Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/551693
4 • August 17, 2015 • Powersports Business NEWS www.PowersportsBusiness.com www.powersportsbusiness.com Editorial and Sales: 763.383.4400 Subscriber Service: 847.763.9565 EDITOR IN CHIEF: Dave McMahon 763/383-4411 (dmcmahon@powersportsbusiness.com) MANAGING EDITOR: Liz Keener 763/383-4413 (lkeener@powersportsbusiness.com) ASSISTANT EDITOR: Kate Swanson 763/383-4412 (kswanson@powersportsbusiness.com) DIGITAL SOLUTIONS MANAGER: Christopher Gerber DIGITAL MARKETING COORDINATOR: Shauna Spencer MANAGING ART DIRECTOR: Dodi Vessels ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR: Andrea Schneider PRODUCTION MANAGER: Angela Schmieg PRODUCTION DIRECTOR: Cherri Perschmann NATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR Allison Gruhn 763/383-4467 (agruhn@powersportsbusiness.com) NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER Mark Rosacker 763/383-4433 (mrosacker@snowgoer.com) NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER David J. Voll 763/383-4421 (dvoll@ridermagazine.com) NATIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE Michael Kula 949/466-7833 (mkula@ridermagazine.com) CEO: Marion Minor SR. VICE PRESIDENT/FINANCE & OPERATIONS: Gerald Winkel SR. VICE PRESIDENT/MARKET DEVELOPMENT: Joanne Juda-Prainito VICE PRESIDENT/POWERSPORTS, MARINE, BEVERAGE: Amy Collins AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER: Tim Morgan SENIOR SALES ADMINISTRATOR: Bernadette Wohlman CONTRIBUTORS: COLUMNISTS: Sam Dantzler, Neil Pascale CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Lisa Pelissier DEALER ADVISORY BOARD: Hooksett Kawasaki-Polaris, Jim Whalley; Hacker's Yamaha & Honda, Rick Hacker; Honda/Polaris of Lubbock, Morris Baker; All Action Water Sports, Ray Leps POWERSPORTS BUSINESS (ISSN #1522-7944) is published 15 times per year – monthly except twice in May and December, the Market Data Book in September – by EPG Media/Specialty Information Media, 10405 6th Avenue North, Suite 210 Minneapolis, MN 55441. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, MN and additional mailing offices. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: Free to qualified members of the motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle, snowmobile and personal watercraft industries. Annual subscription rate is $56 per year for U.S residents, $76 for Canadian residents and $96 for residents in other countries. All paid subscriptions must be paid in advance and in U.S. funds only. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Powersports Business, P.O. Box 2123, Skokie, IL 60076-7823. CUSTOMER SERVICE: Visit www.PowersportsBusiness.com, email customerservice@specialtyim.com, call (845) 856-2229, fax (847) 763-9569 or write to Powersports Business, PO Box 2123, Skokie, IL 60076-7823. CANADIAN RETURN ADDRESS: EPG Media & Specialty Information, 4960-2 Walker Road, Windsor, Ontario N9A 6J3. Publication Sales Agreement #40012332. EDITORIAL: All manuscripts, materials, photographs and artwork submitted are at mailer's risk and must include self-addressed envelope with sufficient postage for return. Send editorial materials to EPG Media/Specialty Information Media, 10405 6th Avenue North, Suite 210 Minneapolis, MN 55441, 763/383- 4400. No responsibility will be assumed for unsolicited materials. Powersports Business is a registered trademark of EPG Media & Specialty Information. Copyright 2015 by EPG Media & Specialty Information. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited unless expressly authorized by publisher. REPRINTS: For more information on e-prints or reprints from Powersports Business, contact Bernadette Wohlman, 763/383-4400 x2464. Printed in U.S.A. easy-to-use and incredibly stable platform, Ryan will be a great asset for our dealer part- ners throughout Northern California helping them achieve higher levels of F&I profits." "Ryan brings an incredible amount of expe- rience to our team that powersport dealers rec- ognize and appreciate," noted Brian Weaver, VP of Sales for Aegis Powersports. Aegis Powersports provides specialized dealer F&I products to powersports dealer- ships, including service contracts, road hazard protection, priority maintenance, gap, etch, GPS tracking, theft deterrent and appear- ance protection. All products are backed by Aegis Security