What Is REALLY Happening At Fitment Industries?!! * Answers from the Owner* 

Working with you from FI in 2017 to CMO at 2022 will always be a highlight of my career Steve. I will always enjoy your energy, your dedication, and your willingness to fight for both what you believe and what you’re passionate about. Spending those five years working with you, fighting with you, and thriving with you and the rest of the badass team for so long was a blast and I appreciate everything we achieved together. People can be passionate and even disagree with the decisions made both in the past, present, and future, but what’s most important is that we don’t forget all the incredible things we were able to do together. all the innovative, next-level stuff we spearheaded in this industry that’s still trying to be copied 😅. We will undoubtedly cross paths in the future and I have no doubt we’ll be sitting at a charity event in a few years time looking back together to these tough moments that defined us as leaders, business owners, and most importantly; human beings. After all, none of it would be possible without the people around us. The future will have more tough moments, new competition, and more tough calls but hey, that’s how it goes and I still want nothing but the best for EVERYONE out there, from the owners to the new team members looking to build their dream job 🎉. It’s like an old mentor once said, “focus on the tower you’re building. Don’t waste your effort trying to tear someone else’s down. Good luck to all out there and we’ll see you again in no time! ❤ - Alex Martinez

As a prior videographer for FI, I can say that Steve did not sugar coat anything here. Genuinely it was an awesome company to work for and it’s nice to see Steve being as transparent online as he was in our town hall meetings. Great video dude

As a former employee let me clarify some things that weren’t in this video. Enthusiast enterprises use to be about the people and running companies by enthusiasts, for enthusiasts, but as soon as ownership stepped away that factor immediately plummeted and that’s what drove most people to quit. The people that were put in place to run the companies DESTROYED the culture, 100% and ownership was well aware after tons of complaints for over a year. The HR team was HORRIBLE, literally covering up misconduct and numerous other things while they just defended management. EE continued to brag about record profits while avoiding peoples pleas for more reasonable wages and they were ignored. I made many friends and have a lot of good memories from my time there but it was one of those too little, too late kind of things for many of us.

Woah! That pick-up must be HUGE, the guy working in the back really shows it’s proportions 😂

Steve is speaking the truth. Everyone in the industry has felt this way this year. Erp software went corona wild, you know it's bad when a distributor has $775k or 2 years of 1 exhaust in stock. Insane. Some are hiding it better than others, faking it on the gram, it'll show in time. The vacation was nice, back to the grind. Cheers.

As a business owner in the automotive parts space, everything you said was scary accurate and actually comforting to know that someone of your size experienced the same exact issues we went through. I especially needed it today, tons of issues and headaches that made me want to give up.

Steve, Hi Tim Evans here. What an amazing video and story. Since my retirement I'd lost track of some of what's been going on with you so thanks for the "catch up"! You are still the rock star I met many years ago and you have grown so much as a business man as well. You have a clear understanding that the company is only as good as it's people and you have always created an atmosphere that the right folks can excel in! I do miss our relationship and also the relationship I had with Joel. I'll check back on your channel regularly to keep up on the new exiting things! My best to you and your family sir.... Stay well!

It was such a pleasure working for you Steve! I miss everyone over at EE and wish nothing but the best for the company!

I miss the vibes all the time, and I wish nothing but the best for you Steve and all the guys still at EE! Keep doing what you're doing, the Hamilton Collection is something special. I'll see you at the next blood drive ❤️

Happy to see a business owner thats transparent with his fans, good job and keep up the work man! Thanks for the honesty!!!

There you go - a.guy who hasn't forgotten where he's come from and is honest about the situation. One more reason to keep watching your videos, Steve. Waiting for the next one!

Yet another reason I love this channel Transparency, honesty, and just being genuine. Keep it up!

