Boston Globe (Mass., USA)
September 3, 2006
It didn't take Savuth ``Woody" Ly long to figure out how he'd make a living when he moved to Lowell two years ago.
In Santa Ana, Calif., where he previously lived, Ly raced cars as a hobby. He also opened a small business customizing brake rotors for high-performance cars in 1997. When he moved to Lowell, he deployed the skills that served him in California.
``This technology is a trend on the West Coast but it's pretty scarce around Massachusetts," Ly said outside his shop on Congress Street. ``I figured sooner or later the trend is going to come this way. I wanted to be ready when it does."
Ly sold his motorcycle and truck to raise start-up money. He brought in partners who also invested. Altogether, the group raised about $70,000, which was enough to lease the shop and purchase computerized equipment, an industrial drill, and other devices needed to drill holes and cut slots into brake rotors to modify them.
The company, named Design Rotor Technology, opened in late 2004 with Ly and his partner, Se Yin, working in the shop.
``It's a niche business," said Ly, who was born in Cambodia and moved to California with his mother in 1981. ``There's not so much racing in New England, not as much as California. But there are a lot of people with high-end passenger cars or SUVs who want the technology."
In opening such a specialized business, Ly and his partners are pursuing a customer base beyond the Cambodian community.
Russell Smith, director of the Lowell Small Business Assistance Center, said this trend signifies a shift that is more apparent in younger generations.
``Businesses started inside the community, but as language and cultural disconnects disappear, it becomes easier for some to compete in the wider business world," Smith said. ``The younger generation is more acculturated, and language is not so much a problem. With that comes the confidence to step out."
Ly's business is capitalizing on the growing fascination shown by car owners in souping up their vehicles with customized parts and accessories. Also, manufacturers are producing more high-performance cars with larger, more powerful engines.
Customized brake rotors provide stopping power. Slotted or drilled rotors aid cooling and help eliminate the buildup of gas emitted by brake pads. The company handles a small amount of walk-in business, but most of its marketing and sales occur through the Internet. Customized rotors cost around $250 per set, depending on the type of car.
Sales have increased from about 60 orders a week last year to about 100 orders a week now, Ly said. Later this year, Ly hopes to expand the company's product line with a brake kit equipped with oversized discs that result in better braking. Costs will start at $600 and run as high as $2,400.
``We've had a promising start," Ly said. ``Now we'll see where we go from here."
In Santa Ana, Calif., where he previously lived, Ly raced cars as a hobby. He also opened a small business customizing brake rotors for high-performance cars in 1997. When he moved to Lowell, he deployed the skills that served him in California.
``This technology is a trend on the West Coast but it's pretty scarce around Massachusetts," Ly said outside his shop on Congress Street. ``I figured sooner or later the trend is going to come this way. I wanted to be ready when it does."
Ly sold his motorcycle and truck to raise start-up money. He brought in partners who also invested. Altogether, the group raised about $70,000, which was enough to lease the shop and purchase computerized equipment, an industrial drill, and other devices needed to drill holes and cut slots into brake rotors to modify them.
The company, named Design Rotor Technology, opened in late 2004 with Ly and his partner, Se Yin, working in the shop.
``It's a niche business," said Ly, who was born in Cambodia and moved to California with his mother in 1981. ``There's not so much racing in New England, not as much as California. But there are a lot of people with high-end passenger cars or SUVs who want the technology."
In opening such a specialized business, Ly and his partners are pursuing a customer base beyond the Cambodian community.
Russell Smith, director of the Lowell Small Business Assistance Center, said this trend signifies a shift that is more apparent in younger generations.
``Businesses started inside the community, but as language and cultural disconnects disappear, it becomes easier for some to compete in the wider business world," Smith said. ``The younger generation is more acculturated, and language is not so much a problem. With that comes the confidence to step out."
Ly's business is capitalizing on the growing fascination shown by car owners in souping up their vehicles with customized parts and accessories. Also, manufacturers are producing more high-performance cars with larger, more powerful engines.
Customized brake rotors provide stopping power. Slotted or drilled rotors aid cooling and help eliminate the buildup of gas emitted by brake pads. The company handles a small amount of walk-in business, but most of its marketing and sales occur through the Internet. Customized rotors cost around $250 per set, depending on the type of car.
Sales have increased from about 60 orders a week last year to about 100 orders a week now, Ly said. Later this year, Ly hopes to expand the company's product line with a brake kit equipped with oversized discs that result in better braking. Costs will start at $600 and run as high as $2,400.
``We've had a promising start," Ly said. ``Now we'll see where we go from here."
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