August Race signs distribution deal with Barrus

As August Race is focused on aggressive expansion internationally, it’s placed its UK and Ireland distribution for cleaning and protection products in the hands of Barrus.

“We’ve entrusted Barrus with our distribution,” says Sarah Wallbank, CEO / export director for August Race, the company behind maintenance/ protection products such as Liquid Rib.

“Barrus only acquires premium brands, and will be representing us at home while we focus on our international business.”

The partnership was launched last week (14 March 2023) in Plymouth at a Salesforce event.

“Barrus is the obvious choice for us,” says Wallbank (pictured left), who named her ten year old family business after her younger son (the older one is sightly annoyed, she says). “Barrus has the provenance and all the tools needed to get any business to the market. It’s an impressive outfit.”

August Race is about to launch in Japan – at the Japan International Boat Show (Yokohama)), is going to Sanctuary Cove, Australia in May and has just been well received at the Rybomania International Fair in Poznan, the largest angling show in Europe

“It’s been a busy start to the season,” Wallbank says.

She says all the products produced by August Race are between 95-100 per cent biodegradable, and they also actually work. The company only uses recycled plastic in its packaging and aims to make its packaging easily recyclable again. But more than that, Wallbank points out that by using products such as LR Sealer UV, owners won’t necessarily need to re-tube after UV degradation (as it is heavily reduced) and as such, the company’s keeping tubes out of landfill.

Liquid Rib is where many customers first come into contact with August Race, but Wallbank says they stay, after discovering the quality of performance of the products. Those came about as she wanted products which matched the quality of her boat when she and her husband set the company up. They started by designing a capsule range for Cobra RIBs and then once happy with that expanded, with an early customer being Princess (Motor) Yacht Sales.

Recent additions to the range include SUP clean and protect – which Wallbank says is doing really well, and there’s a Jet Ski detailing kit in production for later this spring.

Mark Hart, sales manager for Barrus marine equipment (pictured above left), says: “August Race is a well-known, premium brand, and we are thrilled to add them to our marine equipment portfolio. We carefully select the brands we work with, and August Race complement other high-profile brands we represent. We want to offer our customers the best products on the market and look forward to starting this exciting new partnership.”