And this is why when I had issues with my wheel order and NOBODY at Fitment wanted to do anything logical to solve it, I reached out to Steve to get shit done. If proper people aren’t in place to do right by the customer because they don’t have the power or knowledge to do it, then they don’t need to be there. Hopefully the teams they’re rebuilding now will have a better head on their shoulders and make logical decisions to meet both company and customer reasonable expectations. Thanks Steve! 👍

Appreciate how open Steve is about his business.

Lots of respect for you, Steve. I always appreciated the transparency and honesty you gave us during my time working for the company. Thank you for keeping it real.

So basically the OG owners got burnt out after the 2020 pandemic/ stimulus fiasco, tried to transition the business to a new group of mangers but they put profits over people which forced a lot of legacy employees out and the OG owners back to Fitment to clean up the mess and right the ship.

Sometimes business owner have to make tough decisions to keep a business healthy, and unfortunately that can mean consequences for employees. But often times if those tough choices aren’t made a business will eventually completely fail and everyone is out of a job instead of a few. Also your transparency is refreshing.

I'm not one to coment much, but working at big companies and taking with team members, team leaders (being one myself), executives and owners have given me the understanding to see how amazing you are at handling situations like this, a great example for young people (like myself) to get better at managing departments and companies, big and/or small. Thank you for your honesty on this matter and keep being an awesome example for those who aspire to one day lead their own companies by learning and mastering different skills and risking it for greater success. And to the guys Alex, Gels and Dakota, you guys are awesome and you were able to leave a positive impact and a legacy in this FI and in the comunity as a whole, and on my book, that's an absolute win. "Leave the place better than it was before you came in" is what my father taught me.

People need to understand that just because someone leaves a company it’s not Always a bad thing. Sometimes it’s good for the employee and bad for the company or vice versa. Not every person is suited for every job. There are also a lot of individuals out there that don’t understand the difference between management and leadership. If you don’t, you shouldn’t be in either position.

I’ve been through what you have as well. 2002 I lost 30% of my business revenue due to the oblivious. And in the latter part of 2008 and going through 2009 I lost 38% again. It’s a roller coaster of a ride in the economic environment. You have to be able to adapt to what’s presented to you. NO ONE wants to see people leave or lay them off but in order to survive you have to do what is needed. Appreciate your incite on your position at the organization.

Great video Steve. Very forthright about the pains most companies have gone thru the past 2 years. Glad you are adapting as that’s the key. Being able to remain true to your core but not so attached to what worked in the past that you don’t make needed changes for a better future. Best to you and your family and team.

love steve super humble for the money he has, always spreading love no matter what its easy to do the opposite at his level

Thanks for the video, boss man. As an 11 year OG veteran on the SD Wheel side of the business (Steve’s original wheel company that became Enthusiast Enterprises with FI & CO) Steve has been an amazing, visionary, personable, and unique 👀 person to work for and be friends with. Same with @Joel Hamilton too! To see the business grow from some dinky warehouse with little organization or space to this monstrous multi-million dollar movement of was just insane. The shift from SD to EE had some huge benefits and a few serious bumps. I remember that stimi-check incident and the warehouse was insane. We were not ready for the deluge. Even Superman Steve had a tough time getting that figured out. We were all going crazy. Every busy season was a challenge, but that was a busy season plus another busy season a month later! And as Steve said, so many changes happened after that. I personally was happy to see Steve get off the hamster wheel when he quit/retired. I’ve seen him, seriously, work ALL THE TIME with that ever present computer… slinging tires… lifting boxes… traveling to truck shows to introduce Anthem. Lots of things suffered with how many hours he was putting in. Yeah bad decisions were made in his absence and I saw a lot of friends leave. But we who have stuck still believe in Steve, Joel, and the other owners to do the right thing. We still have a loyalty to the brothers Hamilton and we still have a love for them and their efforts for us. For those reading, you can’t imagine the rollercoaster we have all been on. And things are so much more complicated than any negative video could address. But know that mistakes happen, presence is healing, and communication is key. Steve, stop by Batavia in December to give some handshakes as a gift to your peeps. It would mean a lot to the folks. 🤝 We are still here for ya as you are for us. ❤️

With what knowledge I have. I have to say I wouldn't have done it any different than you. Your drive to keep things progressing and filling the holes of mistakes by learning from them is a great example of what it takes. Happy Holidays to you and your kick ass team.

