Two longtime friends are getting together on a business deal they believe drag racing fans will find pretty easy to swallow. And after a few unofficial taste tests around the Competition Plus offices, they’re convinced the product won’t need much selling once customers get their hands on it.
CompetitionPlus.com founder Bobby Bennett and NHRA Funny Car champion Matt Hagan have reached an agreement to make CompetitionPlusStore.com a retail outlet for Hagan Cattle Company’s beef sticks. The partnership brings together two friends whose relationship dates back more than 20 years, when Bennett was covering Hagan’s early days in Pro Modified racing.
“Bobby Bennett and I have known each other for over 20 years,” Hagan said. “He covered me back when we were racing Pro Mod, and he’s always been there telling the story and making me look like a rock star. I’ve got a lot of love for Bobby, his company and what they do at Competition Plus.”
The store will offer 20-count boxes in four flavors — Original, Nitro Heat, Sweet Smoke and Teriyaki. Individual sticks won’t be available, and Bennett has a pretty good explanation for that decision.
“Nobody eats just one if they have a box around them,” Bennett said.
Bennett’s interest in selling the beef sticks began when he ordered a sampler pack after trying other Hagan Cattle Company products. What followed was a recurring problem around the office, where the boxes kept disappearing faster than he could enjoy his share.
“I loved them all, and between me and the others in the office, every box I’d buy never lasted long enough for me to get a reasonable amount,” Bennett said.
With CompetitionPlusStore.com already shipping T-shirts and other merchandise to drag racing fans nationwide, Bennett saw an opportunity. Hagan saw something equally appealing — a chance to put his products in front of customers who already know him.
“Bobby sells a lot of T-shirts, so why not throw some beef sticks in there with those T-shirts?” Hagan said. “The people Bobby sells to, talks to and writes about are salt-of-the-earth people. Those are the same people we’re trying to reach with Hagan Cattle Company.”
Hagan isn’t bashful about the quality of his product, either. In fact, he’s willing to put it up against some of the biggest names in the business.
“I think once people try them and realize how good they are, they’ll throw those Chomps, Alberto’s and Jack Link’s in the trash,” Hagan said. “We’ve got a great beef stick. It’s just a matter of getting it into the right hands. Everybody we’ve gotten them to has loved them, and I wouldn’t put my name and reputation in the racing industry behind something if I didn’t truly believe in it.”
For Hagan, the arrangement also provides an alternative to the challenges of getting a smaller company into major retail chains. He believes selling directly through established outlets such as CompetitionPlusStore.com can help Hagan Cattle Company reach its intended customers.
“We’re still a very small company, and distribution has been humbling when you’re dealing with big stores like Target and Walmart,” Hagan said. “Sometimes it’s better to stay away from that and go directly to consumers through outlets that aren’t so enormous.”
The partnership gives two longtime friends an opportunity to work together in a business far removed from the starting line. Hagan believes their relationship and the audience Bennett has built make the arrangement a natural fit.
“We’ve had a great relationship with Bobby and Competition Plus for a long time, so why not continue that with Hagan Cattle Company?” Hagan said. “We’re proud to partner with Bobby Bennett and Competition Plus, and we’re excited to see what we can accomplish together.”
