Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/328305
PSB FOCUS 12 • June 16, 2014 • Powersports Business www.PowersportsBusiness.com This issue: Digital Next issue: UTV-Sport Conner, Yeargin driving force behind Dominion's DX1 BY DAVE McMAHON EDITOR IN CHIEF A DMS built by dealers, for dealers. That's how Dominion Powersports is tout- ing its recently launched DX1 dealer man- agement system. Former dealership owner partners Curtis Conner and Dave Yeargin are the brains behind the DX1 launch, which aims to bring easy and effective functionality to the cloud- based business platform. "DX1 is unlike any busi- ness platform in the industry today because it touches on so many aspects of a dealer's business," said Jeff Littlejohn, president of Dominion Powersports. "DX1's sole purpose is improving dealership efficien- cies and profitability. You cannot achieve these critical tasks without the real-world experience that Curtis, David and many other Dominion Powersports staff members possess." That's right. A relationship between a dealer and a consumer blossomed a decade later into a product that is aimed, ironically enough, at forging together a closer bond between dealers and consumers around the nation. Conner serves as the lead architect for the development of the DX1 and Yeargin is in charge of Dominion Powersports' strategic initiatives and partnerships. A decade ago, the two met in a California dealership and started on a journey that led them to the creation of an entirely new business platform. "I like the direction we're going in the early stages of the launch," Conner said of the all-in- one dealership business platform that launched in January. "We're transferring some of our cur- rent customer base to the DX1 platform, and it's been a big initiative within the company." Conner, in fact, was Yeargin's longtime customer, and the two eventually shared own- ership of a dealership. Beyond that, they each owned separate dealerships later. Conner, a former Microsoft IT engineer who designed back office systems for companies like AT&T Singapore and other multinational corporations, was astounded at what it took to maintain a function- ing business platform at the dealership. "I was flabbergasted at how much we were spending on it and amazed at how much effort it took to run the business," Conner said. "There was a lot of information and data, but when you tried to put it all together to under- stand it, when you sold a major unit or submit- ted the repair order, it was nuts. Just nuts." Conner eventually founded ZiiOS and hired Yeargin to help him run it. Prior to that awaken- ing, there were days that weren't always so bright on the DMS front for the two dealership owners. "Within the first six months of owning our dealership in Folsom in 2003, that was the conversation we had — it was blatantly obvious that our DMS was not an asset," Con- ner said. "Like a lot of dealers, you get caught up in running the store that you don't even realize what could be. And here I was an IT guy who was now an owner of a motorcycle shop, and I'm spending my Sundays when the store's closed loading price files." And, Yeargin says, that's still a very real situ- ation, "with dealers spending Tuesdays updat- ing similar data." "That's exactly what exists now," he said. "With server-based applications, I had to go hire someone to do the basic things. So it took additional time and effort, and I was still sub- ject to losing data. Once we lost the server, and we lost six months of data with it. Those are the very real occurrences that happen because of the limitations." Conner's response to his operations issues was the development of ZiiOS, which Domin- ion eventually bought. And now DX1 serves as the next generation of DMS solutions for dealers. It's the ideal answer for the headaches that Conner and his wife encountered when Curtis Conner, left, and Dave Yeargin are former dealer principals who were integral to helping Dominion Power sports launch its DX1 dealer management system. A DMS by dealers, for dealers w w w . p o w e r s p o r t s b u s i n e s s . c o m NEWS: BMW has a new dealer in Oklahoma . . . . . PAGE 3 FOCUS: Navigating Facebook's changes . . . . . . . . PAGE 14 ATV: Honda introduces the Pioneer 500 . . . . . . PAGE 19 PWC: PWC sales grow in April . