A large fire department in North Carolina had a fire truck that was destroyed — $14,000 worth of damage — by the use of a traditional tire chain.

“We don’t cause damage,” said Tony Bright, CEO, inventor and founder of Flex Trax Advanced Traction Systems Inc.

That’s why the same fire department in Asheville just outfitted all of their vehicles — from the fire trucks to the Chief’s squad car — with Sno-Claw traction devices.

A lot of other wonderful things are happening as well for FlexTrax Co.

Due to the hard work, diligent marketing, and a unique and stellar product, Bright recently signed on with a master distributor, Tire One, who distributes to 1,000 stores that cater to specialized clientele across five states — North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa.

“The distribution we’ve been hoping for has been very successful,” Bright said. “And it’s looking very positive for next year.”

He’s also shipped a truckload for each state or around 125 boxes — they come two to a box — of FlexTrax Sno-Claws traction devices to help drivers navigate safely through snow, mud and sand. Drivers don’t have to remove the tires to put on chains. They can do it right when they need it — even out on the road — without ever having to remove the tires or cause any damage to the tires or the vehicle. And the process is quick and easy, too.A dozen independent dealers are distributing Bright’s Sno-Claws product in the Sierra Mountains in California, Nevada and Colorado.

FlexTrax also is supplying a distributor as far away as across the pond in Ireland.

Bright just recently delivered another load of his revolutionary traction treads to a NAPA distributor in Richmond, Va. The Flex Trax Co. now also has five NAPA distributorships all along the Smoky Mountain area.

“Since this time, we have shipped 1,000s of units to various distributors and end-users all across the nation,” Bright said. “We just purchased another traction business (as of Dec. 1, 2010) and are experiencing rapid expansion. It’s really going good.”

This new company, SnoBootz, makes traction devices specifically for drivers who find themselves having to negotiate over ice.

“It quickly fastens to tires,” Bright said, just like his initial inventions, Sno-Claws and Go-Claws, which are mainly for heavy and deep snow. “Now we have something for every application.”

Bright will soon be manufacturing this new product, SnoBootz, at his local warehouse site.

“This way, the customer gets to custom-order to fit specifically to his vehicles,” he said. You can even check out SnoBootz by googling them online for more info.

That means that Bright has practically cornered the market, providing traction devices that allow safer travel in snow, mud, sand and now also ice!

Bright plans on increasing his inventory to supply the upcoming new orders that should start this coming spring.

“We have to be prepared for the demand,” he said. He’s anticipating more and larger orders from bigger companies, such as Pep Boys, Auto Zone and O’Reilly’s.

He even plans on hiring about a dozen more employees by the middle of next year. Bright will be needing a wide variety of skilled labor. A new warehouse manager also will be one of his next new hires to be in charge of assembling the Sno-Claws and Go-Claws.

If interested in working for the company, go to the website www.flextrax.com.

For more information, call 800-788-9912 or access www.flextrax.com.