Insurance Company, rated "A" ("Excellent") by A.M. Best and operating on an admitted basis in all states. WEIR JOINS PARTS UNLIMITED IN SALES Steve Weir has joined Parts Unlimited as regional sales manager for the North Central Region. Weir enjoys riding endure bikes with his family, and in the winter hops on his snowmobile to ride both trails and mountains. He brings more than 20 years of manage- rial experience, including time as a regional vice president. CATERPILLAR EXEC NAMED TO POLARIS BOARD Polaris Industries appointed Gwenne Hen- ricks to the company's Board of Directors on July 22. Henricks is vice president of Product Development & Global Technology and chief technology officer for Caterpillar Inc. Hen- ricks joined Caterpillar in 1981, and during her 34-year career, she has held numerous engineering and execu- tive roles progressing in scope and complexity. "We are very pleased to welcome Gwenne to our Board," said Polaris chairman and CEO Scott Wine. "During her exceptional career with Caterpillar, she has developed and mas- tered a range of skills that will be extremely valuable to Polaris' ambitious global growth efforts. As technology integration becomes an increasingly important differentiator for many of our products, Gwenne's background devel- oping customer-vehicle interface software is very much in line with our efforts to create a connected rider. Gwenne also has experience building a global research and development organization, which aligns closely with our efforts to identify and meet the needs of under- served markets as we expand internationally. Gwenne's counsel and guidance will be instru- mental as we continue to strengthen and grow the Polaris brand." Henricks holds a B.S. in physics and Master of Science degree in electrical engineering, both from Bradley University. She also earned an M.B.A. from the University of Illinois. She serves on the Bradley University Engineering Advisory Committee, the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology Advisory Council, and the Conference Board's Product and Services Development Council. Target Corp. CEO Brian Cornell resigned from the Polaris board on July 23. DOWCO'S SCHWEDA RETIRES AFTER 30 YEARS Dowco Powersports has announced the retirement of OE Sales Account Manager and industry veteran Ken Schweda. Over the past three decades Ken has been a dedicated, passionate key leader for Dowco and the powersports industry. Ken began his career with Dowco in 1985, and over the last 30 years Schweda has been involved as sales account manager for key OEM and distributor accounts. Most recently his focus has been account man- agement for Harley-Davidson and Polaris. "Ken has been a critical part of our team for as long as I've been here at Dowco. There is no doubt his level of enthusiasm and passion for the industry will be missed here at Dowco and in the industry," stated Dowco OEM general manager, Darrin Earhart. TUCKER ROCKY ADDS FORMER HELMET HOUSE, SCORPION VETERAN AS DESIGN DIRECTOR Industry veteran Michael MacGregor, an avid street and off-road rider, has been named design director for AMP Factory. An acro- nym for "Answer/Malcolm Smith Racing/ ProTaper," AMP Factory is the new name for the performance apparel division of Tucker Rocky/Bikers Choice. In his new role, MacGregor will coor- dinate and direct the creative design, product design, development and execution for all three of these brands. "There are some other surprises in the works from AMP Fac- tory, which Michael will have a critical role in," said Phil Davy, senior director Apparel Brands, Tucker Rocky/Biker's Choice. "Mac will be developing concepts for product design and inventions; handling media and advertising, establishing brand identity; overseeing packaging, web design and event activations. We are really looking forward to working with Michael to make AMP Factory a force to be reckoned with." After 11 years with Helmet House (where he was involved with product design, sourc- ing, product development and marketing for its proprietary and distributed brands), and more recently with Scorpion (handling every- thing from helmet and apparel design to race team support, marketing and PR), MacGregor is experienced in all aspects of brand building. "I caught motorcycle fever in the sixth grade, when I moved from the city out to the country in Agoura