehouse and was one of our first advertisers. Fast forward to now, Stage3Motorsports has grown from a one-man go-fast parts house to one of the largest volume high performance Ford and Mustang parts retailers in the nation.

Stage3Motorsports sells superchargers, body kits, suspension parts, exhaust, engine bolt-ons and virtually every kind of goody Ford or Mustang owner could add to their car to make it faster or show better. They have long standing relationships with all the major parts manufacturers including Roush, BBK, Steeda, Saleen, Ford Racing and more.

The company was just named the number one Roush Parts dealer in the world for the fourth year in a tow. To make it all full circle, the company has just moved into a new 20,000 square foot facility in Phoenix, expanding from a warehouse one third the size. The company has been steadily growing some 35% each year since Bill opened his doors in 2004.

The new facility features a sprawling phone center for sales representatives and customer service agents as well as a colorfully wrapped reception area. In the cavernous warehouse, brand new racks reach to the ceiling stocked with parts. While it’s new and much larger before, it isn’t ostentatious. Even in Bill Lindsay’s office is the same modest office furniture his employees work at.

Keeping it real has been part of the company ethos that has kept them growing. Adding one or two each year along the way, Stage3Motorsports now employs 10 people. There are sales representatives, customer service, internet managers and financial operations staff.

Asked what the secret to success in selling expensive toys in a down market Bill says, “We have knowledgeable sales staff answering the phones who know about Fords and Mustangs. They can answer the questions customers have that concern them when making the decision to buy a body or supercharger kit without intimidating them”.

Bill makes a point to employ Ford and Mustang enthusiasts, many who have done the same kinds of projects their customers engage in. It’s his secret recipe to making sure that they can knowledgeably speak to things like parts compatibility, bang for the buck and how well the parts actually perform.

Stage3Motorsports has also built their trade name on free shipping. While that may sound negligible, when you are shipping superchargers or body kits that weigh hundreds of pounds, that adds up for the customer. The company also price matches too, which has continued to make them the last call a customer makes.

The other ace in the hole for Stage3Motorsports is that they stock a great deal of what they sell. Bill has made a practice of buying large stocks of body parts, suspension kits, exhaust packages and superchargers from companies like Roush, Saleen, BBK and others. This makes for shorter and more reliable order fulfillment than many companies who drop ship can achieve.

Because he has the buying power that many retailers don’t he’s been able to buy out discontinued stocks from companies, making Stage3Motorsports the place to go if you want it. And since he is in tune with the Ford and Mustang enthusiast body, he watches the trends and reads the needs to make sure he has what many have difficulty finding.

Having large volume sales and stocks with some of the biggest names in the business also gives Stage3Motorsports an edge on warranty claims with parts. While many retailers push their customers to the manufacture to handle warranty issues, in many cases Stage3Motorsports can handle their own customers and deal with the manufacture themselves.

The company sells performance parts all over the world. When asked where the emerging markets for Ford and Mustang parts are Bill says, “We sell a lot to the middle east like the UAE and Saudi Arabia, they’re big on muscle cars there. We also sell to a lot of military personnel stationed around the world”.

Bill says that while the majority of sales are mail order they do have some local customers who walk in. Part of his new facility is a 6,000 square foot section Bill is still toying with. He’d like to see a tuning and installation shop in there at some point that would allow local customers to buy parts and then have them installed too. For now however he’s still knee deep in getting his new operation unpacked from the move.

Stage3Motorsports has been an uncommon success story having grown and thrived in a time when many companies have gone bust in this business. Bill and his team have not only bucked a trend but have become champions in their business. When asked what it all comes down to Bill simply says, “Its about treating the customer right and doing things for them nobody else will”