Overfield Truck Poised To Climb Steep Market

Hunters and four-wheeling enthusiasts will soon have a local option when choosing a utility vehicle.

Fayetteville-based Overfield LLC plans to start churning out its 1,500-pound two-seat UTV in November and has an agreement with a national distributor to help sell the units, which will retail for about $11,000.

Will Harvey, CEO of Overfield, said most UTVs are re-engineered versions of all-terrain vehicles (such as a Yamaha, Honda or Kawasaki four-wheeler). But the Overfield truck was designed from scratch as a full-blooded UTV.

UTVs typically have a bed or some sort of hauling capacity and seat a passenger beside a driver, while ATVs generally are for recreation and only accommodate one rider.

According to a 2006 article in Powersports Business, a trade publication about all-terrain vehicles, no industry group reports sales numbers on the UTV segment. But Kawasaki estimated the UTV market at around 188,000 to 200,000 total units for 2005 and 2006, respectively.

The Arkansas Office of Motor Vehicles doesn’t segment out UTVs from the broader category of ATVs, but as of Aug. 31 there were 155,038 “all terrain vehicles” registered in the Natural State.

What will set the Overfield apart from other UTVs on the market will be its beefy suspension, full-sized tires, a 1,000-pound cargo capacity and attention to amenities, such as full-size bucket seats, rack and pinion steering and easy-to-read gauges, said Joe Partain, Overfield’s director of design.

The 15-inch highway tires allow the truck to be towed directly behind a vehicle without the need for a trailer. The duo compared the Overfield’s dimensions to the original Willis Jeep developed for the military during World War II. 

Partain has been working on variations of the Overfield since 1993 and one of its primary technologies is in its suspension and handling system.

On a recent test ride in the company’s prototype, Partain took a 90-degree turn at close to full-speed (which is 35 mph). The Overfield handled well and never felt close to tipping over.

Harvey and Partain said the company plans to start building about 8 Overfields a month in November, and eventually be able to crank out 80 per month.

Overfield engineers design the truck’s parts, but production is farmed out. The trucks will be assembled in a “light manufacturing” process in Fayetteville.

The company now employs nine people in its design, testing and assembly divisions and is being funded through small business loans by Searcy-based First Security Bank.

The two identified the Polaris Ranger and the Yamaha Rhino as the company’s primary competition.

According to the Powersports article, John Deere has 20 percent of the UTV market share, Kawasaki has 19 percent, Polaris has 18 percent, Yamaha 17 percent, Kubota and Textro have 5 percent each, Club Car about 4 percent and Ingersoll-Rand has about 3 percent.

Harvey and Partain said the Overfield has a wide appeal beyond the recreational user. They are also pursuing military applications, the mining industry and agri-business, and they expect an eventual large market in customization and add-on equipment.