Some OEMs ‘Not Normal’ With Their Dealer Policies by Dale Stotts

In a previous article I complained—nothing new here—about suppliers that continue to charge their dealer networks for everything from parts look-ups and service seminars to even accessing certain Internet sites. They do all of this with a straight face, claiming it’s “just a part of doing business.” This is not a new subject, and it will surely come up again in the future. At the same time—to be fair—I want to offer two examples of manufacturers that are “not the norm” concerning these matters.

I have had the privilege of selling a commercial riding product with a different set of values. To begin with, it doesn’t cost the dealers to have access to the parts look-up system. All one needs is an access code and a computer. Not only are the parts listed, but also all the service information both past and present—at no cost to the dealer network.

During Slump, Take Steps To Prepare For The Next One by John Walker

Don’t you wish that five or six years ago when the economy was in a slump and your equipment sales were positioned just about where they are today that you decided enough was enough and done something about it? You were never going to allow this to happen to your business again!

Many equipment dealers took the advice of those who had gone through market slumps in the past. They listened and made the necessary changes. They recognized that this was not the end of the world, and that if they changed the way they did business, the next time they faced a market slump, they would be prepared. Today they are the ones with the positive attitude toward what is happening in their markets. They are the survivors and will continue to be. Too many equipment dealers didn’t want to believe it would happen again and continued putting their emphasis upon satisfying their suppliers by achieving the required market share, no matter what the cost. Their focus continued to be upon the “big ticke

Industry: Federal Ethanol Study 'Inconclusive'

Industry officials say the results of a federal study prepared by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for the U.S. Dept. of Energy that looked at the effect ethanol blended gasoline as high as E15 and E20 has on small engines is inconclusive at best, leaves many questions unanswered and is primarily an indicator that much more research on higher ethanol blends in small engines is required.

“You can’t begin to approach the complexity of the small engine industry with the scope of this study,” says Kris Kiser, Outdoor Power Equipment Institute vice president of government affairs. “In our opinion, the study downplayed the challenges, and we’re very concerned with how they interpreted the data and wrote it up.”

Small Town Attitude Builds Customer Base by Tonya Cooner-Vots

Rodney and Vicky Festervan seemed fairly content with their lawn and garden business in Ruston, about 30 miles from here. And then, as the saying goes, opportunity knocked—a local farm supply business was up for sale. “Rodney said, ‘Lets do it.’ I said, ‘Are you crazy?’” Vicky recalls. But they did and haven’t regretted it one bit.

The Festervans bought Ouachita Valley Farm Supply in 2000 and changed the name to Ouachita Lawn & Garden, Inc. The Ruston shop was closed when they found it difficult to juggle two locations. “We had commercial customers from here coming to us in Ruston before,” Rodney says. “Our move put us closer to them.” The move was convenient for Monroe-area lawn care crews, and expanded the lawn and garden business that had been on Well Road for at least three decades.

Deep Thoughts—and a Laugh

Direct mail remains viable. In the Internet age, some business owners might turn up their noses at using a direct mail campaign to market their business. Anti-spamming laws mean people have to agree to receive your e-mails, which limits you to people you’ve already contacted. Direct mail, on the other hand, can be completely unsolicited, allowing you to reach out to those not familiar with your product or business.

Let direct e-mail help you pick the low-hanging fruit. You should always be marketing most often and most strongly to those loyal customers who buy multiple products. Direct e-mail, well written and based on compelling offers, is the key. It’s easy to implement, and it is so cheap that your company can communicate with customers almost as much as it wants on an ongoing basis..

Losing A Friend by Dan Shell

Debbie Watson, former Power Equipment Trade advertising sales representative from 1992 until fall 2002, died November 28 at age 45 after a long battle with skin cancer. Beautiful and vivacious, Debbie brightened every life she touched—and was a very successful PET ad-selling machine.

For a while she was the sole ad sales rep for PET, and I spent as much time working closely with her as anyone on the Hatton-Brown Publishers staff. She left Hatton-Brown in 1997 and formed her own company, Kaleidoscope Communications, yet continued to sell PET as an independent rep until fall 2002. (And I know she loved that it took two new PET sales reps to replace her!) We made many long rides to Louisville for what is now GIE+EXPO, and every trip was made shorter and much more interesting and lively in her presence.

Supplier Sales, Distribution and Program News

Basic Software Systems, Texarkana, Tex., a provider of business management systems, is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Since 1979, the company’s business management solutions have helped power equipment dealerships and other businesses in the U.S. and Canada achieve their goals.

Software modules offered by BSS include Parts Inventory Manager, Over-the-Counter Invoicing, Service Shop Manager, Accounts Receivable, Equipment Inventory Manager, Accounts Payable, General Ledger, Payroll Manager, Fixed Assets, Rental Inventory, Auction Management, Export Companion and Report Source.

Poweret Blog

You should see the work orders since E-10 showed up in March. We have had one station out of ten that stuck with selling non-ethanol fuel. After nine hard months of getting the word out by us, our customers who have seen and paid for the issues it’s caused, and the local auto and marine dealers who have also seen countless problems with their customers, we now have only four stations still selling E-10 and there’s no waiting in line at those stations.

We have seen issues with fuel lines, diaphrams, inlet seats and needle tips, o-rings, seals and even fuel filters dissolving, not to mention the water and corrosion issues. It has cost my customers a lot of money and there is no sense in it.

Toro Workman MD Series UVs

The Toro Company is pleased to announce that the new Toro Workman MD Series utility vehicles—Workman MD, Workman MDX, and Workman MDE—have launched and are now available.

The SRQ system combines a calibrated, coil-over shock absorber suspension design with a patented Active In-Frame twister joint. Each axle reacts independently to the terrain so that all 4 wheels remain on the ground. In addition, the operator platform is extended for additional legroom. Some of the many customer benefits include greater operator comfort, improved productivity and efficiency gains, increased safety, and reduced job fatigue. Aesthetic upgrades to the front body include the latch-opened injection-molded plastic hood, as well as a steel diamond plate floorboard. In addition, the battery for the MD and MDX gasoline models has been relocated from underneath the cargo bed to outside the vehicle frame, allowing for easier access for the operator or technician. The Toro Workman MD Series with SRQ is

Product Literature Review

Product Literature Review is your most up-to-date source of product information in the Power Equipment Industry. Whether you need information on equipment, supplies or services, Product Literature Review offers the latest section of catalogs and brochures from the top manufacturers in our industry. Take a look and respond today!

The Latest In New Products, New Technology

BedRyder offers a simple solution to one of a business and truck owner’s biggest problems—additional work crew seating. Using a BedRyder can save you and your company thousands of dollars in vehicle expenses and offer a safe and legal alternative to having employees and work crew riding unsafely in the back of a truck bed. The cost savings is simple: using fewer vehicles to transport employees to complete the same amount of work equals lower cost!

The BedRyder seating system allows you to add additional safe passenger seating when you need it and quickly remove it when you need the extra cargo space. The complete unit weighs about 50 lbs. and can be removed in seconds.