Villy Custom is a Dallas-based American lifestyle brand founded by entrepreneur Fleetwood Hicks, offering luxury custom fashion-designed cruiser bicycles for adults.
Hicks, a former menswear fashion designer and health enthusiast, privately owns the company. Villy Custom’s unique concept earned it a spot on Entrepreneur Magazine’s list of 100 Most Brilliant Business Ideas of 2010.
The company’s innovative approach was showcased on ABC’s show Shark Tank during season 3.
Villy Custom Information
| Brand Name | Villy Custom |
| Founder | Fleetwood Hicks |
| Origin | American |
| Established In | 2009 |
| Products | Bicycles & Accessories |
| Headquarters | Dallas, Texas |
| Operational Areas | America |
| Villy Custom Net Worth | $5 million (Last Updated July 2023) |
Villy Custom Net Worth
Villy Custom, the luxury custom bicycle brand, boasts an impressive net worth of $5 million. Founded by entrepreneur Fleetwood Hicks, the Dallas-based company’s success in designing fashion-forward cruiser bicycles for adults has contributed to its significant financial standing.
Villy Custom Founder
The founder of Villy Custom is Fleetwood Hicks. He is an entrepreneur, former menswear fashion designer, and health enthusiast who privately owns and leads the Dallas-based luxury custom bicycle brand. Through his innovative vision and passion for unique designs, Fleetwood Hicks has driven the success and growth of Villy Custom.
Who is Fleetwood Hicks
Fleetwood Hicks is known as an entrepreneur and the founder of Villy Custom, a company that specializes in creating custom-designed bicycles. Villy Custom gained popularity for its unique and personalized approach to bicycles, allowing customers to design their own bikes with various color combinations and accessories.
Fleetwood Hicks’ vision was to make cycling a fun and fashionable experience while promoting eco-friendly transportation. Through Villy Custom, he aimed to provide customers with stylish and comfortable bicycles that reflect their individuality.
Villy Custom History
In 2006, Fleetwood Hicks discovered beach cruiser bike riding in Los Angeles and became enamored with the simplicity, comfort, and style of the bikes. Two years later, he founded Villy Custom as a brick-and-mortar store, specializing in sales of cruiser bikes and accessories.
Realizing the potential for customization, Hicks infused fashion and unique color combinations, creating a luxury fashion bicycle brand. The iconic mascot of the brand is Hicks’ Bullmastiff dog, DeVille.
Villy Custom is known for its unexpected product features, including powder-coated components in various colors.
Villy Custom Innovation
Villy Custom is a distinctive “fashion” brand specializing in cruiser bikes. Utilizing an innovative e-commerce platform with a 3D Flash-based interface, customers can easily customize their bikes by altering colors and features.
In recognition of its creativity, Entrepreneur magazine honored Villy Custom with one of the 100 Most Brilliant Business Ideas in June 2010.
Villy Custom Logo
The shield design, featuring DeVille’s (nickname “Villy”) head wearing a starred collar, reflects the brand’s identity and mascot. The color scheme of Gold, Black, Red, and Silver adds a touch of luxury and style to the logo, aligning with the fashion-forward approach of the cruiser bike brand.
Villy Custom Competitors
Villy Custom faced competition from various other cruiser bike brands and custom bicycle companies. Some of the notable competitors of Villy Custom include:
- Firmstrong: Firmstrong is a popular cruiser bike brand known for its comfortable and stylish bikes, offering a range of models for adults.
- Sixthreezero: sixthreezero specializes in comfortable and customizable cruiser bikes designed for leisurely rides and city commuting.
- Electra: Electra offers a wide selection of cruiser bikes with distinctive designs and features, catering to different preferences and styles.
- Schwinn: Schwinn is a well-established bicycle brand that includes cruiser bikes among its product offerings.
- Brooklyn Bicycle Co.: Brooklyn Bicycle Co. provides classic-styled, urban commuter bikes, including cruiser models with customizable options.
- Pure Cycles: Pure Cycles offers a variety of affordable cruiser bikes designed for recreational riding.
- Custom Bicycle Builders: Various custom bicycle builders and local bike shops may also provide custom cruiser bike options tailored to individual preferences.
Villy Custom Headquarter
Villy Custom’s warehouse and assemblage facility were situated in downtown Dallas, Texas. This location served as a central hub for the company’s operations, including the assembly of their custom cruiser bikes.
Additionally, Villy Custom had a presence at the Omni Dallas Hotel, where a few of their bicycles were showcased. This partnership provided the opportunity to display their stylish and fashion-forward cruiser bikes in a prominent and high-traffic location, introducing their brand to a wider audience.
Villy Custom Partnership
Villy Custom has had partnerships and collaborations with various entities and organizations. Here are some examples of potential partnerships that Villy Custom may have had:
- Hotels and Resorts: Villy Custom may partner with hotels and resorts to showcase their luxury custom cruiser bikes as a unique amenity for guests.
- Corporate Events and Conferences: Villy Custom might collaborate with companies and event organizers to provide branded or customized cruiser bikes for corporate events and conferences.
- Charity Organizations: Villy Custom could team up with charitable organizations to create custom bikes for fundraising events or charitable initiatives.
- Fashion Brands and Designers: Given their focus on fashion-forward designs, Villy Custom might explore partnerships with fashion brands or designers to create limited-edition or co-branded cruiser bikes.
- Sports and Wellness Events: Villy Custom could collaborate with sports or wellness events to provide customized bikes for participants or as part of promotional activities
- Local Businesses: Villy Custom might partner with local businesses to offer custom cruiser bikes as exclusive incentives or rewards for their customers or employees.
- Non-Profit Organizations: Villy Custom may team up with non-profit organizations for joint initiatives or awareness campaigns.
Villy Custom Surprising Facts
Here are ten surprising facts about Villy Custom:
- Founder’s Inspiration: The idea for Villy Custom was sparked when Fleetwood Hicks discovered beach cruiser bike riding during a business trip to Venice Beach in 2006.
- Fashion-Forward Focus: Villy Custom is known for its unique approach to cruiser bikes, infusing fashion, texture, and vibrant color combinations to create customizable luxury bicycles.
- 3D Flash-based Platform: Villy Custom’s e-commerce platform features a 3D Flash-based user interface, allowing customers to customize their bikes by changing colors and features online.
- Entrepreneur Magazine Recognition: In June 2010, Villy Custom was honored by Entrepreneur magazine as one of the “100 Most Brilliant Business Ideas” of the year.
- Bullmastiff Mascot: The iconic symbol of the brand is Hicks’ Bullmastiff dog, named DeVille, who represents the spirit and personality of Villy Custom.
- Brick-and-Mortar Origins: Villy Custom initially started as a brick-and-mortar retail store in 2008 before expanding its presence to the online market.
- Daily Candy Feature: Villy Custom was featured in Daily Candy’s “Sweetest Things” list in 2009, further cementing its reputation as a unique lifestyle brand.
- Custom Powder Coating: The brand offers surprising product features, such as powder-coated handlebars, seat posts, clamps, fender braces, and wheels in various colors.
- Multitude of Color Options: Villy Custom’s bikes come in a wide range of color choices, allowing customers to create personalized and eye-catching designs.
- Intersection of Style and Function: Villy Custom’s approach showcases the seamless blending of fashion-forward aesthetics and comfortable functionality in their cruiser bikes.