It is with profound sadness that the family of Nace Panzica, announces his passing on Monday the 16th of October, 2023 while surrounded by family and friends. He leaves behind his wife Kathy, sons Mark Panzica and John Paredes, sisters Margaret and Mary, brothers Pat, Anthony, Joseph, Michael and Dominic, along with six grandchildren, 13 nieces and nephews, and 18 great-nieces and nephews. Nace was preceded in death by his son, John Panzica.
Nace was one of the founding partners of Custom Chrome, Inc., also known by its initials CCI, in 1970. Under Nace’s leadership, Custom Chrome grew to be the world’s leading manufacturer/wholesaler of aftermarket parts and accessories for Harley-Davidson motorcycles, with annual sales totaling $250 million before his departure in 1997. Starting out as Coast Cycle, a small motorcycle shop in San Jose, California, before incorporating under the name Custom Chrome, the company grew to include its world headquarters in Morgan Hill, California, along with five US warehouses, Germany-based Custom Chrome Europe, and Custom Chrome Taiwan. At its peak under Nace’s guidance, CCI employed more than 700 personnel worldwide.
As President and CEO of the company, Nace also led the product development team at CCI that specialized in bringing new and proprietary products to the Harley-Davidson aftermarket. It was not unusual during the late 80’s and 90’s for CCI to introduce more than 500 new products annually, with some of the most successful programs being the RevTech oil, wheels, engines, gear sets and complete transmission assemblies, in addition to the Dyno Power, Premium and C.C. Rider product lines… to name just a few.
Nace took great pride in his team of designers, engineers and product specialists that closely followed developing trends in the Harley-Davidson world, and were able to quickly respond with exciting, new proprietary products, and comprehensive marketing campaigns that introduced them to dealers and consumers alike. Without Nace’s drive and ambition, none of this would ever have been possible. He was always the first one at the office in the morning, and the last to leave at night.
Nace’s impact on the greater aftermarket industry is still felt today with many of the products still being sold in the marketplace… decades after Nace shepherded them from concept to shelf. And his impact has also been felt because many of his former employees have continued working in the industry for a myriad of companies, bringing the knowledge they gained at CCI with them.
In the years since his departure from Custom Chrome, Nace stayed busy in the motorcycle business with Internet start-ups, and an engine and transmission driveline (TDC) business that he would later sell off.
Memorial services for Nace will be 12:00pm Saturday, November 18th at the Advent Lutheran Church in Morgan Hill, California.
Godspeed Nace…
