As reported by Matt Hardigree of Jalopnik, HKS has decided to shutdown it HKS USA operations and sales.
Citing poor market conditions HKS USA, formerly one of the largest aftermarket JDM performance companies in the country, is ceasing U.S. operations after nearly three decades in business. A letter obtained by Jalopnik shows the company will consolidate its work to Japan.A letter from HKS to its dealers and vendors went out this afternoon, much to the surprise of companies who have been using HKS parts for decades. The letter blames the move on the slow economic recovery, a shrinking aftermarket, the U.S. Dollar, and the disaster in Japan.
The company will continue to sell parts to the United States, but all operations will be transferred to HKS Co. Ltd. in Japan while HKS USA is folded. Click on the thumbnail to view the full letter.
Although this is unfortunate, it’s hardly surprising considering the non-favorable support of law enforcement and government of aftermarket automotive parts. In general it will mean higher prices, but with the abundance of automotive import vendors, the parts will continue to be available from Japan. Since a lot of other components already have to be container shipped, the extra delivery time and money won’t be notice by most enthusiasts. Local support issues may also arise, but considering the vast number of parts that have no US nor english support, this also won’t be an unknown hardship that import buyers are not already aware of.
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