Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/379417
www.PowersportsBusiness.com NEWS Powersports Business • September 8, 2014 • 3 HOTNEWS CONTINUED FROM COVER Cobalt several years ago repre- sented a whole new dimension of Dealer Services' business that the company wasn't fully addressing. For the critical centerpiece of the name, Dealer Services chose "D" to represent Dealer Ser- vices and its 40 years of experience. This is the foundation of the business, which offers integrated management and technology solutions. The "K" represents Ker- ridge Computer Company, which was a UK-based com- pany acquired in 2005. The Ker- ridge acquisition was a strategic decision to greatly expand Dealer Services' geographic footprint and demonstrates its commitment to becoming a global provider. Steve Anenen, who will serve as CDK Global's CEO, noted, "We have decades of success as ADP Dealer Services, and we wanted that rich legacy to live on. Plus, the additions of Cobalt and Kerridge to our business solidified our position as a global market leader, so we wanted our new company's name to repre- sent the heritage of our strongest assets — assets we are combin- ing into one unified solution to help support the evolution of our industry worldwide." The new identity for CDK Global incorporates the univer- sally recognized traffic light with the green light illuminated. This simple, smart and powerful symbol represents a com- mitment to progress and always mov- ing forward, as well as optimism and opportunity. While the new name of the company honors CDK Global's history, the logo and branding represent an entirely new look and feel for the company. "We feel that now is the time to create a bolder identity. The name preserves our heri- tage, and the new look and feel embodies our commitment to be fresh and transformational. It is a nod to where we came from, and to where we're going," con- tinued Anenen. Upon the spinoff's comple- tion, the new company's website will be CDKGlobal.com. BRUNSWICK ACQUIRES BELL RECREATIONAL PRODUCTS GROUP B r u n s w i c k C o r p o r a t i o n announced that it has acquired Bell Recreational Products Group, a subsidiary of Bell Industries. Bell RPG is a dis- Intercontinental Lubricants, Inc., manufacturer of Spectro Oils, announced the retirement of its longtime president Dave Miller. Miller, a sprint car racer, tractor and truck restorer, as well as Highland cattle farmer and avid Harley-Davidson rider, joined the company 27 years ago, serving first as plant manager under the leadership of founder Robert H. Wehman. Wehman brought Miller in to design and build a new produc- tion line, and Miller subsequently became VP of operations under Barbara Wehman when she assumed the presidency. Barbara (who passed away on April 22, 2014) stepped aside and turned over the leadership of the company to Miller in 2003. Under Miller's leadership, an array of new products — lubricants, greases and appear- ance products — were developed and provided to retailers, and the Spectro Brand was exported into more countries, making it a truly global brand. Miller's wisdom, humor and energy will all be missed at ILC, according to the company. Succeeding Miller in the running of Intercontinental Lubricants are three members of the third generation, all grandsons of Robert and Barbara Wehman, and sons of vice president Thomas Josef- son and Barbara Wehman Josefson. The new president is Alex Josefson, the oldest of the brothers. Alex cut his teeth in customer relations and retail at NAPA and Radio Shack. A 26-year-old Eagle Scout and avid outdoorsman, Alex has worked for Spectro for three years, both in the factory and in sales. Alex has a black belt in Cheezic Tang Soo Do. Joining Alex on the management team are his brothers, Chris (24) and Mike (22). His focus at Spectro will be quality control and warehouse management. Mike will be responsible for plant operations. "While we know we have much to learn, we are all buffs and race fans, enjoy anything with a motor, and have spent virtually our entire lives connected to Spectro," Alex said. "We work well together, have seen the success of the Spectro focus on quality and engineered excellence, and will work hard to not only maintain, but build our unique and special brand." MILLER RETIRES AS SPECTRO PRESIDENT NEWS 7 ... Suzuki's bike, ATV sales increase 9 ... Owners acquire another dealership FINANCIAL NEWS 10 ... Brian Gallmeier 10 ... July Same Store Sales OPINION 13 ... From the Editor 13 ... Online at PowersportsBusiness.com PSB: FOCUS Snow 16 ... WPS introduces new gear 17 ... Giant Loop enters snow market 20 ... Snow Goer consumer survey 21 ... SAWS disbands 26 ... Dayco earns local award ATV 30 ... Company offers SxS joystick control 31 ... Distributor's ATV/UTV catalog grows MOTORCYCLE 33 ... KBB.com's Q2 traffic 36 ... Women's gear store opens in S.D. 37 ... Arch plans V-twin launch SOLUTIONS 38 ... Steve Jones PWC 42 ... PWC sales up in June 42 ... SBT racks up 2,000 hours of testing AFTERMARKET 44 ... Hot Products INSIDE CycleTrader.com