Hills," MacGregor said. Starting with a neighbor's Z-50, he progressed through a series of bikes, including a Gemini 80, XR-75, YZ-80, CR-125 and a CR-250 by the time he went to Arizona State Univer- sity, where he majored in marketing. "Today, my main machines are an '08 YZF-R1 for the street and a 2004 DR-Z400 with electric start because I'm old," he jokes. He has vintage gems stashed in his garage as well. During the past decade, MacGregor has developed and brought a number of products to market, including technical street and off- road riding apparel, footwear, casual wear and licensed apparel. However his skills extend beyond the realm of riding gear as he also co- invented a patented luggage mounting system and a number of point of purchase fixtures. "I am amped to be brought into the mix at AMP Factory," he said. "The collective strength of these brands is amazing … and the potential for growth is almost unlimited!" UTV/ATV WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DERBY GETS WPS SUPPORT The UTV/ATV World Championship Derby, set for Aug. 28-30 in Eagle River, Wis., announced that three Western Power Sports brands have been named official product spon- sors for the next three years. Fly Racing's presence will be seen via the official Fly Racing Poker Run and the Fly Rac- ing race winner and staff apparel. The Sedona Tire & Wheel Start/Finish Line and Sedona Tire & Wheel Competition Mud Pit also will be part of the WPS sponsorship. The Poker Run grand prize will be presented by Open Trail. KAWASAKI UNVEILS 50TH ANNIVERSARY LOGO March 1, 2016, marks the 50th anniversary of Kawasaki's presence in America. As part of the commemoration of this corporate milestone, Kawasaki has introduced an all-new visual identity to the brand, which will be featured at dealerships nationwide this fall. The all-new visual identity represents a sig- nificant update to current signage and reflects the brand's global identity. The new signage will stand out, featuring white lettering on a contrasting black background with distinctive Kawasaki Lime Green stripes underneath. This will be highly visible and easily recognizable for customers seeking dealerships. The transi- tion to Kawasaki's new visual branding will begin this month in selected markets, with the aim of having all dealers complete their instal- lation by the end of the year. "Kawasaki's rich heritage of unsurpassed innovations in the U.S. powersports industry has been highlighted by motorcycles such as the original Z1 and Ninja 900, essentially creating the modern supersport category," said Bill Jenkins, senior vice president of sales operations. "We also developed the market for the first stand-up personal watercraft with the Jet Ski brand, and developed the first utility four-wheeled vehicles with the MULE side-by- sides. Now, our visual identity will reflect this heritage and align our U.S. brand image with Kawasaki's global presence." SAM DANTZLER, TONY GONZALEZ LAUNCH GARAGE COMPOSITES A pair of powersports consultants has teamed up to form their own business. Launched by Sam Dantzler and Tony Gonzalez, Garage Com- posites will be a full-service provider of powers- ports 20 clubs, composite tracking, management training academies and in-dealership consulting. The company also will offer regional sales, F&I, parts and service training seminars. Dantzler, a long time industry consultant and moderator, Powersports Business colum- nist and founder of Sam's Powersports Garage, believes this to be the perfect compliment to his online training business. Gonzalez, a current 20 club moderator and industry consultant, adds, "I am beyond excited to provide a high level product to some of the best dealers in the industry." In addition to these two founding partners, Garage Composites will provide to the dealer network the most knowledgeable cadre of industry consultants available. "We know the industry, understand the dealers and intend to provide a service second to none," Dantzler said. Check out their website at www.garage- composites.com. PSB HOT NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 STEVE WEIR GWENNE HENRICKS MICHAEL MACGREGOR Three WPS brands signed a three-year sponsorship deal with the inaugural side- by-side event. Kawsaki has introduced an all-new visual identity to its brand in honor of its 50th anniversary.