Say it isn't so. Steve Saleen retires after over 20 years at the helm of his company.
05-15-07: One has to wonder if this is the way he really wanted it. On May 14th, a company press release from Saleen Inc. announced that the company’s founder Steve Saleen would “retire”. After over 20 long, hard and rocky years as one of the preeminent tuners and manufacturers of specialty Ford cars and trucks, the company says that Steve will “take a greater step back from the company’s day-to-day operations to act as corporate spokesperson and ambassador for the brand.”
Steve will no longer be a member of the executive board which manages Saleen Inc. As one of the company’s major stock holders he still has a vested interest in the success of the brand however. And with his name on the building he still has his reputation to uphold. “I have a vested interest in the company’s future and intend to remain involved,” said Steve
Saleen. “I take great pride in knowing I have assembled a team of the most talented and
innovative professionals in the industry. Each person at Saleen has helped me achieve my dream and will help to continue my legacy into the next generation of Saleen products and services.”
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This comes on the heels of the resignation of Bill Tally, one of Steve Saleen's long time right hand men. Earlier in the year it was announced that 40% of the executive staff was being laid off to help streamline the business. Among those was in house designer Phil Frank, who has been designing for Saleen for over a decade and had just been hired full time. It is hard to believe that the bleeding of intellectual culture from the company would go all the way to the top.
The company however asserts that as founder and a major shareholder in the company, Mr. Saleen will continue to influence product design and development activities, as well as its branding strategies and promotional efforts.
Saleen Inc. further announced that business will continue as usual, if not expand. The company says it has experienced tremendous growth in the past few years, producing nearly 5,000 vehicles in 2006 alone. They even shared that there are future manufacturing plans to include multiple vehicle lines of Ford derived vehicles and will soon announce new original equipment manufacturer (OEM) programs with Chrysler to begin in spring 2007.
“Saleen has become a name synonymous with performance,” said Dan Reiner, chairman of Saleen Inc. “It makes a lot of sense to let Steve take on an auxiliary role to maintain his vision and continue building the world’s greatest performance products. Steve’s many years of hard work have provided a great foundation for the company in the automotive industry, propelling the company beyond Saleen-branded products to become an industry leader in the performance category.”
It would seem that Saleen will become just another brand name to be traded on the market by faceless corporations and holding companies to join the likes of Chrysler, Hughes, and Dow - having little or no tangible connection to the people who created them. It's called progress, the train that keeps on rolling all night long.
We here at TMN hope for Steve Saleen, a person whom we have a great deal of respect and admiration, continues to find a place for his passions and his works. The business has been both rewarding and tremendously challenging for Steve throughout his career. In the final analysis he has earned the right to take time for his other passions.
Last November we had the chance to spend lunch with Steve and talk about the company and its products. Steve lit up with excitement and enthusiasm when he spoke of the new Saleen/Parnelli Jones Edition Mustang. Talking about the many special features they put together for the car, you could tell that this is what he loves more than the business itself.
He has a great wife in Liz who has been a major partner in the company’s success over the years. His daughter Molly, has also been noted for a number of successes in the company’s recent projects including the Saleen Store in Irvine, CA. We sincerely wish him the best tidings in the next stage of his work.
