The SEMA Truck & Off-Road Alliance (TORA) named Radflo Suspension Technology as the council’s newest member spotlight company. Get to know their story in the SEMA News interview with AJ Grasso, Radflo Suspension Technology sales and marketing manager, below.
SEMA News: Tell us the story of Radflo Shocks. How did the company start and what was your breakthrough moment?
AG: In the late ’80s, on the rugged terrain just outside Johannesburg, South Africa, two brothers–Glenn and Warren Classen–were chasing more than just speed. They were chasing perfection. Becoming a family of racers, weekends meant wrenching on trucks and testing limits in the wild African bush. But as their ambitions grew, they ran into a hard truth: the suspension systems available at the time simply couldn’t keep up.
So, they built their own.
What began as a garage project–hand-fabricating shock absorbers to survive the punishing terrain of off-road rally raids–quickly turned into something more. Friends noticed. Racers asked for custom builds. Word spread. The brothers didn’t just create shocks that performed; they created shocks that lasted.
By the mid-’90s, their reputation had crossed oceans. Teams competing in Baja, Dakar and King of the Hammers started taking notice. That’s when Glenn Classen made the leap. He packed up his tools, his passion, and his relentless pursuit of excellence, and moved operations to Southern California–the beating heart of off-road racing. There, Radflo Suspension Technology was born.
Today, Radflo builds high-performance shock absorbers and suspension systems for racing, recreational, mining, emergency, and military applications. Whether it’s a custom setup for a desert pre-runner, a reliable kit for an overland rig, or precision-tuned coilovers for a rock crawler, every Radflo product is engineered to perform and custom-made to order.
But no matter how far the company has come, that garage spirit remains. Radflo is still family-owned. Still testing in the real world. Still listening to racers, builders and adventurers. Still obsessed with building the best shock possible.
SN: What’s going on these days? What projects are you most excited about?
AG: One of our proudest recent innovations is the launch of our UTV-specific internal bypass shocks called the WORKS SERIES with DYNAMIC RIDE TECHNOLOGY, developed from the ground up for today’s high-performance side-by-sides. As UTVs get faster, more powerful, and more capable, their suspension demands the same sophistication as full-size off-road race vehicles. That’s where Radflo comes in. These shocks aren’t just rebranded automotive dampers–they’re purpose-built for UTV dynamics, tested in the dunes, dialed in on the rocks, and race-proven in the desert.
SN: What’s the best piece of advice you have for professionals getting started in the aftermarket?
AG: “Don’t chase trends–chase problems and solve them better than anyone else.”
In the aftermarket world, it’s easy to get caught up in hype–what’s flashy, what’s trending, what everyone on social media is building. But real, lasting success comes from listening to the people in the pits, on the trails, and behind the wheel. Focus on solving real problems–whether that’s improving ride quality, simplifying installation, or delivering better durability where others fall short.
That’s how Radflo was built: by listening, engineering, testing, and refining–over and over again. If you make products that genuinely perform, your reputation will do more marketing than any ad campaign ever could.
So be patient, be curious, and stay close to your customers. The aftermarket isn’t just about parts–it’s about people who rely on those parts when failure isn’t an option.
Fill out a TORA-member spotlight form to highlight how you or your company are contributing to the truck and off-road specialty-equipment industry. Selected candidates are eligible to be featured on TORA’s social media, SEMA News and future TORA member updates.
Via SEMA
