Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/765954
www.PowersportsBusiness.com NEWS Powersports Business • December 26, 2016 • 3 HOTNEWS CONTINUED FROM COVER the year. We will adjust staffing levels in our other facilities to accommodate the transfer of orders as required." "By having more inventory in fewer locations," said Kent, "we will be able to improve our customer fill rates and reduce the number of ship- ments necessary to complete an order. Our dealers will spend less time on receiving and waiting for multiple pack- ages to arrive." KTM North America Inc. announced the appointment of John Hinz as its new president, effective Jan. 1. Hinz will assume responsibility for the North American subsidiary to include the KTM Group brands KTM, Husqvarna Motorcycles and WP in the U.S. and Canada. Hinz will work closely with current president Jon-Erik Burleson until Jan. 31 to ensure a seamless transition, while Burleson prepares to assume the role as brand ambassador for Husqvarna Motorcycles beginning Feb. 1. "I have arrived at a point in my career in which I have decided to embark on new personal challenges," Burleson said. "My pas- sion for both the company and individual brands remains strong and true, as well as my personal investment in continuing indus- try initiatives to support the sport of motorcycling, which tie back to the company's foundation of success and core of the brands. I'm looking forward to assuming the role of brand ambassador with Husqvarna, which allows me to remain involved with a brand that is so near and dear to my heart and stay connected within the motorcycle industry. I have worked closely with John for many years now, and I am looking forward to seeing the continued growth and success of the company." As a lifelong motorcyclist with nearly 20 years of experience in the motorcycle industry, 10 of which have been spent with KTM North America, Hinz has played an instrumental role in the com- pany's success today. Hinz started in the industry working directly with dealers as a district sales manager before transitioning into the role of national dealer development manager. Being an avid enthusiast, his first role at KTM was managing product market- ing, then taking on North American research & development responsibilities as well as overseeing the KTM/HMC RC8 Super- bike Racing program. This transitioned into the broader role of vice president of Group Marketing and Product Development and most recently the position of managing director for KTM. His experience in the industry, and with the company, will prove invaluable as the KTM Group further establishes itself as a driving force within the North American market. "The KTM Group has experienced substantial growth over the last several years under Jon-Erik Burleson's leadership," said Hubert Trunkenpolz, CSO of KTM AG. "I am excited for John Hinz to transition into the position of president so he can con- tinue the implementation of the successful business strategy that the KTM North America group has developed with the executive management team. Our branded approach to business provides the opportunity to reach the broader North American motorcy- cling market, enter new segments and connect to the motorcycling community through our strong dealer network, unique customer events and championship racing efforts. On behalf of the entire KTM AG Board of Directors, we would like to thank Jon-Erik for his over 20 years of hard work and dedication to the company." HINZ NAMED PRESIDENT OF KTM NORTH AMERICA INSIDE Illinois dealership adds Florida store iMotorsports, one of the largest pre-owned motorcycle retailers in the U.S. out of its location in Elmhurst, Illinois, has acquired St. Pete Powersports, a St. Petersburg, Florida- based franchised powersports dealer serving central and southern Florida for more than 10 years. St. Pete Powersports sells both new and pre- owned Indian, Triumph, Victory and Kawasaki motorcycles, as well as Polaris ATVs, UTVs and Slingshots. St. Pete Powersports will con- tinue to operate under its current name and brands with an added boost given to its pre-owned powersports inventory from iMotorsports. "Similar to iMotorsports, St. Pete Pow- ersports offers quality brands and has built strong, long-lasting customer relationships," said Tim Walter, co-founder, iMotorsports. "We've expanded iMotorsports footprint and are positioned to immediately grow market share among new unit sales but the real growth engine lies with pre-owned sales." "We are pleased to partner with iMotorsports, an organization that has a demonstrated track record as a leader in the industry," said Nathan Whitmer, general sales manager, St. Pete Pow- ersports. "This partnership will bring us to the next level, expanding our business while also providing our customers with iMotorsports' extensive product offering and support." PSB CDK Lightspeed, Service Manager Pro partner for two-way integration CDK Global Recreation and Powersports Data Solutions have enhanced integration features in the LightspeedEVO dealer manage- ment system that allows a two-way