expands mobile ads CycleTrader.com has expanded its mobile advertising solutions for motorcycle dealers. In August 2013, CycleTrader.com began offering homepage and search results spon- sorships on mobile and tablet devices, along with interstitial ads for tablets and dealer gallery photo sponsorships on mobile. Cycle- Trader.com has now increased the number of sponsorships available by DMA (Designated Market Area) and by state, based on overall mobile traffic in those locations and demand for such opportunities. The newly expanded sponsorships include enhancements that will give dealers greater exposure on CycleTrader.com's mobile and tablet platforms. Since 2013, CycleTrader.com's overall traffic on mobile devices has increased from 36 percent to more than 44 percent in 2014, including the tablet site (t.cycletrader.com) and mobile site (m.cycletrader.com). CycleTrader.com has seen an 80 percent increase in mobile visits year over year, and more than a 105-percent increase in mobile page views in 2014 compared with 2013. This equates to more than 78 million mobile page views for the first five months of this year. Mobile advertising surpassed 12,000 clicks on search sponsorship opportunities in April. PSB ALEX JOSEFSON Parts Unlimited has announced the hir- ing of three new sales representatives. Andy Munsterman (North region) has been racing and riding motocross and snowmobiles for 20 years, including AMA Hare Scrambles and WSA Snocross. He will be covering the Eastern Dakotas and Western Minnesota. Don Buss (North Central region) has been motorcycle and ATV riding for 25 years and has been a manager of dealer/ rider hospitality for the Canidae Motor- sport Kawasaki Monster Energy AMA Motocross series. John "Duke" Durham is the new Drag Specialties sales representative for the West region. He has worked as a dealer- ship parts manager for the last 10 years. He is a lifelong motorcycle enthusiast, riding both metric and Harley bikes. He currently rides his 2008 Harley-Davidson Road Glide on the streets of Houston. Parts Unlimited, Drag Specialties hire sales reps ANDY MUNSTERMAN DON BUSS JOHN "DUKE" DURHAM tributor of parts and accessories to the marine, recreational vehicle and powersports markets, serv- ing primarily the Upper Mid- west through locations in Eagan, Minn.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; and Milwaukee. Bell RPG had sales of approximately $40 million in 2013. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. "The addition of Bell RPG to our growing P&A portfolio will enhance our leadership in the U.S. marine market by further solidi- fying our footprint in the Upper Midwest," explained Brunswick chairman and chief executive offi- cer Dustan E. McCoy. "Addition- ally, Bell RPG offers a number of complementary products, par- ticularly those serving the RV and powersports industries, to add to our marine P&A portfolio. With this transaction we continue to increase our product depth and breadth as well as establish a pres- ence in new product categories and industries, consistent with our strategy of using our cash to grow our core businesses." Bell RPG will operate as part of Land 'N' Sea, a marine P&A distributor in North America, ultimately reporting to Mercury Marine's P&A operations. KAWASAKI EXPANDS EXTENDED SERVICE COVERAGE Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC) announced recently that after 28 years of providing excel- lent coverage to Kawasaki custom- ers, the Good Times Protection Plan (GTPP) has been rebranded as Kawasaki Protection Plus (KPP). Kawasaki Protection Plus offers all of the same great factory backed coverage and extended service contract programs as GTPP, but through KMC's partnership with Service Group, it has added new products including GAP, Tire & Wheel, Prepaid Maintenance as well as all-encompassing coverage for other OEM brands in the form of Preferred Protection Plus. "With Kawasaki Protection Plus and Preferred Protection Plus, Kawasaki has partnered with Service Group to provide a comprehensive offering of prod- ucts and services to Kawasaki dealers and customers ensuring positive ownership experiences, strong dealer relationships, and years of worry-free riding," said Patrick Kelly, Kawasaki director, Technical Services. Kawasaki Protection Plus and Preferred Protection Plus launched August 4 and are available from authorized Kawasaki dealers, or customers can purchase and renew their KPP contracts online at https://kpp.kawasaki.com. WALL JOINS VP RACING FUELS VP Racing Fuels announced the appointment of industry veteran Chris Wall as chief mar- keting officer. " G i v e n the growth of the company in size and complexity, there's a need for a senior- level leader to energize our stra- tegic marketing plan over the long term," Alan Cerwick, president of VP Racing Fuels, said. "With his extensive industry experience and wide-ranging net- work of contacts, we're confident in Chris' ability to lead VP's mar- keting team to new levels of cre- ativity and market strategy. VP's CHRIS WALL See Hot News, Page 6