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www.outdoorpowerequipment.com OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT JANUARY 2015 13
Jeff Andrews: Certainly, weather once
again played a major industry role. Europe
had a very short and mild winter, North
America's spring started very late, and the
snow business looks like it is starting out in a
major way at the end of 2014. Consolidation,
mergers and takeovers seem to have become
a fact of life throughout America and within
the OPE business. The rapid growth of
online shopping and changing consumer
buying habits continue to be something to
watch closely and adapt to. The ethanol wars
continued to grab attention. Thankfully,
new and dynamic technologies are rapidly
emerging and coming to market.
3. What will be the oPe industry's hottest
trends in 2015?
Jeff Andrews: New technologies are being
led by the advancement in battery-powered
products. These rechargeable outdoor power
tools used to be passed over as "cute" gadgets
for the homeowners, with little application to
the commercial arena. This is no longer the
case. As battery technologies advance at a very
high speed, and time to market shrinks, we are
now seeing products that have found a home
in the commercial industry. Manufacturers
worldwide are rushing to get these new and
evolving technologies and products to market.
Online marketing strategies will continue to
grow at breakneck speeds.
4. What advice do you have for oPe
dealers in 2015?
Jeff Andrews: Focus on being current
by staying educated and up-to-date. Help
your business evolve as opposed to resisting
change. Focus on service and quality. The
U.S. consumer is thirsty for service and
quality that can be provided by the servicing
dealer — something the big boxes continue
to struggle with. Focus on anything that can
improve the end user's experience.
5. What is your overall outlook for the
oPe industry in 2015?
Jeff Andrews: While we can't control many
things such as weather, we can and should con-
trol our independent and communal interests
through cooperation and education, strength-
ening how we all do business while creating a
more profitable marketplace for the dealer and
a better experience for the end user. 2015 can be
a great year. Be poised to take advantage of it.
BoB WALKer
PreSIDeNt
WALKer MFG. co.
(Fort coLLINS, coLo.)
1. What should oPe dealers know about
your company's plans for 2015?
Bob Walker: Product sales training at the
factory is a continuing initiative at Walker
Manufacturing. Around 250 distributor and
dealer sales representatives have attended
the two-day training in the last two years,
and the results have been positive. Dealers
are trained to sell product value ahead of