sync with Service Manager Pro. This integration in LightspeedEVO is the first and only two-way integration with Service Manager Pro in the industry. With this new enhancement, dealers can transfer the part numbers associated with Service Manager Pro's service intervals and common jobs directly into a LightspeedEVO repair order, saving dealers time and stream- lining the repair order process. "This new integration will make writing up a repair order in Lightspeed even easier," said C.R. Gittere, president of Powersports Data Solutions. "It will allow a service writer to complete a ticket for a general service or common job without typing a single part num- ber or labor line." Gittere continued, "Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA was at the forefront of pushing for this new feature from Service Manager Pro. They really want to make the workflow for a Yamaha dealer as easy and efficient as possible. This new integration will help ensure better customer satisfaction for the consumer at the dealership and will make sure all required parts are added to the repair order." "Yamaha understands the challenge our dealers face in provid- ing the best service experience possible to their customers. SMP increases accuracy, saves time and makes sure the right Yamaha part is available for the right job every time," said Colin Haugh, Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA. "The Service Manager Pro integration was already one of our fastest growing third-party offerings. Now with the two-way integra- tion dealers can pull the OEM parts back into an RO, so we expect it will only continue to become even more popular with our dealer clients," said Kris Denos, general manager for CDK Global Recre- ation. "We are always looking for ways to improve processes and workflows for our Lightspeed users. When we can save dealers time and improve proficiency in their parts and service departments, we all win." This integration is now available to powersports dealers using LightspeedEVO. The two-way integration will be available in Light- speedNXT this fall. KTM North America Inc. announced the appointment of John Hinz (right) as its new president, effective Jan. 1. Hinz will work closely with current president Jon-Erik Burleson (left) until Jan. 31 to ensure a seamless transition, while Burleson prepares to assume the role as brand ambassador for Husqvarna Motorcycles beginning Feb. 1. Eric Cagle, president of Tucker Rocky/Biker's Choice, said: "We are confident in our strategies as we have real- ized significant growth in the V-twin market and continue to outperform our competition in the metric market. As we enter 2017, we see the opportunity to continue to grow around our optimized DC footprint, and we remain committed to improving our processes and technology in order to be recognized as the preferred distributor by power- sports dealers." BIKER BOB'S HARLEY- DAVIDSON NAMES GM Biker Bob's Harley-Davidson, with locations in Detroit and Tay- lor, Mich., has named Joe Anza- lone as general manager. "I am very excited to have been invited to join Biker Bob's," Anza- lone said. "Even after just a few days on the job it's clear to me that we have a very dedicated team. I am looking forward to meeting our extended family and can't wait for the next riding season." SCOTT FISCHER SELLS ROCKET HARLEY-DAVIDSON Scott Fischer has sold Rocket Harley-Davidson in Madison, Alabama. Fischer continues to own and operate five other Harley-Davidson dealerships in Florida, North Carolina and New Mexico. Josh Russom, the dealer- ship's new owner, has renamed it Redstone Harley-Davidson. Russom's family also owns and operates the Harley-Davidson dealership of Montgomery, Ala- bama. George Chaconas of Per- formance Brokerage Services facilitated the transaction. SAN DIEGO DEALERSHIP EXPANDS WITH PURCHASE GP Motorcycles of San Diego has purchased Rocket Motorcy- cles (dba Triumph San Diego). Triumph San Diego will remain at its current location, 5171 Morena Place, but cus- tomers can expect big changes not only the premises, but the offerings of the shop, with more accessories, more used and new motorcycle inventory, and more staff for faster support with sales of Triumph and Zero Motorcycles. GP plans to bring the feel of its flagship store to Triumph San Diego. "I'm very excited about this opportunity," GP president/ owner Paul Lima said. PSB NEWS 4 ... Calendar of Events FINANCIAL NEWS 6 ... Dealer Financial Snapshot 6 ... Stock Market Watch OPINION 8 ... From the Editor 8 ... Online at PowersportsBusiness.com PSB: FOCUS Auction/ Pre-owned 10 ... NPA opens a Philadephia location 13 ... Dealership hosts online auction 14 ... Pre-owned unit trends revealed ATV/UTV 20 ... Hisun launches Sector Crew series 20 ... Honda, BRP debut new models MOTORCYCLE 22 ... SHOT, Husqvarna launch partnership 22 ... EBR unveils Black Lightning bike 23 ... Ducati dealer sets up near Seattle PWC 24 ... Pro Watercross adds freeride event SOLUTIONS 26 ... Paula Crosbie 27 ... Steve Jones SNOWMOBILE 28 ... SUNY Canton trains techs AFTERMARKET 29 ... Hot Products