I’ve been working in the supply chain/procurement industry for years and it’s always fun trying to explain to marketing that everything on a shelf has a dollar figure and as long as it sits that’s tied up money. When you have fast turn over it’s not as bad but when it slows OY

Thank you for communicating this! Transparency goes a long way, and is much appreciated. I just got Tires from you all, and plan to get a set of wheels next year from yall!

one compliment i can give the fitment industries website is how it shows photos of the wheels your looking at on customer cars. That helps significantly when ordering wheel/tire combinations

This was an unexpected video. I've followed for a while never knew any of the drama behind the scenes. Running a business especially dealing with employees and customers is a nightmare. Great videos as always gents. Happy holidays

You hired a executive team in a month. What else would you expect?

As an entrepreneur myself I really look up to you Steve for your dedication and hard work! Awesome 🎉

Everyone who quit had something to say about the working environment, you failed to touch on that and just stayed put in the business side..

What a honest video. Not every day will be easy but it’s those that push through the hard days will help grow a company. Keep up the good work Steve :)

Great explanation. Thanks for always being brutally honest with us.

Is this why prices have skyrocketed at all those companies? Same set of rims and tires I bought in 2020 are double the price now.. crazy to see

Appreciate the honesty. I hope folks in the entrepreneurship world can learn from this. Bad decisions and being reactive isn’t healthy in any industries. Being able to realize that you needed outside help (I’m assuming PE or VC) takes so much maturity. Wish you all the best of luck.

Steve, I have loved and still love watching your videos!!! And I say this with sincerity….YOU ARE AN AWESOME HUMAN BEING!!! To have the things you have and be such a HUMBLE GUY… SPEAKS VOLUMES OF YOUR CHARACTER!!! Who ever has you as a boss or business partner is truly a lucky and fortunate individual!!! This world needs more people like you!!! Thank you for being just a NICE AND KIND human being!!!❤️🚗

I take more business notes from this channel. The cars are just a bonus. Well done Mr. Hamilton.

I know a business is a business but when business starts get greedy and put money over their own employees, thats when businesses will make a quick jump in sales but then come crashing down. Anyone can work for any company but everyone is not the same. Talent is unreplacable. You do everything you possibly can to keep and protect your employees. A company really starts to go down hill when it finds themselves not being able to keep their employees and are constantly looking for new employees. Its very very unlikely that you will find people who checks all the boxes and will work for the company with passion and not just to come in and collect a pay check.

Appreciate you putting your cards on the table, warts and all. I'm a retired private equity guy who has bought items from various companies you own and have always been satisfied with price and quality. A company who falls asleep or doesn't realize markets constantly evolve therefore need to change with the market eventually disappear. Appreciate your honesty.

“Buying 10M dollar house” *All employees quitting* hmmmmmmm.

I've seen the videos from employees that have left the company and then seen your video. I must say that some people just can't handle change and transition. You handled it like professionally. I actually ordered wheels from you guys over BB wheels because the Fitment website is so much easier to use and plus you guys had a longer sale than anyone else which helped me being able to order wheels through you guys. It's been about a month I haven't gotten my wheels yet but since after watching your video, I'm not even mad and will order again from you guys in the future. Keep up the hard work!

I enjoy how open and real the guys are on the channel. One of my favorite channels. ❤

You’re a real one steve, thank you for sharing all that you do, its beyond inspiring 🙏🏼 all the best to you my G

Great video with lots of transparency and honesty. If I lived in Wisconsin, I'd work for you in a heartbeat, Steve.

