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Invest For The Future With Positive Customer Image by Greg German

Each year our dealership has to invest in a few new vehicles, new computers, software improvements, signage, driveway maintenance, building or roof painting, and on and on. Each time I make one of these capital improvements in our facilities, I think “Wouldn’t it be nice if I could just keep this money for myself?” Then reality kicks in, I discuss it with our office manager and we write the check for the needed investment.

Our multi-generation business has always prided itself on maintaining nice facilities, keeping things fairly well maintained, driving good vehicles, and hoping that our customers can see a difference in the way in which we “appear” than our competitors.

Dealers Choice Awards Highlight Top New Products

The third annual PET Dealers Choice Awards promise more excitement again this year at GIE+EXPO 2009, where dealers will vote on the show’s top new products submitted to Power Equipment Trade.

The Power Equipment Trade Dealers Choice Awards honor top new products at the show—as voted on by dealers—in five categories: wheeled equipment, handheld products, power sports/recreational products, accessories/attachments and business management services.

New Products Live! Returns To GIE+EXPO

Sponsored by Power Equipment Trade and Turf magazines at the GIE+EXPO in Louisville, Ky October 23-25, the all new-products showcase New Products Live is expected to be larger and more comprehensive than ever.

Products are eligible only if they have been introduced since last year’s show. A preliminary list of entries will be posted on www.gie-expo.com in August and at poweret.com.

GIE+EXPO is sponsored by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, Inc. (OPEI); Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) and the Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS).

Products Literature Review

The industry’s most complete line of outdoor power equipment parts, tools and accessories is featured in Rotary’s new 2008 sales catalog.

This 1200-plus page catalog is FREE and over 300 new items are listed including hydrostatic pumps, belts and pulleys, plus over 40 new blades for 2008.

Rotary’s 2008 Quick-Cross CD-Rom serves as a quick reference for OEM to Rotary and aftermarket to Rotary parts. In addition, customers can easily locate specific products with an easy product "keyword" search. Users can also save and print quotes from the CD-Rom.

Profit Center Departments Make Managing Easier by John Walker

Despite many business owners “seeing the light” during my 40 years of working with equipment dealerships, there remains a large number of dealers who totally resist the concept of “profit centering” departments within their dealerships. I have heard every conceivable argument as to why departments cannot be set up as individual profit centers, yet I continue hearing more success stories from dealers who have successfully made the change.

A profit center is defined as any portion of the dealership’s operation that consistently generates easily identified transactions, categorized into three distinct types: 1) Sales transactions; 2) Cost of sales transactions; 3) Expense transactions. The number of profit centers at a particular dealership varies, depending on how the operation is structured. The most common are: New Equipment and Parts and Service. Several others could be included; Used, Rental, Finance and the Training Department.

UTV, Cutter Make Great Power Package by Dan Shell

Longtime golf cart manufacturer Club Car’s relatively new XRT consumer UTV product line features premium products at good value in a package that provides great versatility and an innovative transmission and attachment system. The company is a subsidiary of Ingersoll-Rand, which acquired ClubCar in 1995. ClubCar has made golf carts and commercial UTVs for years. The XRT line is a relatively new effort for the company—a consumer UTV line that makes ClubCar’s commercial expertise and durability available to recreational users.

The company now offers three separate dealer networks for its three UV product lines—the venerable Club Car golf cart line, the Club Car Carry-All commercial UTV line and the new XRT consumer line.

Deep Thoughts—and a Laugh

Niche marketing looks at splitting up the target market into groups that you can pinpoint for your product and service. The market can be segmented by race, age, earning capacity, living area, marital status, disposable income, height, skin color, parents, single parent families, music lovers, etc.

Consider music lovers: Within this market segment there are lovers of jazz, classical, opera, rap, r&b, latin, rock and much more. The point is that each niche in the market can be further segmented to determine very vertical or narrowly defined sections of the marketplace. What you’re looking for is a situation where your product dovetails into a section of the market perfectly and all of marketing and advertising activities and budgets work most efficiently.

Dealers Helping Communities

In a business that’s dependent in large part on weather—primarily regular rainfall—it’s been a rough and wet spring and summer so far for the Midwest, where rainy conditions and flooding have persisted since mid March.

And while no one hopes for natural disasters to boost profits, such situations are where power equipment dealers shine as major resources for ravaged communities, as local citizens turn to the experts who can sell and service much-needed generators, pumps, chain saws and other equipment.

Latest Recreation Products for Dealers

The new Bush Hog 4430 4 x 4 is built to work. With Bush Hog Tough Features that deliver traction that won’t quit, load carrying capacity that won’t quit and a smooth ride that won’t quit.

Every Bush Hog 4430 comes with standard features that help you get your job done. Standard features include 2" hitch receivers front and rear, an electric fuel gauge, hour meter and rocker switches, 37-watt halogen headlights, tail and brake lights. A handful of other amenities that you’ll love are under hood storage, a glove box, 2 large cup holders, a quiet, rust-proof high capacity poly bed or flat bed for easy loading, carrying and off loading bulky items and, lastly, the Occupant Protective System (OPS).

Supplier Sales, Distribution and Program News

Briggs & Stratton Corp. has announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Victa Lawncare Pty. Ltd., Sydney, Australia, from GUD Holdings Ltd., for $22 million in cash, subject to adjustments. Briggs & Stratton’s subsidiary Briggs & Stratton Australia Pty. Ltd., is a party to the transaction.

Victa Lawncare is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of a broad range of lawn and garden power equipment used in consumer lawn and garden applications in Australia and New Zealand. Its products are sold at large retail stores and independent dealers. Victa Lawncare had net sales of $56 million for the nine months ended March 31, 2008 and anticipates net sales of approximately $64 million for the 12 months ending June 30, 2008.

The Latest In New Products, New Technology

It’s happening every day. More municipalities are banning the burning of leaves, twigs, pruned limbs, etc. in favor of more ecologically minded alternatives. One of the alternatives is to chip or shred these materials into easily biodegradable or reusable material. And for ease of use and rugged reliability, it’s hard to beat Echo Bear Cat’s commercial grade, heavy-duty machines to perform these tasks.

Echo’s reputation of building high performance outdoor power equipment is enhanced by its line-up of Echo Bear Cat Chippers and Chipper/Shredders with innovative features like a 360º rotating, turntable design for convenient roadside use. Echo Bear Cat offers a full range of 4" to 12" capacity Chippers and 1.5" to 5" capacity Chipper/Shredders in a variety of configurations including PTO, skid steer and highway-towable models. A vast selection of engines and hydraulic or self-feed models results in one of the widest range of products available. Call 800-432-3246; fax 847-540-96

New Products & Technologies

Using its first annual dealer meeting as a launching pad, Kymco USA has brought to market two attention-getting new off-road models for 2009. And even though the UXV 500 and MXU 375 have flashy features to spare, they also are designed to appeal directly to today’s customer—someone who is more closely considering the pocketbook when purchasing a new ATV or UTV.

The UXV 500 utility vehicle is perfect for the farm, job site or any recreational trail riding. With more than ample interior cargo space, a 420 lb. cargo bed payload, towing capacity of over 1,200 lbs. and 59" wide, stable stance the UXV is truly a candidate for industry leader in the 500cc side x side category.