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22 • April 8, 2014 • Powersports Business ATV www.PowersportsBusiness.com www.PowersportsBusiness.com ATV Powersports Business • April 8, 2014 • 23 been a huge hit among NHF Day event-goers, and we look forward to another great turnout at all of our festivities nationwide." One lucky entrant, 18 years-of-age or older, will win a 2014 Yamaha Viking FI 4x4 Hunter Green with suntop that is assembled in the U.S.A. and comes with a number of hunting accessories. Total approximate retail value is $11,799. No purchase necessary. The sweep- stakes ends at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on October 31, 2014. The winner will be determined by random drawing. Cat drives 10 percent of U.S. sales with eBay store powered by Shopatron Just months after the launch of Arctic Cat's offi- cial eBay store, the renowned powersports brand is already seeing approximately 10 percent of its Shopatron-powered U.S. sales coming from the new online sales channel. By tapping into 128 million active users worldwide on eBay Marketplaces and the millions of unique visitors to eBay Motors who are already searching the marketplace, Arctic Cat has supercharged its online sales this season by opening its eBay marketplace channel to U.S. customers. Launched in September 2013, the offi- Arctic Cat sales growing thanks to eBay DIGEST CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21 Two separate businesses proving to be a strong fit BY HEATHER BROWN CONTRIBUTING WRITER Big John's Ford dealership in Minden, Neb., isn't your average auto dealer. The dealer- ship sells the typical Ford vehicles, but also Arctic Cat ATVs. The agricultural region of Kearney-Grand Island-Hastings has many farmers who transport four-wheelers and side-by-sides in their trucks to irrigate their fields, so it's a natural fit. Owner Don Ellis created the unique busi- ness model "after driving 90 miles to visit the closest Arctic Cat dealer," he told Powers- ports Business. Other ATV brands are sold in the area, but having done research on Arctic Cat's Wildcat, Ellis found them to be superior machines. He decided to stick with just the Arctic Cat line and in August 2013 added the OEM's ATVs and UTVs to his Ford dealership. To be an existing auto dealer and take on a powersports line turned out to be a smooth transition. "We already had a great F&I manager in place, so it was easy to add the Arctic Cat line from that perspective," Ellis said. They also have master-certified service technicians on staff. That is an important part to the business, he said. "Anybody can sell anything, but it's how the customer is taken care of after the sale that defines on whether you are successful or not," he said. He's confident both the Ford and the Arctic Cat customers will be satisfied. From an operations stand- point, the Ford and Arctic Cat lines are treated as two sepa- rate businesses with different dealer management systems. While it remains to be seen if the Arctic Cat sales have any effect on the Ford sales and vice versa, there have been a few times when customers came in seeking a vehicle or ATV and ended up buying both. Of the Cats being sold, Ellis estimates 80 percent are UTVs and 20 percent ATVs. It's early in the game and while ATV sales have been decent, it helps to have the Ford dealership in the pic- ture. A unique advantage of the combo dealership is that it allows Big John's to be far more competitive on its Arctic Cat pricing, since it's not the only unit they are depending upon for profits. Being an auto dealer with an ATV line has given Big John's some other unique oppor- tunities for exposure to potential customers. One in particular is the Nebraska Cattle- man's Classic, which draws in ranchers and farmers from around the country. In addi- tion to a large cattle auction, there is also a commercial trade show held during the week of the show. Big John's is the only ATV dealer there, so the dealership has generated plenty of leads for both the ATVs and autos from that show. While this combination business may not work everywhere, Ellis has found a unique niche. He's new to the ATV dealership game, but having owned a John Deere dealership for 10 years prior to buying Big John's, he's confident in what his dealership is providing to its customers. He also grew up in a farming family, and is familiar with what folks in rural communities prefer to drive. What better idea than to give them a chance to shop for both at one dealer- ship, especially his own? PSB Big John's Ford took on the Arctic Cat lineup of ATVs and UTVs to cater to the agricultural buyer in the Kearney-Grand Island-Hastings, Neb., marketplace. A successful F&I department on the auto side made for an easy transition to selling the powersports brand. Auto dealership brings Arctic Cat into the mix P20x23-PSB5-ATV.indd 22 3/27/14 11:19 AM