Incredible video. It was really needed. Being stubborn and not flexible in changing strategy will kill your business. At the end of the day it is bigger than a couple of employees and their are many more people that the company has to worry about as a whole. O hope the guys that left find new endeavors that will continue to help them grow. And as a car enthusiast we have to KEEP supporting the companies that keep our cars and lifestyle going ! Much respect to Steve and everyone that is working hard to keep it going !

Steve, I purchased a set of wheels and tires for my dad's truck (a birthday gift) back in Sept from Custom Offsets. I have several cars, and all of them have aftermarket wheels/tires (the first thing I do after purchase). The purchase for my dad was the first from one of your companies. The only reason I gave CO a chance at my business was after learning your story (and watching this channel). My story is similar to yours, and I totally understand how you grew up (financially, anyway). I must say that KYLE was awesome to work with to make sure my dad's gift was spot on. You guys will be my first choice for wheels and tires going forward. As an entrepreneur that started from nothing, I totally understand the burnout and getting re-engaged again to sort out issues. Kudos to you for the honesty. All the best to you and your family.

Very good information about the economic situation of our industry, I can relate a lot with our company as well and glad to see the perspectives you feel, it is good to reinvent ourselves!

I had a small trucking with my dad just 4 trucks we just recently had to fire all of our employees and sold 2 of the trucks and we mainly hailed steel coils for the automotive industry, it just froze up! I have done this since 2008 yes right when the market crashed we got through it fine. I have never seen it this low I hope the economy picks back up next year.

I understand the struggle, thats even hitting us in the Automotive Technician world, many shops of ours close down due to lack of money and resources, the world is shifting, things are changing not only in the Automotive industry but the whole world.

all pros once started as amateurs, so hats off for taking a chance on people, and classy move to show support for those who outgrow you. stand up dude, i’m subscribing

I'm shocked that people bought rims with stimulus checks! 😂

It’s nice to see an owner admit faults in areas.

You didn't even talk about me leaving and how I was getting calls at 3am. What a shame. My time not working with you all was fun but sad to see you still don't know who I was.

Love you being so candid about things. The realness is refreshing.

Before this i really only knew of you guys through Strad but after watching this ive grown this massive respect for you and fell bad cause i thought you where just another broker with money. Thank you for all that youve done without most of us even knowing. Mad respect and hope to make it to your level one day

Interesting insight! I like videos like this where you can see real world examples of how businesses work and not conceptual ideas. More of this content would be appreciated

Great video Steve, I loved working for you guys in marketing. It was honestly my favorite job I have had. However I did want to state a couple of concerns. You keep stating the people are dropping off and leaving the company. Maybe 7% or so did but the other 33% were forced to be laid off or fired day of without any sort of notice. I would hope you guys do that different now by at least giving them at least a week to figure out where they can go. I do feel bad for a lot of the people (especially some of the OGs) that put their blood, sweat, tears and passion into the place and for no reason at all just get let go. You also said marketing had influenced the company to purchase all of colors and sizes of wheels and have a crazy inventory and "It doesn't work like that" but then you say that your Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend blew last year out of the water and having the success you do now is because you have a huge assortment of product/inventory. Just seemed kind of confusing that you are blaming marketing and procurement for having inventory but then thankful towards the end that you did have units to move. I don't know I haven't been there now for a few months. By no means am I bashing or hating on the company. You guys have taught me a lot and it has bettered my future for myself. I will always be rooting you guys on. I hope nothing for the best!

We buy all our wheels and tires from you guys and will continue to do so. Keep up the awesome work and you have and always will have mine and my family's support.

I work freelance and travel so I might hire 2-3 new teams per year. I always stress that “Your life is more important than your job." This is typically well-received. Due to health reasons, I’m staring down early retirement and it scares the blankety-blank-blank out of me. I don’t yet know what to do with myself. This was great to watch. Thank you for sharing.

Y’all still struggling? I hear some people waited a year only to get their order cancelled

bro said nothing and ya’ll ate it up lol.

