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8 • February 17, 2014 • Powersports Business NEWS www.PowersportsBusiness.com www.PowersportsBusiness.com NEWS Powersports Business • February 17, 2014 • 9 Sportsman ACE a side-by-side, ATV mix Polaris Industries Inc. announced the company is defining an entirely new type of off-road vehicle with the introduction of the Sportsman ACE. The vehicle's architecture is completely new to the industry and features a revolu- tionary, sit-in chassis that is nimble and com- fortable to operate. The design of the new Sportsman ACE provides a confidence-inspired ride, all while being trail-capable, offering an all-new off-road experience. MSRP is $7,499. "The introduction of the Sportsman ACE is part of our strategy to remain the leader in the powersports marketplace by introducing inno- vative products that define their categories," said David Longren, vice president of Polaris' Off-Road Division. "In creating the Sportsman ACE, we wanted to not only appeal to current off-road enthusiasts, but develop a vehicle that brings new customers to off-road recreation. We accomplished this by coupling an easy- to-use, nimble platform with a confident and secure ride that, together, provides drivers of all experience levels a new way to experience the outdoors." The revolutionary, new design combines the size and nimble handling of the Sportsman ATV, and the confidence and comfort of the RANGER and RZR side-by-sides, in a rider-cen- tric design with a trail-capable and easily-trans- portable 48 in/121.9 cm width. A comfortable and confidence-inspiring centralized seating position connects the driver directly with the machine for a new off-road riding experience. Polaris also positioned all the major compo- nents, including the driver, centralized between the four wheels for an incredibly responsive ride. The Sportsman ACE boasts 10.25 in/26.04 cm of ground clearance and 9.5 in/24.1 cm of rear travel due to its fully independent rear sus- pension outfitted with performance, twin tube shocks featuring adjustable preload. Seasoned riders will appreciate the overall vehicle per- formance, handling and smooth riding suspen- sion, while novice riders will enjoy the secure riding position and the right amount of power to get them down the trail. Powering the Sportsman ACE is an all- new 32 hp ProStar Electronic Fuel Injected Engine featuring an internal counter-balance shaft for smooth, vibration-free power. The dual overhead camshafts and a 4-valve cyl- inder head work with the advanced engine management system to precisely deliver the fuel charge for impressive power and instant, predictable throttle response, while the light- weight efficient transmission captures every ounce of power to deliver it to the ground. The engine is designed to reduce internal friction, which dramatically reduces noise and signifi- cantly increases efficiency making it the most the headquarters office from its previous loca- tion 30 miles south on I-85 in Newnan, Ga., that included a warehouse as part of the rent. But Heichelbech soon learned that Triumph doesn't do PG&A logistics well, so he turned that part of the business over to UPS and Bridgeline Digi- tal, packed up and headed north. The new office is just a stone's throw from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. "Since we don't do shipping anymore from here, because we didn't do it well, we went from shipping on time 70 percent of the time to 99.9 percent of the time now. About 60 percent of our dealer calls were related to not focusing on customer service, and that's where the dealer loses the customer, so that had to change," Heichelbech said. Depending on the time of year, the office houses about 60 employees. A plethora of bikes — at least 20, sometimes 30 — grace the office space. All bikes on the floor must be operational. In fact, Heichelbech had to buy back one of the 40 Limited Edition Daytona 675s that were unveiled at the dealer meeting in Alabama last year. Deal- ers gobbled up the Jason DiSalvo replicas in less than five minutes, but it was then that Heichelbech remembered that he needed one for the office. And he paid dearly — "let's just say over retail," he says — for the numbered bike from one of the dealers. There's plenty of interesting stuff for visitors to see inside the 20,000 square-foot operations, but it's not all fun and games. The entryway to the office is being transformed into a mock dealership showroom, complete with bikes, outfitted mannequins and apparel. A portion of the company's retail branding is shown, with the brand now in 200 Lucky apparel locations. Newly designed T-shirts from Triumph's vari- ous apparel partners also grace the retail space. A sizable meeting room that hosts Triumph "20-Club" meetings for dealers fits a collage of movie posters. The posters, a few dozen strong, are from movies in which Triumph bikes had starring roles, like Mission: Impossible II, The Matrix, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. NEW BUSINESS APPROACH There are amenities beyond autographs and posters. Sixty-inch monitors in each division of the company provide real-time project assess- ments. Heichelbech, a former Harley-Davidson executive, credits the Sales Force platform as a measurement tool, and "The 4 Disciplines of Execution" by Sean Covey, Jim Huling and Chris McChesney as the inspiration. "This all used to be notepads and Excel files," Heichelbech says we walk past highly connected and efficient cubicles. The sales staff has grown significantly since Heichelbech took over in 2010. The customer service staff, in particular, has grown from three to 12. In 2013, Triumph became the first OEM to offer 24/7 customer service support. "We had a 20 percent pickup rate on the phone (in the customer service department)," he said. "Now we've connected them to SalesForce.com and we respond to questions from email, website, live chat and telephone within 20 minutes. Video's next." Walking deeper into the location, an apparel wall full of future product allows staff to plan out the season's retailing environment. Tri- umph's new Clothing and Accessory dealer pro- gram provides the dealers with fresh monthly product, which includes planograms with each shipment delivered from the UPS warehouse and distribution center in Kentucky. Heichelbech is developing reasons for cus- tomers — both dealers and consumers — to want to business with Triumph. Dealer profit- ability, brand awareness, ease of doing business and fixing the infrastructure have been on his to-do list since Day 1. Triumph has been revamping all of its business processes, includ- ing margin structure. "We are now second only to Harley-David- son in margin for the dealer and have a goal of being number one in several categories, includ- ing motorcycles," Heichelbech added. To monitor this goal, Triumph started and co-ops three dealer "20-Club" groups that are moderated by Sam Dantzler, and will soon add a fourth. "It's the best way to be immersed in your customer's business and monitor the impact of your strategies," he said. "Based on the composite and dealer input at these meet- ings, we have a communication channel to sort out the facts and target hot spots." The attention to customer service has guided the brand to selling 8,400 units a year in North America in 2010 to 13,000 in 2013 to Heichelbech's goal of 16,000 in 2014. His vision for the Triumph portion of a dealership's showroom involves more growth in product offerings, increased sales volume per store and new sales tools to interact with the customer. "There's no reason for anyone to think that Triumph is less than the best brand out there," Heichelbech said. PSB TRIUMPH CONTINUED FROM COVER ACE latest off-road entrant from Polaris The all-new 2014 Polaris Sportman ACE blends power, performance and capability in what can be best described as a single-seat side-by-side. Triumph North America's offices in Atlanta feature up to 30 bikes on display in hallways and offices. Autographed memorabilia and posters from motion pictures that featured Triumph bikes also grace the office walls. P01x09-PSB3-News.indd 8 2/5/14 10:03 AM