www.outdoorpowerequipment.com OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT NOVEMBER 2016 17
ROB LEISER, PRESIDENT
LEISER RENTAL (EASTON, PA.)
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the
best, how has your dealership fared
in 2016, and why?
3
This has been a very trying year.
We have seen an upswing in
customer requests; however, we
have not been able to find the reliable staff
to meet our customers' needs.
What valuable lessons did you learn during
2016, and what do you plan to do differently
in 2017?
It is time to stop growing the business
and work on changing the business into
something that can be controlled by a less-
reliable, less-educated staff. At 61, I can no
longer keep up with the 70-hour weeks.
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best,
how optimistic are you about your dealership
heading into 2017, and why?
We have a good business plan and can be
assured that we can remain profitable.
What concerns me are the monsters at
the gate. The future does not look rosy
for the small independent business.
Government regulations and Obamacare
have cost us the ability to provide health
care. Manufacturers are turning away from
supporting the dealer network and toward a
throwaway society. The consolidation of the
distributor network seems to be affecting
the availability of parts. Looking forward at
a workforce without simple skills or work
ethic. Our industry is no longer a stepping-
stone for the technical and automotive