Meh.. From a viewers point of view you hit a gold mine with the three of those guys. Your video ideas were lacking sometimes but over time that would improve. People did want to see them having fun. Now instead of viewing your content I’ll go watch the guys at Hoonigan or Donut Media having fun, because that IS what we want to see. I get it, you have to keep the lights on and sell wheels but killing your marketing division and claiming to be refreshing things isn’t the way to do it

I really respect you coming out and saying this, keeping confusion and assumptions at a low.

Best thing about this video is Steve’s honest I found your channel on RU-vid one night and I’ve been hooked ever since in 2003 I partnered up with a company by the name of DV8 without a contract and that was my biggest mistake in business I started my company 1999 which is a window tinting company out of West Palm Beach Florida My Clientlist was very huge and and I left my phone on the counter not realizing that Client List was being download it by my new partner I learned in business without a good group of people and a contract do not partner with anyone I lost everything had to start over in 2020 in the middle of a pandemic still struggling to keep it going but Palm Beach Windowtint will be successful because of my determination thank you Steve for sharing these things about your company it gives a 51-year-old the motivation to keep moving forward no matter what🙏🏽💯❤️

Congrats Steve your wife and all that everyone that helped you achieve your dream and the success you all have keep working hard collecting cars and living the dream if I wasn't in Malaysia I would buy my rims from you guy's.

I just hope Donut Media is watching what happened to Fitment Industries and is taking note

Sounds to me Steve Hamilton that you’ve been working your ass off at work and now you get to enjoy time away from the office with your family and achieve your dream. Honestly you are an inspiration to myself and millions of others that have heard your story. Definitely your lifestyle is a goal to achieve for the average American especially when you’re a immigrant from a different country like myself. I’m currently a rideshare driver and work really hard to achieve what I do have. I hope that you continue to be blessed. Sincerely Martin from Albuquerque new Mexico. Is Albuquerque songs from Milear you might have seen Breaking Bad.

There’s been a lot of bad examples of leadership discussing lay offs and company performance lately. Was not expecting the best example to come from fitment industries et al. Great job.

Used your site to get the wheels for my first ever car a 2014 vw jetta sad to see Alex and Gels leave but I'm sure the future is still bright and strong for you guys

I can remember Tinting for CO before they moved to the East Side of Appleton. It was cool to pull up and see all the the stuff I had Tinted at the Second location. They did grow fast and a lot of changes happened.

If you guys are ever offering an internship I will do anything to be apart of it

Not gonna lie. This was a needed video. I’ve recently ordered wheels/tires from you guys. And i always watched your videos. So i kinda felt attached in a way. Then seeing some people leave especially Alex had me thinking “whoa, what’s going on at FI”. But I’m glad you came out with this because as a business you have to do what’s right for the business. And sometimes that’s not an easy thing to realize and implement. I hope everyone does great and you guys continue to prosper.

Absolute respect to you sir for being so open and upfront 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

52 years old I still love looking at all brands of wheels if this company was local I would love to work there. I helped a buddy launch an audio company for the car audio industry and now his business is booming and has been for a number of years. My love has always been wheels

Respect to you for changing to suit the crazy market. Companies that don’t fail

Great video Steve, appreciate your transparency. Would love to hear about what made your culture so different from the other companies that FI employees valued so much, could hold valuable lesson to fellow entrepreneurs. Thanks for your vids and channel!

Didn't have to make this video, but you did. A+ for transparency. I had a chance to experience his generosity recently at Monterey Car Week 2022. He was letting everyone, and I mean everyone sit in his 2 Bugatti's and rev! Truly a mind blowing thing to see and experience. In the end, you run a multi-million dollar business and in the end, it's a business. I'm sure Fitment will be good and so will Gels and others that left.

Speaking as one of your current warehouse employees. I personally feel like with the major change that is coming in January with the wrightstown location it would be great for you to come or join via video call for to express this at the town hall yourself. I have been with SD since the building was barely up and we ran 10 sets out of Perkins street a day. there has been a ton of improvements no doubt, and would love to stick around through more. Great video by the way!

