EXCLUSIVE: TAG to Add Fuel to Newly Acquired BEDSLIDE Brand

Truck Accessories Group (TAG) has completed its acquisition of Takit Inc., which does business as BEDSLIDE. The retractable truck bed cargo tray brand fits TAG’s strategic approach to the market on multiple levels, according to Lester Lee, TAG president and chief operating officer (COO).

“Not only is it complementary to the brands we already offer, it’s sold to the exact same customer base. Many times, BEDSLIDE product gets ordered with our products already installed,” Lee told THE SHOP. “They also have a direct relationship with the OEMs-”they are an accepted product by both Ford and GM. That’s a huge advantage for us, and frankly one that we didn’t have.”

BEDSLIDE has been a trusted TAG partner for several years, sold as an accessory by the LEER dealer network. As part of the TAG family of products, owners of LEER, SNUGTOP, Century and Pace Edwards truck covers will now be able to purchase BEDSLIDE cargo management tracks and rail systems capable of carrying up to 2,000 pounds of gear and supplies.

“The acquisition of BEDSLIDE by TAG will greatly benefit shops as we immediately invest in new product development and increase our investment in advertising to help drive more business to shops that carry our brands,” Lee said. “In addition, we will be able to better service our customers because of TAG’s nationwide network of talented sales professionals.”

BEDSLIDE’s existing operations and team will remain in Medford, Oregon. Dan Marshall, BEDSLIDE president and CEO, will transition into a consulting role for TAG.

“We have a lot of respect for Dan and what he’s done and he has a lot to offer. He’s an ideas guy-”he’s got a lot of them-”and we’re going to continue to tap into that,” Lee said. “Dan Marshall also did a phenomenal job building the culture at BEDSLIDE. He has extraordinary people all over the place there. When you walk through their facility, you come out of it thinking ‘wow, these are people that really love what they’re doing and they love their jobs.’ That is really unique and not something you see all the time.”

“Joining the outstanding Truck Accessories Group team takes BEDSLIDE to a new level,” Marshall said. “The market is growing and looking for new ways to enhance their lifestyles through the use of their trucks. TAG and BEDSLIDE together can offer more innovative products and customized owner experiences than any other company in the industry.”

TAG will begin its aggressive branding approach for BEDSLIDE immediately.

“We think the BEDSLIDE brand name has tremendous strength. It has become like the Kleenex brand, in the way it seems to define the entire product category-”everybody universally refers to the category by this brand name,” Lee said.

Meanwhile, TAG will continue to explore additional growth-by-acquisition opportunities.

“We continue to explore strategic opportunities to acquire premium, complementary assets that expand our truck-accessory offerings,” said John Poindexter, CEO of TAG’s parent company, J.B. Poindexter & Co. Inc. “The addition of BEDSLIDE is the latest example of our strategy to make acquisitions that will provide new levels of value and convenience to our customers.”