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 26 Jordan out, Twomey back in as CEO of Arctic Cat Arctic Cat Inc. announced on June 2 that Claude Jordan has stepped down as chairman and chief executive officer. Chris Twomey, who served as Arctic Cat's CEO for 24 years, and also is a former chairman and a current member of the board of directors, has been named interim chairman and CEO. The board is beginning a search for a permanent CEO. Commented Twomey: "On behalf of the board, I want to thank Claude for nearly six years of service to Arctic Cat, first as president and chief INSPIRING SUCCESS THROUGH MARKET INTELLIGENCE Still kicking Sloan's Motorcycle & ATV has served as a pillar in Murfreesboro, Tenn., for more than 50 years. SEE PAGE 30 HOTNEWS On the move Namura Technologies' growth pushes the company to move into a larger facility. SEE PAGE 18 Historic return Indian Motorcycles is back in Sturgis as a new dealership is opened. SEE PAGE 20 World of Adventure turns to 20 dealerships as Centers of Excellence BY LIZ KEENER MANAGING EDITOR Last year, a customer of Irv Seavers BMW in Orange, Calif., attended a World of Adventure ses- sion about adventure riding. He went in an RT rider and could soon call himself a GS owner as well. That customer, general manager David Diaz said, was thinking about taking an adventure-rid- ing trip to Alaska, and once he heard the World of Adventure presentation, he was ready to make the first big purchase for his journey. But that sale isn't the only way Irv Seavers BMW has benefitted from its partnership with the World of Adventure coalition. Instead, Irv Seav- ers and other dealerships are seeing big boosts in unit sales, PG&A sales and service, as they learn to appeal more to the adventure market, a segment in which riders are known to be fully dedicated and more than willing to invest. WORLD OF ADVENTURE Irv Seavers BMW is one of the initial dealership partners of the World of Adventure, a coalition of companies in the adventure-riding segment launched by Jim Hyde, founder of adventure training company and official BMW training cen- ter RawHyde Adventures. "One of the things I hear most frequently from people that have shown up here for training is, 'I don't have anybody to ride with because there aren't very many guys who own GSs where I live, and I don't know any of them,'" Hyde said. "I also am continually peppered with questions, me and all my trainers. When people look at our bikes, they say, 'Hey, where'd you get that?' and 'Who makes this?' and 'Wow, I didn't know about that. See Adventure, Page 6 Biggest change for dealers will be enhanced product lineup BY DAVE McMAHON EDITOR IN CHIEF When Tucker Rocky Distributing/Biker's Choice and the Motorsport Aftermarket Group (MAG) finalized their merger in mid-May, dealers might not have noticed much difference in the way they do business with the companies. And that's exactly what e x e c u t i v e s f r o m b o t h organizations expected to happen when the new company, now operating under the MAG name, was formed. J.A. Lacy, presi- dent and CEO of LDI, Ltd., the majority shareholder of the combined company, is the chief executive officer. Leonard Green & Partners, L.P. and other legacy MAG sharehold- ers retain a significant minority interest in the combined company. Brian Etter, president of MAG's branded product, media and online retail operations and Dan Courtney, president of Tucker Rocky/Bik- er's Choice, discussed the new operations with Powersports Business following the announce- ment of the merger. PSB: What were the origins of the transaction, or how did the thought process originate that a MAG PSB: FOCUS Digital SEE PAGE 12 Tucker Rocky, MAG complete merger See Merger, Page 5 See Hot News, Page 3 June 16, 2014 • Volume 17, Number 8 • $3.99 Suit $2,000+ Set of tires $350+ Skid plate $325+ Panniers $1,200+ Engine guard $280+ Headlight guard $100+ Hand guard $60+ PHOTO OF JASON HOULE BY SHAWN THOMAS The adventure riding market is a niche that many dealers are missing, according to Jim Hyde of RawHyde Adventures. Here's a look at some of the potential PG&A items geared to the adventure rider. Endorsing dealers as rider experts DAN COURTNEY CLAUDE JORDAN P01x07-PSB8-NEWS.indd 1 6/4/14 2:17 PM