Factory Five Takes Part in Bryant University World Trade Conference

We were honored to be invited to represent one of many manufacturing companies in New England at the 30th annual Bryant University World Trade Conference.  I was excited to be a guest lecturer at this event.  It was exciting to meet Ray LaHood, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, and discuss important things that affect Factory Five Racing in the global marketplace.

My presentation was with Marina Dippel, Social Media Services Director for Sheppard Leger Nowak Inc., and we discussed global marketing strategies and the use of social media.  The Factory Five 818 was used as a case study, and I talked in depth about the Factory Five community and how central it is to our success.

IMG-20150520-00815
The Factory Five 818S was on display outside the main hall for the duration of the event.

IMG_4939

IMG-20150520-00813
The Factory Five Mk4 Roadster was on the other side of the entrance to the main forum.

IMG_4945
The standard issue Factory Five jeans, t-shirt, and work boots got a rare day off.

IMG-20150520-00809
Factory Five’s Chris Ronni and Tony Zullo brought the cars over in the morning of the event.

IMG-20150520-00817

Huge thanks to Bryant University for the great event!  There were a great number of very qualified speakers from companies like Raytheon, Holk Global, New Balance, Haemonetics, and Black & Decker.  Maria Contreras-Sweet, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, joined Dustin Burke from the Boston Consulting Group and Ray LaHood, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, as just some of the very qualified speakers.  It was an honor to participate, and it was cool bumping into Ray LaHood in the parking lot.  We had a great conversation about custom cars.  Ray is from Peoria, IL and is a big car fan.

Dave Smith
President

Latest Factory Five News

2026 Kick-Off Sale!

2026 is off to a great start, and the team wants to keep the momentum going! They have put together a sale for all of our kits to help you build your car your way this year. Score a Free IRS Upgrade OR Save $2,026 Off Options on Mk5 Roadsters, Mk4 Roadsters, Type 65 Coupe, and ’33 Hot Rod To ensure your finest ride is possible, we are offering FREE IRS Upgrades (up to $3,199 in value). Our Independent Rear Suspension is the best suspension configuration Factory Five has to offer. This upgrade package includes: OR you can save $2,026… Read More »

Read More

Mark S. Graduates His Mk4 & Scores Magazine Cover!

Congratulations to customer Mark S. on graduating his Mk4 Roadster build! Mark came for a tour of Factory Five in March 2020 to meet Dave Smith and the team. After returning home to the United Kingdom, Mark ordered his Mk4, and it arrived at his garage in February 2021.  Marks good friend, neighbor, and fellow car enthusiast, Stuart H, helpedwith the build which featured a Gen 3 5.0L Coyote, Tremec TKO transmission, 8.8″ solid axle with 3-link rear suspension, 18″ Halibrand wheels, and of course, it had to be in right hand drive. Mark also had the chassis galvanised to…

Read More

Factory Five is Closed Today, Monday January 26, 2026.

I made the call to scrub FFR operations for the day. The drive in wasn’t bad, and most roads are clear. Unfortunately our plow crew was late, and the day dawned with 3-4′ drifts in the back parking lot! We will be at work and at full strength tomorrow. Sorry for any difficulties this may cause. Dave SmithPresident

Read More
Top