Absolutely wild that I knew you and the channel but never knew you owned FI and the others. I've seen a few other videos from former employees and I hope it all works out for everyone. Good luck with everything!

Everything happens for a reason and you have to change your mind set, keep moving forward have a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New year 🙏

Business is business some things are just out of your control and have to be done for what's best for the company/organization. At the very least its great you made this video and gave more inside on what the situation is and why your team had to make the decisions you all did.

Mr. Hamilton... You have to be the best to work for! The fact that you would get on RU-vid and talk about things that most other bosses would never do. Damn man, I respected you before this video. Now, from the bottom of my heart, my respect for you has quadrupled even the one that means 5 times. You guys are freaking awesome!

This man is about the realest u can get. keep up the work and i love ur videos!

Right when I move to Appleton, look to quit trucking to possibly go back to school to try to get a job at fitment things take a dive :/

I honestly respect you even more for this. Stay real.

Everything happens for a reason is what I have lived my life on. I am 46 and have suffered from severe clinical depression from a very young age. There were some very dark times in that gap, but 2 years ago my doctor found the best medication to put me on and it literally changed my life. Steve, you deserve everything you have man. You ARE the American Dream and have earned it from hard work and determination. You are an amazing employer as well. God Bless You! 💙🤙

Keep up the great work, Joel and Steve.

Idk if I speak for everyone but personally I love looking at car builds and parts and seeing how they compare and why they are good that’s what I wanna see that’s what makes me go buy a part

Thanks for all the insights into your business. Have you ever thought about building your own shop and make your own wheels? Or going into carbon fiber production like body kits and wheels?

Alex, Dakota, and Gels were the heart of the RU-vid Channel! now that they gone, its sad

I refuse to believe the assertion that lifestyle content wasn't getting views. Both Donut and fitment have been making more and more "corporate" feeling content and the fans are not happy about it

Here it is 5 months later, I ordered wheels, wasn’t advised they couldn’t send the requested size as per manufacturer’s instructions. I stated I wanted to change the order all together very clearly. Was told a day later they already shipped. Here it is 2 weeks later I still have these wheels, I payed for replacements and am being given a run around on getting the shipping labels to send back these wheels. Then given a document to sign about I will be charged the price of the wheels of their not received in 14 days of me receiving the replacement wheels. The problem is their. It letting me send them back now their delaying it making the deadline come closer and closer.

Crazy, I bought my wheels and a set of R888Rs back in June of 2020. Didn’t have any issues with my order so had no ideas you guys were struggling at the time. Sorry to add to all the stress. 😂

Finally, the really real reason. I was starting to doubt the company with personalities leaving. It should be a requirement to have employees take Lean Six Sigma courses upon hiring.

This channel is awesome. I can’t understand the hate this man receives ever. He’s upfront and honest guy who shares is wealth and hobbies with others than most can’t afford something like that. Steve is definitely someone I want to meet just to shake his hand and be in the presence of someone who loves life and people as much as he seems to…

Steve you are an inspiration to me on how to be a successful good hearted open person. Good luck to you bro and you deserve all the success you have

It is cool you all have been able to create such a big automotive empire outside of California… and up here in wisco.

I was about to buy some wheels I remember and then I read reviews and saw the weeks out delivery dates so i passed. Makes sense there were a lot of people placing orders.

Very straightforward! Alot companies are taken it hard. Keep at it

Ngl I think the reason I loved fi so much was because of those people on the camera the people you see you connect and I think personally for me I miss seeing you know Alex's exciting yet nonchalant intros or dakotas rx7 jokes and we can't forget gels over analytical mind going over wheel and tire specs but even though they've gone on and are starting to make their dreams a reality they left pieces of them at fitment that well always remember and I've heard yall are still great friends as well so I'll just sit and wait to see what new and exciting things yall have coming